John McMartin is an American actor of stage, film and television.

McMartin was born in Warsaw, Indiana and raised in Minnesota. He attended college in Illinois and New York. He made his off-Broadway debut in Little Mary Sunshine in 1959, playing opposite Eileen Brennan. He won a Theatre World Award for his role as Corporal Billy Jester, and married one of the show's producers, Cynthia Baer, in 1960; they divorced in 1971. He has two daughters by this marriage, Kathleen Alice and Susan Helen.

His first Broadway appearance was as Forrest Noble in The Conquering Hero, which was followed by Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. He created the part of Oscar in Sweet Charity in 1966, opposite Gwen Verdon, garnering a Tony nomination, and played the role again on film opposite Shirley Maclaine.

He was cast in Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1962, but his role was cut before the show opened. Years later he starred in Sondheim's Follies as BenjaminStone; he introduced the ballad "Too Many Mornings". His association with Sondheim has continued, appearing in regional productions of A Little Night Music and the Broadway revival of Into the Woods.

Other Broadway roles include the Narrator in Happy New Year, Ben in A Little Family Business, Donner in Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase, Cap'n Andy in Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat, and Uncle Willie in Cole Porter'sHigh Society. He had a starring role in the unsuccessful Frank Loesser – Sam Spewack musical,Pleasures and Palaces, which closed in Detroit.

He was a leading member of the New Phoenix Repertory Company during their three Broadway seasons in the early 1970s, playing in Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown, Molière's Don Juan, Durrenmatt's The Visit,Chemin de Fer and Pirandello's The Rules of the Game.

He played Anton Schell opposite Chita Rivera in Kander and Ebb's musical version of The Visit at the Goodman Theatre, and created the roles of J.V. "Major" Bouvier and Norman Vincent Peale in Grey Gardens.

Broadway credits

• The Conquering Hero - Forrest Noble - 1961
• Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole - 1961
• Children From Their Games - Sidney Balzer - 1963
• A Rainy Day in Newark - Edward L. Voorhees - 1963
• Sweet Charity - Oscar - 1966/67
• Follies - Benjamin Stone – 1971/72
• The Great God Brown - Dion Anthony – 1972/73
• Don Juan - Sganarelle - 1972/73
• Sondheim: A Musical Tribute Special benefit concert - 1973
• The Visit - Anton Schill - 1973/74
• Chemin de Fer – Fedot – 1973/74
• Love for Love - Foresight - 1974
• The Rules of the Game - Leone Gala - 1974
• Happy New Year - The Narrator - 1980
• Solomon's Child - Allan - 1982
• A Little Family Business - Ben - 1982
• Artist Descending a Staircase - Donner - 1989
• Show Boat - Cap'n Andy - 1994/97
• High Society - Uncle Willie - 1998
• Into the Woods - Mysterious Man/Narrator - 2002
• Passion - Special benefit concert - Doctor Tambourri – 2004
• Grey Gardens - J.V. "Major" Bouvier/Norman Vincent Peale - 2006
• Is He Dead? (2007)

Off-Broadway credits

• Little Mary Sunshine - Cpl."Billy" Jester - 1959
• Too Much Johnson - Mr. Billings - 1964
• The Misanthrope – Alceste – 1977
• Julius Caesar - Julius Caesar - 1988
• Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story - Parole Board (voice over) – 2006
• Grey Gardens - J.V. "Major" Bouvier/Norman Vincent Peale – 2006
• Indian Blood - 2006

Regional theatre credits

• A Little Night Music – Frederick Egerman – Berkshire Theatre Festival, the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles
• The Visit – Goodman Theatre, Chicago, 2002

Feature film credits

• Sweet Charity – 1969
• What's So Bad About Feeling Good? – 1968
• All the President's Men – 1976
• Thieves – 1977
• Brubaker – 1980
• Blow Out – 1981
• Pennies From Heaven – 1981
• Native Son – 1986
• Legal Eagles – 1986
• Who's That Girl – 1987
• A Shock to the System – 1990
• The Dish - 2000
• Kinsey - 2004

Awards and nominations

• 1960 Theatre World Award for Little Mary Sunshine
• 1966 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Sweet Charity (nominee)
• 1973 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Don Juan (nominee)
• 1973 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance The Great God Brown (winner)
• 1973 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance Don Juan (winner)
• 1995 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Show Boat (nominee)
• 1998 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical High Society (nominee)
• 1998 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical High Society (nominee)
• 2002 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Into the Woods (nominee)
• 2006 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Grey Gardens (nominee)

External links

• John McMartin Off-Broadway