Broadway Press Agent David Powers Dies at 88

David Powers, a Broadway press agent whose career spanned 40 years and dozens of Broadway shows died on October 5th at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey.  He was 88 years old.

Throughout his career Powers represented the Broadway runs of Barnum, Promises, Promises, Marat/Sade, Driving Miss Daisy, and Annie. He also handled press for the Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks for several decades. 

Born in the South, Powers was known for always being dressed in a full suit, and for such tactics as whispering on the phone so as to conceal what methods he was employing for his clients.

Powers career as a press agent began in 1948, working under Marian Graham on  Red Gloves. Five years later, he assisted Marian Byram and Phyllis Perlman on the musical Wonderful Town and several shows thereafter.

in the mid-50s he started working for Harvey Sabinson on shows including The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The Tenth Man, Carnival and Oh, Captain! In the early '60s, he and Sabinson collaborated with Lee Solters on Marat/Sade, 110 in the Shade and Luther, as well as the infamous flop Breakfast at Tiffany's.

By the 1970s, he was acting the lead publicist on blockbusters such as Annie - both the Broadway and road productions -and The Gin Game. Powers closed out the 1980s with A Few Good Men. His final Broadway credit was 1991's The Speed of Darkness.

Throughout his career, he remained in the New York area, mostly in the theatre district. He moved into the Actors Home two years ago.  He was preceded in death by his siblings, Ruth Powers Davis, Edwin R. Powers Jr., Hugh W. Powers II and Benjamin R. Powers Sr. He is survived by his loving sister, Dorothy Powers Wright of Bristol Virginia; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

 

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