Larry Kert
Encyclopedia
Larry Kert was an American
actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story
.
, Kert graduated from Hollywood High School
. His first professional credit was as a member of a theatrical troupe called the "Bill Norvas and the Upstarts" in the 1950 Broadway
revue
Tickets, Please!
. After a seven-month run, he worked sporadically in Off-Broadway and ballet productions as a dancer until 1957, when he was cast in West Side Story.
show Mr. Wonderful
, Kert was recommended by his fellow dancer and friend Chita Rivera
, who eventually won the role of Anita in West Side Story,, to audition as a dancer for Gangway during the earliest Broadway pre-production of the Arthur Laurents
-Leonard Bernstein
-Stephen Sondheim
musical later titled West Side Story, an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet
set in upper Manhattan
in the 1950s. Years later while singing at the White House
, Kert remembered he was the 18th out of 150 hopefuls to audition, but he was the first one to be cut. A few months later, while he was working for Esquire
in an advertising show, Stephen Sondheim approached him after seeing him perform and set up an audition for the part of Tony. Kert was reluctant to accept the offer, but a few weeks later, he was informed that he had the role.
According to Arthur Laurents
, who wrote the book for West Side Story, Kert was "a California extrovert, laughing, bubbling, deadly funny, and openly gay." Director-choreographer Jerome Robbins
frequently clashed with Kert, publicly chastising him for being a "faggot," despite the fact that Robbins himself, fellow dancer Tommy Abbott
and most of the creative team was gay. Kert did not repeat his role in the 1961 film version of the show because at 30 years old he looked unbelievable as a teenager. The role went to former child actor Richard Beymer
, whose vocals were dubbed by Jimmy Bryant
. Kert was upset at being passed over for the role, because he had hoped that it would jump-start his film career.
's novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's
, which closed during previews in December 1966. His next project, La Strada
(1969), closed on opening night. He often worked in Off-Broadway
, theatre workshops, and taught dance. However, replacing the original actor who fell ill, he played the male lead Cliff in the first run of Cabaret
for most of its run. Despite critical acclaim, he never again achieved the recognition he had as Tony in West Side Story.
His next big break came as a replacement for Dean Jones
as the lead in Stephen Sondheim
's Company
(1970). Soon after opening night, director Harold Prince released Jones from his contract and substituted Kert. Critics returned a second time and raved about his dynamic performance. The Tony Award's
nominating committee allowed him to compete for the category of Best Actor in a Musical, though the rules normally restricted nominations to the performer who originated a role.
The original cast album of Company had already been recorded before Kert joined the first cast. When the cast traveled to London to reprise their roles, Columbia Records
recorded new tracks with Kert to substitute for those Jones had recorded. This recording with Kert was released as the Original London Cast recording. In 1998, when Sony Music
, which had acquired the Columbia catalog, released a new digital version of the original Broadway cast recording, Kert's rendition of "Being Alive", the show's final number, was included as a bonus track.
In 1975, he appeared in A Musical Jubilee, a revue that lasted barely three months. Rags
(1986) closed two days after it opened. In his final show, Legs Diamond
(1988), he was a standby for star Peter Allen
.
One of Kert's last recordings was the 1987 2-CD studio cast album of the complete scores of two George and Ira Gershwin musicals: Of Thee I Sing
and its sequel Let 'Em Eat Cake
. This was the first time these scores had been recorded in their entirety.
Kert made brief appearances in the feature films Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and New York, New York
(1977). His television credits included guest appearances on The Sorceror's Apprentice (Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
, Kraft Suspense Theatre
, The Bell Telephone Hour
, Hawaii Five-O
, Kojak
, and Love, American Style
. He appeared several times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
in 1991. His older sister is singer Anita Ellis
, noted for dubbing Rita Hayworth
and other non-singing stars in their films. Kert's partner at the time of his death was Ron Pullen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
.
Early life
Born as Frederick Lawrence Kert in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Kert graduated from Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
. His first professional credit was as a member of a theatrical troupe called the "Bill Norvas and the Upstarts" in the 1950 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...
revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
Tickets, Please!
Tickets, Please!
Tickets, Please! was a 1950 Broadway revue, composed by Harold Hastings. It is also notable as the first theatre credit of Larry Kert....
. After a seven-month run, he worked sporadically in Off-Broadway and ballet productions as a dancer until 1957, when he was cast in West Side Story.
West Side Story
In 1955, while dancing in the chorus in the Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
show Mr. Wonderful
Mr. Wonderful (musical)
Mr. Wonderful is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, and music and lyrics by Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, and George David Weiss....
, Kert was recommended by his fellow dancer and friend Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
, who eventually won the role of Anita in West Side Story,, to audition as a dancer for Gangway during the earliest Broadway pre-production of the Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents was an American playwright, stage director and screenwriter.After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S...
-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...
-Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
musical later titled West Side Story, an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
set in upper Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in the 1950s. Years later while singing at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Kert remembered he was the 18th out of 150 hopefuls to audition, but he was the first one to be cut. A few months later, while he was working for Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
in an advertising show, Stephen Sondheim approached him after seeing him perform and set up an audition for the part of Tony. Kert was reluctant to accept the offer, but a few weeks later, he was informed that he had the role.
According to Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents was an American playwright, stage director and screenwriter.After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S...
, who wrote the book for West Side Story, Kert was "a California extrovert, laughing, bubbling, deadly funny, and openly gay." Director-choreographer Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
frequently clashed with Kert, publicly chastising him for being a "faggot," despite the fact that Robbins himself, fellow dancer Tommy Abbott
Tommy Abbott
Tommy Abbott was an American-born actor, dancer, and choreographer best known for his role as Gee-Tar in the original production of West Side Story. Abbott was for many years the assistant choreographer to Jerome Robbins. He was the chief choreagrapher for the film version of "Fiddler on the...
and most of the creative team was gay. Kert did not repeat his role in the 1961 film version of the show because at 30 years old he looked unbelievable as a teenager. The role went to former child actor Richard Beymer
Richard Beymer
George Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:...
, whose vocals were dubbed by Jimmy Bryant
Jimmy Bryant (singer)
Jimmy Bryant is a singer, arranger and composer. He is most well known for providing the singing voice of Tony in the 1961 film musical West Side Story...
. Kert was upset at being passed over for the role, because he had hoped that it would jump-start his film career.
Success and struggles
Kert's later career had only occasional high points. A Family Affair limped along for three months in early 1962. He was a member of the cast of the infamous ill-fated musical version of Truman CapoteTruman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
's novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's (musical)
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a legendary flop in Broadway musical history. The musical is based on the Truman Capote novella and 1961 film of the same name about a free spirit named Holly Golightly...
, which closed during previews in December 1966. His next project, La Strada
La Strada (musical)
La Strada is a musical with lyrics and music by Lionel Bart, with additional lyrics by Martin Charnin and additional music by Elliot Lawrence. It is based on the 1954 film of the same name by Federico Fellini. Bart wrote the score in 1967 and made a demonstration recording, although the musical...
(1969), closed on opening night. He often worked in Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
, theatre workshops, and taught dance. However, replacing the original actor who fell ill, he played the male lead Cliff in the first run of Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
for most of its run. Despite critical acclaim, he never again achieved the recognition he had as Tony in West Side Story.
His next big break came as a replacement for Dean Jones
Dean Jones (actor)
Dean Carroll Jones is an American actor. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug.-Early years:...
as the lead in Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
(1970). Soon after opening night, director Harold Prince released Jones from his contract and substituted Kert. Critics returned a second time and raved about his dynamic performance. The Tony Award's
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...
nominating committee allowed him to compete for the category of Best Actor in a Musical, though the rules normally restricted nominations to the performer who originated a role.
The original cast album of Company had already been recorded before Kert joined the first cast. When the cast traveled to London to reprise their roles, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
recorded new tracks with Kert to substitute for those Jones had recorded. This recording with Kert was released as the Original London Cast recording. In 1998, when Sony Music
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, which had acquired the Columbia catalog, released a new digital version of the original Broadway cast recording, Kert's rendition of "Being Alive", the show's final number, was included as a bonus track.
In 1975, he appeared in A Musical Jubilee, a revue that lasted barely three months. Rags
Rags (musical)
Rags is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and music by Charles Strouse.-Production history:The Broadway production opened on August 21, 1986 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre with little advance sale and to mostly indifferent reviews, and it closed after only four...
(1986) closed two days after it opened. In his final show, Legs Diamond
Legs Diamond
Legs Diamond can refer to:*Jack Diamond , the alias of Philadelphia/New York gangster Jack Moran*Legs Diamond , an American rock and roll band*Legs Diamond , a musical written by Peter Allen...
(1988), he was a standby for star Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
.
One of Kert's last recordings was the 1987 2-CD studio cast album of the complete scores of two George and Ira Gershwin musicals: Of Thee I Sing
Of Thee I Sing
Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President of the United States on the "love" platform...
and its sequel Let 'Em Eat Cake
Let 'Em Eat Cake
Let 'Em Eat Cake is a Broadway musical that opened October 21, 1933 at the Imperial Theatre, New York, USA and ran for 89 performances. It had music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The cast included William Gaxton, Victor Moore, Philip...
. This was the first time these scores had been recorded in their entirety.
Kert made brief appearances in the feature films Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and New York, New York
New York, New York (film)
New York, New York is a 1977 American musical-drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a musical tribute, featuring new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb as well as standards, to Scorsese's home town of New York City, and stars Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli as a pair of musicians and...
(1977). His television credits included guest appearances on The Sorceror's Apprentice (Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
The Sorceror's Apprentice (Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a seventh-season episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents from 1961–1962, that was never broadcast on network television. The episode was scheduled to be episode #39 of the show's Season 7...
, Kraft Suspense Theatre
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Kraft Suspense Theatre, an anthology series, was telecast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall specials once monthly...
, The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour is a long-run concert series which began April 29, 1940 on NBC Radio and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
, and Love, American Style
Love, American Style
Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
. He appeared several times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Death
Kert's last stage appearance came in a touring company of La Cage aux Folles but he missed performances because of illness. Kert died, aged 60, in New York City from complications of AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1991. His older sister is singer Anita Ellis
Anita Kert Ellis
Anita Kert Ellis is a Canadian-born American singer and actress. Born to Orthodox Jewish parents, Harry and Lillian Pearson Kert, her younger brother was actor/singer Larry Kert ....
, noted for dubbing Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
and other non-singing stars in their films. Kert's partner at the time of his death was Ron Pullen.
Stage credits
- Legs DiamondLegs DiamondLegs Diamond can refer to:*Jack Diamond , the alias of Philadelphia/New York gangster Jack Moran*Legs Diamond , an American rock and roll band*Legs Diamond , a musical written by Peter Allen...
(1989) - Rags (1986)
- Side by Side by SondheimSide By Side By SondheimSide by Side by Sondheim is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from Company.-History:...
(1978) - A Musical Jubilee (1976)
- Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (1973)
- CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
(1970) - La StradaLa StradaLa Strada is a 1954 Italian neorealist drama directed by Federico Fellini in which a naïve young woman is sold to a brutish man and goes on the road as a part of his itinerant show....
(1969) - Breakfast at Tiffany'sBreakfast at Tiffany'sBreakfast at Tiffany's is a 1961 romantic comedy film starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, and featuring Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. The film was directed by Blake Edwards and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1966) - CabaretCabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
(1969) - A Family Affair (1962)
- West Side StoryWest Side StoryWest Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
(1959) - Mr. WonderfulMr. WonderfulMr. Wonderful may refer to:*Mr. Wonderful by Fleetwood Mac*"Mr. Wonderful" written in 1955*Mr. Wonderful , starring Sammy Davis, Jr.*Mr. Wonderful , a 1993 film directed by Anthony Minghella...
(1957) - John Murray Anderson's AlmanacJohn Murray Anderson's AlmanacJohn Murray Anderson's Almanac is a musical revue, featuring the music of the songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, as well as other composers...
(1954) - Tickets, Please!Tickets, Please!Tickets, Please! was a 1950 Broadway revue, composed by Harold Hastings. It is also notable as the first theatre credit of Larry Kert....
(1950)
External links
- Larry Kert Sings Leonard Bernstein album information at Discogs