Canadian TV pioneer Riff Markowitz created a musical theatre powerhouse

In 1988, Canadian television producer and director Riff Markowitz decided to retire at the age of 50 to the glitzy desert oasis of Palm Springs, Calif. – but he was quickly bored by leisure.

“I tried tennis, and that was two days,” he said in a 2014 video interview. “I tried golf. That was three days … and I didn’t like the clothes.”