Who decides what Broadway shows we’ll have and how does it all work? David Skinner, general manager of the Saenger Theatre, answers this, and many other questions about Broadway and the Saenger. After 50 years spent in the live entertainment business, he also shares stories of the one performer that remains his favorite and why.
about
Skinner is a 40-year veteran of the entertainment/facility management industry. He has managed venues in Atlanta, Louisville, New York, Miami, St. Louis, San Francisco, Long Beach, Hong Kong and, his adopted home, New Orleans. His background in concert promotion covers everything from Elvis to the Rolling Stones. In 1977, Skinner was instrumental in the formation of the first private management company, Facility Management Group (FMG), when they assumed management of the Louisiana Superdome. Skinner grew FMG to international stature until it was sold to SMG (known today as ASM) in the late 1980s. Skinner remained an industry consultant for many years until he returned to New Orleans in 2008 to work with ACE Theatrical Group and help reopen Mahalia Jackson Theater following Hurricane Katrina. Working with the City of New Orleans, Skinner realized one of his life-long goals when the Saenger Theatre re-opened in 2013 following a $52 million renovation from damage suffered by Hurricane Katrina. Since its post-Katrina reopening, the iconic Saenger has hosted over 2,000 events and greeted more than 3 million visitors. Today, Skinner serves as general manager of ATG Entertainment with management responsibilities over the Saenger Theatre and Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.
