Biff Liff | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samuel Liff April 14, 1919
Boston,
Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | August 10, 2015 (aged 96) |
| Alma mater | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, manager |
| Spouse | Lisette Liff |
| Parent(s) | Morris Liff Rose Liff |
| Relatives | Vincent Liff (nephew) |
Samuel "Biff" Liff (April 14, 1919 – August 10, 2015) was an American Broadway stage manager and producer.
Early life
Samuel Liff was born on April 14, 1919, in Boston, Massachusetts. [1] [2] His father, Morris Liff, was a restaurateur. [1] His mother was Rose Liff. [1] He was nicknamed 'Biff' as a child, and kept the nickname throughout his life. [1] [2]
Liff graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in Theater in 1939. [1] [2] During World War II, he served as a captain in the United States Army in Chicago. [1]
Career
Liff started his career on Broadway as a stage manager, working on Along Fifth Avenue from January to June 1949. [1] [2] That same year, he was also the stage manager of Admiral Broadway Revue, which was broadcast on television, starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. [1] He then became the stage manager of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Hello, Dolly!, both starring Carol Channing [1] By 1954, he was production stage manager on By the Beautiful Sea. [1] In 1956, he was the production stage manager of My Fair Lady starring Julie Andrews on Broadway. [1]
In the 1960s, he was an associate producer to impresario David Merrick on Promises, Promises, Cactus Flower, The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Marat/Sade, and Oliver!. [1] [2] Additionally, he was an associate producer to Merrick on Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Waterin 1966 and Play It Again, Samin 1969. [1] In 1973, he produced Tricks. [1]
Liff joined William Morris Agency as the head of its theater department in 1973. [1] [2] He became the manager of Julie Andrews, Jane Alexander, Angela Lansbury, Agnes de Mille, Chita Rivera, Ellen Burstyn and Jerry Herman. [1] He was the representative of Eugene O’Neill's estate, and encouraged the 1999 Broadway adaptation of The Iceman Cometh starring Kevin Spacey. [2]
Liff served on the nominating committee of the Tony Awards. [1] He was the recipient of the 2006 Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. [1]
Liff's extensive production files are held at the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and are accessible to the public. [3]
Personal life
Biff was married to Arlene Liff. Arlene died of cancer in 1986. Later he married Lisette Liff. [1] They resided in Yorktown Heights, New York. [1]
Death
He died on August 10, 2015, in Yorktown Heights, New York. [2] On August 14, 2015, the lights were dimmed over Broadway in his honor. [2] The president of The Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin, said he had influenced "legendary productions and a galaxy of talented artists". [4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t James Barron, Biff Liff, Broadway Manager and Powerhouse Agent, Dies at 96, The New York Times, August 13, 2015
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gordon Cox, Broadway Dims Lights Tonight for Agent Biff Liff, Variety, August 14, 2015
- ^ "archives.nypl.org -- Biff Liff papers". archives.nypl.org. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ Jeremy Gerard, Broadway Will Go Dark In Memory Of Agent & Producer Samuel “Biff” Liff, Deadline Hollywood, August 13, 2015
External links
- Biff Liff at the Internet Broadway Database
- Biff Liff papers, 1906-2014, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
