Tony DeSantis

Last updated
Anthony DeSantis
Born(1914-01-05)January 5, 1914
Gary, Indiana
Died (aged 93)
OccupationTheater Producer
Spouse(s)Lucille Cuzeli DeSantis
ChildrenDeborah DeSantis and Diane DeSantis Van Lente

Anthony DeSantis, KStJ [1] (January 5, 1914 - June 6, 2007) was an American entrepreneur and theater owner in Chicago, Illinois. He is most well known for the foundation of the area's Drury Lane theatres. During DeSantis' lifetime, his empire included six separate theaters. [2]

Contents

Life and career

DeSantis was born in Gary, Indiana, and began his career in show business as a trumpet player in Chicago. In 1935, he was nearly killed in an explosion at the Glidden paint factory where he was working. In 1940, he purchased a club on Michigan Avenue before moving out of Chicago to nearby Evergreen Park, where he opened the Martinique Restaurant, which was highly acclaimed. [3] He began producing plays in 1949 in a tent adjacent to the restaurant to attract customers. [4] The enterprise was successful, prompting him to build his first theatre.

Drury Lane Theaters

The DeSantis theatres were named after the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane, built in London in the 17th century. His five suburban Chicago locations all provided affordable dinner theatre that was appropriate for families. DeSantis claimed that alcohol sales were profitable; if you broke even when operating a theatre, you were successful. [4]

Despite the occasional setback, his Drury Lane Theater empire grew steadily and DeSantis became a wealthy man. He was opposed to Chicago mafia involvement in Chicago show business and in 1958 was involved in an FBI sting against the Chicago mob. This led to a retaliatory explosion in his Martinique nightclub in 1962. [2] In reflecting on his life in 2005, DeSantis said:

"I suppose I could sit on a bench and drink martinis with a starlet on each arm. Nah. I work hard because I am just trying to keep alive." [2]

Honors and awards

In 1971, DeSantis was made an associate Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John. [6] This was followed in 1980 by a promotion to the rank of associate knight in the same Order. [1] DeSantis was a very generous supporter of Roman Catholic charities in Chicago. Tony DeSantis died on 6 June 2007 at age 93 and his funeral mass was said at Holy Name Cathedral on 18 June 2007. [2]

Post Tony

Tony's grandson, Kyle DeSantis, took over as President of Drury Lane Theatre in Oak Brook Terrace and Water Tower Place following Tony's death. [3] In 2010, Drury Lane Water Tower Place was taken over by Broadway in Chicago. Significant increases to production budgets has allowed Drury Lane Theatre in Oak Brook Terrace to modernize the look of the stage, enhance scenic design, add more players to the orchestra pit, secure better costuming, and cast with, as Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune said, “a real eye to excellence,” drawing from both “the very talented, vibrant Chicago theater community” and “a national casting pool.” [7] In 2013, the facility unveiled phase I of its multimillion-dollar renovation, including the 27,000 square foot Grand Ballroom, the Main Lobby and Cocktail Lounge, and the French and English Rooms. Phase 2 will include the renovation of the Courtyard Restaurant and the Theatre Bar. [8]

Related Research Articles

Nathan Lane American actor (born 1956)

Nathan Lane is an American film and stage actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. In 2010, The New York Times hailed Lane as "the greatest stage entertainer of the decade".

The Drury Lane Theatres were a group of six theatres in the Chicago area founded by Tony DeSantis. The playhouses were named after the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane, built in London in the 17th century. The five suburban locations all provided affordable dinner theatre that was appropriate for families.

Roger Rees Welsh actor (1944–2015)

Roger Rees was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He also received Obie Awards for his role in The End of the Day and as co-director of Peter and the Starcatcher. Rees was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in November 2015.

Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where patrons listen to a performance during a break in the meal. In the case of a theatrical performance, sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal. In the style of a night club, the play may be the main feature of the evening, with dinner less important or optional. Dinner theater requires the management of three distinct entities: a live theater, a restaurant and, usually, a bar.

Theater in Chicago Theater performed in Chicago, Illinois

Theater in Chicago describes not only theater performed in Chicago, Illinois, but also to the movement in Chicago that saw a number of small, meagerly funded companies grow to institutions of national and international significance. Chicago had long been a popular destination for touring productions, as well as original productions that transfer to Broadway and other cities. According to Variety editor Gordon Cox, beside New York City, Chicago has one of the most lively theater scenes in the United States. As many as 100 shows could be seen any given night from 200 companies as of 2018, some with national reputations and many in creative "storefront" theaters, demonstrating a vibrant theater scene "from the ground up". According to American Theatre magazine, Chicago's theater is "justly legendary".

<i>The Producers</i> (musical) 2001 musical written by Mel Brooks

The Producers is a musical with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. It is adapted from Brooks's 1967 film of the same name.

David Lindsay-Abaire is an American playwright, lyricist and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations.

Illinois Technology and Research Corridor Region of commerce and industry along Interstate 88 in the Chicago metropolitan area

The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is a region of commerce and industry located along Interstate 88 in the Chicago metropolitan area, primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties. The corridor is home to the headquarters or regional centers for many Fortune 1000 companies, several office and industrial parks, colleges and universities, research and scientific institutions, medical centers, government centers, and abundant shopping, dining, lodging, and entertainment amenities. In addition to the I-90 Golden Corridor, the I-94 Lakeshore Corridor, and the I-55 Industrial Corridor, the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is one of the principal economic centers in suburban Chicago.

Gary Griffin is an American theater director.

<i>Annie Warbucks</i>

Annie Warbucks is a musical with a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin. A sequel to the 1977 Tony Award-winning hit Annie, based on Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie comic strip, it begins immediately after Annie ends.

Brian Sidney Bembridge Musical artist

Brian Sidney Bembridge is an American scenic, lighting, and costume designer for theater and film. His work has been seen on stages and screens throughout the country and Internationally in Australia, Germany, Prague, Ireland, and Great Britain. Mr. Bembridge has also taught and lectured at many universities across the country. He holds a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Stewart F. Lane

Stewart F. Lane is a Broadway producer, director, playwright and former actor. He has also written books, including Let's Put on a Show! and Jews of Broadway. He has also produced in Dublin. In addition to publishing two plays, he has directed across the country, working with Stephen Baldwin, Shannen Doherty, Chazz Palminteri, and more. He is co-owner of the Palace Theatre (Broadway) with the Nederlander Organization and a partner in the Tribeca Grill with Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has written three books: Let's Put on a Show!, Jews on Broadway: An Historical Survey of Performers, Playwrights, Composers, Lyricists and Producers, and Black Broadway: African Americans on the Great White Way.

Robert Falls is an American theater director and the current artistic director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Drury Lane may refer to:

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place is operated by Broadway In Chicago, a Nederlander subsidiary. Located at Water Tower Place in Chicago, Illinois, it was formerly known as Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. It was reopened in 2004 and seats 549.

Summer Naomi Smart is an American actress and singer. Smart has won two Joseph Jefferson Awards, one in 2008 and one in 2009.

Rachel Rockwell was an American theater director, choreographer and performer.

Sean Allan Krill is an American actor and singer who has appeared in film and television, on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at prestigious regional theaters across the country. Krill made his Broadway debut as Sam Carmichael in 2008 in Mamma Mia!. He originated the role of Steve Healy in the Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill for which he was nominated for the 2020 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and the cast album of the critically-acclaimed show was the recipient of the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

References

  1. 1 2 "No. 48456". The London Gazette . 18 December 1980. pp. 17522–17523.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Chris: Entrepreneur built Drury Lane empire; hobnobbed with stars
  3. 1 2 New York Times, June 9, 2007 - Anthony De Santis, 93, Theater Owner, Dies
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Abarbanel, Jonathan: "PerformInk Online". Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2008-07-15. PerformINK stories: April 29, 2004- Tony DeSantis and His New Drury Lane Theatre
  5. ↑ Munson, Nancy: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, June 19, 2003-Wal-Mart to Replace Dinner Theater in Evergreen Park, IL
  6. ↑ "No. 45466". The London Gazette . 7 September 1971. pp. 9668–9669.
  7. ↑ Cooperman, Jayne: Travel Squire, 2010 - The Music of Something Beginning The Regeneration of Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre
  8. ↑ Tomell, Renee: Plan It Life, May 6, 2013 - Makeover reimagines Drury Lane in time for Mother's Day; 'Oliver!' on stage
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.