Bruce Hubbard
Encyclopedia
Bruce Hubbard was an African-American operatic baritone. He attended Indiana University. He was a music major and helped coach actors that appeared in musicals.
, is most famous for appearing in several productions of Show Boat
(as Joe) and Porgy and Bess
(most famously as Jake, but he also sang the role of Porgy), both in regional productions and on Broadway.
From 1978 to 1980, after Porgy and Bess, he was also seen on Broadway and subsequently in two Broadway National tours of Timbuktu!
starring the legendary Eartha Kitt
, Melba Moore
, Gilbert Price
and Ira Hawkins and directed by the Tony Award
winning director and choreographer Geoffrey Holder
. Hubbard first understudied then eventually succeeded Price in the leading role of the Mansa of Mali.
He also appeared in the original company of Alan Jay Lerner
and Leonard Bernstein
's notorious musical flop 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
in the role of Rev. Bushrod, and performed in the first Broadway production of Scott Joplin
's Treemonisha
.
He began appearing in productions of Show Boat as far back as 1976, including a touring production featuring Van Johnson
as Cap'n Andy, and the acclaimed Houston Grand Opera's Broadway production in 1983 with Donald O'Connor
in the role. However, perhaps the most notable production of the musical in which he appeared was not a live staged performance but the 1988 EMI
3-CD set conducted by John McGlinn
, which featured the entire musical score (though not all the dialogue) for the very first time on recordings, in the original 1927 vocal arrangements and orchestrations. The album was highly acclaimed and became a best seller, still in print today, and chosen as one of EMI's Great Recordings of the Century. On the album, which tried to be "authentic" in nearly every way possible, Hubbard was the first singer in modern times to sing Ol' Man River
with its controversial original lyrics (which used the word "niggers" rather than "colored folks").
Hubbard also appeared in the highly acclaimed 1986 Glyndebourne Festival stage revival of George Gershwin
's Porgy and Bess, as well as in the Metropolitan Opera
production. The recording of the Glyndebourne production was also chosen an EMI Great Recording of the Century. Hubbard sang the role of Jake, the fisherman, but had died before the Glyndebourne production was brought to television in 1993. However, because the soundtrack of the recording was used in the Emmy
-nominated television version, Hubbard can still be heard as Jake, while baritone Gordon Hawkins plays the role onscreen. However, Hubbard was actually seen in a 1987 televised Metropolitan Opera production of Bizet's Carmen, as the smuggler Le Dancaïre.
After the success of the EMI Show Boat, Hubbard made his recital debut album, entitled For You, For Me. It was conducted by Dennis Russell Davies and released in time for Christmas in 1990. It would be Hubbard's only solo album. It featured Aaron Copland
's Old American Songs
, Irving Berlin
's song Always, and selections from Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy
, Centennial Summer
and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Soprano Mavis Martin joined Hubbard in duetting Bess, You Is My Woman Now. The album is currently out-of-print, but can be bought as an mp3
.
Hubbard also appeared in one film - Francis Ford Coppola
's The Cotton Club
, in 1984. He played one of Bumpy Rhodes's (Laurence Fishburne
) henchmen.
In 1991, he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier
Award for Best Actor, for reprising his performance as Joe in a London production of Show Boat. He lost, however, to Philip Quast
, who won for his performance as Javert
in Les Misérables
.
Bruce Hubbard died from pneumonia
in 1991.
Biography
Hubbard, born in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, is most famous for appearing in several productions of Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
(as Joe) and Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
(most famously as Jake, but he also sang the role of Porgy), both in regional productions and on Broadway.
From 1978 to 1980, after Porgy and Bess, he was also seen on Broadway and subsequently in two Broadway National tours of Timbuktu!
Timbuktu!
Timbuktu! is a musical, with lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, set to music by Borodin, Forrest and Wright. The book is by Luther Davis. It is a resetting of Forrest and Wright's musical Kismet...
starring the legendary Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
, Melba Moore
Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:...
, Gilbert Price
Gilbert Price
Gilbert Price was an American singer and actor.Price was one of Langston Hughes's protégés; his first starring role was in Hughes's Jericho-Jim Crow , for which he won a Theatre World Award....
and Ira Hawkins and directed by the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning director and choreographer Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Richard Holder is a Trinidadian actor, choreographer, director, dancer, painter, costume designer, singer and voice-over artist.-Early life:...
. Hubbard first understudied then eventually succeeded Price in the leading role of the Mansa of Mali.
He also appeared in the original company of Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
and Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's notorious musical flop 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (musical)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a 1976 musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It is considered to be a legendary Broadway flop, running only seven performances...
in the role of Rev. Bushrod, and performed in the first Broadway production of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
's Treemonisha
Treemonisha
Treemonisha is an opera composed by the famed African-American ragtime composer Scott Joplin. Though it encompasses a wide range of musical styles other than ragtime, and Joplin did not refer to it as such, it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "ragtime opera"...
.
He began appearing in productions of Show Boat as far back as 1976, including a touring production featuring Van Johnson
Van Johnson
Van Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
as Cap'n Andy, and the acclaimed Houston Grand Opera's Broadway production in 1983 with Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
in the role. However, perhaps the most notable production of the musical in which he appeared was not a live staged performance but the 1988 EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
3-CD set conducted by John McGlinn
John McGlinn
John Alexander McGlinn III was an American conductor and musical theatre archivist. He was one of the principal proponents of authentic studio cast recordings of Broadway musicals, using original orchestrations and vocal arrangements.-Biography:John Alexander McGlinn III was born in Bryn Mawr,...
, which featured the entire musical score (though not all the dialogue) for the very first time on recordings, in the original 1927 vocal arrangements and orchestrations. The album was highly acclaimed and became a best seller, still in print today, and chosen as one of EMI's Great Recordings of the Century. On the album, which tried to be "authentic" in nearly every way possible, Hubbard was the first singer in modern times to sing Ol' Man River
Ol' Man River
"Ol' Man River" is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat that expresses the African American hardship and struggles of the time with the endless, uncaring flow of the Mississippi River; it is sung from the point-of-view of a dock worker on a showboat, and is the most famous song from the show...
with its controversial original lyrics (which used the word "niggers" rather than "colored folks").
Hubbard also appeared in the highly acclaimed 1986 Glyndebourne Festival stage revival of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's Porgy and Bess, as well as in the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
production. The recording of the Glyndebourne production was also chosen an EMI Great Recording of the Century. Hubbard sang the role of Jake, the fisherman, but had died before the Glyndebourne production was brought to television in 1993. However, because the soundtrack of the recording was used in the Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-nominated television version, Hubbard can still be heard as Jake, while baritone Gordon Hawkins plays the role onscreen. However, Hubbard was actually seen in a 1987 televised Metropolitan Opera production of Bizet's Carmen, as the smuggler Le Dancaïre.
After the success of the EMI Show Boat, Hubbard made his recital debut album, entitled For You, For Me. It was conducted by Dennis Russell Davies and released in time for Christmas in 1990. It would be Hubbard's only solo album. It featured Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
's Old American Songs
Old American Songs
Old American Songs are two sets of songs arranged by Aaron Copland in 1950 and 1952 respectively. Originally scored for voice and piano, they were reworked for baritone and orchestra....
, Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's song Always, and selections from Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
, Centennial Summer
Centennial Summer
Centennial Summer is a 1946 film directed by Otto Preminger. The musical, that stars Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, is based on a novel by Albert E. Idell.It was produced in response to the hugely successful MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis...
and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Soprano Mavis Martin joined Hubbard in duetting Bess, You Is My Woman Now. The album is currently out-of-print, but can be bought as an mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
.
Hubbard also appeared in one film - Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's The Cotton Club
The Cotton Club (film)
The Cotton Club is a 1984 crime-drama, centered on a famed Harlem jazz club of the 1930s, the Cotton Club.The movie was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, choreographed by Henry LeTang, and starred Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Gregory Hines...
, in 1984. He played one of Bumpy Rhodes's (Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
) henchmen.
In 1991, he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
Award for Best Actor, for reprising his performance as Joe in a London production of Show Boat. He lost, however, to Philip Quast
Philip Quast
Philip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
, who won for his performance as Javert
Javert
Javert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
in Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
.
Bruce Hubbard died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1991.