Sam S. Shubert

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Sam S. Shubert
Born(1878-08-27)August 27, 1878
Vladislavov, Russian Empire
DiedMay 13, 1905(1905-05-13) (aged 26)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Theatre owner/operator
Theatrical producer

Samuel S. Shubert (August 27, 1878 – May 13, 1905) was an American producer and theatre owner/operator. He was the middle son in the Shubert family and was raised in Syracuse, New York.

Biography

Born in Vladislavov, in the

Jewish families were already living. His father's alcoholism kept the family in difficult financial circumstances, and at a very young age Sam Shubert had to work as a shoeshine boy.[citation needed
]

Syracuse operations

He eventually obtained a job at the Grand Opera House, selling programs and working in the box office.

two brothers to be the successful operators of several theaters in upstate New York.[2]

Theatre empire

The Shubert brothers decided to expand to the huge market in New York City and at the end of March 1900, Sam Shubert leased the Herald Square Theatre at the corner of Broadway and 35th Street in Manhattan. Leaving younger brother Jacob at home to manage their existing theatres, he and older brother Lee moved to New York City, where they laid the foundation for what was to become the largest theatre empire of the 20th century.[3]

Sam Shubert had the idea for his first original production, Fantana, which premiered at the Lyric Theatre on January 14, 1905. "The show was Sam's idea, and he more or less cowrote the libretto. When his coauthor, Robert B. Smith, claimed to have done all the actual writing, Sam admitted that he had but would not change the credits." He also took the directing credit for the 1904 revival of the comedy opera Wang: "under the personal direction of Sam. S. Shubert."[4]

Railroad accident

In May 1905, Sam Shubert was traveling to

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on business, when the passenger train he was on collided with several freight cars in the Lochiel neighborhood of south Harrisburg.[5] Severely injured in the train wreck, Sam Shubert succumbed to his injuries two days later at the age of 26. His body was brought back to New York for burial in the Salem Fields Cemetery in Brooklyn.[6]

In 1913, Sam Shubert's brothers opened a prestigious new theatre at 225 West 44th Street, in the heart of the

Chicago, Illinois, and it too was renamed the Sam S. Shubert Theatre.[8]

Notes

References

  1. ^ Hirsch, pp 9–17
  2. ^ "Shubert Brothers pbs.org, retrieved December 30, 2009
  3. ^ "Shubert Brothers Brief History shubertarchive.org, retrieved December 30, 2009
  4. ^ Hirsch, p. 46
  5. ^ "New Yorkers in Peril" The New York Times, May 12, 1905
  6. ^ "Samuel S. Shubert Buried"The New York Times, May 15, 1905
  7. ^ "More Theatres For This City"The New York Times, September 7, 1913
  8. ^ "Bank of America Theatre history cinematreasures.org, retrieved December 30, 2009

External links

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