Who are Broadway’s most powerful people? BroadwaySpace.com has been answering that question for years — and now it’s MY turn. I put the question to a handful of industry insiders from Producers to Press Agents to maybe even a Pulitzer nominee or two, whose identity, like mine, I’m keeping confidential. They ranked Broadway’s movers and shakers for a final and decidedly unscientific Spotted list of 50. Is power the ability to get a show up with the scratch of a pen? Is it the person at the very top of the game or the person you wouldn’t dare put on hold? I let everyone define “power” for themselves and let the chips fall as they may.

50. Damian Bazadona (Last Year: #48) Talk about “The Situation” a couple miles west of Manhattan, and a certain Italian reality TV star comes to mind — but talk about “Situation” in Manhattan, and this guy is certainly the expert you’re thinking of. Damian’s company, Situation Interactive, handles the online marketing for tons of Broadway shows, from Spider-Man to Anything Goes. Damian has spearheaded Situation Interactive’s growth, as their offices have expanded to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Always up for diversifying, Situation’s newest digital client is the 2014 Super Bowl Host Committee… and they are also the team that created the campaign, “Elphaba Yourself.” One Tony Award-winning producer told me, “Damian and Situation were the first ones to get Broadway on the information superhighway. There may be other cars on that road now, but they are the only company I’d want to give me a ride.”

49. Daryl Roth (First Time On The List) When Daryl was nominated for a Best Revival of a Play Tony Award for producing The Normal Heart, she was asked for 6 words to describe the occasion. “What I Did For Love. Honored.” was her choice quote. After winning the Award, she said, “My hope was that I could honor the people that were there then, and honor the people that have passed, but also, as importantly, to enlighten a whole new generation… For people to come to theatre and actually feel that they can make a difference.” We all know that Daryl producing for love is making a difference in our industry, and we are grateful.

48. The TKTS Promoters (First Time On The List) There are a lot of powerful people on our list, but how many of them actually speak to ticket-buyers every day? The TKTS Promoters, once a rag-tag bunch of untrained minimum-wagers, have evolved into a specialized team of expert salespeople. With iPads, themed costumes, and the power to make tourists choose between How To Succeed and Memphis, these guys and gals are at the center of our industry – literally.

47. Victoria Bailey (Last Year: #43) As the Executive Director of Theatre Development Fund, Tory oversees a dozen projects, all with one goal in common: to build our theatre audiences. Considering the massive effect that the TKTS booths, the Theatre Access Project, and Open Doors alone have had on our community, I say she’s making quite a mark.

46. Nick Wyman (Last Year: #34) In 1913, Francis Wilson was announced the first President of Actors Equity at a small meeting at a hotel. In 2010, Nick Wyman was announced the new President of Actors Equity in a Facebook group. One thing hasn’t changed over the years: every decision made by Broadway’s most important union, comprising over 49,000 members, goes through its President: Nick.

45. Paul Libin (Last Year: #9) Paul is the Executive Vice President of Jujamcyn and the co-owner of Circle in the Square. While he’s no longer the Chairman of the Broadway League, this benevolent theatre man has produced more than 250 productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and on tour.

44. Michael Cohl (First Time On The List) As one industry insider quipped, “I bet the Titanic wishes they’d had Michael Cohl on board.” The former Chairman of Live Nation, the largest live entertainment company in the world, Michael will now forever be known in the theatre community as the producer of Spider-Man. Michael holds the reins on the most expensive production in Broadway history, and he’s turned it from a Safety-Hazard-Making-National-Headlines to a Top-Grossing-Broadway-Musical. Jury is still out on whether or not the superhero will recoup, but Michael definitely makes my list this year.

43. Stephen Schwartz (First Time On The List) The first Broadway writer with two of his shows playing at the same address, Stephen is the reason we’ve dubbed the passageway to Wicked and Godspell “Schwartz Alley.” Even with two Broadway musicals currently on the boards, it’s the highly-anticipated Hugh Jackman-led Houdini (which Stephen is writing with Aaron Sorkin) that most insiders pointed to when placing Stephen on the list. This musical theatre legend, who had Godspell, Pippin and The Magic Show all running simultaneously in the 1970s, might just have a trio of hits again.

42. Joe Machota (Last Year: #50) “Get me Joe Machota at CAA!” declares Anjelica Houston, playing a high-powered Broadway producer on Smash. These same words are shrieked constantly by non-fictional Broadway producers all over town… not to mention Hollywood types. I wonder who will take Joe to the Oscars this year.

41. Sonia Friedman (Last Year: #46) “Toughness doesn’t have to come in a pin-stripe suit,” says this London transplant turned Broadway stalwart producer. With her name on both The Book Of Mormon and Jerusalem, Sonia now has 12 Tony nominations and 4 wins to her name- — and with The Mountaintop, Private Lives and Death of a Salesman all on her plate this year, that number is destined to grow!

Related Articles:

1. 50 Most Powerful People on Broadway 2010
2. The 50 Most Powerful People on Broadway 2009
3. How Long Do Shows REALLY Run?
4. What is BroadwaySpotted.com
5. Givenik! A Charitable Way To Buy Tickets

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