Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
WalkOn
Broadway Star Joined: 8/7/06
#1Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:48pm
Last I heard he was a fugative and there were/are arrest warrants out for him in US and Canada.
I know I shouldn't.... but in a strange way I admire him. Something like a real Max Bialystock.
#2re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:50pm
Funny you ask...
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/104358.html
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#2re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:50pmI believe he's still on the lam somewhere in Canada.
Dover
Leading Actor Joined: 4/29/06
#4re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 12:43amDrabinsky provided a lot of talented artists with the resources to create great theatre. That production of Show Boat is pretty much the most amazing thing I've seen on a stage. Unfortunately he was able to do so because he was spending money that didn't exist. I don't admire his methods, but I can't help but be grateful that we got a few good shows out of it, and a big beautiful Broadway house.
#5re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:14amI always thought he was kinda cute, too. In a cockeyed goofy sort of way.
#6re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:15amWhile I think the methods were very wrong, I admire his passion, and that any cooking of the books went solely into his productions.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
#7re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:30amwell "cute" works good in Prison.
#8re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 4:59amLike so many white collar criminals he has been sitting out his endlessly delayed court dates in comfort and prosperity in Toronto. He still has a hand in many projects - mostly film, some of them "family values" things aimed at bible-belt audiences. Cute he is not. But then I'm bitter - he owes me money I will never see it.
#9re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 6:02am
He is creating or producing (or both) a new reality type show in Canada called "Triple Sensation".
Triple Sensation on CBC
#10re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:54am
He is, apparently, desperately trying to avoid extradition to The United States because down here, he would probably receive a sentence similar to those guys who ran Enron. America takes these types of charges very seriously.
Perhaps before calling him cute or good for the theatre industry, you should Google him and get a grasp of the seriousness and breadth of the charges.
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#11re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 10:24am
"...long-awaited trials for fraud, Variety has reported."
No kidding! It's been what, 6 years?
#12re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 10:29amWell, to be honest it was the pre-felon Garth I found kind of cute, not his crimes or actions.
WalkOn
Broadway Star Joined: 8/7/06
#13re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/11/07 at 11:24amPerhaps I romanticize his actions too much. But there is no arguing that the guy knew how to put on a good show.
#14re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/12/07 at 12:03am
Pre-felon Garth Drabinsky?
There have, apparently, been suggestions of all sorts of improprieties going back a long, long time, all the way back to the 1970's.
You really should google or Lexus/Nexus this gentleman. There have been articles about all sorts of situations going way back to the theatre festivals and the Cineplex/Odeon debacle and so on...
neddyfrank2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#15re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/12/07 at 12:09amSorry but can somebody explain to be what happened with Mr. Garth Drabinsky?
#16re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/12/07 at 2:48am
This link will give a good overview of what happened....
http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Livent
The opening of night of SHOW BOAT in October 1993 is one of my most cherished theatrical memories, rivalled by the world premiere of RAGTIME (in the same theatre) in December 1996.
Sadly, except for occasional concerts the theatre now sits empty and unused.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#17re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/12/07 at 9:14amHe owes me no money, and I do not find him cute; but, his SHOW BOAT and, particularly RAGTIME, are among my favorite theater-going experiences, which began in 1959!
#18re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/13/07 at 12:43amhttp://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=10700&sc=8
#19re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/13/07 at 2:26am
From the New York Times:
Garth H Drabinsky and Myron I Gottlieb, Canadians who founded Livent Inc, say through their lawyers that they will not come to Manhattan to face criminal fraud charges brought against them by US prosecutors; Federal prosecutors had asked two men to turn themselves in and confront charges they masterminded scheme that defrauded Livent's investors out of tens of millions of dollars while lining their own pockets; Drabinsky's lawyer, Edward L Greenspan, says his client believes it would be 'very difficult' to get fair trial in US; US prosecutors will quickly file papers in Canadian courts to extradite them; that process could take many months; Royal Canadian Mounted Police is also investigating case, but that probe is expected to take more than a year
and
Arrest warrants are issued in US for founders of theater company Livent Inc, Garth H Drabinsky and Myron I Gottlieb, after they fail to appear in Manhattan court to face charges of fraud; pair, both Canadian citizens, will soon become target of extradition proceedings intended to compel them to appear in US courts
and
Royal Canadian Mounted Police charge Livent Inc founders Garth H Drabinsky and Myron I Gottlieb with defrauding investors and creditors of $325 million; former Livent executives Gordon Eckstein and Robert Topol are charged with taking part in schemes to defraud investors and creditors; police say four men falsified financial statements for nine years in effort to misrepresent financial health of company; Drabinsky, through his lawyer Edward Greenspan, reiterates his innocence; Greenspan says Drabinsky will vigorously defend himself
WalkOn
Broadway Star Joined: 8/7/06
#20re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/13/07 at 2:19pm...the story goes on...
#21re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/13/07 at 5:17pmGarth, ala Max B. could stage Prisoners of Love when he goes to jai;
#22re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/13/07 at 11:47pm
Maxwas, at heart, a decent guy. It just took him time to discover that.
Garth......
#23re: Whatever Happened to Garth Drabinsky?
Posted: 1/14/07 at 12:45am
I don't admire Garth or his methods.
I do however, love that production of Ragtime. Sometimes, I even feel guilty about loving it so much.
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