Peter Johl

Peter Johl
Born
Peter Randolph Johl

(1926-08-16)August 16, 1926
Scarsdale, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 3, 2005(2005-11-03) (aged 79)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Stage performer
  • actor
  • singer
Years active1950s–2000s
Style

Peter Randolph Johl (August 16, 1927 – November 3, 2005) was an American actor and singer who enjoyed a long career on Broadway, in touring companies, and off-Broadway. His wide voice range enabled him to sing a broad variety of roles in opera, sacred music, as well as musicals. As an actor, he was equally comfortable performing in Shakespearian or modern roles.

Early life

Johl was born in Scarsdale, New York, on August 16, 1927. His father, Max Gustav Johl, owned a small factory and a very large piece of land at Trails Corner, on the outskirts of Groton, Connecticut, where the family had relocated when Peter was very young. His mother, Janet (née Janet Lambert Pagter), was a housewife and collector of dolls. The couple had three children: Peter, John (b. 1930) and little Janet (b. 1940). Although Max Johl was of Jewish descent, the connection had become tenuous and the Johl family observed Christian rituals, while Janet Johl was a practising Christian Scientist. In the winter of 1940, Peter Johl played the lead role of Scrooge in his school's production of A Christmas Carol. In 1952, he was a pupil of Grace Leslie's studio in New York and performed at a concert given by her students in Amesbury, Massachusetts, during which he sang three pieces as a tenor: Henry Purcell's "The Cares of Lovers", Robert Jones' "Farewell Dear Love" and Leonard Gybson's "Light O' Love".

Career

In 1961, he was a junior at East Carolina College, by which time he had accumulated extensive experience in summer stock and toured with the Grass Roots Opera Company of North Carolina. He was tenor soloist for the presentation of The Messiah on many occasions in New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.

As a stage actor, Johl defined himself as a character actor, and his most famous role was in Jekyll & Hyde (1997–2001) as Poole, Jekyll's manservant, and he played two other minor roles in the production. He appeared in many plays and musicals, including: Baker Street: A Musical Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (1965), Pousse-Café (1966), and She Loves Me (1993–1994).

He was elected to The Lambs in 1991.

Death

Johl died in New York City on November 3, 2005. His tombstone indicates that he served in the US Marines during World War II and the Korean War.

Selected works

Stage

Book narrator

References

Citations

Sources

Books

  • Dietz, Dan (2014). The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals (hardcover) (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-3071-2.
  • Dietz, Dan (2015). The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals (hardcover) (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-5165-6.
  • Goldstein, Alice (2008). Ordinary People, Turbulent Times (softcover) (1st ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4343-8122-4. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Griffel, Margaret Ross (2012). Operas in English: A Dictionary (hardcover) (Revised ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-8272-0. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Guernsey, Otis L. Jr., ed. (1980). The Best Plays of 1978–1979 (hardcover) (1st ed.). New York: Dodd Mead. ISBN 978-0-396-07723-7. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Guernsey, Otis L. Jr., ed. (1987). The Best Plays of 1985–1986 (hardcover) (1st ed.). New York: Dodd Mead. ISBN 978-0-396-08816-5. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Guernsey, Otis L. Jr., ed. (1995). The Best Plays of 1994–1995 (hardcover) (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Limelight Editions. ISBN 978-0-8791-0196-1.
  • O'Connor, J.; Goodland, K. (2010). A Directory of Shakespeare in Performance 1970–1990: Volume 2, USA and Canada (hardcover) (1st ed.). London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-54677-6. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Willis, John A. (1979). Theatre World, 1977–1978 (hardcover) (1st ed.). New York: Crown Publishing. ISBN 978-0-517-53521-9. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Willis, John A. (1986). Theatre World, 1984–1985 (hardcover) (1st ed.). New York: Crown Publishing. ISBN 978-0-517-56117-1. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • The New York Times Theater Reviews 1979–1980 (hardcover). New York: The New York Times Company & Arno Press. 1979. p. 372. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Google Books.
  • Shakespeare Quarterly (softcover). Vol. 39 (Winter ed.). Washington, D.C.: Folger Shakespeare Library. 1988. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books.

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