# Biff Liff > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Biff_Liff > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Biff_Liff.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biff_Liff > Source revision: 1353574245 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Samuel "Biff" Liff** (April 14, 1919 – August 10, 2015) was an American [Broadway](/source/Broadway_(Manhattan)) stage manager and producer. ## Early life Samuel Liff was born on April 14, 1919, in [Boston](/source/Boston), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts).[1][2] His father, Morris Liff, was a restaurateur.[1] His mother was Rose Liff.[1] He was nicknamed 'Biff' as a child, and kept the nickname throughout his life.[1][2] Liff graduated from [Carnegie Mellon University](/source/Carnegie_Mellon_University) with a bachelor's degree in Theater in 1939.[1][2] During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he served as a captain in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) in [Chicago](/source/Chicago).[1] ## Career Liff started his career on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_(Manhattan)) as a stage manager, working on *[Along Fifth Avenue](/source/Along_Fifth_Avenue)* from January to June 1949.[1][2] That same year, he was also the stage manager of *[Admiral Broadway Revue](/source/Admiral_Broadway_Revue)*, which was broadcast on television, starring [Sid Caesar](/source/Sid_Caesar) and [Imogene Coca](/source/Imogene_Coca).[1] He then became the stage manager of *[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes](/source/Gentlemen_Prefer_Blondes_(musical))* and *[Hello, Dolly!](/source/Hello,_Dolly!_(musical))*, both starring [Carol Channing](/source/Carol_Channing)[1] By 1954, he was production stage manager on *[By the Beautiful Sea](/source/By_the_Beautiful_Sea_(musical))*.[1] In 1956, he was the production stage manager of *[My Fair Lady](/source/My_Fair_Lady)* starring [Julie Andrews](/source/Julie_Andrews) on Broadway.[1] In the 1960s, he was an associate producer to impresario [David Merrick](/source/David_Merrick)*on*[Promises, Promises](/source/Promises,_Promises_(musical))*,*[Cactus Flower](/source/Cactus_Flower_(play))*,*[The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd](/source/The_Roar_of_the_Greasepaint_%E2%80%93_The_Smell_of_the_Crowd)*,*[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead](/source/Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead)*,*[Marat/Sade](/source/Marat/Sade)*, and*[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!)*.[1][2]*Additionally, he was an associate producer to Merrick on *[Woody Allen](/source/Woody_Allen)'s [Don't Drink the Water](/source/Don't_Drink_the_Water_(play))*in 1966 and [*Play It Again, Sam*](/source/Play_It_Again,_Sam_(play)) in 1969.*[1]*In 1973, he produced*[Tricks](/source/Tricks_(musical)).[1]* Liff joined [William Morris Agency](/source/William_Morris_Agency) as the head of its theater department in 1973.[1][2] He became the manager of Julie Andrews, [Jane Alexander](/source/Jane_Alexander), [Angela Lansbury](/source/Angela_Lansbury), [Agnes de Mille](/source/Agnes_de_Mille), [Chita Rivera](/source/Chita_Rivera), [Ellen Burstyn](/source/Ellen_Burstyn) and [Jerry Herman](/source/Jerry_Herman).[1] He was the representative of [Eugene O’Neill](/source/Eugene_O%E2%80%99Neill)'s estate, and encouraged the 1999 Broadway adaptation of *[The Iceman Cometh](/source/The_Iceman_Cometh)* starring [Kevin Spacey](/source/Kevin_Spacey).[2] Liff served on the nominating committee of the [Tony Awards](/source/Tony_Awards).[1] He was the recipient of the 2006 [Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre](/source/Tony_Honors_for_Excellence_in_Theatre).[1] Liff's extensive production files are held at the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the [New York Public Library for the Performing Arts](/source/New_York_Public_Library_for_the_Performing_Arts) and are accessible to the public.[3] ## Personal life Biff was married to Arlene Liff. Arlene died of cancer in 1986. Later he married Lisette Liff.[1] They resided in [Yorktown Heights, New York](/source/Yorktown_Heights,_New_York).[1] ## Death He died on August 10, 2015, in Yorktown Heights, New York.[2] On August 14, 2015, the lights were dimmed over Broadway in his honor.[2] The president of [The Broadway League](/source/The_Broadway_League), Charlotte St. Martin, said he had influenced "legendary productions and a galaxy of talented artists".[4] ## References 1. James Barron, [Biff Liff, Broadway Manager and Powerhouse Agent, Dies at 96](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/theater/biff-liff-broadway-manager-and-powerhouse-agent-dies-at-96.html), *The New York Times*, August 13, 2015 1. Gordon Cox, [Broadway Dims Lights Tonight for Agent Biff Liff](https://variety.com/2015/legit/news/biff-life-dead-broadway-agent-1201570517/), *Variety*, August 14, 2015 1. ["archives.nypl.org -- Biff Liff papers"](https://archives.nypl.org/the/24680). *archives.nypl.org*. Retrieved 2021-12-29. 1. Jeremy Gerard, [Broadway Will Go Dark In Memory Of Agent & Producer Samuel “Biff” Liff](https://deadline.com/2015/08/broadway-dim-lights-samuel-biff-liff-1201498810/), *[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)*, August 13, 2015 ## External links - [Biff Liff papers, 1906-2014](https://archives.nypl.org/the/24680), held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [New York Public Library for the Performing Arts](/source/New_York_Public_Library_for_the_Performing_Arts) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Biff Liff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biff_Liff) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biff_Liff?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.