Rudolph Aronson

Aronson, Rudolph (1856–1919), producer and composer. The New York–born entrepreneur conceived and built the Casino Theatre, which opened in 1882 as the first playhouse designed specifically for Broadway musicals. Initially with John A. McCaull and later alone, he produced many important turn‐of‐the‐century Continental operettas, giving Americans their first opportunity to hear in English works that were among the reigning hits of their era, some of which have remained popular ever since. He introduced most of Johann Strauss's best works, including The Queen's Lace Handkerchief (1882), Prince Methusalem (1883), Die Fledermaus (1885), The Gypsy Baron (1886), and Vienna Life (1901). However, his biggest success came with a now‐forgotten work, the British musical Erminie (1886). An accomplished musician, Aronson also composed and orchestrated the scores for several comic operas, notably The Rainmaker of Syria (1893). He eventually lost both the Casino and his producing organization, but to the end remained filled with grand plans, including an “American Palace of Art,” a sort of Lincoln or Kennedy Center, a half‐century ahead of its time. Autobiography: Theatrical and Musical Memoirs, 1913.