Tom McGrath
Encyclopedia
Tom McGrath is an American media executive.
('72), received his A.B. at 19 from Harvard and earned his M.B.A. there as well. At Harvard he was music director of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals
and conductor of both the Harvard Marching Band and the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players.
outside Washington, DC, while in college. After college he was a Broadway press agent at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, work that included the original Broadway production of Annie and the first national tour of A Chorus Line
. He also handled the U.S. Bicentennial visits of the La Scala Opera, Berlin Opera, Royal Ballet, Cuba National Ballet, Bolshoi Opera and Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. These visits included the US debut of José Carreras and the American debut of the recently defected, Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov
.
(later the commissioner of Major League Baseball
).
McGrath was then hired by Columbia Pictures
in 1980 to start a home video distribution company as well as set up a licensing regime for the emerging pay TV channels such as HBO and Showtime, at a time when few had even heard of a videocassette. While at Columbia, McGrath wrote an econometric paper on movie theaters and video competition that contributed to the US Justice Department lifting the 30-year old "Paramount Consent Decree" which had prohibited film companies from owning movie theaters—after which Columbia became the first motion picture studio since 1954 to acquire a chain of movie theaters. McGrath also lead the formation of TriStar Pictures
, a partnership of Columbia, HBO and CBS
—the first new movie studio in fifty years—which survives to this day as part of Sony Entertainment. With Warner Brothers, Fox, Goldcrest Films
and Thorn/EMI, McGrath formed Premiere International, Europe's first Pay TV service. McGrath also led the acquisition of Belwin-Mills Music by Columbia, as well as Embassy Television (All in the Family, among many other shows) and Merv Griffin productions (Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy).
, Bert Ellis, Scott Wallace and Paul Schaeffer. Act III was the first non-industry player to acquire movie theaters in a move that subsequently led to virtually all the major movie theater chains being acquired by financial players. Act III also owned TV stations (eventually becoming the largest Fox Network affiliate when that network was starting up), trade magazines such as Channels and produced a handful of movies.
in the UK, Channel Five (UK), VIVA-TV (Germany), the first major competitor to MTV
and the only one to beat them in local ratings, NTV, a German language 24-hour news network in partnership with CNN
, VOX (TV)
a national German TV network with Bertelsmann, and others.
Entertainment Group following Viacom's acquisition of Paramount Pictures
in 1994. At Viacom McGrath headed up Famous Players Theaters which eventually obtained a 50% share of the Canadian
market, and United Cinemas International
which led the effort to modernize international movie theaters by building almost 1,300 movie theater screens in 13 countries including Brazil, China, Italy, Japan, Germany and others. McGrath acted as chairman of Famous Music, Paramount's music publishing subsidiary, doubling net publisher's share; also heading up licensing and merchandising (launching the Cheers and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant chains) and corporate finance.
McGrath also led up the build-up of the Paramount TV station group from 14 local independents to 27 stations for the launch of the UPN
network, formerly America's fifth major broadcast network. In new technology, he led the formation of Digital Cinema Initiatives, a movie studio effort to define standards for digital cinema projection, served on the committee for advanced DVD standards, formed the studio joint venture "Movielink
" to offer internet downloading of major feature films, and led industry efforts to both combat internet film piracy and create viable online alternatives.
While at Paramount, McGrath formalized and rationalized the use of off-balance-sheet
film financing, making it an indispensable tool of modern film making, including over $4bn in German tax partnerships, $2bn in UK sale-leasebacks and the Melrose Film Partners "slate" financing. Other accomplishments included the acquisition and mergers of Viacom Television, Spelling TV and Rysher Entertainment (more than doubling Paramount's TV library) and heading up Paramount's theme park division, then the fifth largest theme park operator in North America.
On January 25, 2008 it was announced that McGrath, in partnership with UK producer John Gore, had acquired the live theater division of Live Nation known as "Broadway Across America
". The company trades under the parent name Key Brand Entertainment, Inc.
BAA is among the largest producer and touring production company for Broadway musicals in the US. The company includes theaters in Boston, Baltimore and Minneapolis and a touring subscription series in 42 cities across the US. It also has interests in NETworks Presentations LLC, a producer of touring musicals, and The Booking Group, a New York-based booking agency specializing in touring theatrical productions.
In December 2010 Key Brand acquired Broadway.com from Hollywood Media Corp. Broadway.com is a secondary ticketing company specializing in tickets for Broadway and off-Broadway shows. The company operates the e-commerce website www.broadway.com.
Arsenic and Old Lace
, Vacanza Romana (Roman Holiday
), Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Footloose,Saturday Night Fever
, Urban Cowboy, Flashdance, First Wive Club, Johnny Guitar, Ghost, Sunset Boulevard and the stage adaptation of Happy Days
with Gary Marshall. McGrath received the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play at the 2008 Tony Awards for Boeing-Boeing. He received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for Hair at the 2009 awards ceremony. McGrath received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical for the London production of Spring Awakening
at the 2010 BAFTA Awards. At the 2010 Tony Awards McGrath received Tony's for Best Musical Revival for La Cage aux Folles
and for Best musical for Memphis. He was also nominated for Best Revival of a Play for A View From The Bridge.
McGrath has produced on Broadway:
McGrath has produced in the London West End:
McGrath produced with Paramount Pictures:
McGrath produced at Act III Communications:
With Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Produced by Columbia Pictures Stage Productions, Inc.
McGrath represented As a press agent; Produced by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
, Universal
etc.) must divest themselves of their movie theaters (the "Paramount Consent Decree.") In 1985 Columbia Pictures, then a unit of The Coca-Cola Company, acquired a 58% interest in Walter Reade cinemas in New York. Columbia (which had not been a signatory to the original decree as it had owned no Theaters then) submitted an econometric study by McGrath showing that the inter-relationship and growth of the Home Video, cable TV and subscription Pay TV businesses eliminated the need to consider exhibition as a unique product market. The deal went forward and Tri-Star Pictures, Warner Brothers, Universal and Paramount all subsequently acquired theaters.
At Act III McGrath built what was then the 6th largest theater circuit (Scott Wallace, president), notable for its early adoption of digital sound and extensive roll-out of the THX sound system. While at Paramount McGrath led the development of stadium-seated cinemas building 800+ stadium screens in Canada at Famous Players, eventually achieving a 50% market share; while spurring the re-birth of the contemporary international cinema business building some 1,300 screens in stadium "megaplexes" in 13 countries at United Cinemas International (UCI).
McGrath also pioneered the use of screen advertising in cinemas first at UCI in England (Joe Peixoto, president) and then introducing the idea to North America at Famous Players. He is responsible for the 2001, $15mm renovation of the historic Grumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood which included the replication of the original tapestries, carpets and drapes from the designer's hand-cut templates. With AMC and Sumner Redstone's Showcase, he formed the online movie ticketing company MovieTickets.com.
Finally, McGrath led the formation of Digital Cinema Intitiatives, a joint venture of the major studios, which developed the standards and technology for the introduction of digital cinema. In 2006 he worked with Blackstone to form Cineworld, the largest (by box office) theater circuit in the UK (Steve Wiener, ceo) which went public in an IPO in the Spring of 2007. Cineworld's achievements include leading the introduction of "3D" exhibition technology and currently has more than 50% of the "3D" screens in the UK and Ireland
.
(UK), The Aramid Entertainment Fund (a specialty hedge fund for the entertainment industry) and previously on the boards of Movie Gallery
, Universal Studios (Orlando) and Classic Media TV.
Early life and education
McGrath (born 1956) grew up in Washington, DC, graduated from St. John's College High SchoolSt. John's College High School
St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., established in 1851, is the second oldest Catholic Christian Brother's school in the United States, and the oldest JROTC school. It was founded by Brother John of Mary, F.S.C., and two other Christian Brothers in St. Matthew's parish, 15th and G...
('72), received his A.B. at 19 from Harvard and earned his M.B.A. there as well. At Harvard he was music director of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals
Hasty Pudding Theatricals
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque musicals and for its status as the oldest collegiate theatrical organization in the United States...
and conductor of both the Harvard Marching Band and the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players.
Career
McGrath began his career as a musician, performing in the orchestra at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsWolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
outside Washington, DC, while in college. After college he was a Broadway press agent at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, work that included the original Broadway production of Annie and the first national tour of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
. He also handled the U.S. Bicentennial visits of the La Scala Opera, Berlin Opera, Royal Ballet, Cuba National Ballet, Bolshoi Opera and Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. These visits included the US debut of José Carreras and the American debut of the recently defected, Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
.
Columbia Pictures (The Coca-Cola Company)
While in business school, McGrath wrote a thesis on future potential of the home videocassette for film distribution which brought him to the attention of Columbia Picture's then CEO, Fay VincentFay Vincent
Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent, Jr. is a former entertainment lawyer and sports executive who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992.-Early life and career:...
(later the commissioner of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
).
McGrath was then hired by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in 1980 to start a home video distribution company as well as set up a licensing regime for the emerging pay TV channels such as HBO and Showtime, at a time when few had even heard of a videocassette. While at Columbia, McGrath wrote an econometric paper on movie theaters and video competition that contributed to the US Justice Department lifting the 30-year old "Paramount Consent Decree" which had prohibited film companies from owning movie theaters—after which Columbia became the first motion picture studio since 1954 to acquire a chain of movie theaters. McGrath also lead the formation of TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
, a partnership of Columbia, HBO and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
—the first new movie studio in fifty years—which survives to this day as part of Sony Entertainment. With Warner Brothers, Fox, Goldcrest Films
Goldcrest Films
Goldcrest Films is a British film production company founded by Jake Eberts in January 1977. It enjoyed great success in the 1980s with films such as Local Hero , The Killing Fields and Hope and Glory mostly produced by David Puttnam on modest budgets. The company also benefited from the new...
and Thorn/EMI, McGrath formed Premiere International, Europe's first Pay TV service. McGrath also led the acquisition of Belwin-Mills Music by Columbia, as well as Embassy Television (All in the Family, among many other shows) and Merv Griffin productions (Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy).
President and CEO, Act III Communications
After Columbia, McGrath started up Act III Communications in partnership with famed TV writer Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, Bert Ellis, Scott Wallace and Paul Schaeffer. Act III was the first non-industry player to acquire movie theaters in a move that subsequently led to virtually all the major movie theater chains being acquired by financial players. Act III also owned TV stations (eventually becoming the largest Fox Network affiliate when that network was starting up), trade magazines such as Channels and produced a handful of movies.
President of Time Warner International Broadcasting
McGrath moved on in 1990 to become President of Time Warner International Broadcasting, where he worked with the legendary Steve Ross and HBO's Jeff Bewkes, now CEO of Time Warner; to take advantage of the deregulation of media internationally by launching radio and TV channels such as Classic FMClassic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
in the UK, Channel Five (UK), VIVA-TV (Germany), the first major competitor to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and the only one to beat them in local ratings, NTV, a German language 24-hour news network in partnership with CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, VOX (TV)
Vox (TV)
VOX or simply Vox is a German television channel, headquartered in Cologne and part of the RTL Group, Europe's second largest largest TV, radio, and production company. The channel officially launched at 5 p.m. on January 25, 1993...
a national German TV network with Bertelsmann, and others.
Chief Operating Officer, Viacom Entertainment Group
After Time Warner International, McGrath became chief operating officer of the ViacomViacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
Entertainment Group following Viacom's acquisition of Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1994. At Viacom McGrath headed up Famous Players Theaters which eventually obtained a 50% share of the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
market, and United Cinemas International
United Cinemas International
UCI Cinemas is a brand of cinema, currently operating in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Brazil...
which led the effort to modernize international movie theaters by building almost 1,300 movie theater screens in 13 countries including Brazil, China, Italy, Japan, Germany and others. McGrath acted as chairman of Famous Music, Paramount's music publishing subsidiary, doubling net publisher's share; also heading up licensing and merchandising (launching the Cheers and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant chains) and corporate finance.
McGrath also led up the build-up of the Paramount TV station group from 14 local independents to 27 stations for the launch of the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
network, formerly America's fifth major broadcast network. In new technology, he led the formation of Digital Cinema Initiatives, a movie studio effort to define standards for digital cinema projection, served on the committee for advanced DVD standards, formed the studio joint venture "Movielink
Movielink
Movielink was a web-based video on demand and electronic sell-through service offering movies, TV shows and other videos for rental or purchase. First available on November 11, 2002, Movielink drew its content offerings from the libraries of Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment,...
" to offer internet downloading of major feature films, and led industry efforts to both combat internet film piracy and create viable online alternatives.
While at Paramount, McGrath formalized and rationalized the use of off-balance-sheet
Off-balance-sheet
Off-balance sheet usually means an asset or debt or financing activity not on the company's balance sheet.Some companies may have significant amounts of off-balance sheet assets and liabilities. For example, financial institutions often offer asset management or brokerage services to their clients...
film financing, making it an indispensable tool of modern film making, including over $4bn in German tax partnerships, $2bn in UK sale-leasebacks and the Melrose Film Partners "slate" financing. Other accomplishments included the acquisition and mergers of Viacom Television, Spelling TV and Rysher Entertainment (more than doubling Paramount's TV library) and heading up Paramount's theme park division, then the fifth largest theme park operator in North America.
Chairman, Key Brand Entertainment
Broadway Across America
Broadway Across America is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1984. It is currently owned by Key Brand Entertainment , who purchased it from Live Nation in 2008...
". The company trades under the parent name Key Brand Entertainment, Inc.
BAA is among the largest producer and touring production company for Broadway musicals in the US. The company includes theaters in Boston, Baltimore and Minneapolis and a touring subscription series in 42 cities across the US. It also has interests in NETworks Presentations LLC, a producer of touring musicals, and The Booking Group, a New York-based booking agency specializing in touring theatrical productions.
In December 2010 Key Brand acquired Broadway.com from Hollywood Media Corp. Broadway.com is a secondary ticketing company specializing in tickets for Broadway and off-Broadway shows. The company operates the e-commerce website www.broadway.com.
Film
Films produced by Act III under McGrath include: Fried Green Tomatoes, Stand by Me,Breaking In,and The Princess Bride.Theater
First-class theatrical productions set up by McGrath include:Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
, Vacanza Romana (Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday is a 1953 romantic comedy directed and produced by William Wyler and starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. It was written by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo, though with Trumbo on the Hollywood blacklist, he did not receive a credit; instead, Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for him...
), Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Footloose,Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, Urban Cowboy, Flashdance, First Wive Club, Johnny Guitar, Ghost, Sunset Boulevard and the stage adaptation of Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
with Gary Marshall. McGrath received the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play at the 2008 Tony Awards for Boeing-Boeing. He received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for Hair at the 2009 awards ceremony. McGrath received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical for the London production of Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
at the 2010 BAFTA Awards. At the 2010 Tony Awards McGrath received Tony's for Best Musical Revival for La Cage aux Folles
La Cage aux Folles
La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. Based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, it focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic...
and for Best musical for Memphis. He was also nominated for Best Revival of a Play for A View From The Bridge.
McGrath has produced on Broadway:
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever [Original, Musical, Comedy] Dec 11, 2011 - ?
- Godspell [Revival, Musical] Nov 7, 2011 - ?
- The Mountaintop [Original, Play, Drama] Oct 13, 2011 - ?
- Jerusalem [Original, Play, Drama] Apr 21, 2011 - Aug 21, 2011
- War Horse [Original, Play, Drama] Apr 14, 2011 - Present; In assoc. with War Horse LP
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying [Revival, Musical, Comedy] March 27, 2011 – present
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert [Original, Musical, Comedy] March 20, 2011 – Present
- The Merchant of Venice [Revival, Play, Drama] November 13, 2010 - February 20, 2011
- Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert [Original, Special, Concert, Solo] July 15, 2010 - July 29, 2010
- La Cage Aux Folles [Revival, Musical, Comedy] April 18, 2010 - Current
- Fela! (Assoc. Producer) [Original, Musical, Comedy] Nov 23, 2009 - Jan 2, 2011
- Promises, Promises [Revival, Musical, Comedy] April 25, 2010 - Current
- Million Dollar Quartet [Original, Musical, Comedy] April, 2010 - Current
- Lend Me A Tenor [Revival, Comedy, Play] April 4, 2010 - August 15, 2010
- Dreamgirls in Assoc. with Tokyo Broadcasting; Bunkamura Theater Tokyo, Japan May 22-June 4, 2010
- A View From the Bridge [Revival, Play, Drama] January 24, 2010 - April 4, 2010
- A Little Night Music [Revival, Musical, Comedy] December 13, 2009 - January 9, 2011
- Irving Berlin's White Christmas [Original, Musical, Comedy] November 13, 2009 - January 4, 2010
- Memphis [Original, Musical, Comedy] October 19, 2009 - Current
- Desire Under the Elms [Revival, Play, Drama] April 27, 2009 - May 24, 2009
- Hair [Revival,Musical, Drama] March 26, 2009 - May 30, 2009
- Next to Normal [Original, Musical, Drama] March 31, 2009 - June 27, 2010
- God of Carnage [Original, Play, Comedy] March 22, 2009 - June 6, 2010
- Impressionism [Original, Play, Drama] March 24, 2009 - May 10, 2009
- Blithe Spirit [Revival, Play, Comedy] March 15, 2009 - July 19, 2009
- Xanadu (Tokyo, Japan; in Assoc. with Tokyo Broadcasting) May 9–31, 2009
- A Chorus Line (Tokyo, Japan; In Association with TBS Events)August 12 - September 30, 2009
- Minsky's [Original, Musical, Comedy]Premieres Broadway 2011 Original Production Ahmanson Theater Los Angeles
- West Side Story [Revival, Musical, Drama] Mar 19, 2009 - Present
- Irving Berlin's White Christmas [Original, Musical] November 23 - January 4, 2009
- title of show [Original, Musical,Comedy] July 17, 2008 - October 12, 2008
- 13 [Original, Musical, Comedy] October 5, 2008 - January 4, 2009
- Boeing-Boeing [Revival, Play, Comedy] May 4, 2008 - January 4, 2009
- A Catered Affair [Original, Musical] Apr 17, 2008 - July 27, 2008
- Passing Strange [Original, Musical] February 28, 2008 - July 20, 2008
- Cirque Dreams [Original, Special, Circus] June 26, 2008 - August 24, 2008
McGrath has produced in the London West End:
- Million Dollar Quartet (Noel Coward Theatre) February 28, 2011 – present
- Sweet Charity (Theatre Royal Haymarket London) April 23, 2010 - November 8, 2010
- Spring Awakening (Novello Theatre, London) March 21, 2009 - May 31, 2009 (Olivier Award, Best New Musical)
- Hair (Gielgud Theatre) April 14, 2010 - September 4, 2010
- Saturday Night Fever (London Palladium) from the film by Paramount Pictures May 5, 1998 - Feb 26, 2000
McGrath produced with Paramount Pictures:
- Barefoot in the Park [Revival, Play, Comedy] in assoc. with Paramount Pictures February 16, 2006 - May 21, 2006
- Vacanze Romane ("Roman Holiday") Opened February 16, 2004 Teatro Il Sistina; Rome, Italy
- Johnny Guitar, The Musical (Off Broadway - Century Center) from the film by Paramount Pictures 2004 (2004 Outer Critics' Circle Best New Musical)
- Urban Cowboy [Original, Musical] from the film by Paramount Pictures March 27, 2003 - May 18, 2003
- The Wild Party [Original, Musical, Drama] April 13, 2000 - June 11, 2000
- Saturday Night Fever [Original, Musical]Based on the film by Paramount/RSO October 21, 1999 - December 30, 2000
- Footloose [Original, Musical, Comedy]Based on the film by Paramount Pictures October 22, 1998 - July 2, 2000
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [Revival, Musical, Comedy] April 18, 1996 - January 4, 1998
- Roman Holiday in assoc. with Toho Productions Premiere October, 1998 Tokyo, Japan
- Seven Guitars [Original, Play, Drama] March 28, 1996 - September 8, 1996
McGrath produced at Act III Communications:
- Arsenic and Old Lace [Revival,Play,Comedy] Produced by Act III Communications June 19, 1986 - January 3, 1987
With Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
- Merlin [Original, Musical] Feb 13, 1983 - Aug 7, 1983
Produced by Columbia Pictures Stage Productions, Inc.
McGrath represented As a press agent; Produced by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Annie [Original, Musical, Comedy] Apr 21, 1977 - Jan 2, 1983
- Music Is [Original, Musical, Comedy] Dec 20, 1976 - Dec 26, 1976
- The Merchant [Original, Play] Nov 16, 1977 - Nov 20, 1977
- Caesar and Cleopatra [Revival, Play, Comedy] Feb 24, 1977 - Mar 5, 1977
- Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land [Original, Play, Farce] Jan 11, 1977 - May 28, 1977
- Fiddler on the Roof [Revival, Musical, Comedy, Drama] Dec 28, 1976 - May 21, 1977
- A Texas Trilogy [Original, Play] Sep 21, 1976 - Oct 30, 1976
Theatrical Exhibition
McGrath has a particular association with theatrical exhibition. In 1948 the U.S. Supreme Court decided the major film studios (ParamountParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, Universal
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
etc.) must divest themselves of their movie theaters (the "Paramount Consent Decree.") In 1985 Columbia Pictures, then a unit of The Coca-Cola Company, acquired a 58% interest in Walter Reade cinemas in New York. Columbia (which had not been a signatory to the original decree as it had owned no Theaters then) submitted an econometric study by McGrath showing that the inter-relationship and growth of the Home Video, cable TV and subscription Pay TV businesses eliminated the need to consider exhibition as a unique product market. The deal went forward and Tri-Star Pictures, Warner Brothers, Universal and Paramount all subsequently acquired theaters.
At Act III McGrath built what was then the 6th largest theater circuit (Scott Wallace, president), notable for its early adoption of digital sound and extensive roll-out of the THX sound system. While at Paramount McGrath led the development of stadium-seated cinemas building 800+ stadium screens in Canada at Famous Players, eventually achieving a 50% market share; while spurring the re-birth of the contemporary international cinema business building some 1,300 screens in stadium "megaplexes" in 13 countries at United Cinemas International (UCI).
McGrath also pioneered the use of screen advertising in cinemas first at UCI in England (Joe Peixoto, president) and then introducing the idea to North America at Famous Players. He is responsible for the 2001, $15mm renovation of the historic Grumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood which included the replication of the original tapestries, carpets and drapes from the designer's hand-cut templates. With AMC and Sumner Redstone's Showcase, he formed the online movie ticketing company MovieTickets.com.
Finally, McGrath led the formation of Digital Cinema Intitiatives, a joint venture of the major studios, which developed the standards and technology for the introduction of digital cinema. In 2006 he worked with Blackstone to form Cineworld, the largest (by box office) theater circuit in the UK (Steve Wiener, ceo) which went public in an IPO in the Spring of 2007. Cineworld's achievements include leading the introduction of "3D" exhibition technology and currently has more than 50% of the "3D" screens in the UK and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Senior Managing Director, Crossroads Media
McGrath is currently Senior Managing Director of Crossroads Media, a private equity backed acquisition vehicle. Crossroads acquired a controlling interest in Bug Music, which manages the catalogs of Johnnie Cash, Willie Dixon, Annie Roboff, Harry Ruby, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others. In June 2007 Bug Music acquired Windswept Music from Fuji (Japan), in 2011 they acquired Countdown Music in Germany. Bug is currently the largest independent music publisher in North America. The acquisition of Windswept which added the '60s catalog "Trio/Quartet" to Bug, included songs such as "(You Give Me) Fever,""Do You Believe in Magic," Summer in the City" and others. In September of 2011 Crossroads sold Bug to BMG Music Publishing. McGrath also serves on the boards of V-Media, CineworldCineworld
Cineworld Group plc is a cinema chain operating in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Jersey. The chain consists of 78 cinemas; 76 of which are located in the UK and one each in Ireland and Jersey. It is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with 801 screens, and the owner of...
(UK), The Aramid Entertainment Fund (a specialty hedge fund for the entertainment industry) and previously on the boards of Movie Gallery
Movie Gallery
Movie Gallery, Inc. was the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. The company rented and sold Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and video games...
, Universal Studios (Orlando) and Classic Media TV.
External links
- Internet Broadway Database entry
- Internet Movie Database entry
- Famous Players Theaters
- Crossroads Media (McGrath)
- United Cinemas International
- VIVA TV (German and English)
- N-TV Nachrichten Fernsehen (in German)
- Paramount Pictures
- Bug Music
- Broadway Across America
- Movie Gallery Board of Directors
- Cineworld Board of Directors
- TBS Events; Tokyo, Japan
- TED Profiles