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Creator
Somlyo, Roy A.
Call number
*T-Mss 1998-029
Physical description
57.54 linear feet (137 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Roy Somlyo papers, *T-Mss 1998-029. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
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Roy Somlyo (1925-2009) was an American theater and television producer and manager. The Roy Somlyo papers contain production files for plays and musicals produced by Somlyo, as well as the Tony Awards, on which he worked from 1967 to 2003, and the Drama Desk Awards, on which he worked from from 2004 to 2007.

Biographical/historical information

Roy Somlyo was born on September 2, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan. He served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he attended Wayne State University. While studying economics he got involved in a college theatre group, the Actors Company, and after graduation, moved to New York to pursue a life in the theatre. Somlyo was soon working at a summer stock theatre, the Cape Cod Melody Tent, doing a variety of behind the scenes jobs, selling tickets, painting sets, moving scenery, and handing out flyers. His background in economics would prove to be an asset when he eventually became a producer.

Somlyo began his Broadway career as a production assistant on three plays produced by Richard Aldrich, Richard Meyers, and associated producers: Goodbye My Fancy (1948), Caesar and Cleopatra (1949), and The Devil's Disciple (1950). During the 1950s, Somlyo worked as assistant company manager on two David Merrick productions, Fanny (1954) and The Matchmaker (1955). Soon he was promoted to company manager for such shows as Patate (1958), Triple Play (1959), Gypsy (1959), and The Cool World (1960).

Over the next two decades Somlyo worked in close association with the producer Alexander Cohen, working as general manager on many Cohen productions, including Beyond the Fringe (1962), John Gielgud's Ages of Man (1963), Man and Boy (1963), Richard Burton's Hamlet (1964), Baker Street (1965), The Homecoming (1967), and Dear World (1969). Somlyo moved up to associate producer on the Cohen productions Fun City (1972), Ulysses in Nightgown (1974), and Who's Who in Hell (1974).

Cohen and Somlyo co-produced many more productions during the 1970s and 1980s, including Comedians (1976), Anna Christie (1977), I Remember Mama (1979), A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine (1980), and La Tragedie de Carmen (1983). Somlyo also produced Kipling (1984) and Gypsy Passion (1992) and managed Uptown…It's Hot (1986), Sherlock's Last Case (1987), and Checkmates (1988).

In 1967, Alexander Cohen began producing the annual television broadcast of the Tony Awards, which he continued to do until 1987. Somlyo worked on the broadcast with Cohen for many years, as associate producer or co-producer, and took over as executive or supervising producer from 1987 to 1998, but continued be involved in the program until 2003. Somlyo and Cohen also co-produced the 1983 Emmy Award winning television special, Night of 100 Stars. Somlyo won Emmys for the 1987, 1998, and 1999 Tony Awards.

Somlyo served as President of the American Theatre Wing from 1998 to 2003. After retiring from the Tony Awards and the American Theatre Wing, Somlyo became an executive consultant for the Drama Desk Awards from 2004 to 2007.

In 1957, Roy Somlyo married Nancy Rifici, with whom he had two children, David Somlyo and Lauren McGowan. He died in Manhattan on January 29, 2009.

Scope and arrangement

This collection consists of the professional papers of theatrical manager and producer Roy Somlyo, dating from 1959 to 2007. Production and subject files document Somlyo's theater career on Broadway, in London, and on tour; and on television programs and specials. These files consist primarily of production files, but subject files on individuals, theater companies, and other organizations are also included. Production and subject files generally contain contracts, budgets, financial records, schedules, tour transportation information, licensing agreements, payroll documents, correspondence, negotiations, promotional and publicity materials and occasionally include scripts.

Somlyo's involvement with the Tony Awards from 1967 to 2003 and the Drama Desk Awards 2004 to 2007 is well documented. Files collected or created by Somlyo pertaining to these two awards ceremonies generally contain cast lists, contact sheets, correspondence, rehearsal and production meeting schedules, seating orders, performance lists, camera plots, lists of nominees, and annotated scripts.

This collection does not include any personal material.

Arrangement

This collection is separated into the following three groups: Production and Subject Files, Tony Awards, and Drama Desk Awards,

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Roy Somlyo in 1998 and 2009.

Processing information

Compiled by Diana Bertolini, 2014

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatrediv@nypl.org.