Keith Hurd is the man behind the curtain
You might not know Keith Hurd 88, but you know his shows. He has promoted and marketed a number of Broadway hits including The Illusionists, Billy Joels Movin Out, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Producers, revivals of Damn Yankees and Noises Off, and the recent New York run of Bat Out of Hell.
Its hard to pick a favorite show, Hurd says. Ragtime was epic and stirring, and The Producers, which won Best Musical, was the most hilarious show for me, a comedic treatment about our industry only Mel Brooks could write. As a Long Island kid who grew up hearing Billy Joel, I loved working on Movin Out. Ive been fortunate that a lot of the shows Ive worked on have had really long runs.
Hurd grew up with connections, as the grandson of Bob Fosses dance arranger and musical director for Chita Rivera. Being backstage on Broadway was nothing out of the ordinary. But, Hurd credits his summer job with the Binghamton Summer Music Festival marketing Anderson Center concerts as particularly influential.
I worked alongside local community members on the board and was able to immerse myself in presenting and promoting. At the end of the festival, the executive director said, You should work in New York.
And thats what he did. Hurd raised money for the Damn Yankees revival. However, because hed only profit in that role once the show was in the black, he needed a day job. So, he worked as director of promotion and sponsorship, serving as the lead producers representative between the show and the ad agency. From there, he also represented Victor/Victoria, Ragtime and Fosse.
Revivals can be tough, Hurd says. They often have less longevity than the original show. We did well with Damn Yankees, but it should have run longer. Jerry Lewis joined the show one year into the run and it gave us an additional seven months before he took the show on the road for over a year.
Hurds work is gaining audiences outside New York. Hes the producer of Broadway Profiles, a monthly compilation of A-list interviews that debuted on WPIX-TV in 2015. The show is now syndicated in 20 markets across the country and was nominated for four local Emmys.
Hes passionate about helping Binghamton students, connecting them to internships, arranging meetings during the annual theater career week in New York and donating musical scores and plays to the University.
The scores are more useful on campus than on my shelves, Hurd says. Im willing to do whatever I can to introduce students to the many different aspects of theater. Im proud to give back because of what Binghamton gave me.