Who are Considered the Best Male Broadway Musical Performers of Godlen Age?

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:05am

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!

Updated On: 6/5/10 at 08:05 AM

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:19am

The first to come to mind for me are Alfred Drake, John Raitt, Richard Kiley, Zero Mostel and Robert Preston.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:27am

Thank you very much, Other. I've got all of them on my radar. Just don't want to miss anyone before I burn the disc,

[Marquise]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:32am

Jerry Orbach

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:42am

Joel Grey fits in there, too.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 8:53am

Thanks everyone, I'm looking for about 20:

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!

Updated On: 6/5/10 at 08:53 AM

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 9:12am

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

[Miriam4]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 11:07am

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)

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 11:31am

Stephen Douglass fer sher. Has Robert Weede been mentioned? Tommy Rall perhaps?

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 11:35am

Ezio Penza
Yul Brynner

Neither one of them really have that many musical credits, but I feel like both of their performances are pretty legendary.

[Brick]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 12:36pm

Joh Raitt (CAROUSEL, PAJAMA GAME)

[Almira]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 12:40pm

If you (and rightfully so) include Penza and Brynner, you need to consider

Robert Preston
Rex Harrison.

Updated On: 6/5/10 at 12:40 PM

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 2:04pm

Robert Goulet (Camelot),

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 4:53pm

Ray Bolger
Eddie Albert
Sydney Chaplin

[monestere]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 4:54pm

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)

[Joanne5]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 5:23pm

Agreed on Howard Keel...he also took over the lead in "No Strings" from Richard Kiley.

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 9:27pm

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.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/6/10 at 12:53am

Fred Astaire. Nobody has ever surpassed him.

Updated On: 6/6/10 at 12:53 AM