Ken Jennings (actor)

Last updated

Kenneth Jennings (born October 10, 1947) is an American stage actor, most famous for his role as Tobias Ragg in the 1979 Broadway premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . Jennings received the 1979 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. He has also performed in several other shows, including Urinetown in 2001.

Contents

Jennings was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended St. Peter's Preparatory School and St. Peter's College, both Catholic schools located in his hometown of Jersey City. [1]

He performed the voice of Dinty Doyle in the 1981 Rankin/Bass stop motion animated Christmas special The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold, as well as Hunter #2 in the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn .

NYC theatre credits

Other performances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweeney Todd</span> Fictional serial killer barber

Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet Street, Todd murders his customers with a straight razor and gives their corpses to Mrs. Lovett, his partner in crime, who bakes their flesh into meat pies. The tale has been retold many times since in various media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Cariou</span> Canadian actor and stage director

Leonard Joseph Cariou is a Canadian actor and stage director. He gained prominence for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) alongside Angela Lansbury for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He also received Tony nominations for his roles in the Betty Comden and Adolph Green musical Applause (1970), and the Sondheim A Little Night Music (1973).

George Hearn is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre. Some of his roles include Albin in La Cage aux Folles, the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard, Mr. Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked.

<i>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</i> 1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1970 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls.

Tobias Ragg is a fictional character who appears in various adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd. The character is apprentice to the abusive barber Pirelli, until Pirelli is murdered by Todd. Toby proceeds to stay with Todd and Mrs. Lovett, helping the latter out in her meat pie shop. Later, Tobias discovers that they have a joint venture to cook the men Todd shaves into meat pies. He ultimately kills Todd after Todd kills Lovett and Lucy Barker, along with multiple others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Gemignani</span> American actor and musician (born 1979)

Alexander Cesare Gemignani is a Broadway actor, tenor, musician, and conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia McKenzie</span> English actress, presenter, director, writer

Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFTA Award nominated role as Hester Fields in the sitcom Fresh Fields (1984–1986) and its sequel French Fields (1989–1991), and as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple (2009–2013).

Lonny Price is an American director, actor, and writer, primarily in theatre. He is perhaps best known for his creation of the role of Charley Kringas in the Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along and for his New York directing work including Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Company, and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Fowler</span> American actress and singer (born 1940)

Beth Fowler is an American actress and singer, best known for her performances on Broadway and for her role as Sister Ingalls, on Orange Is the New Black. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christiane Noll</span> American actress and singer (born 1968)

Christiane Noll is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde, and had roles in Urinetown, Ragtime, and Dear Evan Hansen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Lewis</span> American actor, singer

Norm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared in Europe, on Broadway, in film, television, recordings and regional theatre. Productions that he has been involved in include Dessa Rose, Miss Saigon, The Wild Party, Les Misérables, The Little Mermaid, and several others.

Ken Billington is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Lovett</span> Fictional character in many adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd

Mrs. Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd. Her first name is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although she has also been referred to as Amelia, Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhelmina, Mary and Claudetta. A baker from London, Mrs. Lovett is an accomplice and business partner of Sweeney Todd, a barber and serial killer from Fleet Street. She makes meat pies from Todd’s victims.

Lucy Barker is a fictional character that appears in some versions of the story Sweeney Todd. Lucy is the wife of barber Benjamin Barker, who is unjustly imprisoned by Judge Turpin, who wants Lucy for himself. After Turpin sexually abuses her, Lucy attempts suicide with poison, but survives and goes insane. Years later, Benjamin Barker, now calling himself "Sweeney Todd", returns to London and his neighbor, Mrs. Lovett tells Todd about Lucy poisoning herself, but leaves out that Lucy lived. He later finds Lucy as a beggar woman; not recognizing her, he slits her throat, before killing Mrs. Lovett.

Paul Gemignani is an American musical director with a career on Broadway and West End theatre spanning over forty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolfo Pirelli</span> Supporting antagonist

Mr. Adolfo Pirelli, also known as Alf Spiral, Daniel O'Higgins or Davy Collins, is a fictional character from Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He is a supporting antagonist in the story and a rival barber to Sweeney Todd. He is eventually killed by Todd after he threatens him with extortion.

Eddie Korbich is an American actor, singer and dancer. He was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Shamokin, Pennsylvania.

Timothy Nolen is an American actor and baritone who has had an active career in operas, musicals, concerts, plays, and on television for over four decades. He was notably the second actor to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

Jim Walton is an American actor, most notable for his leading performance in the original production of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along as Franklin Shephard.

"Not While I'm Around" is a song from the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It is a duet between Tobias Ragg and Mrs. Lovett that first appeared on Broadway in 1979. A screen adaptation for the 2007 film of the same name features Edward Sanders as Tobias and Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett.

References

  1. Janiga, Bruce. "Side by Side with Ken Jennings", Sondheim.com, undated. Accessed July 23, 2008. "I lived in Jersey City, went to St. Peter's Prep, went to St. Peter's College on a dramatic scholarship."
  2. "Astuter Computer Revue at Walt Disney World". WDWHistory.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012.