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{{short description|American actor}}
'''Alfred Drake''' was born '''Alfred Capurro''' in [[New York City]] of Italian extraction on [[October 7]], [[1914]].
{{for|the English recipient of the Victoria Cross|Alfred George Drake}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alfred Drake
| image = Alfred Drake.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Drake photographed by [[Carl Van Vechten]] in 1951
| birth_name = Alfred Capurro
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|10|07|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|07|25|1914|10|07|mf=y}}
| death_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| occupation = Actor, singer
}}


'''Alfred Drake''' (October 7, 1914{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}} – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer.
He was a [[Broadway]] leading man best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of such seminal American musicals as ''[[Babes in Arms]]'', ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'', and ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]]''.


==Biography==
Alfred Drake died of [[cancer]] on [[July 25]], [[1992]] in [[New York City]] at the age of 77.
Born as '''Alfred Capurro''' in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from [[Recco]], [[Genoa]], Drake began his [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] career while still a student at [[Brooklyn College]]. He is best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' and ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' and for playing Marshall Blackstone in the original production of ''[[Babes in Arms]],'' (in which he sang the title song) and Hajj in ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]],'' for which he received the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Tony Award]]. He was also a prolific Shakespearean, notably starring as Benedick in ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' opposite [[Katharine Hepburn]].{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}}


Drake was mostly a stage and television actor; he starred in only one film, ''[[Tars and Spars]]'' (1946), but played several roles on television, including providing the voice for the Great Ak in the [[Rankin-Bass]] [[stop-motion]] animated adaptation of the [[L. Frank Baum]] novel ''[[The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus]]''. He appeared in a minor film role as president of the commodities exchange in the classic comedy ''[[Trading Places]]'' (1983), with [[Eddie Murphy]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]]. His first musical television appearance was as Captain Dick Warrington in the January 15, 1955 [[Naughty Marietta (Max Liebman Presents)|live telecast]] of the operetta ''[[Naughty Marietta (operetta)|Naughty Marietta]]''. This followed by his portrayal of [[Marco Polo]] in [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[The Adventures of Marco Polo (television musical)|The Adventures of Marco Polo]]'' on [[NBC Television]]'s musical anthology series ''[[Max Liebman Presents]]'' in 1956.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-DgDwAAQBAJ&q=Television+Musicals:+Plots,+Critiques,+Casts|title=Television Musicals: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 222 Shows Written for and Presented on Television, 1944-1996|first= Joan|last= Baxter|year=2020|chapter=The Adventures of Marco Polo|isbn=9781476641898|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]}}</ref>
==Broadway musical credits==


Drake headlined the musical stage version of Jean-Paul Sartre's "Kean"<ref>"Not Since Carrie," Ken Mandelbaum, St. Martin's Press, New York, (c) 1991, pp. 66-68</ref> 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's Hamlet|Hamlet]]'' was filmed live on the stage of the [[Lunt-Fontanne Theatre]], using a "quickie" process called [[Electronovision]], and shown in movie theatres in a very limited engagement. It was also recorded on [[Gramophone record|LP]].{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}} His final appearance in a Broadway musical was in 1973-74 as Honoré Lachaille in [[Alan Jay Lerner|Lerner and Loewe's]] ''[[Gigi (musical)|Gigi]]''. Two years later he starred in a revival of ''[[The Skin of Our Teeth]]''.
*[[1936]] - ''[[White Horse Inn]] chorus''


As a director he staged the 1974 premiere of ''The Royal Rape of Ruari Macasmunde'' at the [[Virginia Museum of Fine Arts|Virginia Museum Theater]]. He was inducted into the [[American Theatre Hall of Fame]] in 1981.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/03/theater/26-elected-theater-hall-fame-26-broadway-voted-into-theater-hall-fame.html "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 3, 1981, p. C9</ref>
*[[1937]] - ''[[Babes in Arms]] as Marshall Blackstone''


He was also a published author – writing at least a few plays: ''Dr. Willy Nilly'', an adaptation of [[Molière]]'s ''[[Le Médecin malgré lui|The Doctor in Spite of Himself]]'', an adaptation of [[Goldoni]]'s ''[[The Liar (Goldoni play)|The Liar]]'', and even at least one book on cards (specifically [[Gin rummy]]).<ref>{{cite book| title=Anyone Can Win at Gin Rummy and Canasta| first=Alfred| last=Drake| year=2013| edition=Illustrated; reprint| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A-hgjgEACAAJ&q=editions:POgCTCB-ZxcC| publisher=Wildside Press| isbn=978-1479415748| access-date=April 8, 2020| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
*[[1938]] - ''[[The Two Bouquets]] as Albert Porter''


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]].<ref>A Certain Club by John Tebbel</ref>
*[[1939]] - ''[[One for the Money]]''
*[[1939]] - ''[[The Straw hat Revue]]''


==Death==
*[[1940]] - ''[[Two for the Show]]''
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.<ref name="NY-Times">Lambert, Bruce (July 26, 1992). [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/26/nyregion/alfred-drake-baritone-star-of-oklahoma-and-kismet-dies-at-77.html "Alfred Drake, Baritone Star of 'Oklahoma!' and 'Kismet,' Dies at 77"], ''The New York Times'', . Retrieved March 24, 2016.</ref>


==Theatre credits==
*[[1943]] - ''[[Oklahoma!]] as Curly McLain''
{{Div col}}
* ''[[The Gondoliers]]'' (1935)
* ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' (1935)
* ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' (1935)
* ''[[The Mikado]]'' (1935)
* ''[[White Horse Inn]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Babes in Arms]]'' (1937)
* ''The Two Bouquets'' (1938)
* ''One for the Money'' (1939)
* ''[[The Straw Hat Revue]]'' (1939)
* ''[[Two for the Show (musical)|Two for the Show]]'' (1940)
* ''Out of the Frying Pan'' (1941)
* ''[[As You Like It]]'' (1941)
* ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' (1943)
* ''Sing Out, Sweet Land'' (1944)
* ''[[Beggar's Holiday]]'' (1946)
* ''[[The Cradle Will Rock]]'' (1947)
* ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' (1948)
* ''Joy to the World'' (1948)
* ''[[The Liar (musical)|The Liar]]'' (1950)
* ''[[Courtin' Time]]'' (1951) – rare outing as a director
* ''[[The King and I]]'' (1952)
* ''[[The Gambler (Betti)|The Gambler]]'' (1952)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/10/14/archives/at-the-theatre-alfred-drake-in-an-italian-morality-drama-put-on-the.html|title=AT THE THEATRE; Alfred Drake in an Italian Morality Drama, Put on the Stage by Herman Shumlin|author=[[Brooks Atkinson]]|page=40|date=October 14, 1952|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
* ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]]'' (1953)
* ''Marco Polo'' (1954)
* ''[[Kean (musical)|Kean]]'' (1961)
* ''[[Zenda (musical)|Zenda]]'' (1963)
* ''Lorenzo'' (1963)
* ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1964), directed by Sir [[John Gielgud]], with [[Richard Burton]] as co-star
* ''Those That Play the Clowns'' (1966)
* ''[[Song of the Grasshopper]]'' (1967)
* ''After You, Mr. Hyde'' (1968)
* ''On Time'' (1968)
* ''[[Gigi (musical)|Gigi]]'' (1973)
* ''The Royal Rape of Ruari Macasmunde'' (1974) directed by Drake at the [[Virginia Museum of Fine Arts|Virginia Museum Theater]] with [[Keith Fowler]] as Sir Roger Casement
* ''[[The Skin of Our Teeth]]'' (1975)
* ''Gambler's Paradise'' (1975)
{{div col end}}


==Filmography==
*[[1944]] - ''[[Sing Out, Sweet Land]] as Barnaby Goodchild''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1946|| ''[[Tars and Spars]]'' || Howard Young ||
|-
|1964|| ''[[Richard Burton's Hamlet|Hamlet]]'' || Claudius ||
|-
|1983|| ''[[Trading Places]]'' || President of Exchange ||
|-
|1985|| ''[[The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus|''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' (1985 film)]]'' || The Great Ak (voice) ||
|}


==Radio==
*[[1946]] - ''[[The Beggar's Holiday]] as Macheath''
*''Musical Comedy Theatre'' (1952) ("The Barkleys of Broadway")<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2376557/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=April 27, 1952| page=48| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=May 9, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref>


==References==
*[[1947]] - ''[[The Cradle Will Rock]] replacement in the part of Larry Foreman''
{{reflist}}


==External links==
*[[1948]] - ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]] as Fred Graham''
*{{IBDB name}}
*{{IMDb name|0236848}}
*[https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu018012 Alfred Drake Papers] at the [[Library of Congress]]
* [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/drake_a.html Alfred Drake] — Broadway – The American Musical – Stars over Broadway
* [http://www.allmovie.com/artist/alfred-drake-20049 Alfred Drake] — Overview – AllMovie
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/170908/Alfred-Drake Alfred Drake] — Britannica Online Encyclopedia
* [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/170908/122297/Alfred-Drake-performing-in-Oklahoma-on-Broadway-1943 Alfred Drake performing in ''"Oklahoma!"'' on Broadway in 1943]
* [http://www.musicals101.com/who2c.htm Alfred Drake and others — Who's Who in Musicals]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/26/nyregion/alfred-drake-baritone-star-of-oklahoma-and-kismet-dies-at-77.html Alfred Drake Obituary] — [[The New York Times]]
* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alfred-drake-1538814.html Alfred Drake Obituary] — The Independent, U.K.


{{Navboxes
*[[1953]] - ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]] as Hajj''
| title = Awards for Alfred Drake

| list =
*[[1955]] - ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]] as Hajj'' [[West End|London]] production
{{DramaCriticsBestActorMusical}}

{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActor 1947-1975}}
*[[1961]] - ''[[Kean]] as Edmund Kean''
}}

*[[1973]] - ''[[Gigi]] as Honore Lachailles''

==[[Musical film]] credit==

*[[1946]] - ''[[Tars and Spars]] as Howard Young''

==External links==
{{imdb name|name=Alfred Drake|id=0236848}}


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1914 births|Drake, Alfred]]
[[Category:1992 deaths|Drake, Alfred]]
[[Category:Musical theatre actors|Drake, Alfred]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Alfred}}
{{US-actor-stub}}
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Apex Records artists]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Cadence Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:Brooklyn College alumni]]

Latest revision as of 15:25, 25 March 2024

For the English recipient of the Victoria Cross, see Alfred George Drake.

Alfred Drake
Drake photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1951
Born
Alfred Capurro

(1914-10-07)October 7, 1914
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 25, 1992(1992-07-25) (aged 77)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, singer

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

Biography[edit]

Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Brooklyn College. He is best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of Oklahoma! and Kiss Me, Kate and for playing Marshall Blackstone in the original production of Babes in Arms, (in which he sang the title song) and Hajj in Kismet, for which he received the Tony Award. He was also a prolific Shakespearean, notably starring as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing opposite Katharine Hepburn.[citation needed]

Drake was mostly a stage and television actor; he starred in only one film, Tars and Spars (1946), but played several roles on television, including providing the voice for the Great Ak in the Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated adaptation of the L. Frank Baum novel The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. He appeared in a minor film role as president of the commodities exchange in the classic comedy Trading Places (1983), with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. His first musical television appearance was as Captain Dick Warrington in the January 15, 1955 live telecast of the operetta Naughty Marietta. This followed by his portrayal of Marco Polo in Neil Simon's The Adventures of Marco Polo on NBC Television's musical anthology series Max Liebman Presents in 1956.[1]

Drake headlined the musical stage version of Jean-Paul Sartre's "Kean"[2] 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 Hamlet was filmed live on the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, using a "quickie" process called Electronovision, and shown in movie theatres in a very limited engagement. It was also recorded on LP.[citation needed] 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.

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.[3]

He was also a published author – writing at least a few plays: Dr. Willy Nilly, an adaptation of Molière'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).[4]

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.[5]

Death[edit]

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.[6]

Theatre credits[edit]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1946 Tars and Spars Howard Young
1964 Hamlet Claudius
1983 Trading Places President of Exchange
1985 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985 film) The Great Ak (voice)

Radio[edit]

  • Musical Comedy Theatre (1952) ("The Barkleys of Broadway")[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Baxter, Joan (2020). "The Adventures of Marco Polo". Television Musicals: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 222 Shows Written for and Presented on Television, 1944-1996. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476641898.
  2. ^ "Not Since Carrie," Ken Mandelbaum, St. Martin's Press, New York, (c) 1991, pp. 66-68
  3. ^ "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame", The New York Times, March 3, 1981, p. C9
  4. ^ Drake, Alfred (2013). Anyone Can Win at Gin Rummy and Canasta (Illustrated; reprint ed.). Wildside Press. ISBN 978-1479415748. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  5. ^ A Certain Club by John Tebbel
  6. ^ Lambert, Bruce (July 26, 1992). "Alfred Drake, Baritone Star of 'Oklahoma!' and 'Kismet,' Dies at 77", The New York Times, . Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  7. ^ Brooks Atkinson (October 14, 1952). "AT THE THEATRE; Alfred Drake in an Italian Morality Drama, Put on the Stage by Herman Shumlin". The New York Times. p. 40.
  8. ^ Kirby, Walter (April 27, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Drake&oldid=1215507447"