Saint Subber
Encyclopedia
Arnold Saint-Subber usually known as Saint Subber, was an American
theatrical producer
.
, where both of his parents were theatre ticket brokers
. He attended New York University
. He was an assistant stage manager for the revue Hellzapoppin' starring Olsen and Johnson
and assistant to producer John Murray Anderson
for Billy Rose's Aquacade
at the 1939 New York World's Fair
.
as producer of the musical Kiss Me, Kate
, which ran on Broadway
from 1948 to 1951. Subber has often been described as conceiving of the show while working as a stagehand on a production of The Taming of the Shrew
starring the real-life husband and wife Alfred Lunt
and Lynn Fontanne
and noticing that the couple "quarreled almost as much off stage as they did in the play". (However, a representative of the estate of Samuel and Bella Spewack
, who wrote the musical's book, has stated that the backstage conflict plot came purely from the Spewacks' imagination and was not inspired by Lunt and Fontanne's relationship.)
Subber also received Tony nominations for Best Play as producer of both William Inge
's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
and Paddy Chayefsky
's The Tenth Man, each of which also ran for more than a year on Broadway. He eventually became associated with Neil Simon
and produced seven of his plays on Broadway: Barefoot in the Park
, The Odd Couple
, The Star-Spangled Girl
, Plaza Suite
, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Gingerbread Lady
, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue
. Of these seven plays, five resulted in Tony nominations for Subber as producer of a Best Play nominee (Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue), and Barefoot in the Park also earned Subber a nomination as Best Producer (Dramatic).
After Subber's run of Neil Simon plays ended, he produced two more musicals on Broadway: Gigi
by Alan Jay Lerner
and Frederick Loewe in 1973, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
by Lerner and Leonard Bernstein
in 1976. Regarding the latter show, Subber said in a 1980 interview, "I loathed it. It wasn't working out well. I tried desperately to get everyone to abandon it. After many fights, I left the production." Subber moved to Mendocino, California
. His next return to New York was to sign contracts for his last production, Patrick Meyers' play K2, which was originally scheduled to run on Broadway in 1981 but finally arrived on Broadway in 1983.
Subber died in 1994 of heart failure at his home in Berkeley, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
.
Early life
Subber grew up in New York CityNew 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...
, where both of his parents were theatre ticket brokers
Ticket resale
Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face...
. He attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He was an assistant stage manager for the revue Hellzapoppin' starring Olsen and Johnson
Olsen and Johnson
John Sigvard "Ole" Olsen and Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson were zany American comedians of vaudeville, radio, the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. Their shows were noted for their crazy blackout gags and orchestrated mayhem...
and assistant to producer John Murray Anderson
John Murray Anderson
John Murray Anderson was a theatre director and producer, songwriter, actor, screenwriter, and lighting designer. He worked almost every genre of show business, including vaudeville, Broadway, and film....
for Billy Rose's Aquacade
Billy Rose's Aquacade
Billy Rose's Aquacade was a music, dance and swimming show produced by Billy Rose at the Great Lakes Exposition in 1937.Later Aquacade moved to the 1939 New York World's Fair where it was the most successful production of the fair . The Art Deco 11,000 seat amphitheatre was designed by architects...
at the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
.
Producing career
Subber won a Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
as producer of the musical Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
, which ran on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
from 1948 to 1951. Subber has often been described as conceiving of the show while working as a stagehand on a production of The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
starring the real-life husband and wife Alfred Lunt
Alfred Lunt
Alfred Lunt was an American stage director and actor, often identified for a long-time professional partnership with his wife, actress Lynn Fontanne...
and Lynn Fontanne
Lynn Fontanne
Lynn Fontanne was a British actress and major stage star in the United States for over 40 years. She teamed with her husband Alfred Lunt.She lived in the United States for more than 60 years but never relinquished her British citizenship. Lunt and Fontanne shared a special Tony Award in 1970...
and noticing that the couple "quarreled almost as much off stage as they did in the play". (However, a representative of the estate of Samuel and Bella Spewack
Samuel and Bella Spewack
Samuel and Bella Spewack were a husband-and-wife writing team.Samuel, who also directed many of their plays, was born in the Ukraine...
, who wrote the musical's book, has stated that the backstage conflict plot came purely from the Spewacks' imagination and was not inspired by Lunt and Fontanne's relationship.)
Subber also received Tony nominations for Best Play as producer of both William Inge
William Inge
William Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1957 play by William Inge about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. It won the Tony Award for Best Play and was made into a film in 1960.-Plot:...
and Paddy Chayefsky
Paddy Chayefsky
Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky , was an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for Best Screenplay....
's The Tenth Man, each of which also ran for more than a year on Broadway. He eventually became associated with Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
and produced seven of his plays on Broadway: Barefoot in the Park
Barefoot in the Park
This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
, The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, The Star-Spangled Girl
The Star-Spangled Girl
The Star-Spangled Girl is a comedy written by Neil Simon. The play, set in the San Francisco in the 1960s, concerns three characters: Andy, Norman and Sophie. The original Broadway cast featured Anthony Perkins as Andy, Richard Benjamin as Norman and Connie Stevens as Sophie...
, Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...
, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Gingerbread Lady
The Gingerbread Lady
The Gingerbread Lady is a 1970 play by Neil Simon, written specifically for actress Maureen Stapleton, who won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her performance....
, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
The Prisoner of Second Avenue is an American black comedy play by Neil Simon, later made into a film released in 1975.The play ran on Broadway from November 1971 until September 1973, with Peter Falk and Lee Grant starring as Mel and Edna Edison, and Vincent Gardenia as Mel's brother Harry. The...
. Of these seven plays, five resulted in Tony nominations for Subber as producer of a Best Play nominee (Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue), and Barefoot in the Park also earned Subber a nomination as Best Producer (Dramatic).
After Subber's run of Neil Simon plays ended, he produced two more musicals on Broadway: Gigi
Gigi (musical)
Gigi is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It is based on the novella Gigi by Colette and 1958 hit musical film of the same name. The story concerns Gigi, a free-spirited teenaged girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. She is being...
by Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
and Frederick Loewe in 1973, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (musical)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a 1976 musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It is considered to be a legendary Broadway flop, running only seven performances...
by Lerner and Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
in 1976. Regarding the latter show, Subber said in a 1980 interview, "I loathed it. It wasn't working out well. I tried desperately to get everyone to abandon it. After many fights, I left the production." Subber moved to Mendocino, California
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
. His next return to New York was to sign contracts for his last production, Patrick Meyers' play K2, which was originally scheduled to run on Broadway in 1981 but finally arrived on Broadway in 1983.
Subber died in 1994 of heart failure at his home in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.