Macbird!, a satire of President Johnson and Vietnam War politics, starring Stacy Keach in the title role, was first presented at the Gate. Soon after, in 1968, a revue of the songs of a little-known Belgian composer, conceived by Eric Blau and Mort Sheman, debuted. Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris became a sensation and one of the most successful Off-Broadway shows in history. It ran for five-and-a-half years at the Gate and went on to have a short Broadway life and become a film.
Mr. D'Lugoff's next musical was also a success, even though it never actually opened. Let My People Come, "A Sexual Musical," was, like so many Village Gate shows, a product of its time. Written by Earl Wilson, Jr., son of the famous theatre columnist of the same name, it featured nudity and suggestive situations of all sorts. The show's diretor, Phil Oesterman, thought that disapproving reviews from critics might shut the show down, so the decision was made to never officially open, therefore denying reviewers the chance to weigh in. The show ran for 1,327 performances. As with Brel, it eventually had a short run on Broadway.
The State Liquor Authority attempted to revoke the Gate's liquor license over Let My People Come, saying sex and booze did not mix. Mr. D'Lugoff successfully fought the battle in court and won his license back.
The Village Gate scored again in 1979 with One Mo' Time, a revue conceived by and starring Vernel Bagneris which celebrated the music and performing styles of the black vaudeville circuit, while simultaneously examining the difficulties the African-Artists artists faced at the time. The show received sparkling reviews and ran for 1,372 performance. Bagneris returned to the Gate in 1990 with a sequel, called Further Mo'.
D'Lugoff's last great success as a theatre presenter was 1986's Beehive. Yet another revue, this one spotlighted the pop girl groups of the 1960s. Created by Larry Gallagher, it did so well that it transfered from its birthplace to the Gate for a long commercial run. Alison Fraser and Jasmine Guy were in the cast.
A revue called Sid Caesar & Company, which had a short run on Broadway in 1989, also started at the Gate. Additionally, future "Saturday Night Live" stars John Belushi and Chevy Chase got their start at the Gate when, from 1971 to 1973, they starred in a musical comedy revue there called National Lampoon Lemmings. Actors and playwrights found work at the Gate in other ways as well: Dustin Hoffman waited tables; Sam Shepard washed dishes.
Mr. D'Lugoff's instincts as a producer weren't always on the mark, however. He once turned down a young Bob Dylan.
After a series of bad investments and a rent hike, Mr. D'Lugoff — a wily looking man who sported a goatee and a Greek fisherman's cap — declared bankcruptcy in 1991 and close the club in 1994. He later tried to resurrect the club on West 52nd Street in 1996 but the venture failed within a year.
Arthur Joshua Dlugoff was born in Harlem on Aug. 2, 1924, according to the New York Times. He was the son of Raphael D'Lugoff, who ran a vacuum-cleaner and sewing-machine repair shop, and the former Rachel Mandelbaum. Raised in Brooklyn, he served with the army in World War II. He later earned a bachelor’s in literature and economics from New York University and attended law school there for one year.
He is survived by his brother, Burt, of Baltimore; his wife, the former Avital Achai; a son, Raphael; three daughters, Sharon D’Lugoff Blythe, Dahlia D’Lugoff and Rashi D’Lugoff; and five grandchildren.
