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Ron Raines -- Broadway Showstoppers
RON RAINES joined the cast of the popular CBS-TV daytime series GUIDING LIGHT in July 1994. For his work as "Alan Spaulding" he has been nominated for a 2003 and 2004 Emmy Award and was nominated three times for the SOAP OPERA DIGEST Award as "Outstanding Villain".
Mr. Raines is well known to theater audiences in New York and around the country as one of America's leading musical theater performers, most recently starring on Broadway as Billy Flynn in CHICAGO. He also starred on Broadway as Gaylord Ravenal in the 1983 revival of Jerome Kern's SHOWBOAT co-starring Donald O'Connor. He originated the role of Teddy Roosevelt's ambitious son-in-law Nick Longworth in the short-lived Broadway musical TEDDY AND ALICE starring Len Cariou and went on to originate the dual role of Jupiter/Amphytrion in the Off-Broadway musical hit OLYMPUS ON MY MIND.
Mr. Raines' other New York appearances include Whitelaw Savory in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS with Susan Lucci at Town Hall; Fredrik Egerman in the Opera Ensemble production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC; OH LADY! LADY! and, most recently, CARNEGIE HALL'S TRIBUTE TO LERNER AND LOEWE (both at Carnegie Hall), as well as several appearances with the 92nd Street Y's acclaimed "Lyrics and Lyricists" series. In 1992 he starred with Kaye Ballard at Rainbow and Stars in the Irving Berlin revue SAY IT WITH MUSIC and returned there to star in LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE.
He made his debut at New York City Opera as Danilo in THE MERRY WIDOW, a role he has played opposite some of the best leading ladies, including Roberta Peters and jazz singer Cleo Lane. He also starred in NYCO's production of Offenbach's THE DUCHESS OF GEROLSTEIN.
Mr. Raines toured the country starring as "Leadville" Johnny Brown opposite the indomitable Debbie Reynolds in THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN and played Aristede in CAN CAN in Japan with Chita Rivera and The Rockettes. Additionally, he has played leading roles in virtually 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, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, FOLLIES (Detroit Free Press nomination as "Best Actor of the Season" opposite Juliet Prowse and Nancy Dussault) and MAN OF LA MANCHA at the country's leading regional theaters and opera companies including those in St. Louis, Dallas, Michigan, 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.
As a concert performer, Mr. Raines has appeared as soloist with symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Alabama, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Cleveland, Columbus, Dubuque, Jerusalem, Minnesota, Omaha, Pittsburgh (with Marvin Hamlisch), Philadelphia, Portland, ME, Rochester, Richardson, San Diego, San Francisco, Tulsa, Washington DC's National Symphony, the Boston Pops (with John Williams), and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Mr. Raines has had the honor of singing for two of Americas first ladies: Nancy Regan's White House luncheon for the Senate wives and Ladybird Johnson's National Wildlife Federation gala in Austin, Texas.
In May of 2000, Mr. Raines made his UK debut in the role of Don Quixote/ Cervantes in MAN OF LA MANCHA as part of the Covent Garden Festival at the Peacock Theater in London. This performance was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios for release on TER Records. In May 2001 he starred as Sky Masterson in GUYS AND DOLLS at the Royal Festival Hall, a performance recorded by the BBC.
Mr. Raines is currently working towards completion of his second solo album after releasing RON RAINES: BROADWAY PASSION, recorded with the National Symphony Orchestra of London (TER Records, available at Amazon.com). Other TER recordings include LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE and a collection of classic musicals--THE PAJAMA GAME, 110 IN THE SHADE, ANNIE, and WONDERFUL TOWN. Upcoming releases include Kurt Weill's ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, a highlighted version of GUYS AND DOLLS (with Emily Loesser) for the BBC and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. He has also recorded on the Varese Sarabande label with the LOST IN BOSTON series, in addition to the new musical NIGHT OF THE HUNTER slated for a future stage production.
Mr. Raines has appeared in four of PBS's Great Performances including; GERSHWIN AT 100 (CARNEGIE HALL), THE RODGERS AND HART STORY: THOU SWELL, THOU WITTY, MY FAVORITE BROADWAY - THE LOVE SONGS and A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD RODGERS with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops.
Born in Texas City, TX and raised mainly in Nacogdoches, TX, he attended five high schools and three Universities, before completing his degree in Music from Oklahoma City University in 1975. He was then invited to join the graduate program at the American Opera Center at the Juilliard School. Summers were spent apprenticing and performing roles at Santa Fe Opera and at Wolf Trap where he came to the attention of the late baritone John Reardon who served as his mentor.
Mr. Raines met his wife Dona D. Vaughn in 1981 when they appeared together in a production of ROSE MARIE at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Dona made her Broadway debut as an original member of the celebrated Vocal Minority in COMPANY and performed in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and SEESAW before becoming a well-respected stage director. Ron and Dona have often worked together as a director/actor team in THE KING AND I, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, OKLAHOMA!, THE DESERT SONG, CAROUSEL, and DIE FLEDERMAUS. They live on New York's Upper West Side with their daughter Charlotte Vaughn Raines. |
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2005-2006 Season
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