As a child he performed in musicals in summer stock, community theatre, and children's theatre productions, including roles in Mame, Gypsy, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Oliver, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and A Christmas Carol. He won a scholarship to a musical theatre program at Kent State University. With acting partner Judith Sewickley, he placed 7th in an Ohio State duet acting competition.
He began his career in New York in 1984 as a management assistant for Richard Horner and Lynne Stuart, working on productions of Kennedy at Colonus and Lady Day, followed by a year working for publicist Milly Schoenbaum in the office of producer Morton Gottlieb, where the productions he worked on included the original production of Little Shop of Horrors, which he would later produce in its Broadway premiere. It was during his work as the press agent for the original off-Broadway production of Orphans at the Westside Arts Theatre that he first met Richard Frankel. Frankel was producing Penn & Teller which was playing in the downstairs theatre and Orphans was playing in the upstairs theatre. Their first meeting was to negotiate lobby space since Penn & Teller had opened first and has wallpapered the shared lobby with Penn & Teller posters.
Routh began working with Frankel as an assistant later that year, subsequently joining Frankel as a manager with Richard Frankel Productions and eventually as a producing partner with Frankel, Thomas Viertel, and Steven Baruch.
Routh co-produced Little Shop of Horrors, which was announced for Broadway with a full-page ad in The New York Times for a production starring Alice Ripley and Hunter Foster. However, the production was cancelled; later that year, a production directed by Jerry Zaks starring Foster and Kerry Butler opened on Broadway to mixed reviews.[4]
Routh was the producer of Flashdance, which had twice announced an opening on Broadway but has been postponed both times. It played a short season in London's West End and toured North America.
Other activities
He served at the president of the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. He is one of the founders of On the Road, a theatrical booking agency, Showtix, a Broadway group sales company that was acquired by Hollywood Media and Broadway Inner Circle, a premium ticket agency.[5] He is a member of The Broadway League, the Society of London Theatre, and the League of Off Broadway Theatres and Producers.
From 2000 to 2005, he was the operator with partners of the Arts Theatre in London, presenting such productions as The Pet Shop Boys Musical Closer to Heaven. In 2012, along with partners Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, and Steven Barch opened the cabaret nightclub 54 Below, a 150-seat performance venue and restaurant with leading Broadway performers and emerging talent. Patti LuPone was the opening act in June 2012.[6]
He is the founder and operator of Journey, an immersive dining experience at 27 West 24th Street in the Flatiron district that merges theatrical gastronomy with multi-media elements, incorporating Journey 360, Journey Salon, Journey Cafe, and Journey Odyssey.[7]
The awards he and his partners won for the new club include the Tony Award Honor For Excellence in the Theatre, the MAC Board of Directors Award, The Nightlife Award, The June Briggs Award for Excellence in Destination Management, and The Concierge Choice Award for Nightlife.[8] In 2018 he and his partners were honored by New York Musical Festival for their contribution to musical theatre.[9]
Routh is the recipient of the Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Commercial Theatre Producer in 1997, was inducted into the NYU Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2003, and has been the recipient of 8 Tony Awards for The Producers, Hairspray, The Norman Conquests, Company, Angels in America, and The Band's Visit and Oklahoma!; and 54 Below; 2 Olivier Awards for The Producers and Hairspray; The Evening Standard Award for The Producers; 9 Drama Desk Awards for Marvin's Room, Stomp, Mnemonic, Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, Company, The Producers, The Norman Conquests, and Angels in America; 9 Outer Critics Circle Awards for Marvin's Room, Song of Singapore, Jeffrey, Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, Company, Young Frankenstein, An American in Paris and Angels in America; 2 Obie Awards for Stomp and Tap Dogs; The Helpmann Award for The Producers; The Dora Award for The Producers; The New England Critics Award for Sweeney Todd; The Carbonell Award for Sweeney Todd; 2 Lucille Lortel Awards for The Mystery of Irma Vep and Mneumonic; and 8 Drama League Awards for The Producers, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, A Catered Affair, Company,An American in ParisAngels in America, and The Band's Visit.[12]
Since 1994 he has taught "Business Management for the Performing Arts" for Brooklyn College’s graduate school program in theatre administration.[13]
Routh is married to Asher Remy-Toledo and the father of sons Edison and Remy Routh. The couple have hosted many events at their Chelsea loft, including benefits for Freedom to Marry, GLAAD, the Jewish National Fund, Jennifer Muller/The Works, a press launch for the Richard Gere Foundation and Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and events for The New Shul. In addition, they regularly host art salons led by art curator Remy-Toledo who co-founded Hyphen Hub, an organization dedicated to the integration of art and technology.[15]
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