Ron Richardson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ronald F. Richardson (January 27, 1952 - April 5, 1995) was an award winning African American stage actor and operatic tenor. Richardson is best known for his Tony Award and Drama Desk Award-winning performance in the 1985 Broadway musical Big River.[1]
[edit] Biography
Ron Richardson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied voice at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), where he played roles in classic musicals such as Show Boat, Camelot, and Man of La Mancha.
In 1977, Richardson played Sportin' Life in the Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess. Richardson's first role on Broadway was as the Chief of Police in the 1978 musical Timbuktu! Over the next several years, Richardson appeared in several regional theatre and opera productions but it wasn't until his award-winning performance as Jim in the 1985 Broadway musical Big River that Richardson became widely known. After Big River closed in 1987, Richardson toured London, St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Japan in concerts and in singing roles. Richardson also appeared in two more Broadway productions during the early 1990s, Oh, Kay! and The Boys Choir of Harlem and Friends.[2] Richardson died of AIDS at the age of 43 in Bronxville, New York.[1]
