Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton (left)
with Fran and Barry Weissler.
|
UJA-FEDERATION
Actor
Reveals Secret
Of Friendship on Bway
Story and Photo by Tim Boxer
 RODUCERS
Barry and Fran Weissler attracted a ballroomful of
ardent friends and supporters at the Pierre Hotel in New York where
they were honored by UJA-Federation. Two of their longtime
professional friends led the applause.
James Earl Jones
starred in the first show the Weisslers staged on Broadway 21 years
ago. It was Othello and earned the producers their first of
five Tony Awards.
“How this friendship
survived is a miracle,” Jones said. “Maybe because we haven’t
worked together since.”
Gerald Schoenfeld,
head honcho of the Shubert Organization, presented the Weisslers
with the Bernard Jacobs Award, named in memory of his partner of 39
years.
Over the years, the
Weisslers earned five Tony Awards for producing Broadway hits such
as Othello, Grease and the current Chicago. Upcoming
projects include Pygmalion and The Royal Family of
Broadway.
“The Weisslers,”
Schoenfeld said, “have made significant contributions to the
theater – most in Shubert theaters.”
Barry remarked that his
plays “have been panned by the critics more than any other
producer I can think of. But that’s okay because we have run shows
for years. It’s the public that decides.”
Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton praised the Weisslers as “two people who will keep us
laughing, singing ad thinking.”
Clinton said that at the
beginning of his career, Barry would ask his friend Fran to help him
out with his productions of Shakespeare.
“Fran worked hour after
hour until she decided to make it a 24-hour commitment. I think
there’s a play in there.”
Barry gave credit to the
late Bernard Jacobs for giving him a jumpstart in the
business.
“In those early days,”
he said, “we sat with Bernie at his Shubert offices, and he
watched over us and helped us. It’s been such a great journey.”
A month later the Weisslers
will celebrat again when their grandson, David Weller, will become
bar mitzvah in New Jersey.
Another simcha in the
theatrical community will take place in December when Jenny Rose
Baker will mark her bat mitzvah at the St. Regis Hotel in
Manhattan. She was featured in another Weissler show, Annie Get
Your Gun, for two years on Broadway.
Jenny’s father, Norman
Baker, executive managing director of Insignia/ESG real estate
firm, said his daughter started singing at age four when she saw Grease
12 times.
Jenny and her parents,
Norman and Janet, gave the Weisslers a standing ovation.
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