Theatre Register

Robert Alda

Shows · Robert Alda

Actor 1914–1986 On stage 1950–1969

Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giovanni Giuseppe Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an American actor, singer and dancer. He was the father of actors Alan and Antony Alda. Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions, then moved to Italy during the early 1960s. He appeared in many European films over the next two decades, occasionally returning to the U.S. for film appearances such as The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969).

On stage 4 productions, 19 years

1950 Guys and Dolls 46th Street Theatre · Original · directed by George S. Kaufman 1,200 perf.
1956 Harbor Lights Playhouse Theatre · Original · directed by Guy Thomajan 4 perf.
1964 What Makes Sammy Run? 54th Street Theatre · Original · directed by Abe Burrows 540 perf.
1969 My Daughter, Your Son Booth Theatre · Original · directed by Larry Arrick 47 perf.

Each row is a staging this name appears in the cast list of, read from the production record rather than from the person record. The person record names works instead, and a work cannot say which run somebody was in — that is how Elaine Stritch ends up filed under Show Boat 1927 when she was in the 1994 revival. No row here says what part was played, because no cast list records it.

In the literature8 passages

  • Guys and Dolls , Crap game in the sewer in act II. Robert Alda throwing the dice, Stubby Kaye kneeling to the left, Sam Levene to the right (1950). Museum of the City of New York. Theater Collection.ebooks/Block, Geoffrey/Enchanted Evenings_The Broadway Musical from 'Show Boat' to Sondheim and Lloyd Webber - Geoffrey Block.txt
  • Original cast (1950) : Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, Sam Levene, Isabel Bigley, Pat Rooney Sr., Stubby Kaye, Irving Actman (conductor). Decca 8036; reissue MCA 2034. Missing: “Havana” and “Crapshooter” dances.ebooks/Block, Geoffrey/Enchanted Evenings_The Broadway Musical from 'Show Boat' to Sondheim and Lloyd Webber - Geoffrey Block.txt
  • Act One: “Opening” (aka “Runyonland”) (Ensemble); “Fugue for Tinhorns” (Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver, Douglas Deane); “Follow the Fold” (Isabel Bigley, Pat Rooney Sr., Paul Migan, Margery Oldroyd, Christine Matsios); “The Oldest Established” (Sam Levene, Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver, Ensemble); “I’ll Know” (Isabel Bigley, Robert Alda); “A Bus…ebooks/Dietz, Dan/Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, The - Dan Dietz.txt
  • Tony Awards : Best Musical (Guys and Dolls ); Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Robert Alda ); Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Isabel Bigley ); Best Director (George S. Kaufman ); Best Author of a Musical (Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ); Best Composer and Lyricist (Frank Loesser ); Best Choreographer (Michael Kidd )ebooks/Dietz, Dan/Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, The - Dan Dietz.txt
  • There was another dead spot in Act One. It was a song called “Travelin’ Light,” which was performed by Sam Levene and Robert Alda. This really stopped the show, but in a bad way. As someone told Abe Burrows, Sam Levene may not be able to sing, but he sure can’t dance. However, solving this problem was touchy. Almost all of Sam’s songs had…ebooks/Feuer, Cy/B003L77WUK EBOK - Cy Feuer & Ken Gross.txt
  • Cast: Steve Lawrence, Sally Ann Howes, Robert Alda, Bernice Massi, Barry Newman, Walter Klavunebooks/Green, Stanley/Broadway Musicals, Show By Show - Seventh Edition - Stanley Green & Cary Ginell.txt

Passages naming this person, found by keyword across 178 books. A keyword match is not a biography, and a common name will pull in the wrong one.

What this page does not know

  • What this person played. No cast list we hold records a character against a performer.
  • Which of the credits above the roles on this record — actor — apply to. The roles sit on the person and never on a credit, so a director who also acted looks the same here as one who did not.

Something wrong here? Correct a field or report the problem. Every change is recorded in public under the contributor licence.