Broadway titan and Erie native Wilhelm dies at 68

Erie lost one of its most valued Broadway connections April 24 when Jim Wilhelm, a heavy hitter in American theater, died of cancer at the age of 68. Jim, who grew up in Erie and maintained close ties to many local theater people and friends, was a veteran agent who represented some of the biggest names in show business.

For decades, he served Olivia de Havilland not only as her agent but also as one of her closest friends. He often visited de Havilland at her home in Paris, and their friendship endured until her death in 2020 at the age of 104.

Jim also represented Cybill Shepherd, Lainie Kazan, Elaine Paige, Sandy Duncan and scores of others. In 1988, he was one of the original founding partners of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, one of New York’s preeminent theatrical agencies.

In 2010, Wilhelm was the first theatrical agent to become a voter for the Tony Awards. He received his degree in communications and theater from Gannon University, where he trained under Monsignor Tom McSweeney. They remained close friends through the years and would talk on the phone almost every week.

Wilhelm, who starred in shows at Gannon, the Erie Playhouse and Ben Agresti’s Village Theater, never lost touch with old friends he made in Erie.

A respected teacher, Wilhelm conducted seminars and classes at universities across America. After 45 years in New York City, he retired to Milford, Pennsylvania, in 2021.

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● Speaking of Tom McSweeney, he will be honored with the Service to Journalism Award at the Golden Quills in Pittsburgh on May 30. This is the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the National Press Club, and McSweeney will be the first person outside of Pittsburgh to win the award.

After several years as leader of The Christophers in New York City, McSweeney, who built Gannon’s theater and communications program, was summoned back to Erie by then-Bishop Donald Trautman. Aided by Anne-Marie Welsh, he greatly improved communications in the Erie Catholic Diocese.

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● Maria Sansone recently returned home to Erie where she reconnected with family and friends. Sansone has been promoting her popular cookbook, “Oh $#%!!, What’s for Dinner?” It’s been well received by parents like Sansone, who is busy juggling a high-profile TV career while raising a family.

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● Sharp-eyed Bill Welch noticed a recent story in the Buffalo News that says Erie’s Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair is a candidate to restore the U.S.S. The Sullivans, a Navy destroyer from World War II that was badly damaged in a storm in 2021.

The Sullivans, named for the five sailor brothers from Iowa who were killed in World War II, has been anchored in recent years at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park. It took on massive amounts of water during the storm and began sinking in the Buffalo River. Thankfully, quick work helped save The Sullivans, but the 80-year-old ship will need major repairs.

Already, more than $8.5 million has been raised through government funds and private donations, so if it ends up at Donjon, it would be a windfall for Erie.

● Erie Insurance, which several months ago purchased Arena BBQ and Pizza in the 700 block of French Street, razed the building last week. Apparently, there are no immediate plans for the lot, so it will be turned into a greenspace until Erie Insurance decides its future.

● The Scallywags Pirate Adventure ship proved to be such a popular attraction on Presque isle Bay in 2022 that I hope it can be repaired in time for the new season. The ship recently ran into a piling at the end of a pier near Dobbins Landing, tearing a big hole in the hull. Workers were painting the ship at the time of the accident.

The Scallywags did not sink, but the extent of the damage wasn’t clear. The season was supposed to start May 20.

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● Longtime Mercyhurst University artists Tom Hubert and Dan Burke retired from classroom work in 2020, but they will stage an exhibition of their work, starting May 12, at the Kada Gallery in the Colony Plaza.

Called “Dan Burke and Tom Hubert: Still Working Together,” it will feature some of their latest and best works of art. Burke was the first male student to enroll at Mercyhurst and he ended up teaching art there for 50 years. Hubert, who studied under Burke and was greatly influenced by him, put in 40 years on Mercyhurst’s faculty. They remain the closest of friends.

● John Bongiovanni sends word that Erie’s Jamison Cook has been serving this year as one of four leprechauns at the University of Notre Dame. A senior who will graduate in a few weeks, Cook has been cheering for ND’s women’s soccer and basketball teams in recent months.

● Armendia Dixon, president of Meadville’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund, has written a book called, “A Diamond on the Diamond: The Multifaceted History of Stone United Methodist Church.” It traces the church in the years from 1968 to 2022.

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Kevin Cuneo can be reached at Kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Broadway titan and Erie native Wilhelm dies at 68