Geoffrey Holder
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| Geoffrey Holder | |||||||||||
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 Holder with wife Carmen De Lavallade. photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1955 |
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| Born | August 1, 1930 Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago |
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| Occupation | Actor, choreographer, costume designer, dancer, painter, vocalist, voice-over artist | ||||||||||
| Years active | 1957–2005 | ||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Carmen De Lavallade (1955-present) | ||||||||||
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Geoffrey Holder (b. August 1, 1930) is a Trinidadian actor, choreographer, dancer, painter, costume designer, singer and voice-over artist.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Holder is known for his towering 200cm (78 in/ 6' 6") height, heavily accented deep basso voice and hearty laugh. With that and his appearance in the 1970's 7 Up soft drink "uncola" advertising campaign, Holder quickly became instantly recognizable.
Though the 7 Up advertising campaign only lasted a couple of years in the early 1970's, the company decided to revive the campaign in the early 1980's, after Holder achieved a spike in popularity in the movie version of the musical "Annie", in which he played the role of Punjab.
He is a prolific painter, ardent art collector, and performer who has also authored books and composed music.
Holder is married to dancer Carmen De Lavallade, whom he met when both were in the Broadway cast of "Flower Drum Song". They live in New York City and have one son, Leo Anthony Lamont. His brother is the London-based artist Boscoe Holder.
[edit] Productions
[edit] Broadway
- The Boys' Choir of Harlem and Friends, Staged Concert, 1993 - Staging
- The Wiz, 1984 Revival - Direction, Costume Design
- Timbuktu! - Original Musical, 1978 - Direction, Choreography, Costume Design, Playbill Cover Illustration
- The Wiz - Original Musical, 1975 - Direction, Costume Design
- Josephine Baker - Musical Review, 1964 - Performer
- Waiting for Godot - Revival (all black cast), 1957 - Performer
- House of Flowers, Original Musical, 1964 - Banda dance choreography, performer
[edit] Film
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film), 2005 - narration
- Goosed, 1999
- Boomerang - 1992
- Annie, 1982
- Doctor J. Kanye, 1978
- Swashbuckler 1976
- Live and Let Die, 1973 - also choreography
- Doctor Dolittle, 1967
[edit] Television
- Cyberchase as Master Pi in "Secrets of Symmetria" (episode 118), 2002 and "Double Trouble" (episode 209), 2003
- Bear in the Big Blue House, 1997
- The 62nd Annual Academy Awards, 1990 - performing
- Alice in Wonderland, 1983
- 7-Up commercials (The Un-cola)
- What's My Line, circa 1972
- Isle of Capri Casino (commercials), late 1980's
[edit] Radio
- KYOT-FM in Phoenix, Arizona, 1994-present - Voiceover
[edit] Bibliography
- Holder, Geoffrey; Harshman Tom (1959). Black Gods, Green Islands. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0837127890.
- Holder, Geoffrey (1973). Geoffrey Holder's Caribbean Cookbook. New York: Viking Press. OCLC 2700931.
- Holder, Geoffrey (1986). Adam. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670810282.
- Holder, Geoffrey; University Art Museum. (1995). Geoffrey Holder: the painter. Albany, New York: State University of New York at Albany. ISBN 0910763135.
- Holder, Geoffrey; Falke, Stefan; Lovelace, Earl (2004). The Dancing spirits of Trinidad: Moko Jumbies. New York: Pointed Leaf Press. ISBN 0972766138.
[edit] References
- Geoffrey Holder: Visionary Videos: NVLP: African American History:. The National Visionary Leadership Project. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Franne Lee for Candide |
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design 1974-1975 for The Wiz |
Succeeded by Florence Klotz for Pacific Overtures |
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