Gender
Male
Born
May 02, 1924
Vienna, AUSTRIA
Died
Jul 21, 2015
Los Angeles, California, USA
Performer
Comments
Biography: Theodore Meir Bikel was born on May 2, 1924 in Vienna, Austria to Miriam and Josef Bikel. He apprenticed at the Habimah theater in Tel Aviv in 1943, and then studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He created the role of Baron von Trapp in the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music. He had a radio show on WBAI in New York. His autobiography, "Theo," was published in 1994 and revised in 2002 and 2014. With Pete Seeger, he co-founded the Newport Folk Festival. He served as president of Actors' Equity from 1973 to 1982. He was a member of the National Council on the Arts from 1977 to 1982. He married Ofra Ichilov and then Rita Weinberg Call, with whom he had two children. He then married conductor and pianist Tamara Brooks, who died in 2012. He then married journalist Aimee Ginsburg.

Film/TV Credits: Film credits include: "My Fair Lady," "The African Queen," "The Defiant Ones," "Shattered," "Crime and Punishment," "The Enemy Below," "Shadow Conspiracy," "I Want to Live!," "My Side of the Mountain," and "Sands of the Kalahari." Television credits include: "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Law & Order," "Columbo," "Little House on the Prairie," "The Twilight Zone," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Gunsmoke."

Other Awards: Emmy Award for "Los Angeles History Project" in 1989. Received a star on the Walk of Fame in 2005.

Trivia:
He toured for decades as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, performing the role over 2,000 times.
He sang in 21 languages.
He opened two espresso cafes in Hollywood.
The marquees of Broadway theaters were dimmed in his honor on July 24, 2015.
  • CREDITS
    The Inspector General (Sep 21, 1978 - Nov 19, 1978)
    • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Antón Antónovich Skvozník-Dmukhanóvsky]
    PlayRevival
    Pousse-Café (Mar 18, 1966 - Mar 19, 1966)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Professor George Ritter]
    MusicalOriginal
    Cafe Crown (Apr 17, 1964 - Apr 18, 1964)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Samuel Cole]
    MusicalComedyOriginal
    The Sound of Music (Nov 16, 1959 - Jun 15, 1963)
    • Also Starring: Theodore Bikel [Captain Georg von Trapp]
    MusicalDramaOriginal
    The Rope Dancers (Nov 20, 1957 - May 03, 1958)
    • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Dr. Jacobson]
    PlayDramaOriginal
    The Lark (Nov 17, 1955 - Jun 02, 1956)
    • Also Starring: Theodore Bikel [Robert de Beaudricourt]
    PlayDramaOriginal
    Tonight in Samarkand (Feb 16, 1955 - Mar 12, 1955)
    • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Inspector Massoubre]
    PlayMelodramaOriginal
    Fiddler on the Roof (Feb 07, 2009 - Jun 27, 2010)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel
      • Tevye - Replacement
    MusicalComedyDramaRevival
    Fiddler on the Roof (Oct 24, 2000 - May 26, 2002)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Tevye]
    MusicalComedyDramaRevival
    Fiddler on the Roof (Sep 07, 1994 - Jun 23, 1996)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Tevye]
    MusicalComedyDramaRevival
    Fiddler on the Roof (Jun 28, 1989 - Sep 23, 1990)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel
      • Tevye - Replacement (Sep 11, 1990 - Sep 16, 1990)
    MusicalComedyDramaRevival
    The Rothschilds (May 09, 1972 - Nov 04, 1972)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel
      • Mayer Rothschild - Replacement
    MusicalOriginal
    Fiddler on the Roof (Apr 11, 1966 - Jan 17, 1970)
    • Starring: Theodore Bikel
      • Tevye - Replacement (Dec 28, 1967 - Jul 01, 1968)
    MusicalComedy DramaOriginal
  • AWARDS

    Tony Award®

     

    Best Featured Actor in a Musical

    1960 | Nominee  | The Sound of Music
    Also Starring: Theodore Bikel
     

    Best Featured Actor in a Play

    1958 | Nominee  | The Rope Dancers
    Performer: Theodore Bikel

    Drama Desk Award

     

    Outstanding Solo Performance

    2010 | Nominee
    Theodore Bikel (for "Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears")
The Inspector General (Sep 21, 1978 - Nov 19, 1978)
  • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Antón Antónovich Skvozník-Dmukhanóvsky]
PlayRevival
Pousse-Café (Mar 18, 1966 - Mar 19, 1966)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Professor George Ritter]
MusicalOriginal
Cafe Crown (Apr 17, 1964 - Apr 18, 1964)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Samuel Cole]
MusicalComedyOriginal
The Sound of Music (Nov 16, 1959 - Jun 15, 1963)
  • Also Starring: Theodore Bikel [Captain Georg von Trapp]
MusicalDramaOriginal
The Rope Dancers (Nov 20, 1957 - May 03, 1958)
  • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Dr. Jacobson]
PlayDramaOriginal
The Lark (Nov 17, 1955 - Jun 02, 1956)
  • Also Starring: Theodore Bikel [Robert de Beaudricourt]
PlayDramaOriginal
Tonight in Samarkand (Feb 16, 1955 - Mar 12, 1955)
  • Performer: Theodore Bikel [Inspector Massoubre]
PlayMelodramaOriginal
Fiddler on the Roof (Feb 07, 2009 - Jun 27, 2010)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel
    • Tevye - Replacement
MusicalComedyDramaRevival
Fiddler on the Roof (Oct 24, 2000 - May 26, 2002)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Tevye]
MusicalComedyDramaRevival
Fiddler on the Roof (Sep 07, 1994 - Jun 23, 1996)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel [Tevye]
MusicalComedyDramaRevival
Fiddler on the Roof (Jun 28, 1989 - Sep 23, 1990)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel
    • Tevye - Replacement (Sep 11, 1990 - Sep 16, 1990)
MusicalComedyDramaRevival
The Rothschilds (May 09, 1972 - Nov 04, 1972)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel
    • Mayer Rothschild - Replacement
MusicalOriginal
Fiddler on the Roof (Apr 11, 1966 - Jan 17, 1970)
  • Starring: Theodore Bikel
    • Tevye - Replacement (Dec 28, 1967 - Jul 01, 1968)
MusicalComedy DramaOriginal

Tony Award®

 

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

1960 | Nominee  | The Sound of Music
Also Starring: Theodore Bikel
 

Best Featured Actor in a Play

1958 | Nominee  | The Rope Dancers
Performer: Theodore Bikel

Drama Desk Award

 

Outstanding Solo Performance

2010 | Nominee
Theodore Bikel (for "Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears")

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