What and who is an impresario?

Merrick, Mackintosh, Drabinsky . . .

All of these producers have been called impresarios during their careers (Drabinsky has been called a few other names most recently).

But what exactly is an "impresario?"

Thanks to one of my favorite readers, Laura M., for sending me this article that appeared in a Minneapolis paper with some great quotes about what impresarios do.  (BTW, Minneapolis is one of the greatest non-big-city theater towns in the country.  I'd even take it over my hometown of Boston and over LA.  NYC, Chicago and then Minneapolis, IMHO.)

Now that you know what an impresario is, you have to ask yourself if you really want to be one?