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Russell Nype

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Russell Nype
Born
Russell Harold Nype

(1920-04-26)April 26, 1920
Zion, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 27, 2018(2018-05-27) (aged 98)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Alma materLake Forest College
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1949–1991
SpouseDiantha Fitch Lawrence (m. 1953–2015; her death)
Children1

Russell Harold Nype (April 26, 1920 – May 27, 2018)[1] was an American actor and singer.

Early years

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Born in Zion, Illinois, Nype majored in speech and English at Lake Forest College,[2] earning a bachelor's degree.[3] During World War II, he served in the United States Army.[1] Early in his New York career, press stories frequently mentioned his Illinois roots and religiously strict upbringing: "I come from the severest aspects of the Midwestern Bible belt. My family hasn't actually written me off because I'm in show business, but they'd be much happier if I concentrated my performances on singing hymns in church. My answer is that I couldn't support my wife and children."[4]

Career

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After teaching ballroom dance and singing in nightclubs,[1] Nype made his Broadway debut in Marc Blitzstein's opera Regina in 1949. The following year he won critical acclaim and both the Tony and Theatre World Awards for his performance opposite Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam.[5] One Broadway columnist provided a measure of how quickly he rose from obscurity in the show: "A week ago, Russell Nype was such an unknown that Celebrity Service, which keeps files on performers, didn't even list his name. The day after he opened in Call Me Madam Celeb Service received 60 phone calls from agents, writers, and producers asking for background material on him, and his phone number. He gets featured billing in the show next week."[6] Merman and Nype were reunited in 1970 when, late in the run of the original production of Hello, Dolly!, Merman joined the show in the title role and Nype was cast as Cornelius Hackl. Nype later appeared in revivals of Carousel, Brigadoon, and Morning's at Seven, and opposite Elaine Stritch in the short-lived musical Goldilocks, for which he won his second Tony.[7] A Bucks County (PA) Playhouse engagement in 1960 was a revival of the 1935 play Petticoat Fever, with added new songs.[8]

Nype caught Hollywood's attention early and was offered a role in MGM's Young Man in a Hurry. MGM released him after eight days of filming, and the movie eventually debuted with Glenn Ford as Young Man with Ideas in 1952. As Nype explained, "I realized from the outset that I was too young for the role. It was originally written for Jimmy Stewart and the character was supposed to be married 10 years and have three children--eight, five, and one years old....When the studio bosses saw the first eight days' rushes, they agreed with me that I was too young for the part."[9]

Nype's feature film credits include Love Story (1970), Can't Stop the Music (1980) and The Stuff (1985). On television he appeared in Studio One, Fantasy Island, One Day at a Time, The Cosby Show, Murder, She Wrote, Who's the Boss?, and productions of One Touch of Venus, Kiss Me, Kate and Morning's at Seven.

Personal life

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Nype married Diantha Fitch Lawrence on March 7, 1953; the couple had one child, a son. Diantha Lawrence Nype died in 2015.[10]

Death

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Nype died in West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 27, 2018, at the age of 98, survived by his son, two grandchildren, and two stepchildren.[11]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1970 Love Story Dean Thompson
1980 Can't Stop the Music Richard Montgomery
1983 Balboa Senator Highsmith
1985 The Stuff Richards

Stage

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Year Title Role(s) Venue Ref.
1949 Regina Leo Hubbard 46th Street Theatre, Broadway [12]
1950 Great to Be Alive! Freddie, singer Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway [13]
1950 Call Me Madam Kenneth Gibson Imperial Theatre, Broadway [14]
1952 National Theatre, Washington, D.C. [15]
1952 One Touch of Venus Rodney Hatch Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh [16]
1956 Wake Up, Darling Deerfield Prescott Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway [17]
1957 Carousel Enoch Snow New York City Center [18]
1958 Goldilocks George Randolph Brown Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway [19]
1963 Brigadoon Jeff Douglas New York City Center [20]
1963 Once for the Asking Alex Crumbull Booth Theatre, Broadway [21]
1965 The Owl and the Pussycat F. Sherman North American tour [22][23][24]
1967 The Girl in the Freudian Slip Dr. Alec Rice Booth Theatre, Broadway [25]
1968 Private Lives Elyot Chase Theatre de Lys, Off-Broadway [26]
1970 Hello, Dolly! Cornelius Hackl St. James Theater, Broadway [27]
1971 Light Up the Sky Tyler Rayburn Meridian Hall, Toronto [28]
Fisher Theatre, Detroit
1972 Lady Audley's Secret Robert Audley Eastside Playhouse, Off-Broadway [29]
1980 Morning's at Seven David Crampton (replacement) Lyceum Theatre, Broadway [30]
1981 Light Up the Sky Tyler Rayburn John Drew Theater-Guild Hall, Long Island [31][32]
1983 Tallulah Will Bankhead Westside Arts Center, Off-Broadway [33]
1985 Taking My Turn John US national tour [34]
1986 Painting Churches Gardner Church Long Island Stage [35]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Results Ref.
1951 Theatre World Awards — Call Me Madam Won [36]
1951 Tony Awards Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical Won [37]
1959 Goldilocks Won[a] [38]

Notes

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  1. ^ Tied with Leonard Stone for Redhead

References

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  1. ^ a b c Gans, Andrew. "Two-Time Tony-Winning Actor Russell Nype Dies at 98". Playbill. Playbill, Inc. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  2. ^ Barnard, Ken (January 23, 1966). "Nype's Fine Duet With Miss Kitt". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. p. 23. Retrieved June 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Barnes, Mike (June 4, 2018). "Russell Nype, Two-Time Tony Winner and Star of 'Call Me Madam,' Dies at 98". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  4. ^ Stern, Harold. "Russell Nype Unusual Show Type", Yonkers (NY) Herald-Statesmen, February 10, 1959.
  5. ^ "Russell Nype moves up ladder". The Pittsburgh Press. June 2, 1968. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Kilgallen, Dorothy. "Voice of Broadway", Olean (NY) Times Herald, October 23, 1950.
  7. ^ Russell Nype at the Internet Broadway Database
  8. ^ "Novelties on Straw Hat Circuit", Philadelphia Inquirer, June 19, 1960.
  9. ^ Thomas, Bob. "Russell Nype Bows out of Debut Movie", Cortland (NY) Standard, September 15, 1951.
  10. ^ "Noted Singer to Wed", Utica (NY) Daily Press, February 18, 1953.
  11. ^ "Russell Nype, Two-Time Tony-Winning Actor, Dies at 98". The New York Times. June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  12. ^ "Regina – Broadway Musical – Original". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Great to Be Alive! – Broadway Musical – Original". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  14. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (13 October 1950). "FIRST NIGHT AT THE THEATRE". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  15. ^ "Call Me Madam – Broadway Musical – Tour". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025. The three principals from the Broadway company (Ethel Merman, Russel Nype, and Richard Eastham) reprised their roles for this tour's opening engagement in Washington DC. There was a special matinee on Friday, May 30, 1952 where their successors (Elaine Stritch, David Daniels, and Kent Smith, respectively) performed prior to taking over the roles full-time on June 2, 1952 in Philadelphia. Merman, Nype, and Eastham were all in the audience for this performance.
  16. ^ "Russell Nype". Artist Database. Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  17. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (3 May 1956). "Theatre: Seasonal Play". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  18. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (12 September 1957). "The Theatre: 'Carousel'". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  19. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (13 October 1958). "The Theatre: 'Goldilocks'". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  20. ^ Taubman, Howard (1 February 1963). "Revival at City Center Has Old Magic". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  21. ^ Funke, Lewis (21 November 1963). "Theater: A Fairy Tale". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  22. ^ "The Owl and the Pussycat – Broadway Play – Tour". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  23. ^ Digital Collections, The New York Public Library. "(still image) Eartha Kitt and Russell Nype in the touring stage production The Owl and the Pussycat , (1965)". The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  24. ^ Barnard, Ken (23 January 1966). "Nype's Fine Duet With Miss Kitt". Detroit Free Pres. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  25. ^ Kerr, Walter (19 May 1967). "Theater: 'Girl in the Freudian Slip'". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  26. ^ Sullivan, Dan (20 May 1968). "The Theater: 'Private Lives' Revived". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  27. ^ Funke, Lewis (30 March 1970). "Merman 'Hello, Dolly's!' Lucky 7th". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  28. ^ "Light Up the Sky – Broadway Play – Tour". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  29. ^ Barnes, Clive (4 October 1972). "The Stage: 'Lady Audley'". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  30. ^ "Morning's at Seven – Broadway Play – 1980 Revival". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  31. ^ Corry, John (21 August 1981). "IT'S A BUSY SEASON ON THE SUMMER-THEATER CIRCUIT". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  32. ^ Gussow, Mel (18 August 1981). "PLAY: 'LIGHT UP THE SKY' IN LONG ISLAND REVIVAL". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  33. ^ Rich, Frank (31 October 1983). "STAGE: 'TALLULAH,' REVUE". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Taking My Turn – Broadway Musical – Tour". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  35. ^ Frank, Leah D. (14 December 1986). "THEATER REVIEW; FAMILY PORTRAIT PAINTED WITH FLAIR". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  36. ^ "Theatre World Award Recipients". Theatre World Awards. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  37. ^ "1951 Tony Awards". Tony Awards. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  38. ^ "1959 Tony Awards". Tony Awards. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
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