George W. Lederer

Lederer, George W. (1861–1938), producer and director. He was born in Wilkes‐Barre, Pennsylvania, and began his professional career as an actor in an 1873 production of The Naiad Queen. In his teens he began to write vaudeville sketches and also served a stint on the drama desk of the New York Journal. After collaborating with Sydney Rosenfeld in sending out a tour of Florizel, he took over the Casino Theatre with Thomas Canary in 1893, though it quickly became clear that Lederer was the dominant partner. During the decade in which he ran the theatre, he produced numerous highly successful musicals, including the first important American revue, The Passing Show (1894), and the first American musical to achieve major international success, The Belle of New York (1897). Lederer directed many of these productions as well. In his later years he joined with H. H. Frazee to produce such hits as Madame Sherry (1910) and Angel Face (1919). His last years were spent as general manager for Sam H. Harris.