Cyril Richard, Patrice Munsel & Theodor Uppman "The Jolly Gaoler" LA PERICHOLE (Offenbach) 1957

Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He was born in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills in 1898, educated by the Jesuits at St Aloysius' College and studied medicine at the University of Sydney until he abandoned his medical career in 1917 and decided to become an actor. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in the Mary Martin musical production of PETER PAN. In 1945, he played Gabriele Eisenstein in GAY ROSALINDA at the Palace theatre in London, a version of Strauss's DIE FLEDERMAUS by Erich Wolfgang Korngold in which he appeared with Peter Graves. The show was conducted by Richard Tauber and ran for almost a year.

He appeared as Kreton in Gore Vidal's play VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET as well as also directed it. It debuted on on Broadway on February 7th, 1957, and ran for 388 performances. Ritchard received a Tony Award nomination for his performance. In 1958, he starred in the Cole Porter CBS television musical ALADDIN. In 1959, he was nominated for a second Tony Award, for Best Actor in a Play, for THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY.

He appeared onstage in THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT - THE SMELL OF THE CROWD (1965), with Anthony Newley, and played Osgood Fielding in SUGAR (1972). He was also a Broadway director. He suffered a heart attack on November 25th 1977, while appearing as the narrator in the Chicago touring company of SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM and died on December 18th 1977 in Chicago, aged 79. He appeared as Don Andres De Ribeira, Viceroy Of Peru in the New York Metropolitan Opera's production of Offenbach's LA PERICHOLE in 1957 alongside the fabulous soprano Patrice Munsel and American baritone Theodor Uppman. We hear them in the "Jolly Gaoler Trio from Act III. The Orchestra is under conductor Jean Morel.