Longtime Broadway Stage Manager, Craig Jacobs died on November 22, 2021. He will be memorialized with the the marquee of Broadway’s Majestic Theatre being dimmed on December 6, 2021 at 7:25 PM for one-minute. Jacobs was the longtime Production Stage Manager on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera which performs at the Majestic.
In 2015, Jacobs was honored with The Del Hughes Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management from the Stage Managers’ Association. The Del Hughes is an honor given annually that recognizes excellence in the field of Stage Management. Here is an excerpt from the SMA of that evening’s honor for Jacobs:
Craig Jacobs was celebrated first by the remarkable Tom Viola of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). Tom’s recognition of Craig’s constant efforts on the part of the cause was beautiful and powerful. Next, Martha Knight (2014 Del Hughes honoree) read from the many notes of congratulations sent in by Craig’s admirers including Chita Rivera, Tyne Daly, and Harold Prince, just to mention a few. Tom Bartlett’s note mentioned one observation: “When spoken by Craig, ‘No!’ is a complete sentence”! Bethe Ward ran in just before the ceremony with a many-paged scroll of signatures and appreciation from the cast of The Phantom of the Opera where Craig PSM’d for years. A lot of love was beamed to Craig whose health prevented him from attending in person though we are sure that he was there in spirit.
His Broadway career began in 1974 with Good News, and he became the stage manager of choice for some of the theater’s top directors: Bob Fosse (the original Chicago, Sweet Charity), Arthur Laurents (Gypsy in 1989 and 2008), and Hal Prince (Cabaret, Show Boat, Phantom). His other stage management and production supervisor credits included The Rink, Mail, Falsettos, My Fair Lady, Grease, They’re Playing Our Song, The 1940s Radio Hour, Grown Ups, and Beyond Therapy
Jacobs, who mentored many Stage Managers over his career, was the PSM for The Phantom of the Opera from its 10th anniversary through its 25th anniversary. He also helped raise millions of dollars for Broadway Cares.
