Robert R Blume - Current Biography

Robert R Blume is a veteran producer of Television, Film, Theatre and Concerts, who was an Executive Producer of the Annual DRAMA DESK AWARDS (the “Golden Globes” of theatre) from 1999 until 2018, with many of the shows on PBS and/or Livestream.  He is also a noted talent manager with a prestigious client list.  He has produced and talent managed under the aegis of his company, Step Forward Entertainment, whose main office is in New York with satellite offices in Los Angeles and Florida.

Currently, Mr. Blume, in partnership with David Havins, is an Executive Producer of a new feature film, THE JOLLY CORNER, an adaptation of a Henry James novel to be directed and produced by Monica Tidwell; he is producing with Pat Labez, a one-man comedy show written by and starring Chris Fuller, which deals with mental health, CHEESE FRIES & CHILI DIPS,   that has had several developmental productions in New York and Connecticut prior to its initial commercial run at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT in November, 2023; he has in development, a stage play, THE INTERRUPTED JOURNEY  based on the best-selling book by John G. Fuller about the true story of an alien abduction in the 1960’s which is anticipated to star Richard Pryor Jr. as Barney Hill; a TV series based on the Indie short film he was Executive Producer on,CHILDISH DREAM TALES: The Mess Up Room (Amazon Prime).  and he has in development with Pat Labez, a TV dramady pilot, THAT MANILA GIRL! which takes place in both America and the Philippines, written by award winning writer, JD Brookshire.

In recent years, Mr. Blume produced several concerts both live and virtual, which include two concerts on the Metropolitan Zoom virtual nightclub platform out of New York titled LOVE SPRINGS ETERNAL starring the duo of Kea Chan and Kayla Merrow with Bobby DeLeon on keyboards and a concert titled LOOKING TOWARDS TOMORROW featuring a female singing trio comprised of Kea Chan, Kayla Merrow Denise Kara with Justin Senense and Bobby DeLeon on keyboards. He also has 2 concerts streaming as a benefit for The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly known as the Actors Fund), STEPPIN’ FORWARD TO VIRTUALLY CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF THE LEGENDARY NEIL SEDAKA which features his clients and special friends performing the music of rock legend, Neil Sedaka from their homes with Mr. Sedaka appearing at the beginning of the concert with some personal introductory remarks; and ASIAN ARTISTS STEP FORWARD at THE GREEN ROOM 42  in NYC which featured the top Asian talent under his management as a Live concert then reformatted for streaming and hosted by Valerie Smaldone.

Mr. Blume, as a talent manager, oversees his clients in association with longtime Agent and Manager, Jacque Pederson-Schrimscher. Previously, in live theatre, they had clients starring in the Broadway National tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Golde); a lead in the new concert show SHANGHAI SONATAS in LA, Washington DC and NY; off-Broadway in the musical SONGS ABOUT TRAINS and an LA based client doing ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.  Other clients recently starred in LITTLE WOMEN in Philadelphia, on Broadway in GRINCH and FREAKY FRIDAY in Los Angeles.   Clients also were guest stars, co-stars and had recurring roles on numerous TV shows and films this past two seasons on current shows such as FBI(CBS), FBI: MOST WANTED (CBS), AMERICAN RUST (Amazon Freevee), PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (HBO); LAW &ORDER: SVU (NBC), WU TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA, HUNTERS (Amazon), SHAMELESS (Showtime), THE BLACKLIST (NBC), LAW AND ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME (NBC), MANIFEST (NBC), BLUE BLOODS (CBS), NEW AMSTERDAM (NBC), BILLIONS(Showtime), WE CRASHED (Apple+), INTERIOR CHINATOWN (Hulu), THE MORNING SHOW (Apple+), CHUPA, among many others.

In prior years, after producing award show productions on PBS and the Ovation Network and Executive Producing the Indie short films, LOOPING and CHILDISH DREAM TALES, Mr. Blume returned to the Theatre, where he produced various NY and Atlantic City productions of ON KENTUCKY AVENUE, The Atlantic City Club Harlem Musical; SKITSO! Starring Australian actor/writer/comedian Jim Dailakis at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and The Triad, NYC; and was a co-Producer on a revival of the play, ME AND JEZEBEL at the Snapple Theater in NYC. Some of his other notable theatrical producing ventures include two New York Concert Productions at Carnegie Hall in New York - SUE MATHYS SINGS BROADWAY & PIAF in collaboration with Les Schecter and The Swiss Society of New York and TEHORAH starring Adrienne Haan in partnership with Joseph Barry; and the Off- Broadway thriller MINDGAME starring Academy and Tony Award winner, Keith Carradine and directed by the late film legend, Ken Russell, produced by Monica Tidwell at The SoHo Playhouse, NYC. His long-time producing resume also includes two Broadway productions, two Los Angeles productions, two international tours and productions in Canada, Italy and Monte Carlo. www.stepforwardentertainment.com

He is proud to have been a 20-year Tony voter as a member of THE BROADWAY LEAGUE and is currently in his 21styear as a DRAMA DESK AWARDS voter. He is also an Advisory Board Member of the DUKE ELLINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS and a consultant to BROADWAY CHINA production company created to bring arts from America to China.  However, he is most proud of his commitment to bring awareness to the mental health problem affecting our country by launching, with Pat Labez and others, the not for profit International Mental Health Foundation. www.intlmentalhealth.org