Kevin Colson

{{Infobox person

| name = Kevin Colson

| image =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|08|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|04|18|1937|08|28|df=y}}

| death_place =

| occupation = Stage actor, film and television actor

| yearsactive = 1960–1969, 1985–2018

| spouse =

| domesticpartner =

| relatives = Phil B. Colson (brother)
Sia (niece)

| website =

}}

Kevin Colson (28 August 1937 – 18 April 2018) was an Australian stage, film and television actor. He is known for playing Sir George Dillingham in the musical Aspects of Love, for which he received a Tony nomination, and Cliff in the original London production of Cabaret opposite Judi Dench.{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Hannah |date=15 September 2003 |title=20 Questions With...Kevin Colson |url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8821063294816/20+Questions+With...Kevin+Colson.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615172622/https://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8821063294816/20+Questions+With...Kevin+Colson.html |archive-date=2011-06-15 |accessdate=6 July 2010 |work=What's on Stage}} Colson was a television presenter and stage actor in Sydney before moving to London. He left acting for 16 years from 1969, but returned to the stage in 1985.{{Cite web |title=KEVIN COLSON – Deaths Announcements – Telegraph Announcements |url=https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/223781/kevin-colson |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427184648/https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/223781/kevin-colson |archive-date=2018-04-27}}

Career

=Early career=

Colson began his career as a television announcer on a religious program on Sundays, and then became the Seven Network station compère and hosted Room for Two in 1959.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s3QfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J_EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2641,6516658&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=New form for program|date=1 December 1958|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=6 July 2010}} His first theatre role was as a rancher in The Pleasure of His Company at the Theatre Royal in 1960,{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a-oiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O-YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2608,3929541&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Cyril Richard in New Comedy at Theatre Royal|date=3 October 1960|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=6 July 2010}} and he had a part in The Glass Menagerie for the Elizabethan Theatre Trust in Sydney in 1961.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eqQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vecDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6952,2103382&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Smiling stars here for lively musical|date=15 June 1961|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}} He starred in French musical Irma La Douce with Judy Bruce from May 1961 as her young boyfriend.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=faQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vecDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4382,2713728&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=French Musical is Brilliantly Funny|date=19 June 1961|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}} It was his first professional musical role, having previously played straight theatre roles. In October 1962, he starred as the hero in Carnival at Her Majesty's Theatre,{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oIUQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K5UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2420,3402979&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Quartet|date=September 1962|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZksRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RpUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7024,3511725&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|last=Hutton|first=Geoffrey|title=Happy Christmas Touch in New Musical|date=22 October 1962|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}} and in 1963 he played the juvenile lead in Noël Coward's Sail Away at Her Majesty's Theatre; Coward oversaw the rehearsals.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_18RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lJYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5440,4251104&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Musical Cruise Goes at Lively Speed|last=Hutton|first=Geoffrey|date=27 May 1963|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}} In 1964, appearances with the Union Theatre Repertory Company – later the Melbourne Theatre Company – were his Hamlet, Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, in the Australian premiere of the Arthur Miller play After the Fall{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q00RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9ZQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4036,908246&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Premiere of Miller Play|date=6 October 1964|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZAoUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1ZQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5235,1432409&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title="Virginia Woolf" is Tender, Powerful|last=Radic|first=Leonard|date=9 September 1964|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}} and a role in And the Big Men Fly as the hero's neighbour.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VQ4UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3278,1966923&dq=kevin-colson&hl=en|title=Football Comedy Revived|date=12 May 1964|work=The Age|accessdate=6 July 2010}}

=West End and Broadway=

In 1965, Colson moved to London to train, but was immediately offered the part of Robert Browning (replacing Keith Michell) in Robert and Elizabeth, which he performed for a year and a half at the Lyric Theatre. He then played Cliff Bradshaw to Judi Dench's Sally Bowles in the original London production of Cabaret at the Palace Theatre . He retired from acting in 1969.

=Later career=

From 1970 and 1985, he ran an oil business and a TV production company, both ultimately unsuccessful. After the oil business ended in 1985 he appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Follies, and then as CIA agent Walter DeCourcey in the original London production of Tim Rice's musical Chess.

In 1989, Colson starred in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects of Love with Ann Crumb. Colson was originally the understudy for actor Roger Moore in the part of George Dillingham, but Moore had reservations over his own singing voice and pulled out a month before the opening.{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GhwVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6695,2813815|title=Roger Moore pulls out of Weber musical play|date=18 March 1989|work=Ocala Star-Banner|accessdate=6 July 2010}} Colson was nominated for a Tony Award in June 1990 when the play reached Broadway. In 1991, he played Noah in Children of Eden at the Prince Edward Theatre in London and Max von Mayerling in the Sydmonton Festival workshop of Sunset Boulevard.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/06/theater/new-musical-s-opening-is-off-off-off-broadway.html|title=New Musical's Opening Is Off Off Off Broadway|agency=Associated Press|date=6 January 1991|work=The New York Times|accessdate=6 July 2010}} In 1998, he was a supporting lead in Maddie{{Cite news|url=http://www.playbill.com/features/article/65591-Ken-Mandelbaums-MUSICALS-ON-DISC-Sounds-From-Abroad |title=Ken Mandelbaum's MUSICALS ON DISC: Sounds From Abroad |last=Mandelbaum |first=Ken |date=22 March 1998 |work=Playbill |accessdate=6 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016215318/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/65591-Ken-Mandelbaums-MUSICALS-ON-DISC-Sounds-From-Abroad |archivedate=16 October 2012 }} and he played Daddy Warbucks in Annie.{{Cite news|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E1786457781/Annie+Turns+21+with+West+End+Revival.html|title=Annie Turns 21 with West End Revival|date=30 June 1998|work=What's on Stage|accessdate=6 July 2010}} He played Joey Bishop in Rat Pack Confidential at the Whitehall Theatre in 2003, followed by The Woman in White with Roger Allam in 2003{{Cite news|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/80733-Lloyd-Webbers-Musical-in-Progress-Woman-in-White-Gets-UK-Presentation |title=Lloyd Webber's Musical in Progress, Woman in White, Gets UK Presentation |date=17 July 2003 |work=Playbill |accessdate=6 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016215350/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/80733-Lloyd-Webbers-Musical-in-Progress-Woman-in-White-Gets-UK-Presentation |archivedate=16 October 2012 }} and Murderous Instincts as the butler Adolfo at the Savoy Theatre in 2004.{{Cite news|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/87675-Murderous-Instincts-Heads-to-London-in-October-with-McAuliffe-and-Colson |title=Murderous Instincts Heads to London in October with McAuliffe and Colson |last=Nathan |first=John |date=2 August 2004 |work=Playbill |accessdate=6 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016215436/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/87675-Murderous-Instincts-Heads-to-London-in-October-with-McAuliffe-and-Colson |archivedate=16 October 2012 }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/murderous-desire-to-dance-the-salsa-551533.html|title=Murderous desire to dance the salsa|last=Cripps|first=Charlotte|date=6 September 2004|work=The Independent|accessdate=6 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 2006 he played the leads in Dominic Mitchell's Acquaintances.{{Cite news |last=Thaxter |first=John |date=30 October 2006 |title=Acquaintances/National Amnesty |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/14709/national-amnesty |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611140554/https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/14709/national-amnesty |archive-date=2011-06-11 |accessdate=6 July 2010 |work=The Stage}} He has appeared in many productions at the Finborough Theatre in London, including The Destiny of Me (2002), Allport’s Revenge (2004), Van Badham's The Gabriels.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/11176/undefined|title=The Gabriels|last=Smith|first=Alistair|date=9 January 2006|work=The Stage|accessdate=6 July 2010}} (2006), Blackwater Angel (2006), Mass Appeal (2006), The Beautiful People (2008) and His Greatness (2010). He was Rodion in 2007's Old World.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/18680/old-world|title=Old World|last=McEvoy|first=William|date=29 October 2007|work=The Stage|accessdate=6 July 2010}} His last appearance was in 2014 in The Last Confession in Sydney, alongside David Suchet.

Personal life

Colson came from Sydney, and his father and brother were taxi drivers. He was previously married, shortly after he took a break from acting in 1969. Australian singer-songwriter, Sia is his niece, the daughter of his brother, Phil B. Colson, who is a singer, guitarist & composer.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/theater/on-stage.html?scp=1180&sq=By%20STEPHEN%20GREGORY&st=nyt|title=Catching Up With a Faster Pace|last=Nemy|first=Enid|date=6 July 1990|work=The New York Times|accessdate=6 July 2010}}

In 2003, Colson claimed that he was homeless after he sold his place in Australia and gave his house to his ex-wife.