Garth Drabinsky
Encyclopedia
Garth Howard Drabinsky, OC
(born October 27, 1949) is a former Canadian
film and theatrical producer
and entrepreneur. In 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to prison for fraud
and forgery
. His sentence is stayed, pending appeal.
with a Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1973. He was the producer
for a number of films, including The Disappearance
(1977), The Silent Partner
(1978), The Changeling
(1980), Tribute
(1980), The Amateur (1981), Losin' It
(1983), The Gospel of John
(2003), Half Light
, (2004). In 1979, he and Nat Taylor
co-founded Cineplex Odeon
, a predecessor company of Cineplex Entertainment
. In 1995, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
He also helmed the publicly traded
theatre production company, Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, Inc., also known as Livent
. Livent made a splash in New York City
after acquiring the Lyric and Apollo Theatres and remodelling them into what was originally called the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (later renamed the Hilton Theatre, now the Foxwoods Theatre). Drabinsky and Livent produced the inaugural production at the theatre, the 1996 musical version of E. L. Doctorow
's Ragtime
, which had a long run but was not financially successful.
Drabinsky's productions won 19 Tony Awards.
In November 1998, Livent sought bankruptcy protection in the US claiming a debt of $334 million, and securities regulators in both Canada and the US began investigating Livent's books.
On March 25, 2009, Drabinsky and Livent co-founder Myron Gottlieb were found guilty of fraud
and forgery
in Ontario Superior Court for misstating the company's financial statements between 1993 and 1998.
Garth Drabinsky was sentenced to seven years in jail on Wednesday August 5, 2009 for his role in a half-billion-dollar fraud in the 1990s at their theatre production company, Livent.
Garth Drabinsky filed an appeal in the Ontario Court of Appeal of his sentence on September 3, 2009. His appeal still pending, Drabinsky remains free on bail
.
On September 13, 2011, the Ontario Court of Appeal, while upholding the convictions, reduced Drabinsky's sentence to 5 years.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born October 27, 1949) is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film and theatrical producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
and entrepreneur. In 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to prison for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
. His sentence is stayed, pending appeal.
Biography
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Drabinsky graduated from the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1973. He was the producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
for a number of films, including The Disappearance
The Disappearance
The Disappearance is a 1977 British-Canadian thriller film directed by Stuart Cooper and starring Donald Sutherland, Francine Racette and David Hemmings.-Cast:* Donald Sutherland - Jay Mallory* Francine Racette - Celandine* David Hemmings - Edward...
(1977), The Silent Partner
The Silent Partner (1978 film)
The Silent Partner is a 1978 Canadian crime film directed by Daryl Duke. It stars Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer and Susannah York....
(1978), The Changeling
The Changeling (film)
The Changeling is a 1980 horror film directed by Peter Medak and starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere . The story is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter said he experienced while he was living in the Henry Treat Rogers Mansion of Denver, Colorado.-Plot:Scott stars as Dr...
(1980), Tribute
Tribute (film)
Tribute is a play by Bernard Slade.The plot focuses on Scottie Templeton, a popular actor who has spent his life shirking responsibility. When he discovers he is terminally ill with leukemia, he attempts to reconnect with his long-estranged son....
(1980), The Amateur (1981), Losin' It
Losin' It
Losin' It is a 1983 comedy film starring Tom Cruise, Shelley Long, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Stockwell. The film is directed by Curtis Hanson. It was filmed largely in Calexico, California.-Plot summary:...
(1983), The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John (film)
The Gospel of John is a 2003 film that is the story of Jesus' life as recounted by the Gospel of John. It is a motion picture that has been adapted for the screen on a word-for-word basis from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible...
(2003), Half Light
Half Light
Half Light is a 2006 Mystery/Horror Film starring Demi Moore and Henry Ian Cusick in the lead role. It was directed by Craig Rosenberg, who also penned the screenplay.The score was composed by Craig's brother, Brett Rosenberg.-Plot:...
, (2004). In 1979, he and Nat Taylor
Nat Taylor
Nathan A. Taylor was a Canadian inventor. As head of Twentieth Century Theatres, an Ontario branch of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, he built one of the world's first cineplex movie theatres in Ottawa, Ontario at the Elgin Theatre. The Elgin's second screen opened in December 1947 on a patch...
co-founded Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States...
, a predecessor company of Cineplex Entertainment
Cineplex Entertainment
Cineplex Entertainment LP , is the largest film exhibitor in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,351 screens. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec...
. In 1995, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
He also helmed the publicly traded
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
theatre production company, Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, Inc., also known as Livent
Livent
The Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, Inc., also known as Livent, was a theatre production company in Toronto, Ontario, begun as a division of the motion picture exhibitor Cineplex Odeon...
. Livent made a splash in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
after acquiring the Lyric and Apollo Theatres and remodelling them into what was originally called the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (later renamed the Hilton Theatre, now the Foxwoods Theatre). Drabinsky and Livent produced the inaugural production at the theatre, the 1996 musical version of E. L. Doctorow
E. L. Doctorow
Edgar Lawrence Doctorow is an American author.- Biography :Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of second-generation Americans of Russian Jewish descent...
's Ragtime
Ragtime (musical)
Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty.Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in America, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; Mother, the matriarch of a WASP family in...
, which had a long run but was not financially successful.
Drabinsky's productions won 19 Tony Awards.
In November 1998, Livent sought bankruptcy protection in the US claiming a debt of $334 million, and securities regulators in both Canada and the US began investigating Livent's books.
On March 25, 2009, Drabinsky and Livent co-founder Myron Gottlieb were found guilty of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
in Ontario Superior Court for misstating the company's financial statements between 1993 and 1998.
Garth Drabinsky was sentenced to seven years in jail on Wednesday August 5, 2009 for his role in a half-billion-dollar fraud in the 1990s at their theatre production company, Livent.
Garth Drabinsky filed an appeal in the Ontario Court of Appeal of his sentence on September 3, 2009. His appeal still pending, Drabinsky remains free on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
.
On September 13, 2011, the Ontario Court of Appeal, while upholding the convictions, reduced Drabinsky's sentence to 5 years.