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Todd Haimes
Born
Bernard Todd Haimes

(1956-05-07)May 7, 1956
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 19, 2023(2023-04-19) (aged 66)
New York City, U.S.
Years active1983–2023
SpouseJeanne-Marie
Children2

Bernard Todd Haimes (May 7, 1956 – April 19, 2023) was an American artistic director.[1] He held various roles at Roundabout Theatre Company from 1983 until his death in 2023.[2][3][4] Haimes was recognized for rescuing the company from bankruptcy and transforming the theater into one of the most prominent and expansive nonprofit ensembles in the United States.

Early life and education

Haimes acted in one play as a child, but lost interest in acting and decided to take on administration and theatre management roles.[5] He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Yale University and was in his first year at Yale when he was hired by Roundabout, only to have the board vote to close two weeks later.[6][7]

Theater career

Roundabout Theatre Company

In 1983, Haimes joined the Roundabout Theatre Company as managing director. For the next 40 years, Haimes grew Roundabout from a small, off-Broadway space to one of the largest American nonprofit theater companies including the company's move to Times Square and restoration of what are now the American Airlines Theatre and Studio 54.[8][9] In 2007, Haimes received a compensation package of over than $500,000, making him one of the highest paid figures in the not-for-profit theater world.[10]

When Haimes took over as managing director, the company had already declared bankruptcy in 1978 and was burdened with a debt of approximately $2.5 million. Soon after Haimes's arrival, the board decided to cease the company's operations. During his initial month as the new leader, he did not receive any payment. Furthermore, when the company was unable afford a renewal mailer, he used his credit card to pay for it. According to a board member, Haimes undertook the expected measures such as downsizing the staff, recruiting more competent and productive individuals, and enhancing the theater's appeal to subscribers. As a result of his efforts, he managed to turn the company's annual budget profitable within the first year[11] and reduce its $2.4 million deficit by $1.6 million in five years.[12] Under his direction, the company's base grew from around 18,000 in 1991 to over 30,000 in 1996.[13]

In 1989, Haimes assumed the role of artistic director, a position he stated he was not entirely comfortable with as he saw himself more as a producer and that he did not believe that he was "equipped or responsible for interfering in the rehearsal and creative process".[10] During his tenure, he expanded the Roundabout's focus to include classic works from esteemed playwrights such as Bernard Shaw, Henrik Ibsen, and Shakespeare, as well as revivals of contemporary masters like Brian Friel, Harold Pinter, and Tom Stoppard. Furthermore, the Roundabout also provided a platform for emerging playwrights such as Martin McDonagh (''Skull in Connemara,'' 2001) and Richard Greenberg (''The Dazzle,'' 2002) on their smaller stages.[14] He was the first to introduce musicals into the company's repertoire including the first Broadway revival of She Loves Me.[3][15][16][17][18] This growth helped the theater emerge from bankruptcy, move to Broadway and expand into what would eventually be five theater spaces including Roundabout Underground.[3][7][19][20] The growth was documented in the 2016 film A Roundabout Road to Broadway.[21] In early 2023, this included the first ever commercial rental of the American Airlines Theatre.[22] Haimes became chief executive officer of the company in 2015.[3]

Among the notable Roundabout productions during Haimes' tenure were Cabaret starring Natasha Richardson and Alan Cumming, and the first ever sanctioned livestream of a production, She Loves Me, both of which earned the company Tony Awards.[3] During his tenure at Roundabout, the company won 34 Tony, 58 Drama Desks, 73 Outer Critics Circle, 21 Lucille Lortel and 14 Obie Awards.[23]

Haimes' success with the Roundabout has been attributed to his use of modern corporate techniques such as catering to his audience preferences and providing a familiar product in a comfortable setting, while securing corporate sponsors. Rocco Landesman acknowledged the success of the approach but noted that it may lead to a lack of artistic risk-taking and a standardized approach to theater.[24]

Other endeavors

In September 1998, Haimes was hired by Roy Furman and Michael Ovitz to take over the role of artistic director at Livent, a major theater company known for extravagant production. At the time, the company faced financial difficulties due to allegations of excessive spending by its founders, Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb. The company's stock had been frozen since August, and shareholders had filed a class-action lawsuit against it.[25][26]

Before beginning his long career at Roundabout, he was general manager at Stamford, Connecticut's Harman Theater Company and managing director at the Westport Country Playhouse.

In addition to his work at Roundabout, Haimes was president and a board member at Art/New York and was a member of The Broadway League's Executive Committee. He taught theater administration at both Yale and Brooklyn College and was advisor to Hunter College's theater program.[27]

Personal life

Haimes married neuroradiologist Alison Bender Haimes in 1982. The couple met while working on a set at the University of Pennsylvania.[25] He had a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Hilary.[28]

In December 2002, Haimes was diagnosed with sarcoma of the jaw. He subsequently underwent surgery to replace his right jawbone with a bone from his calf, a procedure that was followed by months of chemotherapy.[14]

Awards, accolades, and legacy

  • The Roundabout Theatre Company announced in June 2023 that Broadway's American Airlines Theatre would be renamed after him later that year.[31]

Death

Haimes died after complications of osteosarcoma, with which he had been diagnosed since 2002, on April 19, 2023, at the age of 66 in his hometown, New York City.[32][33]

References

  1. ^ Rahman, Abid (April 20, 2023). "Todd Haimes, Artistic Director and CEO of Roundabout Theatre Company, Dies at 66". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (June 4, 1998). "A Theater That Became a Star; Roundabout's Red Ink Gives Way to a Healthy Glow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Paulson, Michael (April 20, 2023). "Todd Haimes, Who Rebuilt Roundabout Theater Company, Dies at 66". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Todd Haimes, Artistic Director & CEO Of Roundabout Theatre Company, Dies At Age 66". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "40 Under 40 – Todd Haimes". Crain's New York Business. July 30, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Applebome, Peter (August 1, 1998). "The Roundabout Is Struggling But Is Used to It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Roundabout Now". New York. New York Media, LLC. December 19, 1994. p. 85.
  8. ^ Plummer, Christopher (October 6, 2009). In Spite of Myself: A Memoir. Knopf Canada. pp. 615–20. ISBN 978-0-307-37312-0.
  9. ^ "Episode 7 – Todd Haimes". Producers' Perspective (Podcast).
  10. ^ a b Healy, Patrick (December 21, 2009). "Roundabout Feels Pinch After Period of Growth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  11. ^ McKinley, Jesse (July 23, 2003). "An Expanding Theater and a Healing Director". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Rothstein, Mervyn (January 16, 1989). "For Roundabout, Changes at the Top". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "ROUNDABOUT THEATER;Defining Its Mission". The New York Times. February 25, 1996. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  14. ^ a b McKinley, Jesse (July 23, 2003). "An Expanding Theater and a Healing Director". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Healy, Patrick (February 15, 2014). "It May Be a Nonprofit Theater, but the Tickets Look For-Profit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  16. ^ Clement, Olivia (July 8, 2019). "How Todd Haimes Made Roundabout Theatre Company a Force On Broadway and Off". PLaybill.
  17. ^ Hall, Margaret (April 19, 2023). "Todd Haimes, Artistic Director of Roundabout Theatre Company, Passes Away at 66". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  18. ^ Weinert-Kendt, Rob (March 14, 2016). "The Roundabout Empire Wasn't Built in a Day". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  19. ^ Clement, Olivia. "Why Roundabout Theatre Company Develops New Playwrights—Not Just New Plays".
  20. ^ Healy, Patrick (December 21, 2009). "Roundabout Feels Pinch After Period of Growth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "Roundabout Theatre Company's – A Roundabout Road to Broadway Wins Top Honors from Four Awards". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  22. ^ David, Cara Joy (December 12, 2022). "Roundabout Goes Dark on Broadway This Spring". Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  23. ^ "Todd Haimes, who led a theater company to Broadway, dies". AP News. April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Landesman, Rocco (June 4, 2000). "THEATER: Broadway: Devil or Angel for Nonprofit Theater?; A Vital Movement Has Lost Its Way". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Pogrebin, Robin (September 16, 1998). "Modestly Taking the Stage In a Cliffhanger; Todd Haimes Plays Knight For Troubled Livent". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  26. ^ Brodesser, Claude (September 3, 1998). "Haimes' new Livent post blocks Drabinsky's return". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  27. ^ "Todd Haimes, Columbia University School of Professional Studies". sps.columbia.edu. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  28. ^ "Hilary Haimes, Jonathan Salik". The New York Times. September 11, 2016. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  29. ^ "Honorary Awards". Lucille Lortel Awards. January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  30. ^ Cox, Gordon (March 5, 2013). "Haimes Honored at Lortel Awards". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  31. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (June 2, 2023). "Broadway's American Airlines Theatre Will Be Renamed for Late Roundabout Artistic Director Todd Haimes". Playbill. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  32. ^ "Todd Haimes, who led a theater company to Broadway, dies". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  33. ^ Murphy, J. Kim (April 20, 2023). "Todd Haimes, Leader of New York's Roundabout Theater Company, Dies at 66". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
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