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| Fonds/Collection Number: | F0217 |
| Title: | Garth H. Drabinsky fonds |
| Dates: | 1971 - 1999 |
| Extent: | ca. 23.4 m textual records ca. 66 audio cassettes ca. 52 DAT cassettes 2 audiotapes ca. 2 rolls of magnetic track ca. 9 videotapes ca. 9 videocassettes ca. 470 photographs ca. 125 contact sheets ca. 25 negatives ca. 6000 slides |
| Biographical Sketch/ Administrative History: | Garth H. Drabinsky (1949- ) is a Toronto-based lawyer, author and entrepreneur specializing in the entertainment industry both in Canada and abroad. Drabinsky was born and educated in Toronto, Canada, graduated with a LL.B. from the University of Toronto in 1973, and was called to the Bar in 1975. After articling with Thomson, Rogers, Drabinsky formed his own partnership (Roberts and Drabinsky) in 1977 to concentrate on entertainment law. His monograph Motion pictures and the arts in Canada : the business and the law, published in 1976, is considered a standard text on the subject. Drabinsky has produced or co-produced several award-winning motion pictures including The Silent Partner, The Changeling, and Tribute. He co-founded the Cineplex Corporation, later the Cineplex Odeon, with entrepreneur Nat Taylor in 1978. In 1989, Drabinsky partnered with Myron Gottlieb to form Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, later known as Livent, to focus on musical theatre productions such as Phantom of the Opera, Show Boat, Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, among others, many of which have been recognized with national and international awards. During this period he was responsible for the restoration and/or construction of several live theatre venues including the Pantages Theatre, the Wintergarden, and the North York Performing Arts Centre all in Toronto, and many other venues in other Canadian and American theatre centres. Drabinsky's autobiography (with Marq de Villiers) Closer to the sun was published in 1995. Drabinsky's work and influence has been recognised with numerous awards including being named Officer of the Order of Canada, receiving two honorary degrees (York University and the University of British Columbia), two honourary fellowships (York University's Faculty of Fine Arts, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute) and a Distinguished Achievement Award from B'nai B'rith International. Drabinsky is currently involved with producing the apartheid-era drama The Island, and serving as "creative marketing consultant" in the redevelopment of the Muskoka Sands Resort into a luxury resort with a cultural focus, and as a special marketing consultant to the National Post newspaper. Drabinsky is married with two children and resides in Toronto. |
| Scope and Content: |
The fonds documents Garth H. Drabinsky's personal, professional, artistic and business career. Records consist of research notes, drafts and manuscripts for his autobiography Closer to the sun and his monograph Motion pictures and the arts in Canada : the business and the law; administrative and operational files of his various companies, partnerships and projects in the form of financial records of all kinds (including budget plans, financial reports, investor reports, assessment appeals, promissory notes, line of credit documents, debentures, share transfer documents, escrow agreements, accounting records, etc.), production files (including cast/crew lists, costume sketches, contracts with investors, artists, and directors, press kits, marketing plans, distribution agreements, clippings, etc.), legal files (litigation documentation, depositions, affidavits, contracts, official seals, incorporation documents, etc.), restoration/construction project files (restoration proposals, architectural drawings, resource files on theatrical productions and theatres around the world, etc.). Also included are photographs, sound recordings (primarily pertaining to Livent productions), and production stills and sound and moving image recordings (primarily pertaining to Drabinsky's motion picture activities). |
| Restrictions on Access and Use: | Some restrictions apply to reproduction and other copyrights. |
| Finding Aid: | File list available. |
| URL of Finding Aid: | http://archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/fonds/ON00370-f0000217.pdf |
| Accruals: | The fonds includes material from the following accrual: 2000-079. Further accruals are expected. |
| Related Records: | Related records may be found in the Nat Taylor fonds (F 183). |
| Other Notes: | Title based on contents of the fonds. |
| Provenance Access Points: | Drabinsky, Garth, 1949- |
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Date of creation: 2002/04/04 Date of last revision: 2010/03/16 |
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