Biography
Born 26 April 1924 in Zion, Illinois, USA, Nype launched his Broadway career in Marc Blitzstein’s opera Regina in 1949, where his powerful baritone left a strong impression. He next took roles in both Great To Be Alive and Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam during 1950; the latter featured his solo “It’s A Lovely Day Today” and the duet “Just In Love” performed with Ethel Merman. That performance earned him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor In A Musical. Mid-decade he joined Janet Blair for a television production of One Touch Of Venus, then returned to Broadway in the commercially unsuccessful Wake Up, Darling in 1956. Two years later he shared the stage with Elaine Stritch in Goldilocks and collected a second Tony. He later joined revivals and touring companies of Call Me Madam and appeared in The Girl In The Freudian Slip in 1967. In 1970 he rejoined Merman in the replacement cast of Hello, Dolly! and that same year made his screen debut in the film Love Story. Although he continued giving concerts throughout the 1970s, his professional profile remained modest. He returned to the screen in 1980 for a minor part in Can’t Stop The Music, a picture centered on the Village People that also featured Tammy Grimes in a small role. The following year he was back on Broadway in Mornings At Seven, and he resumed concert work during the 1990s.