Hugh and Schoenfeld Memoir

[mamaleh]

I just finished reading "Mr. Broadway," for which Hugh wrote the foreword. It's a fun and interesting read. Nothing about Gerald (Jerry) Schoenfeld's youth; it plunges right into his early employment with the Shubert brothers. Amazing how they ever produced anything successfully, what with their getting hit with lawsuits left and right, and lobbing a few of their own at enemies. What a contentious atmosphere in those days.

In addition to Hugh's warm foreword, there are a couple of pix of Hugh in the third photo section: one with JS, other members of the Shubert board and Dame Edna; and a lovely pic of Hugh, looking fresh as though from a shower, smiling broadly with his arm around Jerry and Jerry's arm around him. Plus, in the epilogue Pat Schoenfeld, Jerry's widow, writes about going backstage at the Schoenfeld to see Hugh after the opening night of A STEADY RAIN. This is what she writes:

"The first thing he said to me was, 'Pat, he's here. He hasn't gone away. He's here in the wings. I can feel him here.'"

I thought that was lovely.

Ellen

[jo]

They did enjoy a warm, almost father-son relationship! I remember stories of how GS would walk from his office at Shubert Alley to the Imperial very often to watch Hugh finish that day's performance of The Boy From Oz.

And Hugh being there and saying a few words for the renaming of the Plymouth (?) to the Schoenfeld Theatre.

And how GS and his wife were there for the NY premiere of AUSTRALIA - after which he passed away.

And maybe...he was there at the Broadhurst, too -- telling Hugh that he belongs to Broadway always!


Jo

[mamaleh]

After GS's death, his widow specified that Hugh must be the master of ceremonies at the memorial, held at one of the Shubert theaters. That's how close they were, and how highly both Mr. and Mrs. S. thought of Hugh.