I'm making a compilation CD. I have some ideas but would love to hear your thoughts on who the finest male musical theatre talent of the Golden Age are. Thanks in advance!
Robert Morse Jerry Orbach John Raitt Richard Kiley Joey Grey Robert Preston John Cullum
I'm really struggling (and the 2 rum and cokes ain't helping)
Sammy Davis Jr.? Alfred Drake
I've got tons of modern men in mind, but I'm really going for a golden age feel on this discs. Disc 1 is Broadway/Showbiz songs and disc 2 is Leading Ladies.
EDIT: Phil Silvers John McMartin Charles Nelson Reilly
I feel like I'm missing some obvious ones...Damn you rum and coke and clonazapam!
Not really obvious, but Ray Middleton (Annie Get Your Gun, Man of La Mancha), Robert Rounseville (Candide, Man of La Mancha), Sammy Davis (Mr. Wonderful, Golden Boy), David Burns (Forum, Dolly, Do Re Mi), Clifford David (1776, Clear Day, Wildcat), Larry Kert (WSS, Company "London"), Stephen Douglass (Damn Yankees, Show Boat, 110 in the Shade -- fantastic singer), Ray Walston (Damn Yankees), Jack Gilford (Forum, Cabaret, No No Nanette -- always priceless), Jack Cassady (Superman, She Loves Me, Brigadoon studio recording), Bert Convy (Fiddler, Cabaret)... Updated On: 6/5/10 at 09:12 AM
If you want to know more names from this dinosaur then:
Dennis King Howard Marsh Richard Halliday William Gaxton Todd Duncan (Porgy and Bess, Lost In the Stars) Ronald Graham (boys From Syracuse, Dubarry Was A Lady, By Jupiter)
ALSO: Harve Presnell (Unsinkable Molly Brown) William Tabbert (the original Joe Cable in SP & Marius in Fanny) Mark Dawson (High Button Shoes, Fiorello) Dennis King (The 3 Musketeers, Desert Song) Wilbur Evans (Up in Central Park, South Pacific, New Moon) Earl Wrightson (The Firebrand of Florence, Kiss Me Kate) Gene Kelly (Leave it to Me & the original and for most people still unsurpassed as "Joey" in Pal Joey, who went on the an even bigger career in films as a musical performer, choreographer & director) and lastly, even though they were more famous as film musical stars, all three rank among the finest male singers of theater music in the 20th Century and did appear in stage productions: Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta) Gordon MacRae (I Do, I Do) Howard Keel (Saratoga, South Pacific)
My Avatar is the amazing young singer, James Anest
Adding: Howard DeSilva (1776, Fiorello - "little tin box')
otherwise, yeah, I'd go for John Rait, John Collum, Sydney Chaplin, Howard Keel, Harve Presnell, Alfred Drake, Zero Mostel. You have to have Yul Bryner and Rex Harrison for the performances.