Bruce Michael: The man with the plan

Former Rockettes producer now a member of the multi-million dollar brokers club

 

From a very young age, Corcoran's Bruce Michael always had a plan. At age seven, he knew he'd be a part of the glitzy shows at Radio City Music Hall - and he was, as a stage manager and later creative producer.

 

As an adult, he knew he could offer more to the performing arts world - and he did, through his own management firm.

 

Today, he's a multi-million dollar producer at one of Manhattan's top residential firms, just like he planned.

 

"I've always felt that you have to have a clear vision before you embark on anything new. My vision for Radio City was clear from when I was a child, my vision for dance management was clear," he said. "In terms of real estate, the firm that struck me through their marketing and their Web site was Corcoran. So I felt comfortable working within this style."

 

Michael's life of trusting his gut and planning accordingly began when his parents took him to a show at Radio City Music Hall as an early 7th birthday celebration.

 

"It was all sevens - the movie was 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and my folks took me on Sept. 7," he recalled. "And the moment I walked into that fantastic theater, I felt very connected. I felt I belonged there. I knew I wanted to be a part of Radio City on some level."

 

And that experience launched Michael's passion for the Radio City experience, specifically the shows put on by the Rockettes. Over the years, he attended the show - which included two movies with a 35 minute vaudeville extravaganza in between - on a regular basis.

 

The day after graduating from Montclair State University, Michael called the senior producer responsible for the stage shows who invited Michael in for an interview. But it wasn't until several years later that he was hired as a stage manager, responsible for overseeing the Rockettes' four-show-a-day act.

 

"This was after I was a speech therapist for three years, I taught at state university for three years, but getting this job as a stage manager at Radio City was tremendous for me," he said.

 

Though he enjoyed his position, Michael said he had other aspirations in the dance world.  While still working as an independent producer, he and a partner launched a concert management firm that promoted regional dance companies on a national level. It was through this work experience that Michael honed his sales and marketing skills.

 

"I had a good sense of salesmanship, of marketing, a good feel for the arts, I had to know what I was promoting," he said. "I had to understand a business that I was essentially new to but had instincts about."

 

Although he had stepped down from his post at Radio City, Michael still had some instincts about what was best for the Rockettes' future. In 1979, he was the first producer to take the leggy crew out of Radio City Music Hall for a performance at the New York Dance Festival.

 

Michael then stepped away from working with the Rockettes, focusing his energy on his growing his own company, Bruce Michael Associates, where he produced and arranged national tours for such attractions as "Dancers and Musicians of Bali," and put together the first road tours for "Nunsense" and "The Chippendales. Then in 1989, Michael once again heard Radio City calling.

 

"There was a story in Variety about how they wanted to take the Rockettes into the '90s and make them a significant attraction in the '90s," he recalled. "I read that story and thought I'm very right for getting this and I was willing to give up my business to make that happen."

 

A few interviews and six months later, Michael was the vice president/creative producer of the Radio City Rockettes, a post he held for 15 years. He was responsible for overseeing everything from contracts and budgets to the creative aspects like costumes and choreography. It was also his responsibility to organize and arrange special events that would promote the Rockettes outside of Radio City.

 

"I saw a need in the early '90s for the Rockettes to have their own show outside of New York City where they could tour nationally in their own vehicle that would really give a wonderful retrospect to what the Rockettes are all about, and bring them in the future," he said. "So I produced a show called 'The Great Radio City Spectacular' that was in honor of their 60th anniversary in 1992."

 

The Spectacular ran on the road for three years before setting up shop in Las Vegas for five years. This show, in turn, helped spawn the Rockettes' Christmas Spectaculars that are performed all over the country, essentially growing their own franchise.

 

Then in 2005, Michael decided to try a new venture on for size.

 

"I thought, 'Where to I want to apply my sales ability, my marketing ability, my love of homes?" he recalled. "And real estate was always something that had been percolating."

So in 2006, Michael earned his real estate license and, after a chance meeting with Scott Durkin, senior managing director of Corcoran's Chelsea/Flatiron office, he joined the team to help launch the firm's branch at 636 Sixth Ave. Michael closed his first deal - coincidentally to a Rockette - his first year and then sold $10 million worth of property in 2007, giving him entry into the firm's Multimillion Dollar Club.

 

In his free time Michael is an avid photographer and gardener 'at his home in Southampton. He also divvies his time among a number of charitable organizations such as being on the gala leadership committee of Career Transition for Dancers, participates on the Gayfest NYC literary committee and the leadership committee for the Astaire Dance Awards, among others.