Actor and baritone who played leading roles in landmark Broadway shows including "Oklahoma!" and "Kiss Me Kate". Drake's good-humored performance as Hajj, a street poet made Emir of Bagdad for a day, in the hit musical "Kismet" won him a well-deserved Tony in 1954. A commanding presence, Drake also performed well in straight drama, including several Shakesperean roles. He made regular TV appearances in the 1950s, sometimes in broadcast versions of his stage successes; the most notable of his few film roles was Claudius opposite Richard Burton's "Hamlet" (1964).
- Also Credited As:
Alfredo Capurro
- Born:
October 7, 1914 in Bronx, New York, USA
- Died:
July 25, 1992.
-
Job Titles:
Actor, Singer, Director, Playwright, Translator
Family
-
Brother: Arturo Capurro.
-
Father: John M Capurro.
-
Mother: Elena Teresa Capurro.
Education
-
Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, English, BA, 1935
Milestones
-
1935 Made stage debut in the chorus of a production of The Mikado
-
1936 Was understudy and chorus performer in White Horse Inn
-
1937 Appeared on Broadway in Babes in Arms
-
1943 Achieved stardom on Broadway as Curly in Oklahoma!
-
1946 Made first notable film appearance, in the musical Tars and Spars
-
1948 Played Fred Graham (and Petruchio) in the Broadway stage musical Kiss Me Kate
-
1950 Playwriting debut, a translation of Edward Eager
-
1953 Enjoyed hit on Broadway as the Hajj in Kismet ; recreated role in 1955 London staging
-
1953 Offered role of monarch of Siam in the musical The King and I ; reportedly asked for a salary of $5000 per week which was deemed to high; Yul Brynner hired for part; replaced Brynner in role when former went on vacation
-
1957 Teamed with Katharine Hepburn in stage production of Much Ado About Nothing
-
1958 With Patricia Morrison, recreated stage leads in NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Kiss Me Kate
-
1961 Portrayed famed actor Edmund Kean in the curious musical biography Kean
-
1964 Returned to films to play Claudius in an adaptation of Hamlet , reprising stage role from the John Gielgud-directed modern dress version starring Richard Burton
-
1965 Once again played the Hajj in a revival of Kismet
-
1973 Inherited the Maurice Chevalier role in the Broadway musical adaptation of Gigi
-
1983 Returned to films to play the President of the Exchange in Trading Places
-
Born in the Bronx but raised in Brooklyn
-
Spent much of the 1960s and 1970s directing plays and appearing in touring productions