John Keston
Encyclopedia
John Keston is an English-born actor
and singer, and a world-record
-holding runner
.
: The Sequel
to Myst
(1997). The character has developed a cult following
. (A short scene in which Keston is heard singing "O Sole Mio" is hidden in the game, in a type of file known as an Easter egg. It was unscripted—filmed while Keston gave an impromptu performance when waiting between takes.)
In 1968, John Keston appeared with Juliet Prowse in the original West End
(London
) production of Neil Simon
's Sweet Charity
at the Prince of Wales Theatre
, in the role of Vittorio Vidal, receiving billing directly below the title. The show was conceived, staged and choreographed by Bob Fosse
(who also made significant but uncredited contributions to the book). Keston appears on the cast album of that production. He once recalled his audition for Neil Simon, who was bringing the hit show to London from Broadway
. Being a trained singer, Keston wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. When asked if he could sing, he said, "A bit." He was taken aside for his vocal audition, gave an excellent performance, and got the job.
Charity was his only West End credit; he had previously appeared in London productions of Sleeping Beauty, House of Cards, The Ideal Husband, Private Lives
, and Billy. He also toured in the revue Fol-De-Rols. British television appearances included Department S
, Lord Byron, and U.F.O.
For a time, Keston made a living as a model; his print ads appeared in such magazines as Stern
.
In 1974, Keston traveled to Washington, D.C.
with the Royal Shakespeare Company
's touring production of Sherlock Holmes, directed by Frank Dunlop, with artistic director Trevor Nunn
. The company commenced its tour on October 7 at Kennedy Center
's Eisenhower Theatre. A month later, the show began previews at Broadway's Broadhurst Theater, opened on November 12, and ran 471 performances. It received four Tony nominations and two Tony award
s. It gave Keston his sole Broadway credit for his performance as Sir Edward Leighton.
(It was the eighth time that particular play—co-written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
-- was produced on Broadway, the first time being in 1899; it has not played on Broadway since. The full title of the play is Sherlock Holmes: Being a hitherto unpublished episode in the career of the great detective and showing his connection with the STRANGE CASE OF MISS FAULKNER.)
Keston continued his career in the U.S. as a performing artist, appearing in summer stock, cabaret, and opera engagements. He also portrayed the photographer Alfred Stieglitz in a film.
Keston wrote, produced and performed a one-man show, Expressions of Aging. This two-act play with music reflects his love of history, acting, music, and the English language, on the theme of growing old. He performs selections from it to this day. The first act is straight acting—no music. Keston relates autobiographical episodes of his early days as an actor, when he would dash to the theatre by train with just enough time to make up. Then, in full view of the audience—and in almost no time—he puts on a dash of make-up, applies a wig and beard with spirit gum
, and slips into a nightgown, to become the historian John Aubrey in his late life. Speaking in an English accent, Aubrey tells tales, complains about his ailments, and relates court gossip.
The second act is musical, performed with a piano accompanist. Poems, selections from Gerald Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, and other songs about the transition from youth to old age make up the act. Keston is a tenor, and employs his voice to cry out with a characteristically tremulous passion, to poignant effect.
, where he had been recruited by Dr. Fulton Gallagher to teach voice in the music department of Bemidji State University
. During his career there, he was the preferred vocal instructor for many talented and ambitious students, many of whom went on to become accepted into graduate programs at the country's most prestigious music conservatories.
He appeared as The Jester in annual Madrigal Dinners, presented by The Bemidji Choir and The Chamber Singers under the direction of choral conductor Paul Brandvik. This role included the performance of Shall I, Mother, Shall I, a work by Brandvik for three choirs and tenor soloist. It tells the passion story from the viewpoint of a little child.
Keston presented voice recitals, performed with the Bemidji Opera Society both in full opera productions and in Opera Night (a sort of opera revue with Italian food), and continued to present his one-man show in the region. In addition to teaching private voice lessons, he gave classes in foreign diction for singers and assisted students with their voice recitals.
He wrote a thesis on composer Gerald Finzi, whose natural treatment of spoken cadence in his melodies appealed to Keston. His declamatory style of singing—appropriate for a Shakespearean actor—is well suited to Finzi's works.
While at BSU, he became increasingly serious about his running, and, between classes, sometimes trained by running up the five flights of stairs at Bangsberg Hall, the school's music and theatre facility.
On May 14, 2005, Keston became the oldest sub-7 miler in history by running the mile in 6:48:2 in the Fountain of Youth Masters Mile at Canby High School, Canby, Oregon. This beat by more than a minute the previous indoor record set by American Henry Sypniewski, who, at age 81, ran the mile in 7:51:9 in June 2000. This was reported in the May 15, 2005 issue of Runners World. At this event, he also set a world record for the 3000m, running it in 13:30:77. It is not known at the time of this writing whether these record have been officially certified, or whether the event is world-record qualifying.
He holds the half-marathon M80 world record, running it in 1:39:27 on April 15, 2005, at the sixth annual Earth Day Half Marathon in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
He often sings the American and Canadian national anthems at running events, at the starting line just before the race begins, and is a popular invitee to races nationwide. He also presents lectures at these events, speaking about his experiences and challenges as a Masters athlete.
He holds many other U.S. and world age records, and continues to compete in marathons and other track and field events. He began running at age 55 to combat mild hypertension.
The USA Track & Field inducted him into its Masters Hall of Fame in 2001.
He became a U.S. citizen in 1995, and lives in Sunriver, Oregon with his wife Anne. He is currently working on a memoir, with the working title "Expressions of Aging." His son John is a musician and teacher. He also has a daughter, Pamela.
He has another son, Richard, and three sons from a previous marriage: Philip, Michael and Tony.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer, and a world-record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
-holding runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
.
Artist
Keston's best known acting performance may be his portrayal of Gehn, the complex villain from the video game RivenRiven
Riven is a puzzle adventure game and the sequel to Myst. Developed by Cyan Worlds, it was initially published by Brøderbund. Riven was distributed on five compact discs and released on October 29, 1997, in North America; it was later released on a single DVD-ROM, with improved audio and a...
: The Sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Myst
Myst
Myst is a graphic adventure video game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan , a Spokane, Washington––based studio, and published and distributed by Brøderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in and released it for the Mac OS computer on September...
(1997). The character has developed a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. (A short scene in which Keston is heard singing "O Sole Mio" is hidden in the game, in a type of file known as an Easter egg. It was unscripted—filmed while Keston gave an impromptu performance when waiting between takes.)
In 1968, John Keston appeared with Juliet Prowse in the original West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
(London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) production of Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria...
at the Prince of Wales Theatre
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
, in the role of Vittorio Vidal, receiving billing directly below the title. The show was conceived, staged and choreographed by Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
(who also made significant but uncredited contributions to the book). Keston appears on the cast album of that production. He once recalled his audition for Neil Simon, who was bringing the hit show to London from Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. Being a trained singer, Keston wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. When asked if he could sing, he said, "A bit." He was taken aside for his vocal audition, gave an excellent performance, and got the job.
Charity was his only West End credit; he had previously appeared in London productions of Sleeping Beauty, House of Cards, The Ideal Husband, Private Lives
Private Lives
Private Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It focuses on a divorced couple who discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in neighbouring rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, they realise that they still have feelings for...
, and Billy. He also toured in the revue Fol-De-Rols. British television appearances included Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
, Lord Byron, and U.F.O.
For a time, Keston made a living as a model; his print ads appeared in such magazines as Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
.
In 1974, Keston traveled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
's touring production of Sherlock Holmes, directed by Frank Dunlop, with artistic director Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
. The company commenced its tour on October 7 at Kennedy Center
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
's Eisenhower Theatre. A month later, the show began previews at Broadway's Broadhurst Theater, opened on November 12, and ran 471 performances. It received four Tony nominations and two 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...
s. It gave Keston his sole Broadway credit for his performance as Sir Edward Leighton.
(It was the eighth time that particular play—co-written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
-- was produced on Broadway, the first time being in 1899; it has not played on Broadway since. The full title of the play is Sherlock Holmes: Being a hitherto unpublished episode in the career of the great detective and showing his connection with the STRANGE CASE OF MISS FAULKNER.)
Keston continued his career in the U.S. as a performing artist, appearing in summer stock, cabaret, and opera engagements. He also portrayed the photographer Alfred Stieglitz in a film.
Keston wrote, produced and performed a one-man show, Expressions of Aging. This two-act play with music reflects his love of history, acting, music, and the English language, on the theme of growing old. He performs selections from it to this day. The first act is straight acting—no music. Keston relates autobiographical episodes of his early days as an actor, when he would dash to the theatre by train with just enough time to make up. Then, in full view of the audience—and in almost no time—he puts on a dash of make-up, applies a wig and beard with spirit gum
Spirit gum
Spirit gum is an adhesive, made mostly of SD Alcohol 35-A and resin , used primarily for affixing wigs, merkins, false beards, and other costume prosthetics....
, and slips into a nightgown, to become the historian John Aubrey in his late life. Speaking in an English accent, Aubrey tells tales, complains about his ailments, and relates court gossip.
The second act is musical, performed with a piano accompanist. Poems, selections from Gerald Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, and other songs about the transition from youth to old age make up the act. Keston is a tenor, and employs his voice to cry out with a characteristically tremulous passion, to poignant effect.
Scholar
Eventually, Keston and his family settled in Bemidji, MinnesotaBemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
, where he had been recruited by Dr. Fulton Gallagher to teach voice in the music department of Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
. During his career there, he was the preferred vocal instructor for many talented and ambitious students, many of whom went on to become accepted into graduate programs at the country's most prestigious music conservatories.
He appeared as The Jester in annual Madrigal Dinners, presented by The Bemidji Choir and The Chamber Singers under the direction of choral conductor Paul Brandvik. This role included the performance of Shall I, Mother, Shall I, a work by Brandvik for three choirs and tenor soloist. It tells the passion story from the viewpoint of a little child.
Keston presented voice recitals, performed with the Bemidji Opera Society both in full opera productions and in Opera Night (a sort of opera revue with Italian food), and continued to present his one-man show in the region. In addition to teaching private voice lessons, he gave classes in foreign diction for singers and assisted students with their voice recitals.
He wrote a thesis on composer Gerald Finzi, whose natural treatment of spoken cadence in his melodies appealed to Keston. His declamatory style of singing—appropriate for a Shakespearean actor—is well suited to Finzi's works.
While at BSU, he became increasingly serious about his running, and, between classes, sometimes trained by running up the five flights of stairs at Bangsberg Hall, the school's music and theatre facility.
Athlete
On September 30, 2001, at age 76, he set a world age record when he ran a 3:22:59 marathon in the Portland Marathon. This was after a comeback following an accident that may have ended his running career. On April 2, 2005, at age 80, he ran the 15k in 59:00. In 1996, at age 71, he barely missed becoming the only runner over age 70 to break 3 hours in the marathon, as he posted a 3:00:58 at the 1996 Twin Cities Marathon. At age 78 he set a world age record for 12-kilometers in the Bloomsday Run. At age 80, he set an American record in his division of the mile run at the USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championship (Jacksons Track, Nampa, Idaho), running it in 6:48.02, to beat Paul Spangler's 1979 record of 7:04.20. In 2005, he ran times in two USA Track & Field events which are pending as world records (as of August 14).On May 14, 2005, Keston became the oldest sub-7 miler in history by running the mile in 6:48:2 in the Fountain of Youth Masters Mile at Canby High School, Canby, Oregon. This beat by more than a minute the previous indoor record set by American Henry Sypniewski, who, at age 81, ran the mile in 7:51:9 in June 2000. This was reported in the May 15, 2005 issue of Runners World. At this event, he also set a world record for the 3000m, running it in 13:30:77. It is not known at the time of this writing whether these record have been officially certified, or whether the event is world-record qualifying.
He holds the half-marathon M80 world record, running it in 1:39:27 on April 15, 2005, at the sixth annual Earth Day Half Marathon in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
He often sings the American and Canadian national anthems at running events, at the starting line just before the race begins, and is a popular invitee to races nationwide. He also presents lectures at these events, speaking about his experiences and challenges as a Masters athlete.
He holds many other U.S. and world age records, and continues to compete in marathons and other track and field events. He began running at age 55 to combat mild hypertension.
The USA Track & Field inducted him into its Masters Hall of Fame in 2001.
Life
Keston served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.He became a U.S. citizen in 1995, and lives in Sunriver, Oregon with his wife Anne. He is currently working on a memoir, with the working title "Expressions of Aging." His son John is a musician and teacher. He also has a daughter, Pamela.
He has another son, Richard, and three sons from a previous marriage: Philip, Michael and Tony.