Klaw and Erlanger

Klaw and Erlanger were a theatrical production duo based out of New York City during the early 1900s. With the help of the Theatrical Syndicate, Marc Klaw and A.L. Erlanger were able to monopolize the booking and talent within the vaudeville circuit. As the Syndicate focused attention on the furtherment of vaudeville from its "lowbrow associations by presenting only the finest, class acts," pressure from the Shubert family and accusations of trust building forced the Syndicate to dissolve.

Marc Klaw was born in Paducah, Kentucky in 1858. He received his law degree from Louisville Law School and practiced law while maintaining a role within the theater industry as a part-time critic. Klaw's employment with the Frohman brothers allowed him to gain recognition within the legal sector of theater, most notably for his work against the unauthorized distribution of Steele MacKaye's "Hazel Kirke" As Klaw's reputation grew, Abraham Erlanger partnered with him to form Klaw and Erlanger as well as a series of subsidiaries including the "Klaw and Erlanger Opera Company" and "Klaw and Erlanger's Costume Company"

A.L. Erlanger was born in Cleveland Ohio in 1860, kick-starting his career in theater as treasurer of the Euclid Avenue Opera House. In his early 20's, Erlanger was hired and performed well for George S. Knight and Joseph Jefferson as a business manager for touring theater companies. Known for his bullish characteristics, Erlanger partnered with Marc Klaw, and formed the second largest theater-booking syndicate in the United States, assuming control of a majority theaters in the Southeast. Throughout his career he was known for underwriting shows such as The Great Metropolis (1889) and producing large numbers such as Pink Lady (1911) and Honeymoon Lane (1926).

The Theatrical Syndicate was composed of Charles Frohman, John Zimmerman Sr., Samuel F. Nixon, Al Hayman, Klaw, and Erlanger. In order to monopolize the theater industry, the Syndicate unified their theaters and gave booking duties to Klaw, Erlanger, and Frohman, who in turn standardized the entire booking process. As success of the Syndicate continued, a few key players in American theater including Sam Shubert began to compete through the billing of "independent theater," an appeal that soon broke the Syndicates' playhouse monopoly and began the diversification of Broadway theater.

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