Jeff Daniel moved to Baltimore this past summer with his wife and young son to oversee the historic Hippodrome Theater. While he admits that his family may have been happier to see him as a lawyer or businessman, he speaks candidly about the passion and dedication that have led him to a career in theater. “It’s not a nine-to-five job,” he says, remarking that part of his goal as a leader in the theater community is to teach and inspire his staff without “running them into the ground.”
Daniel came to Baltimore from New York City, where he encountered the greatest test of his leadership skills on 9/11, while working at a theater on 42nd Street. With his staff asking him for answers and reassurance, Daniel knew that making the wrong decision might affect his staff’s lives. Experience like this prepared Daniel for the challenge of making the Hippodrome successful, and pushed him to move to Baltimore and combat the tacit agreement that Baltimore plays second fiddle to Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia in the theater world. In addition to managing the significant capital expenses associated with maintaining a historic theater like the Hippodrome, which is less cost-efficient than more modern stages, Daniel also finds himself faced with the challenge of broadening the scope of performers and performances coming to Baltimore outside of traditional Broadway acts.
Forging partnerships with producers and performers in touring gospel choirs, concert series, and comedy acts is Daniel’s primary objective in his continuing mission to increase ticket and subscription sales. With the restored Hippodrome, he asserts, Baltimore has a beautiful, “five-star” theater that should be taken advantage of, both by producers of all varieties of touring entertainment and also by the diverse community of Baltimore itself. He credits the December arrival of the Broadway sensation “Dreamgirls,” straight from its opening run at the Apollo theater, as the beginning of a broader range of programming playing at the Hippodrome.
Not only does “Dreamgirls” represent a different kind of Broadway show that attracts a “polyethnic crowd,” but its Baltimore run kicks off a national tour, raising Baltimore’s prowess in the theater world.
Daniel’s desire to bring quality, diverse entertainment to Baltimore and success to the Hippodrome Theater is seconded only by his devotion to hard work and dedicated leadership of his staff. “I like to rally people around me to figure something out and work a little harder than someone else,” he says. In light of today’s economic climate, he thinks the most important lessons for his staff—and himself—are prudence and patience. He motivates his staff by asking them to rise to challenges, rather than commanding them to follow his edicts. Teaching people to make informed, thoughtful decisions is, in Daniel’s opinion, much better guidance than simply making decisions for them. With this in mind, Daniel continues to work to diversify the performances coming to the Hippodrome theater, and in doing so, to create a more authentic range of entertainment for Baltimore’s unique polyethnic community.
–Michelle Lesifko
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