I was watching INTO THE WOODS on DVD last night and was absolutely blown away by Ben Wright's performance as Jack. He looks, sounds, and acts like he came off the page. I wondered what happened to him, where is he now? and is he still hot?
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
I distinctly remember being linked to some site he has now - I think he might be an agent or something. I know the link to his agency or production company is on this board somewhere...
i miss him. He was so kind several times at Stage Door and backstage in the original WOODS. Had quite the crush, which he found hilarious.
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
This question keeps on coming up :) I was told several years ago by someone who apparently knew him that he had left show business. However, so did Robert Westenberg and Kim Crosby but they still pop up in shows now and then.
Who are some other notable showbiz dropouts who played principal roles on Broadway? Jere Shea comes to mind...
for Bob and Kim, you just have to expand the term "business". They married, had children, returned to her home in southern Missouri where he teaches theatre in college, and tagteam who is acting/working and who is parenting. Kim i think was recently in the PETER PAN tour as Mrs. Darling but i think has left it again.
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
I compiled the list below of "Lost Tony nominees"; actors who caught the public eye sufficiently to be identified as one of the best of the year, but whose names are now more or less unknown; some have probably passed away, others have probably passed into the shadowy world of daytime tv:
FEATURED ACTOR- MUSICAL 1967 Gordon Dilworth (Walking Happy) 1969 A. Larry Haine (Promises, Promises) 1971 Walter Willison (Two by Two) 1972 Timothy Myers (Grease) 1973 Avon Long (Don't Play Us Cheap) 1974 Mark Baker (Candide) Ralph Carter (Raisin) 1975 John Bottoms (Dance With Me) 1976 Charles Repole (Very Good Eddie) Isao Sato (Pacific Overtures) 1978 Steven Boockvor (Working) 1979 Richard Cox (Platinum) 1984 Stephen Geoffreys (The Human Comedy) Samuel E. Wright (The Tap Dance Kid) 1985 Kurt Knudson (Take Me Along) 1987 Robert Torti (Starlight Express) 1989 Bunny Briggs (Black and Blue) Scott Wentworth (Welcome to the Club) 1990 Kevin Colson (Aspects of Love) 1991 Willy Falk (Miss Saigon) 1996 Brett Tabisel (Big - The Musical) Scott Wise (State Fair) 1997 Sam Harris (The Life)
FEATURED ACTOR – PLAY 1961 Eduardo Ciannelli (The Devil's Advocate) 1962 Paul Sparer (Ross) 1963 Frank Silvera (The Lady of the Carnellias) 1964 Lee Allen (Marathon '33) Michael Dunn (The Ballad of the Sad Cafe) Larry Gates (A Case of Libel) 1965 Murray Hamilton (Absence of a Cello) Clarence Williams, III (Slow Dance on the Killing Ground) 1966 Burt Brinckerhoff (Cactus Flower) Eamon Kelly (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) 1967 Clayton Corzatte (The School for Scandal) Stephen Elliot (Marat/Sade) Sydney Walker (The Wild Duck) 1971 Ronald Radd (Abelard and Heloise) Donald Pickering (Conduct Unbecoming) Ed Zimmermann (The Philanthropist) 1972 Douglas Rain (Vivat! Vivat! Regina!) Lee Richardson (Vivat! Vivat! Regina!) Joe Silver (Lenny) 1973 Hayward Morse (Butley) 1974 Dick Anthony Williams (What the Wine-Sellers Buy) 1975 Philip Locke (Sherlock Holmes) Dick Anthony Williams (Black Picture Show) 1976 Daniel Seltzer (Knock Knock) 1977 Joe Fields (The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel) 1981 Adam Redfield (A Life) 1989 Gordon Joseph Weiss (Ghetto) 1990 Rocky Carroll (The Piano Lesson) 1994 Gregory Itzin (The Kentucky Cycle) 1996 Roger Robinson (Seven Guitars) 1997 William Biff McGuire (The Young Man From Atlanta) 1999 Howard Witt (Death of a Salesman) 2003 Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Daniel Sunjata, Take Me Out 2004 Omar Metwally, Sixteen Wounded 2005 David Harbour, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
ACTOR – MUSICAL 1968 Robert Hooks (Hallelujah, Baby!) 1974 Joe Morton (Raisin) 1989 Brian Lane Green (Starmites) 1991 Paul Hipp (Buddy) 1993 Con O'Neill (Blood Brothers) 1994 Jere Shea (Passion)
FEATURED ACTRESS – MUSICAL 1964 Julienne Marie (Foxy) 1965 Luba Lisa (I Had a Ball) 1966 Patricia Marand (Superman) 1967 Josephine Premice (A Hand is on the Gate) 1968 Julie Gregg (The Happy Time) 1969 Lorraine Serabian (Zorba) Virginia Vestoff (1776) 1972 Beatrice Winde (Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death) 1974 Leigh Berry (Cyrano) Maureen Brennan (Candide) June Gable (Candide) Ernestine Jackson (Raisin) 1975 Kelly Garrett (The Night That Made America Famous) Donna Theodore (Shenandoah) 1976 Virginia Seidel (Very Good Eddie) 1979 Joan Ellis (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) 1981 Wanda Richert (42nd Street) 1983 Karla Burns (Show Boat) Denny Dillon (My One and Only) 1984 Martine Allard (The Tap Dance Kid) 1985 Evalyn Baron (Quilters) Lenka Peterson (Quilters) 1992 Vivian Reed (The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club) 1993 Jan Graveson (Blood Brothers) 1996 Joohee Choi (The King and I) 2004 Jennifer Westfeldt, Wonderful Town
FEATURED ACTRESS – PLAY 1961 Tresa Hughes (The Devil's Advocate) 1964 Diana Sands (Blues for Mister Charlie) 1965 Rae Allen (Traveller Without Luggage) Alexandra Berlin (All in Good Time) Carolan Daniels (Slow Dance on the Killing Ground) 1967 Camila Ashland (Black Comedy) Brenda Forbes (The Loves of Cass McGuire) 1968 Eleanor Wilson (Weekend) 1969 Lauren Jones (Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?) Anna Manahan (Lovers) 1970 Alice Drummond (The Chinese and Dr. Fish) 1971 Lili Darvas (Les Blancs) Mona Washbourne (Home) 1972 Cara Duff-MacCormick (Moonchildren) 1974 Regina Baff (Veronica's Room) Charlotte Moore (Chemin de Fer) 1978 Starletta DuPois (The Mighty Gents) 1979 Laurie Kennedy (Man and Superman) Susan Littler (Bedroom Farce) Mary-Joan Negro (Wings) 1980 Pamela Burrell (Strider) Lois de Banzie (Morning's at Seven) 1983 Roxanne Hart (Passion) 1984 Jo Henderson (Play Memory) 1988 Kimberleigh Aarn (Joe Turner's Come and Gone) Kimberly Scott (Joe Turner's Come and Gone) 1991 Kathryn Erbe (The Speed of Darkness) 1994 Jeanne Paulsen (The Kentucky Cycle) 1995 Suzanne Bertish (The Moliere Comedies) 1998 Julyana Soelistyo (Golden Child) 1999 Dawn Bradfield (The Lonesome West)
ACTRESS – MUSICAL 1972 Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona) 1973 Marcia Rodd (Shelter) 1975 Lola Falana (Doctor Jazz) 1976 Vivian Reed (Bubbling Brown Sugar) 1977 Ernestine Jackson (Guys and Dolls) 1981 Meg Bussert (Brigadoon) 1982 Lisa Mordente (Marlowe) Mary Gordon Murray (Little Me) 1989 Sharon McNight (Starmites) 1991 June Angela (Shogun: The Musical) 1992 Sophie Hayden (The Most Happy Fella) 1993 Ann Crumb (Anna Karenina) 1997 Pamela Isaacs (The Life) 2001 Marla Schaffel (Jane Eyre)
ACTRESS – PLAY 1965 Marjorie Rhodes (All in Good Time) Beah Richards (The Amen Corner) Diana Sands (The Owl and the Pussycat) 1970 Geraldine Brooks (Brightower) 1973 Kathleen Widdoes (Much Ado About Nothing) 1980 Anne Twomey (Nuts) 1997 Lia Williams (Skylight)
Last I heard Jere Shea was running development at the Gardner museum in Boston.
Newintown, A few of the more recent "lost nominees" you listed have pretty decent careers in film/TV - namely Jennifer Westfeldt, Daniel Sujunta, David Harbor and Katherine Erbe.
I'm fascinated that anyone could be blown away with his performance on that video. I always thought he sang it beautifully but came across flat and wooden in his acting.
Samuel E. Wright was nominated for a Tony Award in 1984 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in The Tap Dance Kid, and again in 1998 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as the original lead actor for Mufasa in The Lion King, the Broadway version of Disney's animated classic of the same name. Wright played Enos' partner Turk in the TV series Enos. Wright originated the part of "Sam" in Over Here! on Broadway. Wright also played the part of Jericho on the short lived Fox TV show Jonny Zero.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
Sam Harris (The Life) also has had a very fruitful career. He is mainly in LA now.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
Some of these people work(ed) quite a bit: Murray Hamilton, Daniel Sunjata, Kathryn Erbe, Beah Richards, Mona Washburne to name five. Good careers as character actors.
"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"
Yeah...I'd hardly consider Sunjata and Harbour 'Whatever happened to...' folks. Sunjata is still on Rescue Me, correct? And Harbour is working all the time. From big projects (Brokeback Mountain) to well...W.E. Plus, I believe he just landed the lead in a new series.
As for Kathtryn Erbe, she's very well known from her role as Alex Eames on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Just the fact that she kept a straight face during a truly insane Raul Esparza guest spot should have made her legendary on this board.
Although I appreciate the time that was made compiling that list, a great deal of these actors went on to have decent careers in TV, film, and/or regional theatre. I was asking about notable Broadway actors who have left show business entirely to have "normal" lives.
isn't Westfeldt also KISSING JESSICA STEIN and FRIENDS WITH KIDS?
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
Heaven forbid they should disappear to the "shadowy world of daytime tv". I know you think soaps are something people should be ashamed to admit to watching as they sit on their plastic covered furniture and are laughed at by neighbours, but either way the loss to New York of soaps has really caused an issue for Broadway actors.
Ben Wright did appear at the City Center Sondheim Celebration a few years back. He, Danielle Ferland, Chip Zein, and Joanna Gleason did "No One is Alone" and it was fantastic to see those four together again. He has always had one of my favorite voices.
me too Anthony....so unforced yet wideranging, for once a tenor whose singing was to tied to natural speaking. Perfect musical theatre tenor voice.
Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys.
"I guarantee that we'll have tough
times. I guarantee that at some point
one or both of us will want to get out.
But I also guarantee that if I don't
ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for
the rest of my life..."
Kathryn Erbe had a long run as the female lead on one of the LAW & ORDER's. She is also one of the Steppenwolf ensemble, is married to Terry Kinney, and should have won an Emmy for her guest role as a psychotic death row inmate on OZ.
Clayton Corzatte is based in Seattle and acts quite a bit in regional theatre.
Daniel Sunjata was a cast regular on RESCUE ME and appeared as Christian in the revival of CYRANO.
Diana Sands was one of the great leading lady discoveries of sixties theater (think a black Anne Bancroft). Her career in film was just taking off when she died of cancer in 1973. You might know her as the voice of "Delilah" on FREE TO BE YOU AND ME.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
If you click on the related vid with him and a guitar, he sings Sweet Melissa...beautifully.
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."