Texas born Ron Raines
is well known to theatre audiences around the country as one of
Americas leading musical theatre performers. He first gained
prominence on Broadway when he starred as Gaylord Ravenal in the
1983 revival of SHOWBOAT, a role he later performed for the St.
Louise MUNY, Dallas Summer Musicals, Opera Pacific and Michigan
Opera Theatre. He originated the role of Teddy Roosevelts
ambitious son-in-law, Nick Longworth, in the Broadway musical
TEDDY AND ALICE as well as the dual role of Jupiter/Amphytrion
in the Off-Broadway musical hit OLYMPUS
ON MY MIND.
Other New York appearances include Whitelaw Savory in ONE TOUCH
OF VENUS at Town Hall, Fredrik Egerman in A
LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with the Opera Ensemble and OH LADY! LADY!
at Carnegie Hall as well as numerous appearances with the 92nd
Street, Ys acclaimed Lyrics and Lyricists series. Ron
starred in the Irving Berlin revue SAY IT WITH MUSIC at Rainbow
and Stars and returned there with LEADING
MEN DONT DANCE. He toured the country with Debbie Reynolds
in THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN and toured Japan as Aristede in
CAN CAN with Chita Rivera and the Rockettes.
Ron has played leading
roles in almost every major American musical and operetta including
SOUTH PACIFIC, ANNIE, KISMET, SAYONARA, KISS
ME KATE, THE KING AND
I, NAUGHTY MARIETTA, BRIGADOON, ROSE MARIE, OKLAHOMA!,
CAROUSEL, NEW MOON, THE DESERT SONG, NO, NO, NANNETTE, WHERES
CHARLEY, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, FOLLIES, AND MAN OF LA MANCHA
at the countrys leading regional theatres and opera companies
including those in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Columbus, OH, Tulsa, Portland,
OR, St. Louis, Syracuse, Dayton, Atlanta, Anchorage, Birmingham,
Cleveland, Chautauqua, Cooperstown, Nashville, Buffalo, Houston
and of course New York City.
Ron received a Detroit
Free Press nomination as Best Actor of the Season for his
performance in FOLLIES as Ben Stone, opposite Juliet Prowse and
Nancy Dussault. He made his New York City opera debut as Danilo
in THE MERRY WIDOW followed by Offenbachs THE DUCHESS
OF GEROLSTEIN. His most recent New York appearance was at Carnegie
Hall as part of a star-studded tribute to IRA Gershwin entitled
"GERSHWIN AT 100". It was broadcast on PBSs Great
Performance Series.
As a concert performer, Ron has appeared as a soloist with the
symphony orchestras in Baltimore, Columbus, Minnesota, Omaha,
Philadelphia Pops, Portland, ME, Rochester, San Diego, Tulsa,
Dallas and the National Symphony in Washington DC. Rons
recordings include NIGHT OF THE HUNTER and LOST IN BOSTON series
(Varese Sarabande) and a collection of classical musicals produced
by JAY: THE PAJAMA GAME,
ANNIE, 110 IN THE SHADE
and WONDERFUL TOWN
and the revue LEADING MEN
DONT DANCE. Soap Opera fans know Ron as the villainous
"Alan Spaulding" on the CBS daytime drama GUIDING LIGHT.