Death of a Broadway original, 84
mainJohn 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.