Shelley M. Shier is a Canadian-American entrepreneur, art consultant, curator, music and theatrical producer.

Early life

Her mother, Rosaline Cutler Shier Sonshine, remains socially active, primarily in various charities and as an award winning sponsor of law enforcement initiative in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Harry Shier was a noted Canadian industrialist (OSF) and investor with strong ties to the entertainment industry. Shier lived in Toronto, but also Miami and New York City. Her extended family, includes her stepfather, Harry Sonshine, an industrialist and sports figure, her stepmother, Roni Chesler Shier, and her step grandfather, Lou Chesler, an entrepreneur active in real estate development (Freeport), and entertainment (

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc. was an American entertainment company active from 1967 until 1969. History Seven Arts Productions acquired Jack L. Warner's controlling interest in Warner Bros. Pictures for $32 million in November 1966. The mer ...

). Shier attended

Branksome Hall Branksome Hall is an independent day and boarding school for girls in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Toronto's only all-years International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls. Branksome Hall is located on a 13-acre campus in the Toronto n ...

in Toronto and later studied for four years with

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher. A member of Yiddish Theater's Adler dynasty, Adler began acting at a young age. She shifted to producing, directing, and teaching, founding the ...

in New York City. She became a US citizen in 2005. Shier left Canada to study with

in New York (1976-1980) and graduated from the Conservatory of Acting at City Center. At the same time she was a company member of The Soho Artist's Theater for five years. During this time she supported herself working for New York City art galleries and with private clients at Sotheby's and Christie's.

Career

In 1983, Shier formed HOSS, Inc. a production company that over the next twenty five years produced hundreds of music festivals (The Floating Jazz Festival, The Blues Cruise), concerts (

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s. She was nom ...

), and theatrical productions (''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...

'', ''

I Do! I Do! ''I Do! I Do!'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt which is based on the Jan de Hartog play '' The Fourposter''. The two-character story spans 50 years, from 1895 to 1945, as it focuses on the ups and do ...

'', ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'', ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'') throughout the world. In the mid-1990s Shier produced and toured, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in conjunction with the original Broadway director,

Tom O'Horgan Tom O'Horgan (May 3, 1924 – January 11, 2009) was an American theater and film director, composer, actor and musician. He is best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals ''Hair'' and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. During his c ...

. In following years, working with

Gwen Verdon Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach ...

and

Grover Dale Grover Dale (born July 22, 1935) is an American retired actor, dancer, choreographer, theater director, and publisher. Early life Dale was born Grover Robert Aitken on July 22, 1935, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Emma Bertha (Ammon) and Ro ...

and the Bob Fosse Estate, she presented Sweet Charity and A Tribute to Bob Fosse. Simultaneously, she produced I Do, I Do and A Tribute To Marge and Gower Champion, working with the legendary

Marge Champion Marjorie Celeste Champion ( Belcher; September 2, 1919October 21, 2020) was an American dancer and actress. At fourteen, she was hired as a dance model for Walt Disney Studios animated films. Later, she performed as an actress and dancer in film ...

. In 1996 she produced a series of special events for the Barcelona Olympics. In 1998 she formed Broadway Bound, Inc. and the following year established a theatrical company aboard the legendary ocean liner

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner. Built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated as a transatlantic liner and cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was laid up until converted into a floating hotel, operating sin ...

. Over the next six years she produced, wrote and toured six new shows. Her production of Enter The Guardsman was produced simultaneously on the

QE2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner. Built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated as a transatlantic liner and cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was laid up until converted into a floating hotel, operating sin ...

and New York's Vineyard Theater. In 2006, Shier expanded Broadway Bound, creating Broadway Bound Fine Arts and Entertainment to include a Fine Arts Division to orchestrate the acquisition of a wide range of art works, paintings, sculpture, and photography, for indoor and outdoor installations. These installations include large-scale projects in public places, intimate exhibitions, as well as artwork for residential spaces and premium hotels worldwide. Among Shier's recent projects is the creation and development of the Pride of Canada Carousel, a multimillion-dollar fine art carousel commissioned by the Remington Group, that is the artistic centerpiece of

Downtown Markham Downtown Markham is the main downtown of Markham, Ontario, Markham, Ontario, Canada. Currently under development, it is located near the historic Unionville, Ontario, Unionville district and serves as the new heart of Markham. Businesses in the ...

, a new city, outside Toronto, Ontario. The Pride of Canada Carousel opened to great critical acclaim on Canada Day, July 1, 2016. On December 13, 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited The Pride of Canada Carousel in Downtown Markham as part of the Christmas event festivities. Shier is also developing ground breaking interior and exterior art installations worldwide. The Toronto Marriott Markham Hotel is her latest project, and features an extensive collection of public art. Shier continues to work closely with a number of visual artists and has been instrumental in arranging exhibitions for them in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Dallas, Toronto and Oslo.

Humanitarian causes

When not developing large-scale art projects, photography exhibits, musical, theatrical and film productions, or integrating new artistic properties, Shier devotes much of her time to charitable causes, including special events for Save The Children, The Jazz Gallery and The Jazz Foundation of America. A Black Belt in karate, in addition to teaching karate and kickboxing, she is also an accomplished equestrian. Shelley is a member of Music On The Inside, Harmony and Hope in Criminal Justice, The Blues Foundation, and The National Alliance of Musical Theater.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shier, Shelley M. Living people American women theatre managers and producers American art dealers Women art dealers Canadian art dealers Year of birth missing (living people)