Shubert family
The
Shubert family of
New York City,
New York is synonymous with theatre in the
United States and the creation of the
Broadway district as the pinnacle for theatrical productions. Founded by Duvvid Schubart and his wife Katrina Helwitz, they were a
Jewish couple who left their native
Poland in 1882 to settle with their seven children in
Syracuse, New York.
Unfortunately, David Shubert, as his name translated to
English, suffered from
alcoholism and was not able to properly provide for his family. In 1893, daughter Lisa died of pneumonia that was exacerbated by malnutrition. As a result of their father's problems, the three Shubert sons had to forgo much in the way of formal education and go to work at a young age. Introduced to the world of the theatre, the Shubert brothers overcame the stranglehold on the industry by the
Theatrical Syndicate's monopoly under
Abe Erlanger and
Mark Klaw to build the largest theatre empire in the 20th century. As part of
The Shubert Organization, the three surviving sisters, in one way or another, played as key a role in the business as society afforded women at the time.
Among their New York City holdings were the renowned
Winter Garden Theatre at 1634 Broadway and the
Sam S. Shubert at 221 West 44th Street and the
Imperial Theaters. They owned, managed, operated, or booked nearly a thousand theatres nationwide. The Shubert children:#
Lee Shubert (1871-1953), theatre owner/operator, producer#
Fannie Shubert (1872-1928)#
Lisa Shubert (1875-1893)#
Sarah Shubert (1876-1934)#
Sam S. Shubert (1878-1905), producer, writer, director, theatre owner/operator#
Jacob J. Shubert (1879-1963), producer, director, theatre owner/operator#
Dora Shubert (1886-1951) born in Syracuse, New York
*
IBDB website with links to the Shubert family members and companies *
Shubert Archive website