Broadway giant Nederlander dead at 94
James M. Nederlander, who took over the fledgling Nederlander Organization from his father and built it into one of the largest producers of live entertainment and a dominant national theatre chain that includes nine Broadway houses, has died. He was 94.
“The world has lost one of its great impresarios,” said his son, James L. Nederlander.
Known as Jimmy, the elder Nederlander produced or co-produced more than 100 shows, including Annie, Copenhagen, The Will Rogers Follies, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, La Cage Aux Folles, Nine, Noises Off and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He won a dozen Tony Awards as a producer or co-producer — including a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2004 — and presented operas, ballets, concerts and artists ranging from Rudolf Nureyev to Frank Sinatra to U2.
Condolences were quick to arrive. Theatre icon Andrew Lloyd Webber tweeted: “Farewell Jimmy, truly the end of a great theatrical era.” Kate Shindle, the president of the Actors Equity Association union wrote: “#RIP to a true titan.”
The Nederlander Organization is one of three big theatre chains on Broadway. The Shubert Organization owns 16 theatres outright and Jujamcyn Theatres owns five. Nederlander’s stable is bigger than its rivals once its theatres nationwide and in London are added to the mix.
One of Nederlander’s most lucrative business collaborations is with the Walt Disney Co., which started in 1994 when Disney’s Beauty and the Beast opened at the Palace Theatre. Since then, Aida, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid and Newsies all found a home at a Nederlander house. Nederlander’s Minskoff Theatre is the home of Disney’s The Lion King.
Founded by David T. Nederlander, the Nederlander Organization began in1912 with the purchase of a 99-year lease on the old Detroit Opera House. In 1939, the then-17-year-old Jimmy left school to join the family business: sweeping the lobby, working as an usher and a stagehand and selling tickets in the box office.
In 1992, Nederlander’s and Ticketmaster were the first to give Broadway theatregoers the ability to select their own seat locations. Nederlander also reimagined the concept of the student lottery ticket with Rent.
Nederlander’s son Jimmy Jr. currently oversees the organization’s daily operation.