Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer.

Biography

Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from

Recco The RECCO is a rescue technology used by organised rescue teams as an additional tool to more quickly locate people buried by an avalanche or lost in the outdoors. The system is based on a harmonic radar system and composed by a detector and a ...

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, Drake began his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

career while still a student at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

. He is best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' and ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-stag ...

'' and for playing Marshall Blackstone in the original production of ''

Babes in Arms ''Babes in Arms'' is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a wor ...

,'' (in which he sang the title song) and Hajj in '' Kismet,'' for which he received the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

. He was also a prolific Shakespearean, notably starring as Benedick in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' opposite

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

. Drake was mostly a stage and television actor; he starred in only one film, ''

Tars and Spars ''Tars and Spars'' is a 1946 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Alfred Drake, Janet Blair, and Marc Platt. Plot Howard Young is a coast guardsman who has been on shore duty for three years despite ...

'' (1946), but played several roles on television, including providing the voice for the Great Ak in the

Rankin-Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...

stop-motion animated adaptation of the

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novel ''

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' is a 1902 children's book, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark. Setting Plot As a baby, Santa Claus is found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World ...

''. He appeared in a minor film role as president of the stock exchange in the classic comedy ''

Trading Places ''Trading Places'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis, with a screenplay by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the ...

'' (1983), with

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

and

Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...

. His first musical television appearance was as Captain Dick Warrington in the January 15, 1955

live telecast ''Live Telecast'' is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language horror thriller web series written and directed by Venkat Prabhu and starring Kajal Aggarwal, Vaibhav Reddy, Anandhi, Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan, Daniel Annie Pope and Priyanka Nair. The web s ...

of the operetta '' Naughty Marietta''. He headlined the musical stage version of Jean-Paul Sartre's "Kean" on Broadway in 1961 with a score by Forrest and Wright, although it was a major flop. His 1964 stage performance as Claudius in the

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' was filmed live on the stage of the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by Carrère and Hasti ...

, using a "quickie" process called

Electronovision Electronovision was a process used by producer and entrepreneur H. William "Bill" Sargent, Jr. to produce a handful of motion pictures, theatrical plays, and specials in the 1960s and early 1970s using a high-resolution videotape process for product ...

, and shown in movie theatres in a very limited engagement. It was also recorded on LP. His final appearance in a Broadway musical was in 1973-74 as Honoré Lachaille in Lerner and Loewe's '' Gigi''. Two years later he starred in a revival of ''

The Skin of Our Teeth ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' is a play by Thornton Wilder that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It opened on October 15, 1942, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway on November 18, ...

''. As a director he staged the 1974 premiere of ''The Royal Rape of Ruari Macasmunde'' at the Virginia Museum Theater. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. He was also a published author – writing at least a few plays: ''Dr. Willy Nilly'', an adaptation of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's '' The Doctor in Spite of Himself'', an adaptation of Goldoni's '' The Liar'', and even at least one book on cards (specifically Gin rummy). Mr. Drake was president of The Players from 1970 to 1978, a social club in New York City for people of the theatre, started in 1889 by actor Edwin Booth.

Death

Alfred Drake died of heart failure, after a long fight with cancer, in New York City on July 25, 1992, at age 77. He was survived by his wife Esther, his two daughters Candace Olmsted and Samantha Drake, and two grandchildren.Lambert, Bruce (July 26, 1992)
"Alfred Drake, Baritone Star of 'Oklahoma!' and 'Kismet,' Dies at 77"
''The New York Times'', . Retrieved March 24, 2016.

Theatre credits

* ''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 187 ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' (1935) * ''

White Horse Inn ''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl'' ) is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * ''The Two Bouquets'' (1938) * ''One for the Money'' (1939) * ''

The Straw Hat Revue ''The Straw Hat Revue'' is a musical comedy revue with sketches mostly by Max Liebman and Samuel Locke, and music and lyrics by Sylvia Fine and James Shelton. It was produced on Broadway in 1939. Production ''The Straw Hat Revue'' started life a ...

'' (1939) * '' Two for the Show'' (1940) * ''Out of the Frying Pan'' (1941) * ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' (1941) * ''

'' (1943) * ''Sing Out, Sweet Land'' (1944) * ''

Beggar's Holiday ''Beggar's Holiday'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by John La Touche and music by Duke Ellington. History and background The project originated with black scenic designer Perry Watkins, who envisioned a jazz-driven adaptation of John G ...

'' (1946) * ''

The Cradle Will Rock ''The Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1937 play in music by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman. A Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed, it ...

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) * ''Joy to the World'' (1948) * ''The Liar'' (1950) * ''Courtin' Time'' (1951) – rare outing as a director * ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

'' (1952) * ''The Gambler'' (1952) * '' Kismet'' (1953) * ''Marco Polo'' (1954) * ''

Kean Kean may refer to: * Kean (name) * Kean (play), ''Kean'' (play), 1838 play by Alexandre Dumas père based on the life of the actor Edmund Kean, and its adaptations: ** Kean (1921 film), ''Kean'' (1921 film), a German silent historical film ** Kean ...

'' (1961) * '' Zenda'' (1963) * ''Lorenzo'' (1963) * ''

'' (1964), directed by Sir

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

, with

as co-star * ''Those That Play the Clowns'' (1966) * ''

Song of the Grasshopper ''Song of the Grasshopper'' is a 1967 play. The New York production starred Alfred Drake. ...

'' (1967) * ''After You, Mr. Hyde'' (1968) * ''On Time'' (1968) * '' Gigi'' (1973) * ''The Royal Rape of Ruari Macasmunde'' (1974) directed by Drake at the Virginia Museum Theater with

Keith Fowler Keith Franklin Fowler (born February 23, 1939) is an American actor, director, producer, and educator. He is a professor emeritus of drama and former head of directing in the Drama Department of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts of the Univer ...

as Sir Roger Casement * ''

'' (1975) * ''Gambler's Paradise'' (1975)

Filmography

Radio

*''Musical Comedy Theatre'' (1952) ("The Barkleys of Broadway")

References

External links

* *
Alfred Drake Papers
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Alfred Drake
— Broadway – The American Musical – Stars over Broadway
Alfred Drake
— Overview – AllMovie
Alfred Drake
— Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Alfred Drake performing in ''"Oklahoma!"'' on Broadway in 1943

—

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Alfred Drake Obituary
— The Independent, U.K. {{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Alfred Male actors from New York City American male stage actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Donaldson Award winners American people of Italian descent Tony Award winners Apex Records artists 1914 births 1992 deaths Cadence Records artists 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers Brooklyn College alumni