Alfred Drake was an American actor.
Biography
Born Alfred Capurro in New York City, he studied at Brooklyn College, and made his stage debut whilst still studying in 1935. He appeared in the film, Tars and Spars, in 1946, when his career was on the rise due to his leading role in the original cast of Oklahoma!.
Predominantly a stage actor, becoming famous for originating a number of roles in classic musicals, he also appeared in several straight plays, as Claudius opposite Richard Burton in Hamlet, and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, making his final stage appearance in 1975.
Drake passed away in 1992.
Singing
Drake had a long and memorable singing career, beginning with a number of ensemble roles in several Gilbert and Sullivan productions, as well as appearing with the original cast of White Horse Inn. He would continue to appear in supporting roles and a number of revues until his first breakout role as Curly McLain in Oklahoma!
After this, Drake had a string of sucess, including his personal favourite role as Fred Graham in Kiss Me, Kate, and the poet Hajj in Kismet as well as roles in less successful shows such as Kean (in which he played the titular Edmund Kean). He made his final stage musical appearance as Honoré Lachailles in the original cast of Gigi in 1973.
Stage
The Mikado (1935)
The Pirates of Penzance (1935)
The Yeomen of the Guard (1935)
The Gondoliers (1935)
White Horse Inn (1936)
Babes in Arms (1937)
Marshall Blackstone (originated the role)
- Babes in Their Arms (reprise)(contains solo lines)
- Imagine (contains solo lines)
The Two Bouquets (1938)(originated the role)
- The Course of Nature (contains solo lines)
- The Bashful Lover (solo)
- Finale Act I
- Kissing (recitative)(solo)
- Yes or No
- Finale Act II
- Against the Stream (duet)
- How Can We Bring the Old Folk Round (contains solo lines)
- What Can I Do? (contains solo lines)
- Her Lily-White Hand (contains solo lines)
- Finale
One for the Money (1939)(originated the role)
- How High the Moon (duet)
- The All-Girl Band (contains solo lines)
The Straw Hat Revue (1939)(originated the role)
Two for the Show (1940)(originated the role)
- How High the Moon
Oklahoma! (1943)(originated the role)
- Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' (solo)
- Laurey's Entrance (duet)
- The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (contains solo lines)
- Entrance of Ensemble
- People Will Say We're in Love (duet)
- Pore Jud Is Daid (duet)
- The Farmer and the Cowman (contains solo lines)
- People Will Say We're in Love (reprise)(duet)
- Oklahoma! (contains solo lines)
- Finale Ultimo (contains solo lines)
Sing Out, Sweet Land (1944)(originated the role)
- As I Was Going Along (solo)
- Where (solo)
- I'm Goin Down the Road (contains solo lines)
- Little Mohee (duet)
- Wanderin' (solo)
- I Have Been a Good Boy (solo)
- Hammer Ring/Watermelon Cry/Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel
- Trouble, Trouble/Basement Blues
- Casey Jones
- More Than These (solo)
Beggar's Holiday (1946)(originated the role)
- In Between (solo)
- No One But You (contains solo lines)
- Take Love Easy (solo)
- Tomorrow Mountain (solo)
- Maybe I Should Change My Ways (solo)
- Quarrel for Three (contains solo lines)
- Live for the Moment (duet)
- Maybe I Should Change My Ways (Reprise)(solo)
- No One But You (Reprise)(solo)
- In Between (Reprise)(solo)
- Tomorrow Mountain (Finale)(solo)
The Cradle Will Rock (1947)
- Leaflets" – Larry Foreman
- The Cradle Will Rock (solo)
- Finale/The Cradle Will Rock (reprise)(contains solo lines)
Kiss Me, Kate (1948)(originated the role)
- Wunderbar (duet)
- I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua (contains solo lines)
- Were Thine That Special Face (solo)
- Kiss Me, Kate (contains solo lines)
- Where is the Life That Late I Led? (solo)
- So in Love (Reprise)(solo)
- Kiss Me, Kate (Reprise = Finale)
The King and I (1953)
- A Puzzlement (solo)
- Finale Act One (contains solo lines)
- Song of the King (duet)
- Shall We Dance? (duet)
Kismet (1953)(originated the role)
- Rhymes Have I (duet)
- Fate (solo)
- Gesticulate (contains solo lines)
- Fate (Reprise)(contains solo lines)
- Rahadlakum (contains solo lines)
- And This Is My Beloved (contains solo lines)
- The Olive Tree (solo)
- Finale (contains solo lines)
The Adventures of Marco Polo (1956)(originated the role)
- Beyond the Sunrise (contains solo lines)
- Market Day (contains solo lines)
- Population (contains solo lines)
- The Tartar Song (contains solo lines)
- Who, Me? (contains solo lines)
- Worlds (solo)
- Is It You (duet)
- You'll Be Seeing Me (reprise)(solo)
- Epilogue (solo)
Kean (1961)(originated the role)
- Man and Shadow (solo)
- Sweet Danger (duet)
- To Look Upon My Love (duet)
- Let's Improvise (duet)
- Elena (contains solo lines)
- The Fog and the Grog (contains solo lines)
- Finale (Act 1) (contains solo lines)
- Civilised People (contains solo lines)
- Service for Service (contains solo lines)
- Swept Away (duet)
- Domesticity (duet)
- Apology? (solo)
Zenda (1963)
Richard Rassendyl (originated the role)
King Rudolph V (originated the role)
After You, Mr. Hyde (1968)(originated the role)
Gigi (1973)(originated the role)
- Thank Heaven for Little Girls (solo)
- It's A Bore (duet)
- Paris is Paris Again (contains solo lines)
- It's A Bore (reprise)(contains solo lines)
- I Remember It Well (duet)
- I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore (solo)
- Thank Heaven for Little Girls (reprise)(solo)
Gambler's Paradise (1975)(originated the role)
Albums
Down in the Valley (1950)
- Down In The Valley (solo)
- The Lonesome Dove (solo)
- Hop Up (solo)
- My Ladies (solo)
- Other (solo)
Alfred Drake, Roberta Peters – Sing The Popular Music Of Leonard Bernstein (1963)
- New York, New York (solo)
- Lucky To Be Me
- Best of All Possible Worlds
- Maria (solo)
- Gee, Officer Krupke (solo)
- Lonely Town (solo)
- It's Love (duet)
- Finale
Show Time (1973)
- Mr. Snow
- If I Loved You (duet)
- June Is Bustin' Out All Over
- Blow High, Blow Low
- Soliloquy (solo)
- A Real Nice Clambake
- Geraniums In The Winder (Stonecutters)
- What's The Use Of Wond'rin (solo)
- You'll Never Walk Alone
- The Highest Judge Of All
- Finale
The Vagabond King
- Song Of Vababonds
- Some Day
- Only A Rose
- Tomorrow
- Love Me Tonight
- Nocturne - Finale
