THOUGH he may not have been as well-known to the public as the impresarios of the past - Florenz Zieg feld, David Merrick, David Belasco and their ilk - Gerald Schoenfeld wielded more power than all of them put together.
As chairman of the Shubert Organization for 36 years, Schoenfeld, or "The Chairman" as he was affectionately called, oversaw a multimillion-dollar empire that owns and operates 17 Broadway theaters; has produced shows such as "Equus," "A Chorus Line," "Cats" and "Dreamgirls"; runs Telecharge and dispenses millions of dollars to nonprofit arts organizations around the country.
His death yesterday shocked the theater industry, for although he was 84, the Shuberts without Gerry - indeed, an opening night without Gerry - hardly seemed possible.
He was as much a Broadway fixture as, well, Shubert Alley.
"What do you mean, 'When I die . . .' " he boomed when I brought up the delicate question of his successor a few years ago. "If I die," he amended. "And if I die, I will die behind this desk."
He came close. Schoenfeld attended the premiere of "Australia," starring his favorite leading man and close friend Hugh Jackman Monday night. He was with his wife of 58 years, Pat, and seemed his usual jaunty self. They returned to their Madison Avenue apartment and, around 1 in the morning, while he was making himself a light snack, he suffered a massive heart attack.
Schoenfeld ran the Shubert empire from an elegant, windowless office above the Shubert Theatre. It was windowless because it had once been Lee Shubert's bedroom, and Lee, being a theater producer, slept during the day.
Along with his brothers, Sam and J.J., Lee founded the theater chain in 1900.
Schoenfeld, a lawyer, joined the Shuberts in 1958. He recruited another lawyer, his friend Bernard B. Jacobs, to work with him. Together they were at J.J. Shubert's beck and call.
J.J. was a tyrant, and enjoyed torturing his underlings. Once, while giving me a tour of the Shubert offices, Schoenfeld recalled what it was like to work for him.
"He'd call me up in the middle of the night and order me to fire Bernie," Schoenfeld said, wincing at the memory. "Then he'd call up Bernie and tell him to fire me." via
