Broadway giant James 'Jimmy' Nederlander dies at 94

NEW YORK -- James M. Nederlander, who took over the fledgling Nederlander Organization from his father and built it into one of the largest producers of live entertainment and a dominant national theater chain that includes nine Broadway houses, has died. He was 94.

"The world has lost one of its great impresarios," said his son, James L. Nederlander, who confirmed his father died Monday.

Known as Jimmy, he produced or co-produced more than 100 shows, including "Annie," "Copenhagen," "The Will Rogers Follies," "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," "La Cage aux Folles," "Nine," "Noises Off" and "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby."

Nederlander rejected anyone who claimed to have a rational way to predict which shows would be hits or flops. "Nobody can," he would say. "I trust my gut."

He won a dozen Tony Awards as a producer or co-producer -- including a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2004 -- and has presented operas, ballets, concerts and artists ranging from Rudolf Nureyev to Frank Sinatra to U2.

Condolences were quick to arrive. Theater icon Andrew Lloyd Webber tweeted: "Farewell Jimmy, truly the end of a great theatrical era." Kate Shindle, the president of the Actors Equity Association union, wrote: "#RIP to a true titan."

The Nederlander Organization is one of three big theater chains on Broadway.

The Shubert Organization owns 16 theaters outright, and Jujamcyn Theaters owns five. Nederlander's stable is bigger than its rivals once its theaters nationwide and in London are added to the mix.

One of Nederlander's most lucrative business collaborations is with the Walt Disney Co., which started in 1994 when Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" opened at the Palace Theatre. Since then, "Aida," "Tarzan," "The Little Mermaid" and "Newsies" all found a home at a Nederlander house. Nederlander's Minskoff Theatre is the home of Disney's "The Lion King."

Founded by David T. Nederlander, the Nederlander Organization began in 1912 with the purchase of a 99-year lease on the old Detroit Opera House. In 1939, the then-17-year-old Jimmy left school to join the family business -- sweeping the lobby, working as an usher and a stagehand and selling tickets in the box office.

By 1943, Jimmy Nederlander was in New York City as a serviceman in the Air Force and worked as box-office treasurer for a production of Moss Hart's "Winged Victory." In 1964, his father bought the Palace Theatre, a historic vaudeville house that had gone into decline. After a two-year renovation, Nederlander's reopened the Palace with Bob Fosse's production of "Sweet Charity," starring Gwen Verdon. After his father died in 1967, Nederlander took over running the family business.

In addition to the Palace, Nederlander's eight other Broadway venues in New York are the Brooks Atkinson, Gershwin, Lunt-Fontanne, Marquis, Minskoff, Nederlander, Richard Rodgers and Neil Simon theaters.

Outside New York, its venues include the Auditorium and Bank of America theatres, the Broadway Playhouse, Cadillac Palace and Oriental theatres, all in Chicago; the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles; and the Adelphi, Aldwych and Dominion theatres in London.

Innovative ways to get people into those arenas prompted changes to the industry that continue to be felt. In 1992, Nederlander's and Ticketmaster were the first to give Broadway theatergoers the ability to select their own seat location.

The concept of the student lottery ticket was reimagined at the David T. Nederlander Theatre when young fans of "Rent" could get seats in the first two rows of the theatre for just $20.

With Nederlander's son Jimmy Jr. currently overseeing the organization's daily operation, the Nederlander Organization has passed the baton to a third generation. Another son, Robert Nederlander Jr., is president of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, which manages theaters and presents Broadway productions in international markets.

Nederlander is also survived by his wife, Charlene S. Nederlander; daughter-in-law Margo M. Nederlander; his grandchildren, James M. Nederlander II and Kathleen M. Nederlander; his stepdaughter, Kristina Gustafson; and her children, Gunnar and Krisanna Gustafson. Funeral services will be Thursday.

One of Jimmy Nederlander's legacies was his backing of the next generation of Broadway stars, through sponsoring The National High School Musical Theater Awards. The annual competition culminates each June with a trip to New York, mentoring from veterans and then a night of performances from dozens of hopefuls from across the country. They are called The Jimmy Awards.