Theodore Bikel
A talented folksinger and actor, Theodore Bikel carved out his place in the modern entertainment industry as a renaissance man. For over 60 years, Bikel left his mark on film, stage, and the arts, from his supporting role in The African Queen in 1951 to his appearance at the 1960 Newport Folk Festival to his appointment to the National Council for the Arts in 1977. Although he was born in Austria, he lived in Israel, England, and the United States and spoke five languages. Bikel recorded for Elektra, Columbia, and Reprise, published Folksongs & Footnotes, and served as a vice-president of the American Jewish Congress.
Bikel was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1924, but his family fled to Palestine in 1938, where they became British subjects. Bikel wanted to study language and become a teacher, so he worked at a communal farm to help pay expenses. Drawn to the theater, however, he left the farm in 1943 to study at the Hamimah Theater in Tel Aviv. Later, Bikel and four other actors formed the Tel Aviv Chamber Theater. In 1946, he left Israel to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. While in England, he also began to take a serious interest in folk music and the guitar. In 1947, Bikel's acting skills were noticed by Sir Laurence Olivier, leading to a part in the London production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
By the early '50s, Bikel began to play Russian officers and German sailors in English and American films and in 1955, he moved to New York City. The move also coincided with the beginning of a career in folk music. He signed with Elektra in the mid-'50s and recorded Israeli Folk Songs in 1955. He was a co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival and performed at the event in 1960. Bikel's repertoire proved uniquely eclectic, including songs from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Israel. He played hundreds of dates in United States, from the Rainbow & Stars in New York to The Boarding House in San Francisco, and traveled broadly, performing in New Zealand, Australia, and throughout Europe.
Over the next 60 years, Bikel continued his dual career in film and folk music. He received parts in The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming in 1966, See You in the Morning in 1989, and Shadow Conspiracy in 1997. He recorded Songs of the Earth for Elektra in 1967, A New Day on Reprise in 1970, and A Taste of Passover for Rounder in 1998. He also involved himself in a number of political activities. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Bikel to the National Council for the Arts, a position he retained until 1982. He has also served with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, Americans for the Arts, and the American Jewish Congress. In 1992, Bikel received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Hartford.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo
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Songs of Bondage and Freedom
Pop - Released by Tradition Records on 17 Apr 1961
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A Young Man and a Maid / Theodore Bikel and Geula Gill Sing Folk Songs from Just About Anywhere
Theodore Bikel, Geula Gill, Cynthia Goodling
Folk - Released by Stage Door on 7 Oct 2012
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An Actor's Holiday / Bravo Bikel
Folk - Released by Stage Door on 25 Oct 2012
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Hit American Folk Songs
Folk - Released by Peter Pan Records on 8 Apr 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Folk Songs Of Israel (Album of 1955)
Pop - Released by Jewish Music on 31 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
From Bondage To Freedom (Album of 1960)
Pop - Released by Folk, Blues & Beyond on 31 Dec 2018
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Sings Jewish Folk Songs (Original Album 1959)
Pop - Released by Folk, Blues & Beyond on 1 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milken Archive Digital Volume 17, Album 5: Ode and Epics - Dramatic Music of Jewish Experience
Classical - Released by Milken Archive Digital on 25 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sings a Collection of Jewish Folk Songs
World - Released by Jasmine Records on 12 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Unter a Kleyn Beymele
Pop - Released by Cowboy Tunes on 1 Mar 2022
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Theodore Bikel - KGNU FM Broadcast Newport Folk Festival 29th July 1989.
Folk - Released by STRAW on 20 Oct 2020
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Papir Iz Doch Veis
Pop - Released by Sunset Recordings on 1 Feb 2022
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Chazn Oyf Shabes
Pop - Released by Comfort Classics on 4 Sep 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Songs From The Past
Folk - Released by Music Manager on 22 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
30 Jewish Folk Song Favourites
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs of a Russian Gypsy
Folk - Released by Music Manager on 25 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Of Bikel
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 14 Mar 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Sound of Music (Original Broadway Cast)
Mary Martin, Theodore Bikel, Cast
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo