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Klaw & Erlanger

American entertainment management and production partnership (1888–1919)

Klaw and Erlanger was an entertainment management and production partnership of Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger based in New York City from 1888 through 1919. While running their own considerable and multi-faceted theatrical businesses on Broadway, they were key figures in the Theatrical Syndicate, the lucrative booking monopoly for first-class legitimate theaters nationwide. Klaw and Erlanger joined in partnership in 1888.2 It was founded by A. L. Erlanger and Marcus Klaw.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1888Founded1

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Photo: The Strobridge Lith. Co., Cincinnati, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

Klaw and Erlanger was an entertainment management and production partnership of Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger based in New York City from 1888 through 1919. While running their own considerable and multi-faceted theatrical businesses on Broadway, they were key figures in the Theatrical Syndicate, the lucrative booking monopoly for first-class legitimate theaters nationwide.2

The story

Founded by A. L. Erlanger and Marcus Klaw in 1888.1

Leadership

Who has led Klaw & Erlanger, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

Klaw & Erlanger were primarily producers for legitimate theaters, as opposed to vaudeville. Vaudeville had its own parallel chains of theaters, and its own dominant booking monopoly in the east, called the United Booking Office, run by E.F. Albee—set up in 1900 in conscious emulation of the Theatrical Syndicate.

The partners did cross over into the vaudeville business territory occasionally. The biggest foray was in April 1907, in concert with none other than Lee and J.J. Shubert. Together they established a new vaudeville booking operation called the United States Amusement Company, promising "Advanced Vaudeville", reportedly capitalized with $100 million. The Shuberts had hoped to fill up their oversupply of theater seats. The motivations of Klaw & Erlanger became clear seven months later when they and the Shuberts sold out the entire operation to Albee in November. Albee also paid a bonus fee $250,000 for the promise to stay out of vaudeville for another ten years.

From Wikipedia’s article on Klaw and Erlanger, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1919Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1888Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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