Is Jordan Roth the most successful theatre owner?

[bobsbroadwayburgers]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 2:42pm

This man has such great taste in material and what shows that should be brought in. I truly hope Jujamcyn is able to acquire another theatre down the line... especially since all their theatres have tenants that will be there for quite awhile...

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 4:22pm

Pretty sure the Shuberts own more real estate across the country?

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 4:40pm

Thanks to Daddy he is. 

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 4:54pm

Jujamcyn certainly has been on a roll recently. Of course, it doesn't hurt that with only five theatres, if two have long-running hits, that's 40% of them raking in the money. However, in particular, the Walter Kerr and St James, have had more than their share of recent flops.

Most successful theater owner now? Very likely Jujamcyn. A good season with a hit or two has a disproportiante effect on smaller companies. But perhaps the stellar numbers for Harry Potter can compensate for the lackluster performance of the much smaller Hudson for ATG. And of course Disney owns one theater which still is packing 'em in for Aladdin.

I do agree, however, that Jordan Roth is a very creative soul who has Broadway in his blood and has been excellent in the properties he's chosen to produce and support - both from the artistic and business side. I believe the way he has maintained the "big hit in a small house" profitability for BoM for eight years and counting is partially testament to his savvy.

I'm sure there are a lot of numbers as to actual profitability, which could then be averaged by house, seat, whatever. (although non-profits and Disney make it more problematic, I believe). But, yes, Jujamcyn, under Jordan Roth, is doing very well right now. And I also think he's enjoying his time sitting in the catbird seat.
 

Updated On: 8/4/19 at 04:54 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 5:11pm

SouthernCakes said: "Pretty sure the Shuberts own more real estate across the country?"

If not the Nederlanders.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 5:48pm

No, he’s not. His family has a higher Net Worth than the other owners, but that money comes from his father and wasn’t earned in theatre.

Of the top-10 highest-grossing shows last week, the top 3 (Ham, Lion King, Wicked) are all in Nederlander houses. Jujamcyn also has 3 and Shubert has 2, but they’re not as high on the top 10.

Then you have to account for other types of income: Nederlander, Shubert, and ATG own/operate theatres around the country and in London. Shows that the theatre owners also invested in/co-produced. There’s the longevity of each hit show and the money earned over time (Shubert and Nederlander have been in business decades longer).

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 5:52pm

Not even close to the success of the Shubert Organization. 4 of the top 5 longest running shows were/are in Shubert-owned houses. The Lion King (no. 3) is in a Nederlander house. None of the top ten longest running shows played in a Jujamcyn-owned house. Seven of the top ten were/are in Shubert houses and thre were/are in Nederlander houses.

In addition to real estate, the Shuberts have a ticketing divide that owns and operates the ticketing services, one which is Telecharge.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 8:26pm

EllieRose2 said: "Thanks to Daddy he is."

Was that really necessary?  If anything one would say he’s successful on his own in spite of “Daddy”.  Steven Roth is a major Trump supporter, and certainly no friend to the arts. Jordan could easily have become another Jared Kushner but chose not to.

 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 9:06pm

I'd have to say the most successful theatre company is Nederlander. In addition to Broadway, their big thing has been touring houses for both theatrical productions on tour and concerts, they own dozens nationwide. Not to mention, they own I believe (and this is off hand, so I can be mistaken on the exact number) four West End theatres. Some of their more noticeable locations aside from Broadway/West End are Chicago. There's the newly remained Nderlander theatre there. And, the theatre that is home to the Chicago production of Hamilton is also owned by Nederlander. 

I guess, for theatre fans, that this may not automatically come to mind when talking about Broadway alone. And yes, out of the big three companies (Shubert, Nederlander and Jujamcyn) Shubert owns 18 theres on Broadway. Seeing as there are forty some odd theatres on Broadway, they aren't doing to bad for themselves either. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 8:50am

JSquared2 said: "EllieRose2 said: "Thanks to Daddy he is."

Was that really necessary? If anything one would say he’s successful on his ownin spite of “Daddy”. Steven Roth is a major Trump supporter, and certainly no friend to the arts. Jordancould easily have become another Jared Kushner but chose not to."

Jordan Roth may be a neoliberal whereas his father is a conservative, but that’s not the point.

I actually do think it’s necessary to point out that Jordan has inherited all of his wealth, property, and his day-to-day job. It’s important for young people - heck, old people too - in the arts to know this so they don’t set unreasonable standards for themselves. Jordan Roth did not get where he is now because of hard work, determination, and luck. He inherited a well-established theater empire. You may disagree and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, but I do think it’s important to note in today’s age. The rich are getting richer, it’s becoming impossible to succeed in this country if you don’t already come from some relative amount of money, and we should be calling it out.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 10:31am

theatregoer3 said: "Jordan Roth did not get where he is now because of hard work, determination, and luck. He inherited a well-established theater empire."

"Inherited" is not the word. Using family money, he purchased a 50% stake in Jujamcyn Theaters after working there as a VP for a few years, when Rocco Landesman went to run the NEA in Obama's first term. In 2013, Roth purchased the majority share from Rocco (who retained "a small interest in Jujamcyn" ).

I think he has used his wealth as a source for good in this industry. There are certainly worse and less-passionate people who could have purchased a theatre empire. It's important and refreshing to have a "younger" theatre owner, too.

Updated On: 8/4/19 at 10:31 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 11:18am

theatregoer3 said: "I actually do think it’s necessary to point out that Jordan has inherited all of his wealth, property, and his day-to-day job. It’s important for young people - heck, old people too - in the arts to know this so they don’t set unreasonable standards for themselves.Jordan Roth did not get where he is now because of hard work, determination, and luck. He inherited a well-established theater empire. You may disagree and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, but I do think it’s important to note in today’s age. The rich are getting richer, it’s becoming impossible to succeed in this country if you don’t already come from some relative amount of money,and we should be calling it out."

There have always been rich people in this (and most) countries. There is only one way to change that, and that is a subject well beyond the capabilities of this message board. That leaves us with two discuss-able observations. First, whether it is worth noting that a person of means can choose to use it for good, or not. (I think the answer to that has to be yes. There is no discernible reason to discourage rich people from doing good.) Second, is your pessimistic mindset about the impossibility of succeeding without inherited wealth valid? I think the answer to that is demonstrably no. Rich people fail, poor people succeed, just as good shows fails and lousy ones succeed. The cool thing is: there are no rules. (And in fact, most of the wealth generated in this century has been the result of the efforts of people who started with next to nothing. Does it help to have money? Maybe, if you have everything else lined up. Is it essential if you have everything else lined up? Nope.

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 2:43pm

I actually do think it’s necessary to point out that Jordan has inherited all of his wealth, property, and his day-to-day job. It’s important for young people - heck, old people too - in the arts to know this so they don’t set unreasonable standards for themselves. Jordan Roth did not get where he is now because of hard work, determination, and luck. He inherited a well-established theater empire. You may disagree and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, but I do think it’s important to note in today’s age. The rich are getting richer, it’s becoming impossible to succeed in this country if you don’t already come from some relative amount of money, and we should be calling it out.

Thank you. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 6:45pm

Yes, Jordan's father is a billionaire thanks to his work in real estate, not in the theater. That enabled Jordan to get the best education money can buy but he also took advantage of that privilege and  actually studied/worked hard. After all, he graduated Princeton University summa cum laude and not many trust fund kids can say they achieved that! He could have retired and led a life of leisure with all the money his parents had but he chose not to and instead worked his way up in Jujamcyn. Yes, I do think it is partial luck and timing thanks to Obama hiring Landesman as head of NEA back in 2008 thus opening the position of President to Jordan (who was VP anyway at the time.)

Defining success is different for each person but one thing Roth has certainly done as head of Jujamcyn is make more money for the company.

Regardless of our backgrounds, what's more important is what we do with what we have to help our society. 

Updated On: 8/4/19 at 06:45 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 6:49pm

Wick3 said: "Yes, Jordan's father is a billionaire thanks to his work in real estate, not in the theater. That enabled Jordanto get the best education money can buy but he also took advantage of that privilege and actually studied/worked hard. After all, hegraduated Princeton University summa cum laude and not many trust fund kids can say they achieved that!He could have retired and led a life of leisure with all the money his parents had but he chose not to and instead worked his way up in Jujamcyn. Yes, I do think it is partial luck and timing thanks to Obama hiring Landesman as head of NEA back in 2008 thus opening the position of President to Jordan (who was VP anyway at the time.)

Defining success is different for each person but one thing Roth has certainly done as head of Jujamcyn is make more money for the company.

Regardless of our backgrounds, what's more important is what we do with what we have to help our society."

As far as comparisons with Shubert/Nederlander, for the purpose of the original post it's best to only consider Broadway shows from 2008-present since that's the time when Jordan Roth became head of Jujamcyn.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 10:06pm

How would you rank the real estate?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 11:07pm

SouthernCakes said: "How would you rank the real estate?"


PORTFOLIO:

Shubert Org –– 17 Broadway, 2 off-Bway (one which has 5 stages), 2 touring, + it owns Telecharge/Bway Inbound

Nederlander Org –– 9 Broadway, 18 touring, 3 London, + Broadway Direct

Ambassador Theatre Group –– "We operate over 50 venues across Britain, the US and Germany" (including 2 Broadway and 10 West End), + ATG Ticketing

Jujamcyn Theaters –– 5 Broadway. (It sold 7 theatres around the country between '96 and 2000)

 

 

VENUE SIZES: Using 1200 seats as the split between "playhouses" (venues for plays and smaller shows) and "musical houses" (venues for larger shows), the Broadway breakdown is...

Shubert –– 12 under, 5 over

Nederlander –– 1 under, 8 over

Jujamcyn –– 2 under, 3 over

Ambassador –– 1 under, 1 over

 

In terms of the actual physical quality of the venues, Shubert has done a lot of renovations to its venues over the past ~25 years (though there are a few less-desirable houses). Some of Nederlander and Jujamcyn's venues look a litle drab. Jujamcyn might have the best front-of-house staff.

[theaterdarling]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 3:34pm

 

 

JSquared2 said: "EllieRose2 said: "Thanks to Daddy he is."

Was that really necessary? If anything one would say he’s successful on his ownin spite of “Daddy”. Steven Roth is a major Trump supporter, and certainly no friend to the arts. Jordancould easily have become another Jared Kushner but chose not to.

And might we not have Daryl Roth to thank for that? Though Jordan might have had daddy’s money to buy things, he clearly got his calling  from his mother (as well as his good taste-which you can't buy).  I’m sure she opened more doors from him than Daddy’s cash (up until, of course he had to fork over for a share of Jujamcyn).                                                                                                                                               

Though daddy might be perceived as no friend of the arts because of his association with Trump (ugh, pity), you can't say that about his mother. I’m sure a lot of that Vornado money was used by Daryl to back a pretty impressive roster of shows and that track record had profound influence on her son. I have no connection to her, but putting aside what the spread sheets actually say, perhaps the answer to the OP's question is "Thanks To Mommy he is."

 

 

"

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/19/20 at 8:13pm

Did a search and couldn't find anything. Was surprised not to see a thread or comments on Phillip Smith announcing retirement from his position as Chairman and Co-CEO of The Shubert Organization.

Updated On: 6/19/20 at 08:13 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/19/20 at 9:17pm

Source

https://variety.com/2020/legit/news/shubert-organization-philip-j-smith-broadway-1234642761/

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/19/20 at 9:20pm

LizzieCurry said: "Source

https://variety.com/2020/legit/news/shubert-organization-philip-j-smith-broadway-1234642761/"

 

Sorry, didn't post a link. It was announced this morning and the announcement was on here, Playbill and Theatermania.

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/20/20 at 2:17pm

To draw an analogy, reflecting on second generation children of first generation stars, I suspect that for every Michael Douglas, there were a number of Frank Sinatra Jr's or less.  Nepotism helps, but talent, charisma, uniqueness, luck all play a role as well in achieving real success.

Too say that Jordan Roth has not benefited immensely by his father's wealth and mother's vision, contacts, etc., would be positively stupid.  IMO he has taken those advantages and run with it.  The one thing I do wonder about: were he not from a wealthy family with the expectation of eventually inheriting enormous wealth, would he have been hungrier, acquiring, building, producing, etc.

But IMO he is definitely to be commended for his successes.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/20/20 at 5:51pm

Philip Smith has been crucial to the success of the Shubert Org and Broadway since the 1950s, but his role has been largely symbolic this past decade. (And who's to blame him –– he's 88.)

Others may be able to shed more light, but I would not expect this to create any significant change in the way the Shubert Org operates. Someone like Dessie Moynihan, Elliot Greene, or Charlie Flateman might get elevated to the role of President, but the Shubert Org is still very much The House of Wankel. Certainly don't hold your breath for outside hire.

[skies]

Posted: 6/20/20 at 7:05pm

The answer is no. Jordan Roth is not the most successful theatre owner.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 6/21/20 at 9:32pm

A different opinion on Jordan Roth....And a whole lot of others. 

 

https://medium.com/@jgrissomnyc/the-theatre-at-the-end-of-the-world-32a966e55c5c