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Shubert Brothers[shOO´burt] Pronunciation Key, theatrical managers and producers. The brothers were Lee (1871–1953), Sam S. (1878–1905), and Jacob J. (1880–1963). Originally from Syracuse, N.Y., they began as managers of touring companies. In 1900 they became managers of the Herald Square Theatre, New York City, thereafter managing and building theaters in New York and other U.S. cities. At first known for their productions of operettas, they introduced many stars to the public and staged many of the best-known revues. Hurt by the depression, the Shuberts produced musicals and dramas in the 1930s and 1940s. From 1953 until his retirement (c.1959), Jacob was the sole head of Shubert Enterprises, with offices in the Shubert Theatre (named for Sam, opened 1913) off the famous Shubert Alley in New York City. The Shubert Organization continues to play a major role in the Broadway theater, owning 16 theaters and actively producing new shows; it also manages Washington, D.C.'s National Theatre and has other theatrical interests nationwide.
See J. Stagg, The Brothers Shubert (1968); B. McNamara, The Shuberts of Broadway (1990); F. Hirsch, The Boys from Syracuse: The Shuberts' Theatrical Empire (1998, repr. 2000).
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