John Lankston, who has roles in the original productions of Pal Joey (1963), Funny Girl (1963) and Kean (1961), has died at 84.
He became a stalwart of New York City Opera.
John Lankston, who has roles in the original productions of Pal Joey (1963), Funny Girl (1963) and Kean (1961), has died at 84.
He became a stalwart of New York City Opera.
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‘Very sorry to read of the dealth of this NYCO stalwart. I have enjoyed online videos of NYCO’s 1980s production of Candide, in which Mr Lankston played Pangloss; unfortunately, these appear no longer to be available. In addition to his singing and acting skills, he also gave a brief glimpse in these videos of his dancing background. Despite much searching, I have been unable to find any information on Mr Lankston’s later career/interests so, if anyone has any details, I’d be delighted to read them here.
Mr. Lankston, when still a student in Cincinnati, came to my home town of Lima, Ohio to perform in “Boccacccio,” a very forgettable operetta by Von Suppé; of course, John himself was UNforgettable, and I have very fond memories of his visit and performance.
John Lankston performed as a soloist in the NYC opera for over three decades. He was one of the only NYC Opera singers who also was a skilled ballet dancer. He often performed bare chested and in tights giving a convincing grace to these operas.