ABBEY, HENRY

(1846-1896)

   Drawn to the theatre even as an employee of his father's jewelry shop in his native Akron, Ohio, Abbey rose to become one of the most respected impresarios in America. He managed theatres, attaining the Park Theatre in New York in 1876, followed by Booth's, Wallack's, and the Metropolitan Opera House. Above all, his reputation shone by the magnitude of the stars he managed, including such international luminaries as Sarah Bernhardt, Hortense Rhéa, and Adelina Patti. William H. Crane's memoir Footprints and Echoes recounts how Abbey could be credited with bringing him and Stuart Robson together for their revered 12-year partnership in comedy. Abbey's partnership with John B. Schoeffel and Maurice Grau expanded his sphere of influence. In 1893, he built Abbey's Theatre at 38th and Broadway, and brought Sir Henry Irving from England to inaugurate it.