Rocco Landesman, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

    

Rocco Landesman

American theatre producer

Date of Birth: 20-Jul-1947

Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Profession: theatrical producer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Cancer


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About Rocco Landesman

  • Rocco Landesman (born July 20, 1947) is a long-time Broadway theatre producer.
  • He served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts ("NEA") from August 2009 to December 2012.
  • The NEA is a public agency of the Federal Government with an annual budget ($155 million for 2009) that is directed into grants to support excellence in the arts, bring arts to all Americans and provide leadership in arts education.
  • He is part owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, but he was a passive owner while serving in Washington. Landesman was born and raised in St.
  • Louis, Missouri, studied at Colby College and then the University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA English Literature 1969), and the Yale School of Drama (MFA Dramatic Literature and Criticism 1972, DFA 1976).
  • At the Yale School of Drama he became a protégé and friend of Robert Brustein.
  • At the completion of his course work he stayed at Yale for four years as an Assistant Professor.
  • While at Yale, Landesman got to know novelist Jerzy Kosinski and he worked with Kosinski on two of his novels, Being There and The Devil Tree.
  • Landesman was involved as an editor, helping Kosinski, not a native speaker of English, with his English syntax and writing.
  • While at Yale Landesman was also involved in managing a private mutual fund and a racehorse he had bought.
  • In 1977 he left to focus more time on his private investment fund, which he ran for many years.
  • He also got involved in Broadway theater and he was heavily involved in the genesis and development of "Big River" (1985 Tony, Best Musical), a musical based on Huckleberry Finn.
  • Landesman's involvement included persuading Roger Miller to write the music for the show.
  • The show ultimately won seven Tonys and ran for over 1,000 performances on Broadway over two and a half years.
  • This success attracted the attention of James H.
  • Binger who shared two passions with Landesman: Broadway theater and horseracing.
  • Binger owned the Jujamcyn Theatre group of five theatres, four of which were then dark.
  • Binger and Landesman made a deal for Landesman to become President of Jujamcyn in 1987 with the inclusion of an option for Landesman to purchase Jujamcyn upon Binger's death.
  • After taking the helm at Jujamcyn he shifted its business model away from the historical focus of renting of theatre facilities to shows and into a more active posture as a combination of a theater owner and a developer of new plays.
  • Other theater owners have followed this pattern.
  • After joining Jujamcyn Landesman has produced Broadway shows, the most notable of which include: "Angels In America" (1993 and 1994 Tony, Best Play), and "The Producers" (2001 Tony, Best Musical).
  • Landesman purchased Jujamcyn in 2005 and later sold a 50% interest to Jordan Roth. Rocco Landesman's biggest passions are theater, baseball, horse racing and country music.
  • On any given day he will insist that one of these is the perfect expression of American culture.
  • His company, Jujamcyn Theaters, owns 5 Broadway theaters, and at one time or another Mr.
  • Landesman has owned 3 minor league baseball teams, various racehorses and a collection of Roger Miller long playing records.
  • As for baseball, growing up in St.
  • Louis he naturally followed the St.
  • Louis Cardinals and later in life he became a part owner of the Kenosha Twins (later the Fort Wayne Wizards).
  • His career has been a hybrid of commercial, philanthropic, and purely artistic engagements.
  • He has continued his relationship with the Yale School of Drama and Yale Rep, returning to teach there over the years.
  • He has been active on numerous boards, including the Municipal Art Society, the Times Square Alliance, and The Educational Foundation of America.
  • Landesman has also spoken at forums and written numerous articles (mostly in the New York Times arts section), focusing mainly on the problematic relationship between the commercial and not-for-profit sectors of the American theater. In May 2009 U.S.
  • President Barack Obama nominated Landesman to become the next chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • His appointment was confirmed in August, 2009.In June 2013 Rocco Landesman was inducted into the St.
  • Louis Walk of Fame.Landesman is married to Debby (Busch) Landesman, formerly the Executive Director of the Levi Strauss Foundation and currently a philanthropic advisor to corporations and foundations.
  • Landesman was previously married to set designer Heidi (Landesman) Ettinger, and they have three sons: North, Nash and Dodge, all of whom currently live and work in New York.

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