Actor and Singer Theodore Bikel Dead at 91
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – July 21, 2015 — (Gephardt Daily) — Theodore Bikel, who was the quintessential Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” on Broadway, has died at 91.
Bikel, who died of natural causes at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, performed the role of Tevye over 2000 times. He also was the first to perform the role of Captain Georg Von Trapp in the original Broadway production of “The Sound of Music.”
According to The International Broadway Database, “The Sound of Music,” opened on Broadway in 1959 and ran until 1963. The musical also starred Mary Martin as Maria. For his performance, Bikel earned a Tony Award.
Bikel received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for the role of Sheriff Max Muller in 1958’s “The Defiant Ones,” starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.
On television, Theodore Bikel’s credits are like a history of television programs. The actor guest starred in popular TV shows of the last 5 decades including “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “All in the Family,” “Law and Order,” “Colombo” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
