Theodore Bikel sang from the time he was a child. He sang with his parents at home and in the Vienna woods. Then his talents made their way to stage and screen and to world acclaim.
On June 15 Theodore Bikel: The First 85 Years will celebrate the actor's rich career devoted to art and activism at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
The 7:30 pm concert in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage will boast the talents of Alan Alda, Arlo Guthrie, Rosemary Harris, David Amram, Beyond the Pale, Artie Butler, Patricia Conolly, Judy Kaye, David Krakauer, Tom Paxton, Serendipity 4 (Shura Lipovsky, Merima Kljuco, Tamara Brooks and Bikel), Noel Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow, Susan Werner and Michael Wex.
Proceeds will benefit Juvenile Law Center, which works to protect children's rights and interests in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
On Broadway Bikel originated the role of Baron von Trapp in The Sound of Music opposite Mary Martin, receiving a Tony nomination for his performance. He received a second nomination for The Rope Dancers. Among his many celebrated performances, he is known for his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof – a role he has performed over 2000 times during the past 37 years, more than any other actor.
Bikel also has a rich film career. His first movie role was in African Queen and he has since made more than 35 films including: The Enemy Below, The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming, The Little Kidnappers, My Fair Lady, I Want To Live and The Defiant Ones, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
He has starred in virtually every top dramatic show on TV including: Law And Order, All In The Family, Dynasty, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, Little House on The Prairie, The Twilight Zone, The Final Days (as Henry Kissinger), L.A. Law and Columbo. He received an Emmy Award in 1988 for his portrayal of the title role in PBS's Harris Newmark
Bikel had lent his voice to the narration of numerous documentaries including many on Polish themes such as: Klezmer Musicians Travel Home" to Krakow, The Last Chapter, The Desperate Ones, and Lodz Ghetto.
He has given concerts at the annual Kraków Festival of Jewish Culture, and appeared as a Old-World Polish grandfather singing “Leć Ptaszku” in an independent American short film.
As a member of the nominating committee for The Academy Awards – Best Foreign Language Picture category, he was recently part of the process that chose the Andrzej Wajda film, Katyń.
He is tireless in his work and his one-man show titled Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears continues to enthrall audiences across the US.
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage is located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue in New York City. For tickets, priced $30-$500, visit www.jlc.org./bikel.
– Staś Kmieć
