Showcasing the astonishing talent of siger, dancer and actor, Larry Kert.
Copyright 2017 Margrove Software Limited
Links
Theater and Film Career
Theater and Film Career
25 years after he first sang Maria on Broadway in the original West Side Story Larry Kert shows he has lost none of the range and power as he sings Maria in a very rare TV recording in 1982.
Click here to watch
Click here to watch
West Side Story - Making of a Classic" - A brilliant documentary
Go to 19.20 mins to see Carol Lawrence talk about the show and hear Larry Kert talk about how he got another audition and wound up being the original "Tony" of West Side Story.
Go to 19.20 mins to see Carol Lawrence talk about the show and hear Larry Kert talk about how he got another audition and wound up being the original "Tony" of West Side Story.
Photo of Larry Kert as Tony from the musical West Side Story 1957.
In 1989 Larry Kert performed "Being Alive"
at the 1989 - 43rd Annual Tony Awards® on Sunday, June 4, 1989 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Being Alive was from the Stephen Sondheim show "Company" for which Larry
was nominated for a Tony Award in 1970.
He is introduced by the legendary Angela Lansbury.
Click here to see Larry sing "Being Alive".
Sadly Larry died 1 year and 1 day later on June 5, 1990 at the young age of 60.
Here is a live recording of "staying Alive" apparantly recorded in the USA by someone in the audience, hence the poor recording quality. Nevertheless it is an interesting find. Click here to listen to it.
Larry Kert singing "Being Alive" from the 1970 London run of "Company" 19 years before.
at the 1989 - 43rd Annual Tony Awards® on Sunday, June 4, 1989 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Being Alive was from the Stephen Sondheim show "Company" for which Larry
was nominated for a Tony Award in 1970.
He is introduced by the legendary Angela Lansbury.
Click here to see Larry sing "Being Alive".
Sadly Larry died 1 year and 1 day later on June 5, 1990 at the young age of 60.
Here is a live recording of "staying Alive" apparantly recorded in the USA by someone in the audience, hence the poor recording quality. Nevertheless it is an interesting find. Click here to listen to it.
Larry Kert singing "Being Alive" from the 1970 London run of "Company" 19 years before.
The Story of "Company"
"Company" is a musical comedy
Book by George Furth
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
The musical opened on Broadway on
April 26, 1970 at the Alvin Theatre,
where it ran for 690 performances.
Shortly after opening night, Dean Jones
withdrew from the show.
He was replaced by Larry Kert in the lead role as Bobby on May 29, 1970 who played the lead part, Bobby, until December 27, 1971.
After a short break the Larry and the cast took the show to London. The show opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, opened in the show at London January 18, 1972 where it ran for 344 performances until November 4, 1972.
The original Broadway production was nominated for a
record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six. Larry Kert was one of the Tony nominations for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Company and made history because it was the first and only time that a performer replacing the original performer was nominated for a Tony. Many say that this was because Larry Kert's performances were so fantastic that the Tony Awards said that it was only fair that he be allowed to be nominated.
On the Tony Awards website it says "Only one cast replacement has ever been nominated for a Tony Award in a competitive category. Larry Kert was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Company (19710)"
Because original cast albums are recorded very soon after opening night the Broadway cast recording did not include Larry Kert, because it had already been recorded in the very short time before he took over the lead of Bobby.
Then things got interesting when Larry and the cast went to London to reprise their roles.
The record company arranged for Dean Jones' original vocals to be edited from the original Broadway backing tracks.
In London, Columbia Records brought Larry Kert to the recording studio to record new vocal tracks to replace those of Dean Jones which were removed from the original Broadway cast recording .
An album was produced called Original London Cast recording. This "new" album featuring Larry Kert's new vocals laid over the original Broadway backing tracks.
After Sony Music had acquired the Columbia catalogues, in 1998, they released a new digitalized CD version of the original Broadway cast recording. Larry Kert's rendition of the show's final song "Being Alive" was included as a bonus track.
Note: "Company" Original Cast performances on Briadway and in London.
Broadway Opened April 26, 1970 at the Alvin Theatre
Closed January 1, 1972; Ran for 690 performances
London Opened January 18, 1972 at Her Majesty's Theatre, London
Closed November 4, 1972; Ran for 344 performances
"Company" is a musical comedy
Book by George Furth
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
The musical opened on Broadway on
April 26, 1970 at the Alvin Theatre,
where it ran for 690 performances.
Shortly after opening night, Dean Jones
withdrew from the show.
He was replaced by Larry Kert in the lead role as Bobby on May 29, 1970 who played the lead part, Bobby, until December 27, 1971.
After a short break the Larry and the cast took the show to London. The show opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, opened in the show at London January 18, 1972 where it ran for 344 performances until November 4, 1972.
The original Broadway production was nominated for a
record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six. Larry Kert was one of the Tony nominations for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Company and made history because it was the first and only time that a performer replacing the original performer was nominated for a Tony. Many say that this was because Larry Kert's performances were so fantastic that the Tony Awards said that it was only fair that he be allowed to be nominated.
On the Tony Awards website it says "Only one cast replacement has ever been nominated for a Tony Award in a competitive category. Larry Kert was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Company (19710)"
Because original cast albums are recorded very soon after opening night the Broadway cast recording did not include Larry Kert, because it had already been recorded in the very short time before he took over the lead of Bobby.
Then things got interesting when Larry and the cast went to London to reprise their roles.
The record company arranged for Dean Jones' original vocals to be edited from the original Broadway backing tracks.
In London, Columbia Records brought Larry Kert to the recording studio to record new vocal tracks to replace those of Dean Jones which were removed from the original Broadway cast recording .
An album was produced called Original London Cast recording. This "new" album featuring Larry Kert's new vocals laid over the original Broadway backing tracks.
After Sony Music had acquired the Columbia catalogues, in 1998, they released a new digitalized CD version of the original Broadway cast recording. Larry Kert's rendition of the show's final song "Being Alive" was included as a bonus track.
Note: "Company" Original Cast performances on Briadway and in London.
Broadway Opened April 26, 1970 at the Alvin Theatre
Closed January 1, 1972; Ran for 690 performances
London Opened January 18, 1972 at Her Majesty's Theatre, London
Closed November 4, 1972; Ran for 344 performances
On 21st May 1989 Larry Kert was one of the stars of Cole Porter's "Nymph Errant" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London .
This was the World Premiere of the complete live performance and a live recording of the show was issued.
In the show Larry Kert sings a duet and two solos. It was the last musical recording he undertook before his untimely death in 1991.
This was the World Premiere of the complete live performance and a live recording of the show was issued.
In the show Larry Kert sings a duet and two solos. It was the last musical recording he undertook before his untimely death in 1991.
