Impressario

Impressario. Director of entertainments, one who finances and directly participates in running entertainments. While apparently used of individuals in the more formal forms (ballet and opera) in Britain and Europe, the terms is more commonly applied to the person responsible for the financial and management side of popular musical and other lighter commercial forms of entertainment in South Africa. Prominent local "impresarios" of the 20th century include Harry Stodel and his sons, Bertha Slosberg, Ike Brookes, Alfred Herbert, Griffiths Motsieloa, Brian Brooke, Joan Brickhill and Louis Burke, the Quibell Brothers, Taubie Kushlick, Pieter Toerien, Richard Loring and Mbongeni Ngema. See also Producer.

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