12-7-07
Marketing Guru Danny Newman Takes Final Bow
Newman in 1977
Danny Newman, publicist, arts lover and brilliant marketing strategist, died of pulmonary fibrosis early Monday, Dec. 3. He was 88. The lifelong Chicagoan was one of the most influential figures in the development of the not-for-profit performing arts worldwide. He was present at the creation of the Arts and Humanities Program of the Ford Foundation, which lead to conceptualization of the National Endowment for the Arts. Later, Newman enshrined his principles and techniques of subscription building and audience development in the famous, best-selling book “Subscribe Now!”, published by the Theatre Communications Group in 1977, and continuously in print ever since through 11 editions.
Courtly and affable in manner, and even rabbinical in later years (he customarily called younger men “my son”), Newman was a legend of press agentry and promotion whose career spanned over 70 years across eight decades. Born on the West Side in 1919, he was just 14 years old when he began to manage and promote entertainment events in Chicago, beginning with neighborhood theatres and bands. He genuinely loved, and was dazzled by, the famous and talented folk whom he represented over most of the 20th Century, and many of whom became personal friends whether from popular culture or the fine performing arts.
Last year, Newman published a highly-anticipated anecdotal memoir, “Tales of a Theatrical Guru” that detailed many of his encounters with the superstars of nightclubs, theatre, movies, television, dance and opera, from Sally Rand to George Balanchine, from Milton Berle to Maria Callas. Newman certainly knew where many skeletons were buried, but refused to dig them up in his mostly-generous account of many famous personalities. The book also provided details of his later career as an international audience development specialist, which earned him numerous awards plus the informal title he treasured, “Subscription Guru.”
Newman’s home base for the last 50 years has been Lyric Opera of Chicago. It was at Lyric that Newman perfected his various ideas for subscription sales. Generations of Lyric audiences knew him as the man who appeared in front of the curtain from time to time to announce the appearance of an understudy or to report that, despite a severe head cold, artist so-and-so “bravely has elected to perform.” Newman’s announcements, booming forth in a carefully-enunciated stentorian voice, always began, “LAY-DEEZ AND JEN-TELL-MEN…!”
Newman was proud of his Jewish upbringing and heritage and was, among other things, an authority on Yiddish theatre around the world. His first wife of 40 years, Dina Halpern, was an international Yiddish theatre star. She died in 1989. Newman is survived by his multi-lingual second wife, Alyce.
“Why do I love subscribers so much?” Newman wrote in “Tales of a Theatrical Guru.” “Because, in an act of faith, they commit themselves before each season begins. They arrive at performances wanting us to succeed, and are thrilled when we do. If we ever let them down (heaven forefend) they forgive us—in most cases—at renewal time. Their acceptance of repertory constantly rises, and their theatrical awareness heightens.”