Hassard Short

Hassard Short
Short in 1907
Born(1877-10-15)15 October 1877
Edlington, Lincolnshire, UK
Died9 October 1956(1956-10-09) (aged 78)
Nice, France
Occupation(s)Stage director, set designer, lighting designer, actor
Years active1895–1953[1]
PartnerBilly Ladd

Hubert Edward Hassard Short (15 October 1877 – 9 October 1956), usually known as Hassard Short, was an actor, stage director, set designer and lighting designer in musical theatre[2] who directed over 50 Broadway and West End shows between 1920 and 1953.[3][4] Theatre historian Ken Bloom called him "one of Broadway's greatest directors and lighting designers",[5] while theatre writer John Kenrick described him as a "groundbreaking director and choreographer".[6]

After 25 years acting on stage and in films, Short turned to directing and designing in 1920. He made many innovations in stage lighting and design, including the first permanent lighting bridge (Music Box Revue, 1921) and first the use of a revolving stage in a Broadway musical (The Band Wagon, 1931).[3][7] He continued to direct until 1952.

  1. ^ Hassard Short at IMDb
  2. ^ Kenrick, John. Who's Who in Musicals: Short, Hassard Musicals101.com. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Milestones, Oct. 22, 1956". Time. 22 October 1956. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ibdb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Bloom, Ken (2004). Broadway: its history, people, and places: an encyclopedia. New York: Routledge. p. 39. ISBN 0-415-93704-3.
  6. ^ Kenrick, John. History of The Musical Stage. 1930s - Part II: Legendary Revues. Musicals101.com.
  7. ^ "Hassard Short, Director, Dead". The New York Times. 10 October 1956. p. 39. Staged 50 Broadway Shows—Made Many Innovations in Lighting and Designing—Born in England—Used Traveling Platform.