Last week, when Crain's New York Business selected Jordan Roth ’97 for its annual "40 under 40" list of rising young stars in the business world, the publication noted that Roth had "booked some of the most innovative and successful shows on Broadway" -- including Spring Awakening, the 2007 Tony winner for best musical, and Hair, which won the 2009 Tony for best revival of a musical. That observation came just days after the publication of reviews from Roth's latest gamble, the Green Day musical American Idiot, which drew mixed reactions from critics but posted solid box-office numbers in its second week. (Roth told The Wall Street Journal that the show was "building exactly as we had hoped.")
As president of Jujamcyn Theatres, the 34-year-old Roth is one of Broadway's most prominent figures, but in a video interview with Crain's, he attributed his success partly to the fact that he considers himself "first and foremost an audience member." His charitable work reflects that point of view: In 2007, Roth led the launch of Givenik.com, which offers discount tickets and group rates to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows while enabling buyers to donate 5 percent of each purchase to a charity of their choice.
Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW's Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.