Tony Winner Seth Gelblum to Receive Public Memorial, Dimmed Marquee Sunday at the Broadhurst

A memorial tribute will be held to celebrate the life of Seth Gelblum, prominent theatrical attorney, devoted philanthropist, and beloved member of the Broadway community, on Sunday, September 25 at 6:00 PM at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). Doors will open at 5:30 PM, with general admission seating available to the public.

Immediately following the service, the marquee lights will be dimmed in Seth's honor at the Broadhurst, as well as the Gershwin Theatre and Disney's New Amsterdam Theatre.

Speakers will include family members Rob, Peter and Laura Gelblum, Seth's daughter, Madeleine and son-in-law, Ravi Varghese, son Aidan, and wife Orren; friends Cliff Chanin, Steven Greenhouse, and Karen Freedman; clients George C. Wolfe and Des McAnuff; partner Stefan Schick; and New Dramatists executive and artistic directors, Joel Ruark and Emily Morse. Students from the Manhattan School of Music will perform favorite music of Seth's.

Seth passed away on August 8 at the age of 62, following a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Orren Alperstein, and children, Madeleine (Ravi Varghese) and Aidan.

Contributions in Seth's honor may be made to any of the organizations he supported: Canavan Foundation (www.canavanfoundation.org); Lawyers for Children (www.lawyersforchildren.org); and New Dramatists (www.newdramatists.org).

A partner at Loeb & Loeb, where he was chair of the firm's theater department, Seth was so deeply entrenched in the theater industry that he earned a special Tony Honor as part of the 2016 Tony Awards. He represented directors, producers, playwrights, composers, performers, designers, music publishers, investors and underlying rights holders, earning a reputation as a lawyer who pushed tirelessly to come to agreements and make productions happen, employing his notable expertise in the structures of stage financing and compensation deals.

With a client roster that included directors Julie Taymor and George C. Wolfe and producers ranging from Barry and Fran Weissler to David Binder, he had a hand in a string of major Broadway productions over the last three decades. The Lion King; Chicago; The Book of Mormon; Wicked; Angels in America; The Producers, Caroline, or Change; and Jersey Boys are all among the shows in which he was involved.

A graduate of Wesleyan University and Georgetown University Law Center, Seth worked extensively in the nonprofit and pro bono arenas. He was the board chair at New Dramatists, a support and advocacy group for playwrights and their work. Earlier this year, he accepted the "LFC Champion" award on behalf of Loeb & Loeb in recognition of his legacy of support for Lawyers for Children and for his years of hard work protecting the rights of New York City's children.

He and his wife, Orren Alperstein, were founding board members of the Canavan Foundation, which works toward the prevention, treatment and cure of rare genetic childhood disorders.

Note: Obituary excerpted and adapted from Variety.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride