Biography
Along with his deep, baritone, vocals, Alfred Drake (given birth to: Alfred Capurro) reigned over Broadway through the 1940s and ‘50s. Most widely known for his portrayal of Curly in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1943 musical, Oklahoma, he debuted such traditional tunes as “Oh, JUST WHAT A Gorgeous Morning hours”, “Surrey HAVING A Fringe AT THE TOP”, “People Will State We’re In Like” as well as the name tune. Drake made an appearance in some from the era’s most important productions. Producing his stage debut in Mikado, in 1935, he starred, with Mitzi Green and Ray Heatherton, in Babes In Hands, two years later on. With music made up by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and choreographed by George Balanchine, Babes In Hands was among few musicals to become successfully staged in the height from the Depressive disorder. The 1930s provided just a hint of Drake’s flexibility. Within the 1940s, he co-starred, with Burl Ives, inside a folk musical, Sing Out Nice Property”, in 1944, portrayed a union organizer inside a revival of Marc Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock and roll in 1947 and made an appearance in an up to date version from the Beggar’s Opera, made up by Duke Ellington. He capped the 10 years as superstar of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate. Drake continuing to get interesting jobs in the 1950s and early-60s. Although he rejected an give to portray the business lead in The Ruler And I, in 1951, he demonstrated his strength within the function when he substituted for Yul Brynner for many weeks. He received a Tony award for his portrayal of Hadji, a road poet who turns into Wazir of Baghdad, within the 1953 folktale, Kismet, and produced his tv debut, in 1957, within a Hallmark Hall Of Popularity creation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, Yeomen FROM THE Guard. He made an appearance, with Richard Burton, in John Gielgud’s Hamlet, in 1964. Producing his last Broadway appearance, within a 1973 revival of Gigi, Drake continuing to make periodic appearances in movies, including Trading Areas in 1983, and tv for the rest of his lifestyle. With his transferring on July 25, 1992, Broadway dropped among its ideal leading men.
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# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | He died of heart failure after a long fight with cancer. |
2 | He had 2 daughters with his wife, Esther: Candace and Samantha. |
3 | His salary of $5000 per week for the 1954 Broadway production of "Kismet" made him the highest-paid leading man in Broadway history, until Jackie Gleason demanded (and was given) $5,050 per week in the 1959 production of "Take Me Along". |
4 | Won Broadway's 1954 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Kismet," as well as a Special Tony Award in 1990 "for excellence in the Theatre." Was also nominated two other times for Best Actor (Musical) Tony Awards: in 1962 for "Kean" and in 1974 for "Gigi." |
5 | He was first choice for the role of the King in the original 1951 Broadway production of "The King and I", but turned down the role because of a full schedule. This was before Yul Brynner auditioned and was immediately selected for the role. |
6 | Brother of Metropolitan Opera baritone Arthur Kent. |
7 | Created the roles of Curley in "Oklahoma", Fred in "Kiss Me Kate" and the Beggar Poet in "Kismet" in the original Broadway productions. |
Actor
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus | 1985 | TV Movie | The Great Ak (voice) |
Spenser: For Hire | 1985 | TV Series | Roman St. George |
Trading Places | 1983 | President of Exchange | |
Hamlet | 1964/I | Claudius | |
The DuPont Show of the Week | 1963 | TV Series | Loui Zakin |
Play of the Week | 1960 | TV Series | Mosca, Volpone's servant |
The Voice of Firestone | 1959 | TV Series | |
Kiss Me, Kate | 1958 | TV Movie | Frederick Graham (Petruchio) |
The Yeoman of the Guard | 1957 | TV Movie | Jack Point |
The Alcoa Hour | 1956 | TV Series | King |
The Adventures of Marco Polo | 1956 | TV Movie | Marco Polo |
The Edge of Night | 1956 | TV Series | Dwight Endicott (1982) |
Max Liebman Presents: Naughty Marietta | 1955 | TV Movie | Capt. Dick Warrington |
Cameo Theatre | 1952 | TV Series | |
Celanese Theatre | 1951 | TV Series | George Simon |
The Billy Rose Show | 1950 | TV Series | |
The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse | 1949 | TV Series | Captain Brown |
Tars and Spars | 1946 | Howard Young |
Soundtrack
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Brows Held High | 2014 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
The Adventures of Marco Polo | 1956 | TV Movie performer: "Beyond the Sunrise", "Market Day", "Population", "The Tartar Song", "Who, Me?", "Is It You", "You'll Be Seeing Me" Reprise, "Epilogue" |
Self
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Voice of Firestone | 1963 | TV Series | Himself |
The Bell Telephone Hour | 1959-1962 | TV Series | Himself - Singer / Himself - Host |
The Ed Sullivan Show | 1960-1961 | TV Series | Singer / Himself - Singer |
Showtime | 1959-1960 | TV Series | Himself |
First Night | 1960 | TV Movie | Himself |
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | 1959 | TV Series | Himself |
The Garry Moore Show | 1959 | TV Series | Himself |
The Big Record | 1957 | TV Series | Himself |
The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | 1956 | TV Series | Himself - Singer |
Max Liebman Spectaculars | 1956 | TV Series | Himself - Narrator |
The Arthur Murray Party | 1953 | TV Series | Himself - actor-singer |
Strange Victory | 1948 | Documentary | Narrator |
Diary of a Sergeant | 1945 | Documentary short | Harold Russell (voice, uncredited) |
American Masters | 1990 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
The 44th Annual Tony Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself - Winner: Tony of Honor |
Hanya: Portrait of a Pioneer | 1988 | Documentary | Narrator |
Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music | 1985 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Night of 100 Stars | 1982 | TV Special | Himself |
Watch Your Mouth | 1978 | TV Series | Himself |
Dinah! | 1975 | TV Series | Himself |
The 28th Annual Tony Awards | 1974 | TV Special | Himself |
Your Money or Your Wife | 1972 | TV Movie | Himself |
The 26th Annual Tony Awards | 1972 | TV Special | Himself - Performer |
The 25th Annual Tony Awards | 1971 | TV Special | Himself - Performer |
Today | 1965 | TV Series | Himself |
Archive Footage
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Michael Grade's Stars of the Musical Theatre | 2014 | TV Movie documentary | |
Great Performances | 2005 | TV Series | Himself - Performer |
Broadway: The American Musical | 2004 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Curly McLain (in 'Oklahoma!') / Petruchio (in 'Kiss Me Kate') |
Biography | 1999 | TV Series documentary | President of Exchange |
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