Scope and Content Note
Materials from the Alfred Drake Papers span the years 1892-2004, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1935 to 1983. The collection documents the career of one of the leading performers in American musicals, including Drake's star turns in the original Broadway productions of Oklahoma!, Kiss Me Kate, and Kismet. It is organized into the following series: Scripts, Photographs, Programs, Correspondence, Writings, Production Documents, Music, Clippings, Scrapbooks, and Miscellany.
The Scripts series contains annotated drafts and final versions of scripts for plays and musicals that Drake either starred in, wrote, directed, produced, or adapted. Scripts for Kismet and Kiss Me Kate are included, as well as an annotated side for the part of Curly that Drake played in the original production of Oklahoma! Materials for several shows, such as Kean and Rugantino, include Drake’s notes, correspondence, and other production materials. Drake also wrote or co-wrote several plays, many of which are represented here, including The Hiding Place, The Liar, and The Liberty Tree. In addition, there are scripts for several plays he co-wrote with Edward Eager.
Photographs largely consist of publicity headshots, portraits in costume, and promotional images from theater, radio, television, and film productions featuring Drake and his cast members. The Programs series spans Drake’s career and includes items from most of the plays and musicals in which he appeared. It also contains programs for award ceremonies and special events he attended or in which he performed a role.
Correspondence in the collection mostly consists of letters written to Drake regarding professional engagements and other events. Correspondents are comprised mostly of colleagues and collaborators from the world of theater, including Robert Goulet, Walter Kerr, Richard Rodgers, Thornton Wilder, Alec Wilder, Hal Prince, Alan J. Lerner, Joan Crawford, Alec Guiness, Noel Coward, and Garson Kanin. Writings contains works by and about Drake and includes such items as classroom lecture notes, essays and articles on plays, acting, and singing, notes for public presentations and events, and some biographical materials. A small series of Production Documents contains portions of annotated scripts, a props inventory, promotional materials, notes, outlines, and summaries for theatrical, radio, and television productions.
Music materials in the collection are largely manuscript and printed scores for musicals in which Drake starred, both produced and unproduced. Many of these are heavily annotated by Drake or the composers, lyricists, and arrangers. Kismet, Kiss Me Kate, Kean and Zenda are well-represented, in addition to the unproduced The Liberty Tree. Also present are scores for songs that Drake performed in various venues as part of concerts, tributes, and other events.
Drake's career is further documented in series' of Clippings and Scrapbooks, both of which chiefly consist of newspaper and magazine articles and reviews for theater, radio, film, and concert productions. The final series, Miscellany, rounds out the collection with such items as caricatures and sketches, Drake’s Brooklyn College commencement program, and his Theatre Hall of Fame certificate.