A Glorious, 60-Year Run

ARTS&LIFE

ON THE COVER

The Nederlander Company sells the Fisher Theatre to a U.K. theater group.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A Glorious 60-Year Run

The lobby of the Fisher Building

DIG DOWNTOWN DETROIT - FISHER BUILDING LOBBY A s the lights are being turned up again at the Fisher Theatre for the 2021-22 season — launching its 60th anniversary — The Nederlander Company turns over its storied production space to International Entertainment Holdings Limited, parent company of Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), a live theater and ticketing organization out of the United Kingdom.

Stories surround the family that entered the theatrical world in Detroit and later established themselves through multiple theater ownership and programming reaching way beyond the city. Stories also surround a stage lineage of acclaimed shows with some following Broadway runs and others tried out in Michigan before reaching Broadway.

There are stories that emphasize the Jewish heritage known personally by the family who moved on to New York headquarters and became friends with the Jewish creators and entertainers that introduced a vast range of drama, comedy and music into the hearts of diverse audiences.

The Nederlander Company,

ARTS&LIFE

ON THE COVER

FISHER THEATRE ARCHIVES

continued from page 35 also announcing its sale of programming operations at the Detroit Opera House and Music Hall in Detroit as well as the Golden Gate and Orpheum Theatres in San Francisco, will maintain a Detroit presence with the endowment of stage awards given through Wayne State University.

“These unique venues have been home to Broadway’s greatest shows, serving local and regional audiences for generations,” said Robert Nederlander Sr., essentially retired from administrative responsibilities as one of five brothers who learned theater management from their dad, David Tobias Nederlander.

“We are confident that the ATG team will continue to look after the strong foundation that we have created with these theaters in their respective communities and to take them into this next decade with great success.”

A STORIED HISTORY

Fiddler on the Roof was among the acclaimed musicals tested at the Fisher, where the responses of local audiences led to revisions preparing the show for years of international acclaim.

“We didn’t think of it as a particularly Jewish show,” lyricist Sheldon Harnick told the Detroit Jewish News in

FISHER THEATRE MORRIS MAC MATZEN FISHER THEATRE TOP: View from the

Balcony, 1970.

BOTTOM: Fiddler on

the Roof touring cast from the production that was here in March 2020, Pretty Woman comes to the Fisher Theatre in November. ThIs photo is from the Hamburg production. Jeffrey Seller accepts the 2019 Apple Award.

1995. “We thought of it as something that was aiming for the A NEW ERA universal values we had found in the Sholem Aleichem story “The Broadway in Detroit family is excited about the new ‘Tevye’s Daughters.’ arrangements, which include investments in theater technol-

“Nevertheless, we knew in many ways it was a Jewish show. ogy. There will be a lot of resources we can tap into for future We knew that it was a serious show, and we knew that it was a scheduling while working on the current season, which is in long show. With all those things, we were worried that it might flux because of the pandemic.” not be accepted, and we were very nervous about the show’s While firm dates are still to be established, the followDetroit premiere. ing musicals should go ahead: Pretty Woman in November,

“By the fourth week [with changes that included making Hadestown in December and Hairspray in January. Finalized the play shorter], it was close to selling out, and we knew we dates will be posted at broadwayindetroit.com. were OK.” “We’re going to end up with six great During the first year of operation, famed Jewish composer and only-time lyricist Richard Rodgers traveled to Detroit, sat in the balcony at a small piano and wrote songs and revisions for No Strings as the cast, starring Richard Kiley and Diahann Carroll, rehearsed with full stage orchestra. COURTESY OF FISHER THEATRE shows,” said Lichtenstein, a member of the Grosse Pointe Jewish Council and fan of the one-woman narrative Golda, which appeared twice at the Fisher, once with Tovah Feldshuh and another time with Valerie Harper. “I just don’t know which ones they’re going to be, but I expect to see one

Broaching the subject of interracial Nederlander brother in the audience. romance through dialogue and song, Joseph Nederlander, who is 94, remains No Strings became a trailblazing and in the area and was the innovator of outfavorite show of Robert Nederlander door theaters starting with Pine Knob,” Sr., whose oldest brother, the late Harry Lichtenstein said. Nederlander, oversaw Detroit operations The Nederlander Company, now and commented on the play and its suc- with an administration that includes cessful run. third-generation family members

“Richard Rodgers was a genius, and Robert Nederlander Jr. and James Diahann Carroll was terrific,” Harry Nederlander, will perpetually be tied to Nederlander told the Detroit Jewish News David Tobias Nederlander and his five sons. Front row: Joseph, father David the city through the family endowment in 2001. “It was a show ahead of its time, and James “Jimmy.” Second row: Harry, of the Apple Award, started in memand the fact that it involved an interra- Robert and Frederick “Freddie.” ory of David Nederlander’s wife, Sara cial romance never entered my mind [when we were making our decision to “WE ARE CONFIDENT Applebaum Nederlander, known for hosting Fisher stars and serving them bring it here].” London-based Sonia Friedman THAT THE ATG TEAM traditional Jewish dishes. The award, presented annually to a Productions (SFP), associated with ATG Productions, has developed and staged WILL CONTINUE nationally recognized theater professional, is accepted during a visit that features more than 170 varied plays and brought a Fiddler on the Roof run to London in 2019, TO LOOK AFTER a lecture presented to Wayne State University theater students. Each winshortly before introducing Leopoldstadt to the stage as Tom Stoppard’s play about a THE STRONG ner receives a crystal apple and $10,000 intended for a theatrical interest. Jewish family in Vienna. SFP has won 55 Olivier Awards and 30 FOUNDATION THAT Past honorees include playwright Neil Simon, composer Stephen Schwartz and Tony Awards. Alan Lichtenstein, 40-year executive WE HAVE CREATED.” producer Jeffrey Seller, who grew up in Oak Park, became enchanted with director for Nederlander programming — ROBERT NEDERLANDER SR. the stage by watching Fisher Theatre in Detroit and sometimes San Francisco, shows and went on to produce Rent worked with SFP in bring- and Hamilton, which appeared locally ing Mamma Mia! to the through Nederlander operations. United States for the first time and looks forward “Our Detroit staff has missed the excitement of the theater to the opportunities the new associations can during the time of pandemic closings,” Lichtenstein said. bring to Motor City stages. “Although most staff members were able to continue with pay “SFP recently brought Harry Potter and the during the time of the pandemic, we can’t wait for the shows to Alan Lichtenstein Cursed Child to audiences so we hope to gain return and hear the applause, which reminds me of the musical some priority in bringing their imaginative Applause [written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with works to Detroit,” said Lichtenstein, who has previewed and songs by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse] — another Fisher picked hundreds of shows for local audiences. Theatre world premiere.”