Norman Abbott (July 11, 1922 – July 9, 2016) was an American vaudevillian, actor, producer and television director.
Abbott was born in New York City,[1] where his uncle, comedian Bud Abbott, and his mother raised him.[2] His early experience in entertainment was as a vaudeville performer, including summers working the 'borscht circuit" in resorts in the Catskill Mountains of New York.[3]
Abbott's obituary in The Hollywood Reporter described him as "the brainchild behind the Broadway sensation Sugar Babies, the comeback vehicle for Mickey Rooney in the late 1970s".[4] He conceived the idea of a Broadway musical based on burlesque after inheriting his uncle's "treasure trove of burlesque material, including written gags, props, music and posters".[4] Despite his having originated the concept, Abbott was fired as director of the show after two weeks of rehearsing.[4]
^ abFoster, Ernest (August 18, 1942). "Hollywood Roundup". Republican-Northwestern. Illinois, Belvidere. United Press. p. 4. Retrieved February 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.