Sentencing Hearings Begin In Toronto For Drabinsky And Gottlieb

Variety reports that the sentencing hearing for former Broadway producers Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb got under way Monday in Toronto, with the prosecution calling for a sentence of eight to 10 years for each defendant. Drabinsky's defense argued for a lenient sentence and read supporting statements from more than 40 friends, family and theater professionals including, actor Christopher Plummer, writer E.L. Doctorow, dancer Karen Kain, painter Alex Colville, and former Toronto mayor David Crombie - all vouching for Drabinsky's character and community-building.

Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottieb were convicted of two counts of fraud and one count of document forging.  Drabinsky and Gottieb are the co-founders of the Production Company Livent Inc. Livent won a Tony Award for producing Fosse, and was nominated for producing Ragtime. 

The fraud ruling was made by Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto. An investigation has been underway at the Toronto-based company for the past ten years.

Snaring the exclusive Canadian rights for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Drabinsky's company restored the historic Pantages Theatre in downtown Toronto (now known as the Canon Theatre) for a glittering opening night in September 1989. There were mixed reviews for the show itself, but high praise for the beautifully restored theatre.

Phantom was a cash cow for Livent throughout the 1990s, and Livent quickly brought in another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for an extended run with Donny Osmond heading the cast.

But Livent's most crucial role came in developing new musicals for Broadway. Drabinsky was instrumental in reactivating the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman after a disastrous try-out in Purchase, NJ. The producer brought the creative team to Toronto and mounted a summer long run of a revised version of the show opening in June 1992. After Toronto the musical moved to London, and finally arriving on Broadway in May 1993 where it won the Tony Award for Best Musical of the season.

A few months after that win, Livent opened a spectacular new production of the classic musical Show Boat at the then brand new North York Performing Arts Centre in Toronto. The show received sensational reviews and a year later opened on Broadway winning the 1995 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

Additional reporting by BWW's Mark Andrew Lawrence