Thomas Davis Cunningham (May , â€" June , ) was an American tenor who
had prominent career in operas, musicals, concerts, and on television
from through .Cunningham was born in the Philippines, the son of an
American doctor serving in the United States military. He studied
singing at Wooster College and the Juilliard School before making his
professional stage debut in the musical Stars In Your Eyes where he
portrayed a handful of small roles. He returned to Broadway in as
Jack in Kurt Weill's Lady in the Dark. That same year he signed a
contract with the Philadelphia Opera Company, joining their roster of
principal tenors. However, Cunnigham was conscripted into the United
States Air Force forcing him to postpone his opera career. He served
as an Air Force Lieutenant during World War II from -. Following the
war he sang in operettas and musicals throughout the United
States.Cunningham finally made his operatic debut in with the Central
City Opera and was a regular presence at that house for many years.
Beginning in , he sang frequently on television for the NBC Opera
Theatre, including singing Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Prince
Anatole in War and Peace, Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande, and
Belmonte in The Abduction from the Seraglio. In he portrayed Mario
Cavaradossi in Tosca for an ABC television production. On Dec , he
portrayed Michele in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The
Saint of Bleecker Street on Broadway.In , Cunningham joined the roster
of principal tenors at the New York City Opera, where he first
appeared in the title role of The Tales of Hoffmann in . His other
roles with the company included Rodolfo in La bohème (), Prince
Ramiro in La Cenerentola (), Ernesto in Don Pasquale (), and Vašek in
The Bartered Bride (). In he portrayed Hindley Earnshaw in the world
premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Wuthering Heights at the Santa Fe Opera.
had prominent career in operas, musicals, concerts, and on television
from through .Cunningham was born in the Philippines, the son of an
American doctor serving in the United States military. He studied
singing at Wooster College and the Juilliard School before making his
professional stage debut in the musical Stars In Your Eyes where he
portrayed a handful of small roles. He returned to Broadway in as
Jack in Kurt Weill's Lady in the Dark. That same year he signed a
contract with the Philadelphia Opera Company, joining their roster of
principal tenors. However, Cunnigham was conscripted into the United
States Air Force forcing him to postpone his opera career. He served
as an Air Force Lieutenant during World War II from -. Following the
war he sang in operettas and musicals throughout the United
States.Cunningham finally made his operatic debut in with the Central
City Opera and was a regular presence at that house for many years.
Beginning in , he sang frequently on television for the NBC Opera
Theatre, including singing Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Prince
Anatole in War and Peace, Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande, and
Belmonte in The Abduction from the Seraglio. In he portrayed Mario
Cavaradossi in Tosca for an ABC television production. On Dec , he
portrayed Michele in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The
Saint of Bleecker Street on Broadway.In , Cunningham joined the roster
of principal tenors at the New York City Opera, where he first
appeared in the title role of The Tales of Hoffmann in . His other
roles with the company included Rodolfo in La bohème (), Prince
Ramiro in La Cenerentola (), Ernesto in Don Pasquale (), and Vašek in
The Bartered Bride (). In he portrayed Hindley Earnshaw in the world
premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Wuthering Heights at the Santa Fe Opera.
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