RUSSELL NYPE - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 318303

RUSSEL NYPE
The actor pens a short note to John Willis, editor of Theatre World
Autograph note signed: "Dear John--/I'm enclosing photo-/Thank you, and will see/you in the Spring--at/least/Best/Russell", in black ink, 8½x3¾. Playbill for a production of Call Me Madam at the Imperial Theatre in New York. Russell Nype, born in 1924 in Zion, Illinois, is an American baritone who won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1951 (Kenneth Gibson in Call Me Madam) and 1959 (George Randolph Brown in Goldilocks). Theatre World, founded in 1945 by Daniel Blum, is America's oldest annual record of Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre, referenced by industry professionals, historians, students and theatre fans worldwide. Until 1998, when a separate nonprofit corporation was established, Theatre World's editorial staff bestowed the prestigious Theatre World Awards for outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debuts. Screen World (from 1950) and Dance World (from 1966), administered from the same office, and furnished comprehensive information on those entertainment genres. John A. Willis (1916-2010), active in Theatre World from the beginning, became its chief editor in 1965, holding that position until 2008. Willis is regarded as one of the foremost theatre and film historians of the 20th century. While producing (and presenting) the annual Theatre World Awards, Willis also served on the nominating committee for the Tony Awards. Theatre World, which received its own Tony for Excellence in Theatre in 2001, continues under chief editor Ben Hodges. Lightly toned. Fine condition.