Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau

Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau was a US theatre management and production firm, active from 1880 until 1896. The partners were Henry E. Abbey, John B. Schoeffel and Maurice Grau. Abbey and Schoeffel had been in partnership since 1876, and joined forces with Grau in 1880. They managed and ran a number of theatres in New York and Boston, including the Metropolitan Opera House ("the old Met") in 1883-4 and from 1891–1896, when Abbey died. Schoeffel and Grau remained at the Met until 1903.

Although individual biographies may individually credit them with bringing various singing, instrumental and acting stars to the US, the overall credit can be shared by all three, acting as a successful partnership for some sixteen years. Grau and Schoeffel had their own success from 1896 until 1903.

Henry Abbey and John Schoeffel became partners in the theatre business in 1876, Abbey dealing with the artiste management and Schoeffel looking after the business side. They began by hiring the Academy of Music, Buffalo, NY (1852–1956) in 1876-7 with Lotta, and later at Abbey's Park Theatre from 1876–1882 (when it burned down). In Boston they rebuilt the Beethoven Hall as the Park Theatre in 1879. They took the lease of Booth's Theatre, New York City, from Dion Boucicault on 1 January 1880 until 1 May 1881. On 8 March 1880 they formed the company of Abbey and Schoeffel.

They engaged Helena Modjeska and Sarah Bernhardt at Booth's Theatre in 1880 and 1881, and secured the lease of the Grand Opera House (formerly Pike's Opera House) in 1882. They managed Christina Nilsson, Henry Irving and Lillie Langtry on tours of the US; the latter's début was delayed when Abbey's New Park Theatre burned down on October 30, 1882.

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