Supporting Roles
Men - A thru L

Mitchell Agruss was born on June 1, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA as Mitchell Byron Agruss. He was an actor, known for Rocky King, Detective (1950), Hands of Mystery (1949) and The Clock (1949). He was married to Katharine Thompson. He died on November 14, 2015 in Davis, California, USA.

For two years, in the 1950s, he worked at a local TV station in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, hosting Popeye cartoons as Captain Soloman Seawhiskers. This experience helped him land a job as Cap'n Delta on Channel 13 (KOVR) in Sacramento, California, USA, from 1963-1968. From 1968-1984, he was Cap'n Mitch at Sacramento's Channel 40 (KTXL).

[From a 2006 interview in which he discussed his lack of comfort in the aggressive methods often employed to advance an entertainment career]: "I had a naivete about how to deal with people, which I still have. I'd rather not press what I think are personal relationships in a way that people who are professionally driven do not mind doing."

Source: imdb.com/

Born in Benton, Illinois, Aiken studied English at Southern Illinois Normal College, where he matriculated in 1935. He made his debut on Broadway in May 1950 in the original production of Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Consul;" having replaced George Jongeyans as Mr. Kofner. After the show closed the following November, he and several of the other Broadway cast members took the show on tour for performances in Paris and London. He later returned to Broadway in March 1954 to create the role of Eddington in the original production of Sigmund Romberg's "The Girl in Pink Tights." The following December to originate the role of Salvatore in the premiere of Menotti's "The Saint of Bleecker Street."

The highly successful Christmas opera, Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" which was premiered on Christmas Eve of 1951 in a national broadcast to millions included Aiken in the role of King Melchior. He continued to portray that role, along with the other original adult cast members, for annual live television broadcasts up through 1962.

In 1968 Aiken joined the voice faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he taught for many years. During the 1970s and 1980s he operated the David Aiken Touring Opera Company which presented annual tours of "Amahl and the Night Visitors." Aiken died in Linton, Indiana, at the age of 93.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Mr. Andre recently danced in "Oklahoma!" at New York's City Center, and in early Spring of 1963 danced in "Brigadoon" on Broadway and at the White House for the President. He was a soloist for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1961-62. He has worked with Agnes De Mille, George Balanchine, and Brian McDonald, having trained with the School of American Ballet, the American Ballet Center, the Ballet Theatre and Matt Mattox in dance, Stella Adier for acting, and the Philadelphia Institute of Music for voice. He has worked in many of the summer theatres and has created roles in ballet, modern, and jazz works at Tamiment, Pa. He appeared again on Broadway in "We Bombed in New Haven" (Oct 16, 1968 - Dec 29, 1968)

He made his Broadway debut in 1942 in "Nathan the Wise." Other Broadway credits are "All the King's Men," a 1948 revival of "Room Service," "Witness for the Prosecution," and "Tiger at the Gates." Bittner, a baritone, made his singing debut in the New York City Opera's production of Shostokovich's "Katerina Ismailova" in 1965. Other opera roles with the company included Assan in "The Consul" and Sacristan in "Tosca."

Born in Omaha, Bittner graduated from the U. of Nebraska in 1940 and continued his studies at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School in New York.

Jack Bittner, stage and TV actor and opera singer, died at age 76 on June 26, 1993 in New York of a heart attack.

Charlie was a performer as well as a designer. He was the head of the Drama Deparment of Lamar State College, in Beaumont, Texas, his home state before moving to New York City. Mr. Blackburn designed the costumes for the original production of "The Fantasticks" when it premiered at Barnard College and then was in the cast of the long-running off-Broadway hit when it opened at Manhattan's Sullivan Street Theatre.

He made his acting debut in "Twelth Night" at the American Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut. Mr. Blackburn is a graduate of the Drama Department of the U. of Texas, he headed the drama department of Lamar State college in Texas for eight years, and was visiting professor of drama at Maryville College in Tennessee. On TV he was seen on The Defenders, Naked City, and various commercials.

This makes Eric Brotherson's second appearance in a Noel Coward show, the first being in "Set To Music" on Broadway. He was in "American Jubilee" at the N. Y. World's Fair for several summers, and then followed a two year run in "Lady In the Dark" as the comedy lead. His other Main Stem shows were "Make Mine Manhattan," "Gentlemen Perfer Blondes," the revival of "Room Service," and "The Fifth Season." He was later seen in the films as the head waiter in "What's Up, Doc?" (1972), a real estate agent in "Blacula" (1972), and a number of TV shows, such as "Get Smart" and "Adam's Rib." Mr. Brotherson was born in Chicago in 1911 and died in New York City on October 21, 1989.

In 1953 at the New York City Center he appeared in the revival of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Richard III," and later that spring was featured in "Show Boat," "Fledermaus," and "Carousel," also at the City Center. On Broadway he appeared in nine musicals and five legitimate shows and has been in over 55 operettas at the leading light opera companies in the United States.

A winner of the Chicago Musicland opera Festival, Michigan State graduate Jim Carson made his professional debut in an Oldsmobile industrial show. Although his stock credits in such shows as "Guys and Dolls," "Damn Yankees," "Lil Abner," and "Kismet," belie another career, he was a golf professional at the Walnut Hills Country Club in Lansing, Michigan and tangled with other pros in many tournaments. He was a member of the Lyric Arts Opera company in New York.

Coe was born George Julian Cohen in Jamaica, Queens, New York in 1929. His Broadway theater career began in 1957 and included turns as Lindsey Woolsey opposite Angela Lansbury in the original production of "Mame;" and as Owen O'Malley in "On The Twentieth Century," and creating the role of David in the original Broadway production of "Company."

Coe was an original member of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players", the original cast of Saturday Night Live. He was only credited as a cast member for the first show, October 11, 1975. Coe was used in several other episodes of SNL, but was never again credited.

In 1979 he appeared as the head of Dustin Hoffman's character's advertising firm in the Academy Award-winning Kramer vs. Kramer. He guest-starred on a 1991 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also portrayed Ben Cheviot, the eventual head of Network 23, on the series Max Headroom. His various television appearances include Murder, She Wrote, Bones, My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn, Judging Amy, The King of Queens, Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Columbo, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls, The Golden Girls, Wilfred, and as Senator Howard Stackhouse in two episodes of The West Wing. Mr. Coe died on July 18, 2015, at the age of 86.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Lou Criscuolo was born on January 23, 1934 in New York City, NY. He is known for his work on the films 42 (2013), The Crow (1994) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994).

He was founder of Opera House Theatre Company, of Wilmington DE. Lou was a talented actor and patron of the arts and forever changed the perception of performing arts in the Wilmington area. He was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild, loved film, live theater and all forms of art and antiques. He was a man who left a legacy to the community through theater. He worked with beautiful people and loved beautiful things. Lou served his country during the Korean War in the United States Army which was followed by an education with the prestigious Screen Actors Studio. He was known for numerous appearances in movies, TV and on stage and for his dedication to the entertainment industry throughout his career. He died on December 13, 2014 in Wilmington, NC.

Source: legacy.com/

Dell began his career singing in a boys church choir and then on a children's radio show. He made his stage debut in the play "Dead End" and, with the other juvenile members of the cast, was called to Hollywood for the film version. Dell was one of the more unusual members of what came to be known as the East Side Kids/Dead End Kids/Bowery Boys in that when he appeared in many of their films, he, unlike his colleagues, didn't always play a member of the gang. He often played a reporter, or a cop, or even a gangster, somebody who had either befriended the gang or used to be one of them but got out. He made his final film with them in 1950 and struck out on his own.

He took roles in Broadway plays, formed a nightclub act with former East Side Kid Huntz Hall and studied for three years at the Actors Studio. He worked steadily in television and was a regular cast member of the The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1951). He alternated between TV and film parts, with one of his best roles being that of a sardonic hit man with a sense of humor in director Phil Karlson's action packed Framed (1975). Born on October 8, 1919 in New York as Gabriel Del Vecchio, he died July 3, 1988 in North Hollywood, California.

Source: imdb.com/

Singing actor, Warde Donovan is from California and completed his formal education at Oxford University in England. His uncle, Rollo Peters, (the Rollo- Peters-Jane Cowl "Romeo and Juliet") still holds the record for consecutive Broadway performances) instilled in him the desire to go on the stage, and he trained by acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Returning from World War II, he was signed to a contract by NEC, and his first Broadway exposure was in the title role in "Toplitzky of Notre Dame." "My Romance," "Tickets Please!," "By the Beautiful Sea," "Wonderful Town," and the City Center revival of "The Merry Widow" are other starring vehicles on Broadway. British audiences saw Warde starring in "Zip Goes a Million" for a year and a half.

He has introduced both the new Cadillacs and Fords on several occasions via their industrial shows, and top night clubs in Hollywood, Miami, New York, and London have presented his sophisticated act. In addition to many summer performances, he recently starred in "Kiss Me, Kate" in San Juan, and frequent television appearances have made his acting familiar to all viewers of the small screen. He was married to Phyllis Diller from 1965 to 1975. He died April 16, 1988 in Los Angeles, CA.

Mr. Ericksen's show business career really began when he won the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts in 1954. His first thought was not the theatre—he majored in Dairy Industry at college. But he began studying at the Mannes College and the Manhattan School of Music workshop, and his voice began to take charge of his future. On Broadway he played in two musicals, "Donnybrook" and "Kean," and in musical stock he has sung "Brigadoon," "Song of Norway," and "The King and I". He was a soloist for Fred Waring on television, and other credits in that medium are the Bell Telephone Hour, Project 20, and the Art Carney Show. Like many a tenor before him he has played the Palace, and his night club appearances are many. Mr. Ericksen's versatility is further shown by his extensive experience in grand opera and he has worked in industrial shows for Chevrolet and Ford Tractor.

Ronnie Field was a veteran of the Broadway engagement of "Kismet." His other New York shows were "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Seventeen." He made his Broadway debut at the age of 7 in "Lady in the Dark." On television he was seen on the Jackie Gleason, Tallulah Bankhead, Arthur Murray, Cavalcade of Stars, and Colgate Comedy Hour shows.

Mr. Gaige was seen on Broadway in the musical "Saratoga," and prior to that had appeared with Helen Hayes in "Time Remembered." Jones Beach's "Song of Norway" tested his vocal prowess for a summer, and he created the role of Jawan in "Kismet," touring with the show after its long Broadway run. He repeated the same role in Los Angeles.

Beginning as a member of the famous Alcazar stock company in San Francisco, he has played in stock, repertoire, tent shows, and even on show boats. His first New York appearance was in the short- lived "Appearances," after which he shifted to musicals for the Shuberts, playing in "A Wonderful Night," "Music Hath Charms," "Three Waltzes," "You Never Know," and "Bitter Sweet." He toured with "You Can't Take It With You," "Our Town," "Three's A Family," and after the Broadway run of "Song of Norway," he toured as Count Peppi. He also toured with the national company of "The Tenth Man." All the major summer musical companies have used his talents, and he is almost a regular with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.

David Gard appeared on Broadway in "Top Banana" and "Make A Wish." His television assignments include Kraft, Colgate, Big Story and Valiant Lady shows.

In 1963, Mr. Grilley returned to the Music Circus after four years on Broadway and abroad. After taking over the role of "Tony" in "West Side Story" on Broadway, he was chosen to head the Israel- European company on its tour, winning personal acclaim for his portrayal of the ill-fated Romeo. Mr. Grilley has also appeared on Broadway in "My Fair Lady," "Finian's Rainbow," and "I Can Get It For You Wholesale." His motion picture credits, all at 20th Century-Fox, include appearances in "South Pacific," "The Young Lions," and "Singing Idol." After beginning his singing career as a protégé of Lotte Lehmann studying German leider and opera, he played Sam Kaplan in the West Coast premiere of Kurt Weill's "Street Scene." He was a featured tenor with the "Voices of Walter Schumann," and on television he has appeared with Ernie Ford, Rosemary Clooney, in the spectacular of "Wonderful Town," and was an Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts winner. He has toured in concert and night club appearances with Kay Starr, Edith Piaf, "Four Jacks and a Jill," and Betty Hutton. He was seen here in the Music Circus productions of "The Merry Widow" and "Brigadoon," and he has over 15 feature roles to his credit in summer theatre as well as numerous oratorios and operas.

Mr. Hamilton, whose appeared on Broadway in "Blood, Sweat, and Stanley Poole," has worked in musical stock in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie," "Guys and Dolls," "Damn Yankees," "South Pacific," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Finian's Rainbow," and as a dramatic actor in "The Glass Menagerie," "The Lady's Not For Burning," "Period of Adjustment," "The Cave Dwellers," "The American Dream," and "Twelfth Night". His resent screen appearance was in "The Mugger," and he worked on the film dubbing of "Three Girls In Rome." Television credits are major dramatic shows such as Studio One, Kraft, and Armstrong, and he has worked regularly in daytime serials and documentaries. He has also had wide experience in television and radio commercials.

In 1963, Mr. Harder completed one month each at the Westchester Dinner Theatre in "Brigadoon," "Do-Re-Mi," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Wish You Were Here," and he played one of the gangsters in "Kiss Me Kate," at the Bergen Mall Theatre.

He made his New York debut in the off-Broadway "Bonds of Interest," as the Captain, and has also appeared in the E.L.T. revival of "On The Town" in 1959. His extensive experience in stock and with the University Players in Princeton goes back to 1949, where he first worked as an actor at the Cape Cod Theatre. Musical tents in Clio and Farmington, Michigan, the Margo Jones Theatre in Dallas, the Chicago Melody Top, The East Rochester tent, the Bradford Roof Dinner Theatre in Boston, and the St. Louis Dinner Theatre have used his acting abilities, as well, and he played the featured role in the picture "The Changing Tides." Television has included The Lawbreaker, The Nautilus, Armstrong, Ed Sullivan Show, and Stars in your Eyes.

Fred Harper (Born 11 March 1898, Camberwell, London, England, UK) was the comical Knitsch in the new version of "The Merry Widow" which premiered at the Music Circus in 1955, A seasoned veteran of the theater, he has also appeared at the Circus in "Where's Charley" in 1952, "Sweethearts" in 1953, and "Annie Get YOur Gun" in 1951. He has toured for the Shuberts in "Oh Kay," "Cherry Blossoms," and "Passing Shows."

Earlier in his career, he appeared in the films, His First Flame (1935), The Gem of the Ocean (1934) and All Sealed Up (1934).

Mr. Kass gave up accountancy to become a dance instructor for Arthur Murray, and found himself in television via the Arthur Murray TV Party show, on which he made frequent appearances. A subsequent self-written night club act brought him to the attention of the producers of a company of "Kiss Me Kate" in which he appeared as one of the "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" gangsters. This was followed by a tour of "Wonderful Town," and since that time he has played the leading music theatres, tents and dinner theatre throughout the country, in such vehicles as "Damn Yankees," "Oklahoma!," "High Button Shoes," "Can-Can," "The Pajama Game," and "Guys and Dolls."

For two seasons Mr. Kass appeared with the British Colonial Theatre in Nassau, and completed a tour of Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland in the USO production of "Broadway USA." In the popular revue medium, he has played with "Devil's Food" in Boston, with "Six Overboard" in Miami Beach and off-Broadway with "Oysters."

Broadway first saw Concord-born Daniel Keyes as understudy for Burgess Meredith in "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker" after he had toured for two years as Dowdy and the Captain in "Mister Roberts." A Harvard graduate, Mr. Keyes has a long list of Broadway and off-Broadway hits in his dossier: "Bus Stop," "Inherit The Wind," "The Man Who Never Died," "Our Town," "Only in America," "Christine," "Epi taph for George Dillon," "First Love," the Wilder plays at the Circle in the Square, and "Take Her, She's Mine" are among the notable successes.

The stage has shared his talents with television of recent years, and he has appeared on Secret Storm, Young Dr. Malone, Hallmark Playhouse, Circle Theatre, and Naked City among others. Outside the theatre, Mr. Keyes has worked in merchandising and in machine tool manufacturing.

Daniel Keyes' other Broadway credits include: "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1985), "Passione" (1980), "Angel" (1978), "Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land" (1977), "Rainbow Jones" (1974), "Mourning Becomes Electra" [Revival] (1972), "Scratch" (1971), "A Place for Polly" (1970), "The Wrong Way Light Bulb" (1969), "I Never Sang for My Father" (1968), "Dinner at Eight" [Revival] (1966), "Baker Street" (1965), "Christine" (1960), and "Only in America" (1959).

Lloyd Thomas Leech made his stage debut with the St. Paul Civic Opera. At the New York City Center Opera he has sung leading roles in "Aida," "Faust," "Carmen," "Samson and Delilah," and "Love for Three Oranges."