John Reardon

b. 8 April 1930, New York City, New York, USA, d. 16 April 1988, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Throughout his career, Reardon, a baritone, sang opera and Broadway musicals with equal verve and skill. He doubled small roles in The Saint Of Bleecker Street (1954), with book, music and lyrics by Gian-Carlo Menotti (b. 7 July 1911, Cadegliano, Italy), which had a three-month run at the Broadway Theatre. Featured in the cast were David Aiken, Catherine Akos, Gloria Lane, Leon Lishner, Maria Di Gerlando, Maria Marlo and David Poleri. Reardon was in Leonard Sillman’s New Faces Of 1956, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre for 220 performances. He performed songs and sketches including singing ‘Tell Her’, music by Arthur Siegel, lyrics by June Carroll, and ‘Girls ‘n’ Girls ‘n’ Girls’, music and lyrics by Irvin Graham. Also in the show were Franca Baldwin, Suzanne Bernard, Jane Connell, Johnny Haymer, Johnny Laverty, Virginia Martin, Jimmy Sisco, Maggie Smith and Inga Swenson. Reardon was then in Do Re Mi (1960), which starred Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker as Hubert and Kay Cram, and had a 400-performance run, chiefly at the St. James Theatre. With book by Garson Kanin, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the show also featured Nancy Dussault as Tilda Mullen. Reardon took the role of John Henry Wheeler, with two solo spots, ‘I Know About Love’ and ‘Asking For You’, and two duets with Dussault, ‘Fireworks’ and the hit song ‘Make Someone Happy’. Reardon appeared on television in the mid- to late 50s, singing Papageno in a transmission of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and as a balladeer in Gold Rush, which was an episode of The Seven Lively Arts. He had an acting role in The Labyrinth (1962), and in the same year was the Voice of God in The Flood. He also appeared in several episodes of the long-running series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968-86) and occasionally appeared as a singing guest on shows such as Ed Sullivan’s Toast Of The Town. In 1978 he was in London for Kismet, a Civic Light Opera production at the Shaftesbury Theatre, with Lorna Dallas and Clifton Todd.