J. C. Huffman
| Jesse C. Huffman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1869 Bowling Green, Ohio, USA |
| Died | 1935 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Theatrical director |
| Known for | The Passing Show |
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. Many of them were musical revues, musicals or operettas. He is known for The Passing Show series of revues that he staged from 1914 to 1924 at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, daring alternatives to the Ziegfeld Follies.
Jesse C. Huffman was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, in 1869. His father had been a general in the American Civil War. Huffman became a boy actor at the age of twelve. Later he became stage director for the Harry Davis Stock Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was introduced to the New York theater scene by the actor Richard Mansfield. 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 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 composed or arranged the music; Harold R. Atteridge wrote the lyrics and librettos; Huffman directed the shows; Watson Barr designed the sets; and Allan K. Foster choreographed the dance numbers.
Huffman was responsible for the 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 into 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.
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