2019-03-30 05:30:53
Backstage Honorees
Three members of the technical theater community have been honored for their achievements and contributions to the industry over their respective careers this spring. All are well-deserved! The first two awards were presented during the recent USITT 2019 in Louisville in March. Steve Terry received the Wally Russell Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award as a distinguished innovator, entrepreneur, and industry pioneer. Rocky Paulsen was awarded the ESTA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award by the ESTA Board of Directors and Technical Standards Council for his technical contributions which have had a significant impact on our industry.
Coming up on April 22nd, David Rosenberg will be honored during a special evening event when Purchase College, State University of New York’s Broadway Technical Theatre History Project, will present the Eighth Annual Broadway technical Backstage Legends and Masters Award. Rosenberg joins previous Backstage Legends and Masters honorees Artie Siccardi (2012), Arnold Abramson (2013), Fred Gallo (2014), Gene O’Donovan (2015), Pete Feller, Sr. (2016), Joseph B. Forbes (2017), and Alyce Gilbert (2018).
Rosenberg spent the first 25 years of his career working in scenic shops, as an Off-Broadway electrician, and as a touring stage manager and production manager. After he was ensconced in the business, Rosenberg invested his savings in the purchase of iWeiss, which offers draping and rigging solutions to the entertainment industry. During his tenure at iWeiss, he oversaw the company’s growth from a struggling company with fewer than five employees to a thriving industry leader with 40 employees.
He has worked on such legendary Broadway and touring productions as The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Hairspray, Angels in America, The Producers, Mamma Mia, and Kinky Boots, as well as some of the most prominent dance companies in the country including New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, and Twyla Tharp. He’s worked with headliners such as Celine Dion and Bette Midler in Las Vegas, and on numerous television, theatrical, and film productions as well as on the construction and renovation of numerous theaters across the country.
“David Rosenberg has had a long and distinguished career,” said Dan Hanessian, associate professor at Purchase, who launched the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project in 2011. “His is a true Broadway success story. While he’s known now for his successful stewardship of iWeiss, he started off working in production. With the combination of talent, hard work, and perseverance, David was able to bridge life backstage with his vision for iWeiss and turn it into one of the leading soft goods and rigging companies out there. I look forward to the wisdom he can share with our Purchase students who are just starting out their backstage careers.”
The evening’s event is free and will take place in the Performing Arts Center on the College’s campus at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 7 p.m. It will also be webcast live and archived for future viewing. Further information from the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project: (bit.ly/ SD_BTTHP)
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