Anita Darian (April 26, 1927 – February 1, 2015)[1] was an American singer and actress who had an extensive career from the 1950s to the 2010s.
She was born Anita Margaret Esgandarian in Detroit, Michigan, of Iranian Armenian descent.[1] She was a 1945 graduate of Cooley High School. She later studied opera at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York, but first came to popular attention as a featured singer with the short-lived Sauter-Finegan jazz band of the mid-1950s, with whom she recorded for RCA Victor.[1]
A soprano, Darian performed roles with the New York City Opera and was a featured soloist with the New York Philharmonic. She also performed and recorded several roles from musicals, including Julie in a studio recording version of Show Boat for Columbia Masterworks in 1962 with John Raitt, Barbara Cook, and William Warfield. She portrayed Lady Thiang in the 1960 revival of The King and I at New York City Center with Barbara Cook as Anna and Farley Granger as the King. She made a number of classical recordings with various contemporary composers as well as solo albums for Fidelio Records and Kapp Records.
She settled in New York City and worked in everything from opera and classical recitals to television jingles and cartoon voice-overs. She appeared in several television productions of musicals and operas from the 1950s to the 1970s.[2]
Darian also sang the female soprano portion on The Tokens' 1961 #1 hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".[3] Her high counterpoint to the lead and backup singers was an astounding merging of her operatic training.
As late as 2012, she was featured in concerts honoring the Great American Songbook.[4]
Darian died on February 1, 2015, aged 87, at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, New York, due to surgical complications.[2]
^ abcDaniel E. Slotnik. "Anita Darian, a Singer With an Eclectic Range, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
^ ab"Anita Darian Dies at Age 87". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
AnitaDarian (April 26, 1927 – February 1, 2015) was an American singer and actress who had an extensive career from the 1950s to the 2010s. She was born...
Look up Darian or darian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Darian may refer to: AnitaDarian (1927–2015), American singer Yeghishe Darian, Lebanese...
Cymbal The D-Men Bill Dana (a.k.a. José Jiménez) AnitaDarian, 1960, a self-titled album, AnitaDarian (later titled East of the Sun), KL-1168 El Chicano...
Ghosts". (Wikipedia articles on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" say that it was AnitaDarian on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight.") Norman voiced Penelope Pinfeather in Melody...
for her work with Dirty Projectors Ani Kavafian – classical violinist AnitaDarian - soprano - vocalist - The Lion Sleeps Tonight Ara Babajian – drummer...
Juilliard School-trained songwriter George David Weiss brought in soprano AnitaDarian to let her perform before, during and after the soprano saxophone solo...
Robert L. Chapman (1939), editor of Roget's International Thesaurus AnitaDarian (1945), opera singer, soprano voice in The Tokens' 1961 hit "The Lion...
view – as well as a full head of hair". Joy Clements played Tuptim, and AnitaDarian was Lady Thiang. City Center again presented the show in June 1963, starring...
singer-songwriter January 31 – Don Covay, 76, singer-songwriter February 1 – AnitaDarian, 87, soprano February 2 Joseph Alfidi, 65, pianist, composer, and conductor...
1962 – Columbia studio cast album. Starring Barbara Cook, John Raitt, AnitaDarian, and William Warfield, this was the first "Show Boat" recording issued...
Danielian, first U.S.-born ballet dancer to reach international recognition AnitaDarian, singer and actress Ken Davitian, actor George Duran, chef and entertainer...
Junkin, Kim Cattrall, Clamma Dale, Hila Plitmann, Grant Gershon, and AnitaDarian. He has conducted, composed for or worked with organizations including...
get extremely drunk. Darian throws a pool party at the house, and after throwing up, Nadine falls asleep while Krista talks to Darian. The next morning Nadine...
10641, with the flip side "If Dreams Come True") AnitaDarian in 1960 on the self-titled album "AnitaDarian" (later titled "East of the Sun"), Kapp Records...
You Want to Write A Fugue? (performed by Elizabeth Benson-Guy, soprano/AnitaDarian, contralto/Charles Bressler, tenor/Donald Gramm, baritone/Juilliard String...
of Jerome Kern's Show Boat opposite Jo Sullivan Loesser as Magnolia, AnitaDarian as Julie, Robert Rounseville as Gaylord, and Carol Brice as Queenie....
scientist (d. 2008) April 20 – Phil Hill, American race car driver (d. 2008) AnitaDarian, American singer, actress (d. 2015) Harry Gallatin, American basketballer...
and I – Barbara Cook, Theodore Bikel, Daniel Ferro, Jeanette Scovotti, AnitaDarian. Studio recording, Lehman Engel conductor, Columbia Records, 1964. Re-released...
Florence Harriet Zena Dones 1887-1975 English singer and actress AnitaDarianAnita Esgandarian 1927-2015 American singer and actress Frank Darien Frank...
Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. Lusk, Darian (24 April 2021). "Keith Urban And Nicole Kidman: Who Has The Higher Net...
Barbados) Winston Justice - American football player (Denver Broncos) Darian King - professional tennis player Zane Maloney - racing driver Malcolm Marshall...
(born 1985) – American baseball pitcher A family of American sportspeople: Darian DeVries (born 1975) – basketball coach (older brother) Jared DeVries (born...
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