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Backstage Legends and Masters Honors David Rosenberg

Purchase College Broadway Technical Theatre History Project will present the Eighth Annual Broadway technical “Backstage Legends and Masters Award” to esteemed theater legend, David Rosenberg.

Monday, April 22, 2019 at 7pm 

David 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 there, 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, Angles in AmericaThe 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,” says Dan Hanessian, associate professor, 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 students who are just starting out their backstage careers,” Hanessian adds.

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)
  • Alyce Gilbert (2018)

The free event will take place in The Performing Arts Center on April 22 at 7pm.

Backstage Legends and Masters & the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project

Backstage Legends and Masters, founded by Dan Hanessian, is an annual public presentation spotlighting individuals who have been central to the realization of Broadway productions for many years, but are not typically provided recognition through the Tony or Drama Desk awards. Each year, an individual is selected by a panel of distinguished professionals who represent a variety of Broadway production specialties.

“The goal of the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project is to create a living history of the shops and technical personnel who have played a role in the realization of Broadway productions,” Hanessian explains.