Patinkin, Mandy

views updated May 23 2018

Mandy Patinkin

Singer; actor

For the Record

Selected discography

Sources

Mandy Patinkin is the greatest singer of theater music that we have, according to critic Daniel Okrent in Esquire. His first singing role on Broadway, that of Che Guevara in the popular musical Evita, won him the coveted Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award. He has since increased his fame through performances in Stephen Sondheims Sunday in the Park with George, on soundtrack recordings of Sondheims Follies, and Rogers and Hammersteins South Pacific. His 1989 debut solo album of show tunes was not only acclaimed by reviewers, but turned in impressive sales figures as well. But singing is not Patinkins sole talent. As Okrent revealed, he is a powerful screen and stage presence as well: Watch Patinkin act, and its too easy to forget how brilliantly he sings. His film roles have included such diverse parts as the earnest swashbuckler Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride and a ruthless, McCarthy-era lawyer in The House on Carroll Street.

Patinkin was born Mandel Patinkin in Chicago, lllinois, during the early 1950s, to Jewish parents in the scrap metal business. He began singing at his synagogue when he was eight years old. As he told Cathleen McGuigan of Newsweek, there is still a certain cry that I-get like the cry a cantor makes. When Patinkin grew a little older, his mother encouraged him to participate in community theater. But when the young man decided to pursue a career in acting, his parents worriedthey considered scrap metal a much more dependable source of income than dramatic talent. After a few years attending classes at the University of Kansas, Patinkin transferred to New York Citys famed school, Juilliard.

When Patinkin auditioned for the 1979 play Evita, he had not concentrated on singing for eight years. Nevertheless, he won the role and quickly became a renowned feature of the Broadway scene. But after he won the Tony Award he lost no time furthering his career as an actor in nonsinging parts. One of his first major film roles was that of Avigdor, the romantic lead in singer-actress Barbra Streisands Yentl. John Stark quoted Streisand on the subject of Patinkin in People magazine: He totally surprised me with his original approach. He was unpredictable, emotionally volatile and very gifted, and that was exciting for me as a director. Other films followed, including two based on E. L. Doctorow novels, Ragtime and Daniel. In the latter, Patinkin played a character based on Julius Rosenberg, an American communist accused of treason and executed. Sidney Lumet, who directed Daniel, told Nora Peck in Cosmopolitan: Mandy is just a bolt of lightning. Hes a giant actor, a blinding talent.

Patinkin has more or less divided his professional time between singing and acting. Another of his Broadway triumphs was the long-running Sunday in the Park with

For the Record

Full name, Mandel Patinkin; born c. 1952, in Chicago, 111.; father is a scrap metal dealer, mother is a homemaker; married Kathryn Grody (an actress), 1980; children: Isaac and Gideon. Education: attended the University of Kansas and Juilliard School.

Played Che Guevara in the Broadway musical Evita, 1979; played Georges Seurat in the Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George, c 1983; recorded soundtracks for other musicals, including South Pacific, and Follies; solo recording artist and concert performer, 1989. Appeared in films, including Yentl, Ragtime, Daniel, The Princess Bride, The House on Carroll Street, Maxie, and Alien Nation. He has also starred in nonsinging roles in plays, including Trelawny of the Wells, Henry IV, and A Winters Tale.

Awards: A Tony award for his performance in Evita.

Addresses: Home New York, N.Y. Record company CBS Records, 51 W. 52nd St., New York, NY 10019.

George, which a People critic hailed as a show to see, savor, and see again. The same critic pronounced Patinkins performance as Impressionist painter Georges Seurat, perfect. Patinkins talent is so wide-ranging that he even garners rave reviews as a Shakespearean actor; Jack Kroll critiquing him in a 1989 production of A Winters Tale showered him with praise in Newsweek: Mandy Patinkin gives one of those rare performances thats both truly American and deeply Shakespearean. [He] is really scary as the jealous Leontes. Echoing such sentiments in New Republic, reviewer Robert Brustein labeled Patinkins appearance in the play riveting.

But Patinkins excellence in performance is purchased at a high price. He revealed to Stark that he is too much of a perfectionist for his own good. As Stark phrased it, Patinkin is a standout worrier in a profession known for its neurotics.He is quite capable of worrying himself sick, and his constant anxiety about his career and how to portray a given role correctly, has, on more than one occasion, driven employers, friends and Patinkin himself to distraction. Speaking of the first solo singing appearance he made at New York Citys Public Theater to coincide with the release of his debut album Mandy Patinkin, he confided to Stark: Two days before the concert I broke out in hives and welts. They were ready to medicate me. He also said, about any of his live performances, if youre coming to see me, dont ever tell me. If I know someone is coming, be it a cabdriver, the doorman or a relative, Ill freak.

In the instance of the Public Theater concert, Patinkins fears were totally unwarranted. Stark called it two and a half hours of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley tunes delivered with an emotional wallop that could make even Liza Minnelli seem limp. As for Patinkins 1989 album, it is a more permanent showcase for his voice, which has been variously described as a fine, clean tenor by McGuigan, and as simply gorgeous by Peck. Cuts like Over the Rainbow and Soliloquy from Carousel have been singled out for praise by both McGuigan and Okrent; other standout tunes include No One Is Alone, from Sondheims Into the Woods, and Once upon a Time. Okrent summed the singer thus: He has impeccable phrasing, his diction [is] nearly supernatural, his shining tenor [is] an instrument of absolute purity.

Selected discography

LPs

Mandy Patinkin (includes Over the Rainbow, Soliloquy, Into the Woods, Once upon a Time, Sonny Boy, Puttin on the Ritz, and Ill Be Seeing You), CBS Records, 1989.

Also featured on soundtrack albums of South Pacific and Follies.

Sources

Cosmopolitan, January 1988.

Esquire, April 1989.

New Republic, May 8, 1989.

Newsweek, February 20, 1989; April 3, 1989.

People, February 17, 1986; May 8, 1989.

Elizabeth Thomas

Patinkin, Mandy

views updated May 29 2018

Mandy Patinkin

Singer, actor

Balanced Solo Musical Career with Acting

Appeared in Musical Films

Television Roles Often Included Music

Selected discography

Sources

Tony and Emmy Award-winning singer/pianist/actor Mandy Patinkin is noted for his remarkable tenor and fresh interpretation of classic theater standards from composers such as Oscar Hammerstein II and Stephen Sondheim. He infuses timeless classics with his own brand of gentle, almost quirky musical stylings: he trills, holds notes for a few beats longer than the original, and imparts a uniquely theatrical flair to each rendition.

Patinkin was born at Chicagos Mercy Hospital in 1952 and was named after his grandfather, Menachem Man-del. As a boy, he attended Hebrew school at the Congregation Rodfei Zedek, where he sang in the boys choir. It was his early choir years that sparked his love of music and honed his sensitivity to the perfect pitch. When Patinkin grew a little older, his mother encouraged him to participate in community theater. After high school at South Shore High in Chicago, Patinkin attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, for two years before moving to New York City to attend the Juilliard School of Drama in 1972.

When Patinkin auditioned for the 1979 play Evita, he had not concentrated on singing for eight years. Yet, his audition won him a spot in the castthe role of Che Guevara. His talent shone, and in 1980, Patinkin won a Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actor for his portrayal of Che Guevara. That same year, he married actress Kathryn Grody.

Patinkins acting career was intertwined with his musical career, since much of his acting entailed performing in musicals. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his starring role as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park with George in 1984. In 1985, Patinkin played Buddy Durant in Follies In Concert; the following year he played Lieutenant Cable in South Pacific, and in 1987 he played Peter Handsworth in The Knife. In the 1990s, his roles included: the Marriage Arranger in Kismet (1991), Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden (1991), Marvin in the musical Falsettos (1993), and in 1996 he played Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha.

Balanced Solo Musical Career with Acting

Patinkin began his concert career at Joseph Papps Public Theatre in New York City in 1989, which coincided with the release of his first solo album, Mandy Patinkin. After releasing his first album, he toured extensively across the U.S. and in Canada as well. He indulged his love of theater by performing songs from stage classics, particularly those written by Rogers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, and Stephen Sondheim.

For the Record

Born Mandel Patinkin, November 30, 1952 in Chi cago, IL; son of Lester (in scrap metal business) and Doris (a homemaker) Patinkin; married Kathryn Grody (an actress), June 15, 1980; children: Isaac and Gideon. Education: Attended University of Kansas, 1970-72, and the Juilliard School of Drama, 1972-74.

Began his concert career at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City in 1989, which coincided with his first solo album, Mandy; Patinkin. Began touring the U.S and Canada after 1989; released second solo album, Mandy; Patinkin In Concert: Dress Casual in 1990; released Experiment in 1994; released Oscar & Steve in 1997.

Has appeared in over twenty films, including Yenti (1983), Maxie (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), The House on Carroll Street (1988), Alien Nation (1989), Dick Tracy (1990), The Doctor (1991), and Men with Guns (1997). Television appearances include, Sesame Street, Taxi, and The Simpsons.Played the role of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on the drama series Chicago Hope,1994-96.

Awards: Tony Award, Outstanding Featured Actor, for his portrayal of Che Guevara in Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical, Evita,1980; Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Dramatic Series, for his portrayal of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on Chicago Hope,1996.

Addresses: Home Manhattan, New York. Office Dodger Touring Ltd., 1501 Broadway, Suite 2015, New York, NY 10036; (212) 768-8705; United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Boulevard, #500, Los Angeles, CA 90212

Ayear later, in 1990, he released his second solo album, Mandy Patinkin In Concert: Dress Casual, followed by his inclusion in Tenors Anyone?, which was released in 1991. Patinkin was also included on Love Songs, a Sony compilation of previously released material, in 1992.

In 1994 Patinkin released his third solo album, Experiment, which highlighted songs that span nine decades and encompass songsfrom Irving Berlin to Alan Mencken. In 1995 Patinkin released the solo effort Oscar & Steve, a compilation of songs written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Stephen Sondheim. In 1996, Patinkin took a short respite from his solo efforts to sing on the Leonard Bernsteins New York cast album

Appeared in Musical Films

Patinkins film career is just as impressive as his musical career, which is a statement rarely attributed to a musician or actor. Between 1978 and 1997, Patinkin appeared in over twenty-six films, many of which are now considered durable classics. Patinkin played Avig-dor in Yentl,88 Keys in Dick Tracy, Alfred De Musset in Impromptu, Inigo Montoya in Princess Bride, Tateh in Ragtime, and himself in Madonna: Truth or Dare. In 1997 he played Andrew in Men with Guns, and Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Patinkin often accepts roles that allow him to stretch as an actor and often to sing as well. Yentl and Ragtime were centered around music, as was Impromptu and Madonna: Truth or Dare. Patinkins line from The Princess Bride, Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die was memorized by children all across the country, who watched and loved the film; its Patinkins most famous screen line. He told Jonathon Schwartz of A & E Review, I looove that I was in that movie becausemaybe more than anything Ive donebecause kids like it.

Television Roles Often Included Music

Patinkins film success is matched by his television success, and he has often infused his television roles with music. While portraying Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on Chicago Hopefrom 1994 to 1996, his character actually serenaded hospital co-workers with Patinkins brand of classic theater music. Geiger is arguably Patinkins most famous character, and his role as Dr. Geiger won him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1996.

In 1995, Larry King featured Patinkin and his music on his show, entitled Larry King: An Evening with Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin also appeared with Keith Lockhart in An Evening at Pops in 1995, and on Homicide: Life On the Street. He appeared as himself on The Larry Sanders Showin 1992, and appeared in An Evening at Pops in 1989. Other television appearances include Sesame Street, Taxi, and The Simpsons.

Patinkin is a Renaissance Man in the truest meaning of the word: he combines his considerable talents and interests to broaden the definition of musician, actor, and singer. He embraces comedy and tragedy, musicals and police shows, childrens films and pop rock documentaries. He has appeared in Shakespeare plays, Arthur Miller dramas, and Alien Nation. His flexibility is reminiscent of another eraan era when Gene Kelly could dance, act, sing, woo the leading lady, and even tap dance on the ceiling. Patinkin harks back to that era of multi-talented singers and thespians. Patinkin has achieved a unique status in the realm of television and films: an actor noted for both his acting and his musical talent. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis Presley are a few of the other crossover singer/actors, which renders Patinkin in a nostalgic light. Although its difficult to predict what hell portray on film and television in the future, his musical career is firmly rooted in a passion for musical theater and in the heartwarming songs of Americas greatest theatrical songwriters.

Selected discography

Solo Albums

Mandy Patinkin, CBS/Sony Records, 1989.

Mandy Patinkin Concert: Dress Casual, CBS/Sony Records, 1990.

Experiment, Elektra/Nonesuch Records, 1994.

Oscar & Steve, Elektra/Nonesuch Records, 1995.

Cast Albums

Evita, MCA Records, 1979.

Sunday In the Park with George, RCA Records, 1984.

South Pacific, MCA Records, 1986.

Kismet, Rhino Records, 1991.

The Secret Garden, Polydor Records, 1991.

Leonard Bernsteins New York, Nonesuch Records, 1996.

Man of La Mancha, MCA Records, 1996.

Sources

Periodicals

A&E Review,1988.

Online

http://www.wincom.net/dburrows/mandybio.htm

http://www.cyhaus.com/pbride/inter.htm

http://sawdust.cvfn.org/~rossowbe/music/mp/bio-stage.html, bio-

http://sawdust.cvfn.org/~rossowbe/music/mp/bio-record.html

http://sawdust.cvfn.org/~rossowbe/music/mp/screen.html

http://sawdust.cvfn.org/~rossowbe/music/mp/bio-vital.html

Additional information was found in transcripts of the Linda Ellerbee interview with Patinkin on her show, Later, in 1988.

Patinkin, Mandy 1952-

views updated May 23 2018

Patinkin, Mandy 1952-

PERSONAL

Full name, Mandel Bruce Patinkin; born November 30, 1952, in Chicago, IL; son of Lester (an executive with a scrap metal company) and Doris (a homemaker; maiden name, Sinton) Patinkin; cousin of Laura Patinkin (an actress); married Kathryn Grody (an actress and writer), June 15, 1980; children: Isaac, Gideon. Education: Attended the University of Kansas, 1970-72; studied music at the Juilliard School, 1972-74; studied voice with Andy Thomas Anselmo. Religion: Judaism. Avocational Interests: Collecting Lionel trains, yoga.

Addresses:

Agent—Special Artists Agency, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 890, Beverly Hills, CA 90212; International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, Ninth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Career:

Actor and singer. Appeared in advertisements and public service announcements. Concert performer at various venues; performed concerts for charities, including Doctors without Borders; member of the board of directors of Pax (organization promoting gun control); also promoted the cause of organ donation; delivered the commencement address at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Member:

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity Association.

Awards, Honors:

Antoinette Perry Award, best featured actor in a musical, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a musical, both 1980, for Evita; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a play, 1982, for Henry IV, Part I; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor in a musical, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a musical, both 1984, for Sunday in the Park with George; Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, 1984, for Yentl; Annual CableACE Award, best actor in a dramatic or theatrical special, National Cable Television Association, 1986, for "Sunday in the Park with George," Broadway on Showtime; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a musical, 1987, for The Knife; Drama League Award, distinguished achievement in musical theatre, 1989, for The Winter's Tale; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding one person show/solo performance, 1990, for Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Films, 1990, for Alien Nation; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a musical, 1991, for The Secret Garden; Emmy Award, outstanding lead actor in a drama series, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a television series—drama, and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by an actor in a drama series, all 1995, for Chicago Hope; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actor in a comedy series, 1996, for "Eight," an episode of The Larry Sanders Show; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actor in a drama series, 1999, for "Curing Cancer," an episode of Chicago Hope; Grammy Award nomination, spoken word category, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1999, for The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Translated by Mark Twain; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor in a musical, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a musical, both 2000, for The Wild Party; honorary doctorate, North Carolina School of the Arts, 2001; DVDX Award nomination (with others), best original song in a DVD premiere movie, 2003, for "How High the Mountain," a song from Run Ronnie Run.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Durant Laxart, Joan of Lorraine, Theatre at Good Shepherd/Faith Church, New York City, 1974.

Fortinbras and dumb show king, Hamlet, New York Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1975.

Mr. Arthur Gower, Trelawney of the "Wells," New York Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 1975.

Major Robert Steele Strong, Rebel Women, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Estelle R. Newman Theater, New York City, 1976.

Mark, The Shadow Box, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1976, and Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1977.

Carlos, Savages, Hudson Guild Theatre, New York City, 1977.

Paul, The Split, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Saverin, Leave It to Beaver Is Dead, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Other Stage, New York City, 1979.

Che, Evita (musical), Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1979-83.

Henry Percy (Hotspur), Henry IV, Part I, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, New York City, 1981.

Georges Seurat and George (two artists named George), Sunday in the Park with George (musical), Playwrights Horizons Theatre, New York City, 1983, and Booth Theatre, New York City, 1984-85.

Buddy Durant, Follies in Concert (concert), Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, 1985.

Peter Handsworth, The Knife (musical), New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Estelle R. Newman Theater, 1987.

Leontes, The Winter's Tale, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Anspacher Theater, New York City, 1989.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual (concerts; also known as Dress Casual and Mandy Patinkin—Dress Casual), New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, then Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, both 1989.

Born Again (musical), Chichester Festival Theatre, Festival Theatre, Chichester, England, 1990.

Archibald Craven (Mary's uncle), The Secret Garden (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, 1991-93.

Marvin, Falsettos (musical), John Golden Theatre, New York City, c. 1993.

Georges Seurat and George (two artists named George), Sunday in the Park with George (concert performance of musical), St. James Theatre, 1994.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert (concerts), Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1997.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: "Mamaloshen" (concerts in Yiddish), Theatre at Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts, then Belasco Theatre, both New York City, 1998.

Forbidden Broadway (revue), 1999.

Burrs, The Wild Party (musical), New York Shakespeare Festival, Virginia Theatre, New York City, 2000.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert (concert), Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Celebrating Sondheim (concerts; also known as Finishing the Hat), Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, PA, Sondheim Celebration, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, and Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 2002-2003.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert (concert), New World Stages, Stage III, New York City, 2004.

Mandy Patinkin on Broadway (benefit concert), Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York City, 2008.

Prospero, The Tempest, Classic Stage Company Theatre, New York City, beginning 2008.

An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin (concerts), du Pont Theatre at the Hotel du Pont Washington, DC, 2009.

Appeared as the title role, Hamlet, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City. Also performed at other venues, including children's theatrical productions at Baltimore Center Stage, Baltimore, MD, a concert at Riverside Church, New York City, 2001, and performed at museums and synagogues.

Film Appearances:

Pool man, The Big Fix, Universal, 1978.

First commuter, Last Embrace, United Artists, 1979.

Sayyid, French Postcards (also known as Wer geht denn noch zur Uni?), Paramount, 1979.

Alessandro the cab driver, Night of the Juggler (also known as New York Killer), Columbia, 1980.

Tateh, Ragtime (also known as Love and Glory), Paramount, 1981.

Avigdor, Yentl, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1983.

Paul Isaacson, Daniel, Paramount, 1983.

Nick, Maxie (also known as Free Spirit), Orion, 1985.

Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride (also known as The Bridges' Bride), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1987.

Detective Samuel "George" Francisco, Alien Nation (also known as Future Tense, Outer Heat, Spacecop L.A. 1991, Alien nacion, Alien nation, Nazione di alieni, Futur immediat, Futur immediat, Los Angeles, Lebkouni, Missao alien, Muukalaiset, Obca rasa, Obcy przybysze, Os novos invasores, and Przybysze), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988.

Ray Salwen, The House on Carroll Street, Orion, 1988.

(English version) Voice of Louis, Tenku no shiro Rapyuta (anime; also known as Castle in the Sky and Laputa: The Flying Island), dubbed version, Streamline Pictures, 1989, originally released by Toei Japan, 1986.

88 Keys, Dick Tracy, Buena Vista, 1990.

Alfred DeMusset, Impromptu, Hemdale Releasing, 1991.

Dr. Murray Kaplan, The Doctor (also known as A doktor, Der Doktor—Ein gewoehnlicher Patient, El doctor, Katkera rohto, Lakaren—han som aelskade livet, Le docteur, and Un medico, un uomo), Buena Vista, 1991.

John Palmieri, True Colors, Paramount, 1991.

(Uncredited) Himself, Madonna: Truth or Dare (documentary; also known as In Bed with Madonna and Truth or Dare), Miramax, 1991.

Irate man, Life with Mikey (also known as Give Me a Break), Buena Vista, 1993.

James "Jim" Nashe, The Music of Chance, IRS Releasing, 1993.

Brother Daniel, Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (also known as The Last Great Warrior), Buena Vista, 1994.

Andrew, Men with Guns (also known as Hombres armados), Sony Pictures Classics, 1998.

Philip Kleinman, Lulu on the Bridge, Trimark Pictures, 1998.

Huxley, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Columbia, 1999.

Joseph Papp, Pinero, Miramax, 2001.

Himself, Run Ronnie Run (also known as Run Ronnie Run! The Ronnie Dobbs Story: A Mr. Show Movie), New Line Cinema, 2002.

Himself, Frank and Johnny Are Married, IFC Films, 2003.

Rick, Choking Man, International Film Circuit, 2006.

Voice of Stanley Irving, Everyone's Hero (animated), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2006.

Television Appearances; Series:

Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, Chicago Hope, CBS, 1994-2000.

Storyteller, Genesis: A Living Conversation (documentary; also known as Genesis: A Living Conversation with Bill Moyers), PBS, 1996.

Rube Sofer, Dead Like Me (also known as Dead Girl, Mitt liv som doed, and Tan muertos como yo), Showtime, 2003-2004.

(In archive footage) Georges Seurat and George (two artists named George) in footage from Sunday in the Park with George, Broadway: The American Musical (documentary), PBS, 2004.

Jason Gideon, Criminal Minds (also known as Quantico, Criminal Minds—FBI tutjijat, Esprits criminels, Gyilkos elmek, Kurjuse kannul, and Mentes criminales), CBS, 2005-2007.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Himself, The Jewish Americans (documentary), PBS, 2008.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Beaudine Croft, Charleston, NBC, 1979.

Dr. Harry Hyman, Broken Glass, BBC, 1996, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, 1996.

Quasimodo (title role), The Hunchback (also known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Quasimodo), TNT, 1997.

Kenneth Duberstein, Strange Justice, Showtime, 1999.

Al Cummings, NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323, ABC, 2004.

Some sources cite appearances in other programs.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Performer, That Thing on ABC, ABC, 1978.

That Second Thing on ABC, ABC, 1978.

Himself, A Film Is Born: The Making of "Yentl" (also known as Barbra Streisand: A Film Is Born), 1983.

Buddy Plummer, "Follies in Concert," Great Performances, PBS, 1986.

Georges Seurat and George (two artists named George), "Sunday in the Park with George," Broadway on Showtime, Showtime, 1986.

An Evening at Pops, PBS, 1989.

Himself, "Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II" (also known as "Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II"), Great Performances, PBS, 1995.

Himself, Larry King: An Evening with Mandy Patinkin, 1995.

An Evening at Pops, PBS, 1995.

Himself, Leonard Bernstein's New York, PBS, 1997.

Narrator, Ellis Island (documentary), History Channel, 1997.

Narrator, Evita: The Story of Eva Peron, The Learning Channel, 1997.

All-Star Moms, CBS, 1997.

More Favorite Toys, The Discovery Channel, 1998.

Host, This Is Odyssey with Mandy Patinkin, Odyssey Channel, 1999.

The Museum of Television and Radio: Influences, Bravo, 2000.

A Centennial Toast to Symphony Hall, PBS, 2002.

(In archive footage) Performer, "Broadway's Lost Treasures," Great Performances, PBS, 2003.

Evening at Pops: Keith Lockhart's 10th Anniversary Special, PBS, 2004.

Narrator, The World Was Ours (documentary), WNET (Channel 13; PBS affiliate), 2007.

Performer of music that has appeared in television programs, films, and other productions.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Performer, The 34th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1980.

Performer, The 38th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1984.

Presenter, The 42nd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1988.

Performer, The 45th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1991.

Presenter, The 34th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1992.

Presenter, The 51st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1997.

Himself, The 54th Annual Tony Awards, CBS and PBS, 2000.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

New father, "Memories of Cab 804: Part 2," Taxi, ABC, 1978.

Television host, "The People of Israel" (also known as "Show 4: The People of Israel"), Shalom Sesame, produced c. 1985, broadcast 1988, also released on video.

Himself, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, multiple episodes in 1989.

Himself, Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show, Late Show Backstage, and Letterman), CBS, 1993, 1994, multiple episodes in 1995, 1998.

Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, "Rebels with Causes," Picket Fences (also known as Smalltown USA, High Secret City—La ville du grand secret, La famiglia Brock, Picket Fences—Tatort Gartenzaun, Rome—Stadt im Zwielicht, Rooman sheriffi, Sheriffen, Smaastadsliv, and Un drole de sherif), CBS, 1994.

Himself, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 1994.

(Uncredited) Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, "A Doll's Eyes," Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, 1995.

Himself, "Eight," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1995.

Voice of Hugh St. John Alastair Parkfield, "Lisa's Wedding, " The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1995.

Himself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1996, 1997, multiple episodes in 1998.

Voice of Hippocrates, "Hercules and the World's First Doctor," Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's "Hercules" and Hercules: The Animated Series), ABC and syndicated, 1998.

Himself, "The Films of Barbara Streisand," The Directors, Encore, 1999.

"Irving Berlin: An American Song," Biography (also known as A&E Biography: Irving Berlin), Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Narrator, "Houdini," The American Experience, PBS, 2000.

Isaac Rice, "Chapter Twenty-Two," Boston Public, Fox, 2001.

Himself, "The Papp Project" (documentary), American Masters, PBS, 2001.

Satan and the driver, "Netherlands," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2001.

Levi "the Griffin" March (also known Glenn Fordyce), "Absentia," Law & Order (also known as Law & Order Prime), NBC, 2003.

Himself, TV Land Moguls (documentary), TV Land, 2004.

Himself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2006.

Himself, "The Princess Bride," Cinemania, American Movie Classics, 2008.

Appeared as a singing hospital clown, CHiPs (also known as Chips and CHiPs Patrol), NBC; also appeared in The Midnight Special, NBC; and in Sesame Street (also known as The New Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, Sesame Street Unpaved, Canadian Sesame Street, and Les amis de Sesame), PBS.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Sparrow, CBS, 1978.

Shalom Sesame, produced c. 1985, broadcast 1988, also released on video.

Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, Chicago Hope, CBS, 1994.

Rube Sofer, Dead Like Me (also known as Dead Girl, Mitt liv som doed, and Tan muertos como yo), Showtime, 2003.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

Mandy Patinkin, CBS/Sony, 1989.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual (also known as Dress Casual and Mandy Patinkin—Dress Casual), CBS/Sony, 1990.

Experiment, Elektra Nonesuch, 1994.

Oscar & Steve, Elektra Nonesuch, 1995.

Mamaloshen (in Yiddish), Elektra Nonesuch, 1998.

Kidults, Elektra Nonesuch, 2001.

Sings Sondheim (also known as Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim), Nonesuch, 2003.

Albums; with Others:

Evita—Premiere American Recording (original cast recording), MCA, 1979.

Sunday in the Park with George (original cast recording), RCA, 1984.

Follies in Concert (original cast recording), RCA, 1985.

South Pacific (London studio cast recording), CBS Masterworks/MCA, 1986.

Kismet (studio cast recording), Rhino, 1991.

The Secret Garden (original Broadway cast recording), Polydor, 1991.

Tenors Anyone? (also known as Tenors Anyone?: Great Tenors Sing Pop Favorites), DDD, 1991.

Love Songs, Sony, 1992.

Leonard Bernstein's New York, Elektra Nonesuch, 1996.

Man of La Mancha (studio cast recording), MCA, 1996.

Myth and Hymns, Elektra Nonesuch, 1999.

The Wild Party (cast recording), Decca, 2000.

Singles:

Recorded "Mr. Arthur's Place."

Videos:

South Pacific: The London Sessions, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986.

Himself, As You Wish: The Story of The Princess Bride (short documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, Celebrity Train Layouts 3: Mandy Patinkin (short documentary), TM Books & Video, 2003.

Himself, Dead Like MeAgain (short documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 2005.

This Is the House That Jack Built, Weston Woods, 2005.

Himself, Inside Quantico & the Criminal Mind (short documentary), Paramount Home Entertainment, 2006.

Himself, The Making of "Criminal Minds" (short documentary), Paramount Home Entertainment, 2006.

Jason Gideon, Profiles, Profiled (short documentary), Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, 2007.

Audiobooks:

(Storyteller with others) Bill Moyers, Genesis: A Living Conversation with Bill Moyers, Random House Audio, 1997.

(As Voice of Sisyphus) The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Translated by Mark Twain, Fair Oaks Audio, 1999.

Video Games:

Voice of Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride Game, Worldwide Biggies, 2008.

WRITINGS

Nonfiction:

(Author of introduction) Doralee Patinkin Rubin, Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Holiday Cookbook: A Jewish Family's Celebrations, St. Martin's Press, 1999.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Musicians, Volume 20, Gale, 1997.

Periodicals:

Cosmopolitan, January, 1988.

Empire, April, 1994, pp. 45-46.

Esquire, April, 1989.

Hollywood Reporter, October 31, 1988, pp. 2, 13.

InTheater, October 23, 1998.

New Republic, May 8, 1989.

Newsweek, February 20, 1989; April 3, 1989.

New York Times, March 19, 1989.

Parade, August 28, 1994; August 8, 1999, p. 14; October 9, 2005, p. 28.

People Weekly, February 17, 1986; May 8, 1989.

St. Petersburg Times, January 28, 2002.

Show Music, winter, 2001.

Starlog, November, 1988, pp. 29-32.

TheaterWeek, August 7, 1989.

TV Guide, November 27, 1999, pp. 48-52; October 9, 2005, p. 28; November 14, 2005, pp. 42-43.

Patinkin, Mandy

views updated Jun 27 2018

MANDY PATINKIN

Born: Mandel Patinkin; Chicago, Illinois, 30 November 1952

Genre: Vocal

Best-selling album since 1990: Dress Casual (1990)


Singer/actor Mandy Patinkin thrives on artistic challenges. The result is a cross-media career that has seen Patinkin create over thirty diverse film roles; perform in a broad range of stage musicals, classics, and contemporary comedies; and portray a doctor on a popular primetime television series. Wedged within this wide array of work are several solo recordings displaying what many critics feel Patinkin does best: sing.

Patinkin grew up in Chicago, and started singing at eight years old in the choir of the synagogue that his parents attended. He acted in local theater productions before leaving Chicago to attend the University of Kansas. Against his parents' wishes that he return home to work in the family scrap metal business, Patinkin transferred to New York City's prestigious performing arts college, the Juilliard School, in 1972. He left after two-and-a-half years to pursue a professional acting career. Although he had not focused on musical endeavors for several years, Patinkin was cast in the Broadway production of the musical Evita in 1979. He portrayed Che Guevara, the play's narrator, and won a Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.

This success led to a string of starring musical roles, and gained Patinkin a reputation as a showy, expressive performer whom some critics have lambasted for letting his song interpretations overshadow the music. His performances are memorable for their embellished physicality and stylized note phrasing. Patinkin has only had a few film roles that have utilized his singing, but his unique eccentricity informs all of his work whether he sings or not. His film portrayal of a Spanish swordsman on a revengeful quest in The Princess Bride (1987) proved unforgettable as millions of the film's viewers memorized Patinkin's phrasing of his characters' oft-repeated comic line, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoyo. You killed my father, prepare to die." Moreover, vocally, he can be equally unforgettable. Patinkin contrasts a powerful yet tender tenor with a low baritone rumble, enabling him to cover a remarkable range of song styles. At times, he adds musical cries or yelps into his phrasing for interpretation.

His first solo recording, Mandy Patinkin (1989), displays an eclectic mix of music mostly from a concert repertoire titled Dress Casual, that later received a showing on Broadway. He followed with an ambitious thirty-one-song release, Dress Casual (1990), again displaying his voraciously daring musical approach. Yet, for all of Patinkin's panache, which recalls the style of singer Al Jolson, his concerts are marked by their simplicity. They include minimal staging, lighting or scenery and Patinkin is often casually clad in a sweater and sneakers.

Patinkin offers a more subtle side to his pure tenor in his next two recordings, Experiment (1994) and Oscar & Steve (1995). Experiment contains eighteen songs, including his rendition of Harry Chapin's, "Taxi," and the sky-high "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables, which Patinkin handles masterfully. Patinkin is considered the foremost male interpreter of Stephen Sondheim's music and he exhibits that talent on Oscar & Steve. His exuberant stylings of Oscar Hammerstein's songs comprise the rest of the album.

The Yiddish-language Mamaloshen (1998) marked a return to Patinkin's flamboyant side. Patinkin did not speak a word of Yiddish until 1990. He learned the language on a promise to legendary theater producer, Joe Papp, who had long encouraged Patinkin to record the album, whose title means "mother tongue." Mamaloshen contains classic Yiddish songs in addition to some other interesting musical finagling: Yiddish versions of "The Hokey Pokey," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"from the film Mary Poppins (1964).

Patinkin won an Emmy Award in 1996 for his portrayal of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on the popular television series Chicago Hope, but left the show having worked on it for only two years. He chose, instead, to spend more time with his wife and two sons who were located in New York. Chicago Hope was shot in Los Angeles. Later, he rejoined the show on a guest basis to continue portraying the humanistic Dr. Geiger on and off until the show's end in 1999.

He released a sixth solo album, Kidults (2001), a compilation of music appropriate for both children and adults. One of Broadway's newest stars, Kristin Chenoweth, joins him for three songs on the compilation of Broadway and pop songs. Patinkin paid a tribute to Sondheim with a live thirty-four-song concert recording of Sondheim songs, with Sings Sondheim (2002).

Patinkin keeps a busy concert schedule and maintains his presence as one of New York's busiest stage and film actors, choosing to perform in roles that allow him to explore his creativity. While it is always difficult to predict what his next musical move might encompass, Patinkin never seems to stray too far from a Sondheim melody or lyric.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Mandy Patinkin (Sony, 1989); Dress Casual (Sony, 1990); Experiment (Nonesuch, 1994); Oscar & Steve (Nonesuch, 1995); Mamaloshen (Nonesuch, 1998); Kidults (Nonesuch, 2001); Sings Sondheim (Nonesuch, 2002). Broadway Cast Recordings: Evita (MCA, 1979); Sunday in the Park with George (RCA, 1984).

SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY:

The Big Fix (1978); Yentl (1983); Daniel (1983); The Princess Bride (1987); Dick Tracy (1990); True Colors (1991); Music of Chance (1993); Men with Guns (1998); The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999).

donald lowe

Patinkin, Mandy

views updated May 18 2018

PATINKIN, MANDY

PATINKIN, MANDY (1952– ), U.S. actor and singer. Born in Chicago, Patinkin attended the Julliard School of Drama and then performed in regional theater before appearing in New York in Shakespeare Festival productions. He rose to prominence with his Tony Award-winning portrayal of Che Guevara in the musical Evita (1980) and later starred in Stephen Sondheim's musical Sunday in the Park with George (Tony nomination, 1984). Other Broadway roles include The Shadow Box (1977); The Secret Garden (1991); Falsettos (1992); Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Mamaloshen (1998); The Wild Party (Tony nomination, 2000); and Celebrating Sondheim (2002).

In 1995 he joined the cast of the television series Chicago Hope and won an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Role. He starred in the tv movies Sunday in the Park with George (1986), Broken Glass (1996), The Hunchback (1997), and Strange Justice (1999), and was a regular on the tv series Dead Like Me (2003–4).

Patinkin has appeared in films including The Big Fix (1978), Night of the Juggler (1980), Ragtime (1981), Daniel (1983), Yentl (1983), Maxie (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), Alien Nation (1988), The House on Carroll Street (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), True Colors (1991), Impromptu (1991), The Doctor (1991), The Music of Chance (1993), and Lulu on the Bridge (1998).

His mother wrote two cookbooks: Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Jewish Family Cookbook (1997) and Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Jewish Holiday Cookbook (1999).

[Jonathan Licht /

Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)]

Patinkin, Mandy

views updated May 29 2018

Patinkin, Mandy

Patinkin, Mandy, American singer and actor; b. Chicago, Nov. 30,1952. He grew up on Chicago’s South Side, the son of a scrap-metal dealer, and began singing in temple when he was 8, later becoming involved in community theater. He spent 2 years at the Univ. of Kans., then went to the Juilliard School in N.Y., where he studied acting. His first important Broadway appearance was as Che Guevara in Evita (1978), for which he won a Tony Award. He created the title role in Sond-heim’s Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and delivered a virtuoso performance in the concert version of Sondheim’s Follies in 1985, performing the trio Buddy’s Blues as a solo. He has performed extensively with the N.Y. Shakespeare Festival in classical and contemporary roles, and his film appearances have included Yentl (1983), The Princess Bride (1987), and Dick Tracy (1990). In the 1990s he had a starring role on the popular television series, Chicago Hope. His solo album Mandy Patinkin (1989) includes American popular tunes such as “Sonny Boy” among the more expected Sondheim and contemporary songs. He is an expressive actor with an extraordinarily beautiful tenor voice, and one of the most skilled performers in musical theater.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire