Jesse C. Huffman (1869–1935) was an American theatrical director. Between 1906 and 1932 he directed or staged over 200 shows, mostly for the

Shubert Brothers The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...

. Many of them were musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s. He is known for ''

The Passing Show ''The Passing Show'' was a musical revue in three acts, billed as a "topical extravaganza", with a book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld and music by Ludwig Engländer and various other composers. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions of t ...

'' series of revues that he staged from 1914 to 1924 at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, daring alternatives to the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

''.

Early years

Jesse C. Huffman was born in

Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan Are ...

, in 1869. His father had been a general in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Huffman became a boy actor at the age of twelve. Later he became stage director for the Harry Davis Stock Company in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Pennsylvania. He was introduced to the New York theater scene by the actor

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

. Huffman soon showed he had a talent as a director of book musicals with loose plots, and of musical revues. In 1911 Huffman was made general director for the shows staged by the

Shubert brothers The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...

in New York and on the touring circuit. The Shuberts had the largest chain of theaters in the USA. Shows would first be played on Broadway, sometimes for just one day at the Ambassador Theatre so they could be advertised as "direct from Broadway", then sent on the road. The Shuberts arranged shows on a production line system.

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly ''The Student Prince'' (1924), ''The Desert Song'' (1926) and ''The New Moon'' (1928). Earl ...

composed or arranged the music;

Harold R. Atteridge Harold Richard Atteridge (July 9, 1886 – January 15, 1938) was an American composer, librettist and lyricist primarily for musicals and revues. He wrote the book and lyrics for over 20 musicals and revues for the Shubert family, including sev ...

wrote the lyrics and librettos; Huffman directed the shows; Watson Barr designed the sets; and Allan K. Foster choreographed the dance numbers.

''Passing Show''

Winter Garden postcard 1916 - The Passng Show

Huffman was responsible for ''The Passing Show'' series of revues from 1914 to 1924. The Shuberts first staged ''The Passing Show'' in 1912 in competition with the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. Extravagant musical numbers and comedy sketches were roughly linked to an overall narrative. The Shubert staff writer Harold Atteridge prepared the book for the ''Passing Show'' of 1914 and continued with several subsequent shows. Huffman was credited with staging the revue, which presumably meant he handled overall direction, including blocking, and also was involved in set design and lighting. ''The Passing Show'' continued to compete with the ''Follies'' into the 1920s, offering a more risqué alternative where the girls came ever closer to being completely nude. The last ''Passing Show'' opened on 3 September 1924 and ran for 106 performances. Huffman was director, and other Shubert staff including Romberg, Atteridge and Barret supplied music, lyrics and sets. The show featured the song ''Nothing Naughty in a Nightie''.

Other musicals and revues

In February 1914 Huffman drew praise for the very modern stage settings used for

Percy MacKaye Percy MacKaye (1875–1956) was an American dramatist and poet. Biography MacKaye was born in New York City into a theatrical family. His father, Steele MacKaye, was a popular actor, playwright, and producer, while his mother, Mary, wrote a dr ...

's fantastic romance ''A Thousand Years Ago''. Huffman also directed

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

vehicles such as ''

Robinson Crusoe, Jr. ''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' is a musical with a book by Edgar Smith, lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge, and music by Sigmund Romberg and James Hanley. Production ''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' was an extravaganza that opened at the Winter Garden Theatre ...

'' (1916), '' Sinbad'' (1918), ''

Bombo Bombo may refer to: Music * ''Bombo'' (musical), a 1921 Broadway production starring Al Jolson * "Bombo" (song), by Norwegian singer Adelén *Bombo criollo or just bombo, a family of Latin American drums *Bombo legüero, an Argentine drum *An 18th ...

'' (1921) and ''Big Boy'' (1925). Huffman was involved in many other Shubert musicals, particularly revues. In 1922 he staged ''

Make It Snappy ''Make It Snappy'' was a musical revue that ran for 96 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in the 1922–23 Broadway season. It ran from 13 April to 1 July 1922. It starred Eddie Cantor, who introduced the hit songs " Yes! We Have No Bananas ...

'', a revue that starred

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

. This was one of the "miscellaneously titled collations of froth" used to fill the

while ''The Passing Show'' was away. As the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

progressed, shows became more daring. Huffman acquiesced in J.J. Shubert's demand that the girls in the 1923 revue ''Artists and Models'' show their bare breasts. There were two fully nude scenes in this show, drawing comments from the local papers. One critic wrote, "Never before in an American revue has a similar degree of nudity been obtained." Out of town papers were scandalized, but described the show in considerable detail. The show reopened the Winter Garden on 15 November 1927, staged by Huffman, with arrangements of one hundred nude chorus girls as a bracelet and as a cathedral. It ran for nineteen weeks.

Operettas

In the 1920s Huffman staged or directed many operettas for the Shuberts. These included ''The Rose of Stamboul'' (1922), ''

My Maryland ''My Maryland'' is a "musical romance" with book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg, based on the play ''Barbara Frietchie'' by Clyde Fitch. Production ''My Maryland'' was staged by J. C. Huffman. Produced by Lee Shubert ...

'' (1927), ''The Circus Princess'' (1927) and ''

Countess Maritza ''Gräfin Mariza'' (''Countess Maritza'') is an operetta in three acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, with a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna on 28 February 1924 at the Theater an ...

'' (1928). Other original Broadway productions of operettas included ''

Blossom Time Blossom Time may refer to: * Blossom Time (operetta), a 1921 English-language adaptation of the operetta ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'' * Blossom Time (1934 film), a British musical drama film, based on the operetta ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'' * Blossom Time ...

'' and ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

''. The operetta ''Blossom Time'', with music by

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

arranged by

and lyrics and book by

Dorothy Donnelly Dorothy Agnes Donnelly (January 28, 1876 - January 3, 1928) was an actress, playwright, librettist, producer, and director. After a decade-long acting career that included several notable roles on Broadway, she turned to writing plays, musicals ...

, opened at the Ambassador Theatre in New York on 29 September 1921 and ran for 592 performances. Huffman was the director. This was the second longest running musical of the 1920s. At one point ''Blossom Time'' was running simultaneously (with different casts but essentially the same crew) at the Shubert Theatre and at the

44th Street Theatre The 44th Street Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 216 West 44th Street in New York City from 1912 to 1945. It opened and operated for three years as the Weber and Fields' Music Hall. Its rooftop theatre, the Nora Bayes Theatre, presente ...

. The ''Student Prince in Heidelberg'' had music by

and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly, based on the play ''Old Heidelberg'' by Rudolf Bleichman. The show, directed by Huffman, opened at

Jolson's 59th Street Theatre The New Century Theatre was a Broadway theater in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, at 205–207 West 58th Street and 926–932 Seventh Avenue. Opened on October 6, 1921, as Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, the theater was desi ...

in New York on 2 December 1924, and ran for 608 performances. ''The Student Prince'' opened at His Majesty's Theatre in London on 3 February 1926, again directed by Huffman, and ran for 96 performances. It was the longest-running musical of the 1920s.

Last years

Huffman directed shows throughout the 1920s and into the start of the 1930s. ''Nina Rosa'', a musical play, ran for 137 performances at the

Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to: Australia * Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished *Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed by ...

in New York from 20 September 1930 to 17 January 1931. Lee and J.J. Shubert produced the show, and Huffman was credited with staging the entire production.

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

said he had worked on the show, but was not credited, perhaps due to a disagreement with the Shuberts. Jesse C. Huffman died in 1935. It has been estimated that he directed or staged over 200 shows during his career.

List of Broadway shows

Broadway shows directed or staged by Huffman included: Yaakahula

Pre-war

*'' The Shulamite'' (melodrama) Director: October 29, 1906 – November 1906 *''The Love Route'' (melodrama) Staging: October 30, 1906 – December 1906 *''The Road to Yesterday'' (comedy) Director: December 31, 1906 – August 1907 *'' The White Hen'' (musical comedy) Staging: February 16, 1907 – May 18, 1907 *''

The Girl Behind the Counter ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson (and additional lyr ...

'' (musical comedy) Director: October 1, 1907 – June 6, 1908 *''Nearly a Hero'' (musical comedy) Staging: February 24, 1908 – June 6, 1908 *''The Mimic World (1908)'' (revue) Staging: July 9, 1908 – October 3, 1908 *''Mlle. Mischief'' (operetta) Staging: September 28, 1908 – December 19, 1908 *''Going Some'' (farce) Director: April 12, 1909 – July 1909 *''The Ringmaster'' (drama) Staging: August 9, 1909 – September 1909 *''Bow-Sing'' (opera) Director: March 20, 1911 – June 10, 1911 *'' La Belle Paree'' (revue) Staging: March 20, 1911 – June 10, 1911, September 11, 1911 – September 16, 1911 *''The Kiss Waltz'' (operetta) Staging: September 18, 1911 – December 2, 1911 *'' The Never Homes'' (musical comedy) Staging: October 5, 1911 – December 23, 1911 *''The Duchess'' (comic opera) Staging: October 16, 1911 – November 4, 1911 *''A Night with the Pierrots / Sesostra / The Whirl of Society'' (musical comedy) Staging: March 5, 1912 – June 29, 1912 *''

Two Little Brides 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

'' (musical comedy) Staging: April 23, 1912 – June 15, 1912 *''The Man with Three Wives'' (operetta) Staging: January 23, 1913 – March 8, 1913 *''Lieber Augustin'' (operetta) Staging: September 3, 1913 – October 4, 1913 *''Oh, I Say!'' (musical comedy) Staging: October 30, 1913 – December 27, 1913

War years

*''The Passing Show of 1914'' (revue) Staging: June 1, 1914 – September 3, 1914 *''Miss Daisy'' (musical comedy) Staging: September 9, 1914 – October 3, 1914 *''Dancing Around'' (revue) Staging: October 10, 1914 – February 13, 1915 *''Experience'' (play with music) Director: October 27, 1914 – June 5, 1915 *''Maid in America'' (revue) Staging: February 18, 1915 – May 22, 1915 *''The Peasant Girl'' (musical comedy) Staging: March 2, 1915 – June 5, 1915 *''The Passing Show of 1915'' (revue) Staging: May 29, 1915 – October 2, 1915 *''A World of Pleasure'' (revue) Staging: October 14, 1915 – January 22, 1916 *''

'' ( musical burlesque) Director: February 17, 1916 – June 10, 1916 *''

The Passing Show of 1916 ''The Passing Show of 1916'' is a revue featuring the music of Sigmund Romberg and Otto Motzan, with book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge. It included the first George Gershwin songs introduced in a Broadway show. It opened in the Winter Ga ...

'' (revue) Staging: June 22, 1916 – October 21, 1916 *''The Show of Wonders'' (revue) Staging: October 26, 1916 – April 21, 1917 *''The Passing Show of 1917'' (revue) Staging: April 26, 1917 – October 13, 1917 *''My Lady's Glove'' (operetta) Staging: June 18, 1917 – June 30, 1917 *''Doing Our Bit'' (revue) Director: October 18, 1917 – February 9, 1918 *''Over the Top'' (revue) Director: November 28, 1917 – February 2, 1918 *''Experience'' (play with music) Staging: January 22, 1918 – Closing date unknown *'' Sinbad'' (revue) Director: February 14, 1918 – March 29, 1919 *''Follow the Girl'' (musical comedy) Staging: March 2, 1918 – March 23, 1918 *''Fancy Free'' (musical comedy) Staging: April 11, 1918 – July 20, 1918 *''

The Passing Show of 1918 ''The Passing Show of 1918'' is a Broadway musical revue featuring music of Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz (and other songwriters), with book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge. The show introduced the hit songs "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" a ...

'' (revue) Staging: July 25, 1918 – November 9, 1918 *''

Monte Cristo Jr. ''Monte Cristo Jr.'' was a Victorian burlesque with a libretto written by Richard Henry, a pseudonym for the writers Richard Butler and Henry Chance Newton. The score was composed by Meyer Lutz, Ivan Caryll, Hamilton Clarke, Tito Mattei, G. ...

'' (musical burlesque) Staging: February 12, 1919 – October 4, 1919 *''Shubert Gaieties of 1919'' (revue) Staging: July 17, 1919 – October 18, 1919 *''The Passing Show of 1919'' (revue) Staging: October 23, 1919 – June 5, 1920

Jazz age

*''The Magic Melody'' (musical comedy) Staging: November 11, 1919 – March 17, 1920 *''Frivolities of 1920'' (revue) Production Supervision: January 8, 1920 – February 28, 1920 *''Cinderella on Broadway'' (revue) Staging: June 24, 1920 – September 25, 1920 *''Broadway Brevities of 1920'' (revue) Director: September 29, 1920 – December 18, 1920 *''The Passing Show of 1921'' (revue) Staging: December 29, 1920 – May 28, 1921 *''Just Married'' (comedy) Director: April 26, 1921 – Closing date unknown *''

The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...

'' (operetta) Director: May 10, 1921 – October 29, 1921 *''

'' (operetta) Staging: September 29, 1921 – January 27, 1923 *''

'' (musical comedy) Staging: October 6, 1921 – April 8, 1922 *''The Rose of Stamboul'' (operetta) Staging: March 7, 1922 – June 10, 1922 *''

'' (revue) Staging: April 13, 1922 – July 1, 1922 *''Whispering Wires'' (drama) Director: August 7, 1922 – June 1923 *''The Passing Show of 1922'' (revue) Staging: September 20, 1922 – December 2, 1922 *''Springtime of Youth'' (musical comedy) Staging: October 26, 1922 – December 23, 1922 *''The Dancing Girl'' (musical comedy) Director: January 24, 1923 – May 12, 1923 *''The Passing Show of 1923'' (revue) Director: June 14, 1923 – September 15, 1923 *''Topics of 1923'' (revue) Director: November 20, 1923 – March 22, 1924 *'' The Dream Girl'' (musical comedy) Staging: August 20, 1924 – November 29, 1924 *''The Passing Show of 1924'' (revue) Staging: September 3, 1924 – November 22, 1924 *''

'' (operetta) Staging: December 2, 1924 – May 18, 1926 *''Big Boy'' (musical comedy) Staging: January 7, 1925 – March 14, 1925 *''June Days'' (musical comedy) Staging: August 6, 1925 – October 17, 1925 *''

Princess Flavia ''Princess Flavia'' is a 1925 operetta in three acts based on Anthony Hope's novel ''The Prisoner of Zenda'', with book and lyrics by Harry B. Smith and music by Sigmund Romberg. Production ''Princess Flavia'' was staged by J. C. Huffman and p ...

'' (operetta) Staging: November 2, 1925 – March 13, 1926 *''A Night in Paris'' (revue) Staging: January 5, 1926 – July 10, 1926 *''

'' (operetta) Staging: March 8, 1926 – March 20, 1926 *''The Great Temptations'' (revue) Staging: May 18, 1926 – November 6, 1926 *''The Merry World'' (revue) Staging: June 8, 1926 – August 21, 1926 *''A Night in Paris'' (revue) Staging: July 26, 1926 – October 30, 1926 *''Katja'' (operetta) Staging: October 18, 1926 – January 22, 1927 *''The Pearl of Great Price'' (drama) Staging: November 1, 1926 – November 1926 *''Gay Paree (1926)'' (revue) Staging: November 9, 1926 – April 9, 1927 *''

The Circus Princess ' (''The Circus Princess'') is an operetta in three acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán to a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 26 March 1926 and went on to 344 ...

'' (operetta) Staging: April 25, 1927 – October 8, 1927 *''

'' (musical comedy) Staging: September 12, 1927 – June 9, 1928 *''The Love Call'' (musical comedy) Staging: October 24, 1927 – January 7, 1928 *''Artists and Models (1927)'' (revue) Staging: November 15, 1927 – March 24, 1928 *''Lovely Lady'' (musical comedy) Staging: December 29, 1927 – May 19, 1928 *''

'' (operetta) Staging: April 9, 1928 – April 1928 *''The

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

Follies (1928)'' (revue) Director: April 9, 1928 – July 28, 1928 *''Nina Rosa'' (musical comedy) Director: September 20, 1930 – January 17, 1931 *''Marching By'' (musical comedy) Staging: March 3, 1932 – March 12, 1932

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huffman, J. C. 1869 births 1935 deaths American musical theatre directors People from Bowling Green, Ohio