George Washington Lederer (1861 in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It ...

LEDERER, George W.
in ''

Who's Who in America Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...

'' (1901-1902 edition); p. 669 − October 8, 1938) was an American producer and director on Broadway from 1894 to 1931. He was the husband of actresses Reine Davies and Jessie Lewis and the father of Charles Lederer, Pepi Lederer, Glory Lederer and Geraldine Lederer.

Biography

Born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family, Lederer began his career when he joined a touring opera company at age 13, as a soprano singer. When he reached the age of 17, he collaborated with the producer Thomas Canary and leased the Casino Theatre, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In 1897, at age 25, he produced the musical '' The Belle of New York'', which became one of the first American musicals to enjoy enduring success in England, where it ran for over two years. Lederer was one of the first producers of musical ''

Revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

s'' in the U.S., when together with Sydney Rosenfeld, he presented ''

The Passing Show ''The Passing Show'' was a musical revue in three acts, billed as a "topical extravaganza", with a book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld and music by Ludwig Engländer and various other composers. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions ...

'' in 1894. In 1903, while he was manager of the New York Theatre he presented the all-black musical '' In Dahomey'', with music by Will Marion Cook and lyrics by poet Paul Dunbar. It starred the prominent black vaudeville team of

Bert Williams Bert Williams (November 12, 1874 – March 4, 1922) was a Bahamian-born American entertainer, one of the pre-eminent entertainers of the vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. While some sources have ...

and George Walker. Then crossing the Atlantic, it played for seven months, and received a

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

in England. The

cakewalk The cakewalk was a dance developed from the "prize walks" (dance contests with a cake awarded as the prize) held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on black slave plantations before and after emancipation in the Southern Unit ...

dance, a highlight of the show, became the rage of the town. He was married on October 19, 1889, to Ida Florine Newcombe, with whom he had a son, George W. Lederer Jr. (1891–1924), who became a theatre manager and press agent before dying aged 33. He was divorced from Newcombe and married to Adele Rice on the same day in November, 1894. Their son Maitland Rice Lederer became a motion picture executive. He and Rice were divorced in 1906, and he married actress Reine Davies in January, 1907. Their daughter Josephine Rose "Pepi" Lederer became a film actress, and son Charles Lederer became a screenwriter. He later married Jessie Lewis, with whom he had two daughters, Glory and Geraldine.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lederer, George 1861 births 1938 deaths People from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania American theatre directors American Jews American theatre managers and producers Broadway theatre producers