# Buddy Freitag

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{{short description|American theater producer}}
'''Edgar''' "'''Buddy'''" '''Freitag''' (1932 – May 30, 2012) was an American [Broadway theatre](/source/Broadway_theatre) [producer](/source/theater_producer), especially from 2007 to 2012. Freitag produced numerous [Broadway musicals](/source/Broadway_musicals) and shows in partnership with his wife, producer [Barbara Freitag](/source/Barbara_Freitag). His most recent credits included the 2011 Broadway revival of ''[Porgy and Bess](/source/Porgy_and_Bess)'', ''[Nice Work If You Can Get It](/source/Nice_Work_If_You_Can_Get_It_(musical))'' in 2012, ''[End of the Rainbow](/source/End_of_the_Rainbow)'' in 2012, and [Memphis](/source/Memphis_(musical)) in 2009.<ref name="playbill">{{cite news|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/166522-Broadway-Producer-Edgar-Freitag-Is-Dead-at-80-|title=Broadway Producer Edgar Freitag Is Dead at 80|author-link1=Robert Simonson|last=Simonson|first=Robert|date=2012-05-31|work=[Playbill.com](/source/Playbill.com)|access-date=2012-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105062051/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/166522-Broadway-Producer-Edgar-Freitag-Is-Dead-at-80-|archive-date=2013-01-05|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=wp>{{cite news|title=Deaths of note: Edgar 'Buddy' Freitag, Michael O'Neill, Jim Paratore |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2012/05/31/gJQAwEKz4U_story.html |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=2012-05-31 |access-date=2012-06-17}}</ref>

Freitag earned a [bachelor's degree](/source/bachelor's_degree) from [Baruch College](/source/Baruch_College) in 1953.<ref name=playbill/> He served in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) for two years following his graduation from Baruch.<ref name=playbill/> Freitag then launched a long career in [advertising](/source/advertising) and [mortgage banking](/source/mortgage_banking).<ref name=wp/> He worked in New York advertising for seventeen years, becoming the vice president of the [Grey Advertising](/source/Grey_Advertising).<ref name=playbill/> Freitag then left the ad industry and co-founded United Financial of America, Inc.,  a [brokerage](/source/brokerage) and commercial [mortgage](/source/mortgage) firm.<ref name=playbill/>

Buddy and Barbara Freitag did not begin their joint careers in theater production until he sold United Financial of America.<ref name=playbill/> The couple initially produced shows both on and [Off Broadway](/source/Off_Broadway). Their early credits included ''[The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?](/source/The_Goat%2C_or_Who_Is_Sylvia%3F)'', ''[West Side Story](/source/West_Side_Story)'', ''[Dirty Rotten Scoundrels](/source/Dirty_Rotten_Scoundrels_(musical))'', ''[In the Heights](/source/In_the_Heights)'', ''[Legally Blonde](/source/Legally_Blonde_(musical))'', and ''[Anna in the Tropics](/source/Anna_in_the_Tropics)''.<ref name=playbill/><ref name=wp/>

Buddy Freitag finally became a full Broadway producer in 2007 with the opening of the Broadway revival, ''[The Homecoming](/source/The_Homecoming)''.<ref name=playbill/> Freitag then produced or co-produced ''[Blithe Spirit](/source/Blithe_Spirit_(play))'', ''[The Miracle Worker](/source/The_Miracle_Worker_(play))'', ''[Catch Me If You Can](/source/Catch_Me_If_You_Can_(musical))'', and ''[Passing Strange](/source/Passing_Strange_(musical))''.<ref name=playbill/>

Freitag died from complications of a brain tumor in New York City on May 30, 2012, at the age of 80. He was survived by his wife and professional partner, Barbara, and their four children – Larry Freitag, Eve Freitag, Harry Falk, Liz Freitag Dranoff.<ref name=playbill/>

==References==
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Category:2012 deaths
Category:American theatre managers and producers
Category:American advertising executives
Category:Baruch College alumni
Category:1932 births

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Buddy Freitag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Freitag) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Freitag?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.