Garth Drabinsky

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Garth Howard Drabinsky, OC , LL.B , LL.D (born October 27, 1949) is a Canadian film and theatrical producer and entrepreneur.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Drabinsky graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1973. He was the producer for a number of films, including The Disappearance (1977), The Silent Partner (1978), The Changeling (1980), Tribute (1980), The Amateur (1981), Losin' It (1983), The Gospel of John (2003), Half Light, and The Gospel of Mark. In 1979, he and Nat Taylor co-founded Cineplex Odeon, a predecessor company of Cineplex Entertainment. In 1995, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He also helmed the publicly traded theatre production company, Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, Inc., also known as Livent. Livent made a splash in New York City after purchasing a number of disused Broadway Theatres and remodelling them into what was originally called the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (later renamed the Hilton Theatre). Drabinsky and Livent produced the inaugural production at the theatre, the 1998 musical version of E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, which had a long run but was not financially successful.

In November, 1998, Mr. Drabinsky sought bankruptcy protection in the US claiming a debt of $334 million, and securities regulators in both Canada and the US began investigating Livent's books.

Drabinsky, and former Livent business partner/co-founder Myron Gottlieb, are currently on trial in Canada for alleged financial irregularities and fraud. The trial began on May 5, 2008[1] .

His productions have won 19 Tony Awards.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ The Final Act, by Theresa Tedesco, National Post, 5/3/08