(New York, NY – December 23, 2008) The Broadway League notes with sadness the passing of Irving Cheskin on December 19. For nearly fifty years Mr. Cheskin worked tirelessly on behalf of the Broadway industry’s retirement and health benefits funds. He was loved and respected by all on both sides of the collective bargaining table, and especially by his friends at the League.The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in his memory on Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at exactly 7:00pm for one minute.
Mr. Cheskin was Executive Director of The Broadway League (then known as The League of New York Theatres) from 1961 to 1982, during a time of significant expansion at the League. During his tenure, the League began to jointly present and administer the Tony Awardsâ with the American Theatre Wing, bringing the annual awards ceremony to national television for the first time. The League also broadened its focus to embrace the touring Broadway industry, changing its name to the League of American Theatres and Producers in 1973. In 1982, Mr. Cheskin became the League’s Director of Pension & Welfare, now called Employee Benefit Funds. He most recently stepped down as Co-Director at age 94 but continued to work for the League as a consultant.
Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, said, “Irving Cheskin, our "Chief," has been a fixture in this League and our community for as long as most can remember. The vital changes he implemented for our industry will be remembered as we continue to grow and evolve.”
Rory Judd Albert, a Senior Partner in the international law firm of Proskauer Rose who worked closely with Irving Cheskin for the past three decades on League matters, said, “As we all know, during the half-century that he served The Broadway League, both as Executive Director and later as the Pension and Welfare Director, Irv was considered the virtual "father" of every Pension, Health, 401k, and other employee benefit plan in the theatrical and music industry --spanning from the East to West coasts, and various places in between--without whom none of the more than 100,000 individuals working on Broadway (and other venues) today would be enjoying the full gamut of retirement and health benefits that they now benefit from. Not only did Irv share an incredibly special bond with the many employers and unions with whom he worked on a daily basis; but he was loved and respected immensely by all on both sides of the Board of Trustees and collective bargaining tables, as well as by the many generations of Proskauer lawyers who were privileged to stand by his side throughout his professional, and personal, life.”
Chris Brockmeyer, Director of Employee Benefit Funds, said, "Irving left behind a legacy of Pension and Health Funds strong enough to weather our current financial storms. It was a pleasure working with him for the past seven years, and it's a great honor for me to carry forward his work."
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mildred.
