Producer
The Resume
(November 27, 1911-April 25, 2000)
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
Birth name was David Margulois
Theatrical producer
Broadway productions include 'The Matchmaker' (1955), 'Look Back in Anger' (1957), 'The Entertainer' (1958), 'Gypsy' (1959), 'Irma La Douce' (1960), 'Becket' (1960), 'A Taste of Honey' (1960), 'Carnival' (1961), 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale' (1962), 'Stop The World -- I Want To Get Off' (1962), 'Oliver!' (1963), 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' (1963), 'Hello, Dolly!' (1964), 'Oh! What A Lovely War' (1964), 'Luther' (1964), 'The Roar of the Greasepaint -- The Smell of the Crowd' (1965), 'Marat/Sade' (1965), 'Don't Drink the Water' (1966), 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead' (1967), 'How Now, Dow Jones' (1967), 'Promises, Promises' (1968), 'Travesties' (1975), '42nd Street' (1980) and 'Loot' (1985)
Why he might be annoying
He hated his childhood in St. Louis so much that he refused flights that passed over the city to avoid the possibility of being forced to land there.
His was married six times and divorced five times.
He had a lifelong feud with composer Richard Rogers.
When Anna Maria Albeghetti missed a performance of 'Carnival' because of illness, he threatened to administer a lie detector test to her in the hospital.
When Gower Champion died hours before the opening of '42nd Street,' he kept it secret from the cast so he could announce the news during the curtain call.
He then tried to minimize Champion's billing on the marquee and reduced payments to his estate.
He reveled in his 'abominal showman' reputation and, according to the New York Times, 'went out of his way to resemble a villain out of Victorian melodrama.'
Why he might not be annoying
He was a master of publicity.
In his most famous stunt, he found seven New Yorkers with the same names as the city's leading theater critics, invited them to his musical 'Subways Are For Sleeping,' then ran an ad with their raves under the headline '7 Out Of 7 Are Unanimous.' (1961)
He was often his own toughest competition for the Tony Award.
He forced the backstage unions to integrate during production of the Lena Horne musical 'Jamaica.' (1957)
When 'Time' put him on the cover (1966), the magazine estimated that 20% of Broadway's workforce was employed by him.
He had no illusions about himself: Asked by a reporter why he had a reputation for meanness, he replied, 'Because I am mean.'
Credit: C. Fishel
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Year In Review:
For 2019, as of last week, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 10 Votes: 90.0% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 18 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
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