Tony Musante Papers

Tony Musante, actor, director, and writer, was born on June 30, 1936 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Anthony Peter Musante, an accountant, and Natalie Anne (Salerno) Musante, a schoolteacher.

Musante attended Oberlin College from 1954 to 1958 where he studied psychology and performed in Oberlin Dramatic Association productions The Seagull, Death of A Salesman, Playboy of the Western World, Tiger At The Gates, View From the Bridge, Much Ado About Nothing, and Oberlin Mummers productions Banable Split and Brigadoon. He produced, directed, and wrote the book and lyrics for the musical When Time Stands Still, music by Tom Shepard and conducted by David Zinman. Tony received his B.A. from Oberlin in 1958.

Musante also acted in shows at the Northwestern Drama Festival (summer of 1957) and directed community theater in Stratford, CT, and at Oberlin High School.

Musante studied acting in New York City (1961-65) at Herbert Berghoff and Uta Hagen’s HB Studios with Walt Witcover.

He married Jane Ashley Sparkes, Oberlin Class of 1959, on June 2, 1962. Jane graduated with a Bachelor of Science in zoology-chemistry, and studied dance in New York while working as a medical writer and dancer in summer stock at Tamiment Playhouse in Pennsylvania. She later performed with Tony in L’Histoire du Soldat at Lincoln Center’s Library for the Performing Arts, and co-wrote screen and teleplays.

Musante began his professional acting career off-Broadway in Borak(1960), and in notable productions at Circle In The Square and Cherry Lane theatres. He made his film debut in MGM’s Once A Thief(1964). His initial television appearance was in the starring role of Joe Ferrone in Ride with Terror(1963), a role he repeated in the 20th Century-Fox film The Incident(1967). His first starring role on Broadway was Vito in P.S. Your Cat is Dead(1975). He became well known as Detective David Toma in the ABC-TV series Toma(1973-1974, 22 episodes), for which he co-wrote several episodes with his wife Jane Sparkes.

The New York Daily News referred to Tony Musante as “an actor’s actor.” Musante received the Photoplay Best Actor Award and the Hollywood Women’s Press Club Award for his role as David Toma in the Tomaseries. He received a nomination for the New York Drama Desk Award for his performance in P.S. Your Cat is Dead. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the 1976 NBC movie The Quality of Mercy. He was awarded Best Actor for The Incident at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina in 1968.

Italy served as another location for Musante’s acting career. He starred in films such as One Night At Dinner (Metti, Una Sera a Cena), The Anonymous Venetian, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (L’Uccello dalle Piume di Cristallo), and The Repenter (Il Pentito).

Tony Musante starred in television miniseries Oz, 100 Centre Street, Traffic, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Nutcracker: Money, Madness, and Murder, and Judgment: The Court-Martial of Lt. William Calley, as well as on PBS’ American Playhouse. Numerous further theatre credits include 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, premieres of The Lady From Dubuque, The Archbishop’s Ceiling, Widows, Anthony Rose, and films The Detective, The Grissom Gang, The Last Run, The Pope of Greenwich Village, The Yards, andWe Own The Night.

Tony Musante died on November 26, 2013.

Sources Consulted:

Alumni Records Files for Tony and Jane Musante, Oberlin College Development and Alumni Affairs Office.

Biographical File, Tony Musante Papers.

Tony and Jane Musante provided additional information and editorial comments.

Famous Works

The following is a chronology of Tony Musante’s work in theater, films, and television from Film Reference.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances

(As Anthony Musante) Soldier and villager, Borak, Martinique Theatre, New York City, 1960

George, Kiss Mama, Actors Playhouse, New York City, 1964

Marty, "Match Play," A Party for Divorce and Match-Play (double-bill), Provincetown Playhouse, New York City, 1966

David Byron, Night of the Dunce, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1971

L'Histoire du soldat, Lincoln Center Library Theatre, 1971

Wallace, A Gun Play, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1971

Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, 1972

Vito, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead, Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo, NY, 1974

(Broadway debut) Vito, P.S. Your Cat is Dead, John Golden Theatre, 1975

Mark Sanders, Souvenir, Shubert Theatre, Century City, CA, 1975

Silva Vicarro, 27 Wagons Full of Cotton; and Larry, A Memory of Two Mondays (double-bill), Phoenix Theatre Company, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1976

The Archbishop's Ceiling, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1977

Two Brothers, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1978

Calogero Di Spelta, Grand Magic, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1979

Sam, The Lady from Dubuque, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1980

Edgar Degas, Cassatt, Playhouse 46, New York City, 1980

Falling Man, Theatre at Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 1981

Petruchio, The Taming of the Shrew, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1982

Charlie, The Big Knife, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 1983

Coach Dean, Dancing in the End Zone, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 1983

Double Play, Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles, CA, 1984

Charlie, The Big Knife, Walnut Street Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1986

Johnny, Frankie and Johnnie in the Clair de Lune, Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, 1987-88

Widows, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 1988

Nick, Anthony Rose, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA, 1989

Harry Roat, Jr., Wait until Dark, Birmingham Theatre, Birmingham, MI, 1990

Mount Allegro, GeVa Theatre, Rochester, NY, 1992

Mike, Breaking Legs, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1993

Joe, The Flip Side, HB Playwrights Foundation, New York City, 1994

Love Letters, Hermosa Beach Playhouse, Hermosa Beach, CA, 1995

Vincent, The Sisters, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA, 1995

John, Italian Funerals and Other Festive Occasions, Seven Angels Theatre, Waterbury, CT, 1996

Also appeared in Madame Mousse, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT; The Tender Heel, Curran Theatre, San Francisco, CA; APA Shakespeare Repertory and Miss Julie, both McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ; The Glass Menagerie and Traveller without Luggage, both Branford Montowese Playhouse, CT; Death of a Salesman, Desire under the Elms, and Ring 'round the Moon, all Clinton Playhouse; Love's Labour's Lost, Theatre at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; appeared in off-Broadway productions, including Benito Cereno, The Balcony, Half Past Wednesday, Pinter Plays, Theatre of the Absurd, and The Zoo Story; appeared in The Collection and Snow Orchid; also appeared at McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, 1965-66

Stage Work

Assistant Stage Manager

Borak, Martinique Theatre, New York City, 1960

Whisper into My Good Ear, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 1962

Mrs. Dally Has a Lover, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1962

Film Appearances

Cleve Schoenstein, Once a Thief (also known as Les tueurs de San Francisco), Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer, 1965

Joe Ferrone, The Incident, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967

Felix Tesla, The Detective, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968

Paco, The Mercenary (also known as Professional Gun, Il Mercenario, and Salario para matar), United Artists, 1968

Max, The Love Circle (also known as One Night at Dinner and Metti una sera a cena), 1969

Sam Dalmas, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (also known as Bird with the Glass Feathers, The Gallery Murders, The Phantom of Terror, Das geheimnis der schwarzen handschule, and L'ucello dalle piume di cristallo), UM, 1970

Enrico, The Anonymous Venetian (also known as Anonimo Veneziano), Allied Artists, 1971

Eddie Hagan, The Grissom Gang, Cinerama, 1971

Paul Richard, The Last Run, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1971

Francesco, The Pisciotta Case, Columbia, 1972

John Dannahay, Goodbye and Amen (also known as Goodbye e Amen), Rizzoli Films, 1977

Paolo, Break Up (also known as Eutanasia di un amore), Rizzoli Films, 1978

Nocturne (also known as Notturno), RTA/RAI, 1981

Michael, The Trap (also known as The Cage, Collector's Item, La gabbia, and La jaula), 1984

Pete Grillo, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984

Vanni Ragusa, The Repenter (also known as Il pentito), Columbia, 1985

Dario Argento's World of Horror (also known as Il mondo dell'orrore di Dario Argento), 1985

Angelo Cappadora, The Deep End of the Ocean, Columbia, 1998

Seymour Korman, The Yards, Miramax, 2000

Karl, La vita come viene, Medusa, 2003

Amilcare, Promessa d'amore, Leading Entertainment, 2004

Enrico, The Anonymous Venetian (also known as Anonimo Veneziano), Allied Artists

Television Appearances

Series

Detective David Toma, Toma, ABC, 1973-74

Robert "Mac" McKenzie Huston, Loving, ABC, 1983

MacGruder and Loud, ABC, 1985

Nino Schibetta, Oz, HBO, 1997

Joe D'Angelo, As the World Turns, CBS, 2000-2003

Miniseries

Michele Borello, Alle origini della Mafia (also known as Roots of the Mafia), 1976

The Legend of the Black Hand, ABC, 1978

Sal Falcone, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, ABC, 1979

Vittorio Gentile, Nutcracker: Money, Madness, and Murder, NBC, 1987

Devil's Hill, RAI-TV (Italy), 1987

Appointment in Trieste (also known as Appuntamento a Trieste), RAI-TV, 1987

Baron Sajeva, the title role, The Baron (also known as Le Baron), RAI-TV, 1992

The Seventh Scroll (also known as Il settimo papiro), 1999

Alex Edmonds, Traffic (also known as Traffic: The Miniseries), USA Network, 2004

Episodic

Joe Ferrone, "Ride with Terror," DuPont Show of the Month, NBC, 1963

"A Wind of Hurricane Force," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1964

Candle, "Memo from Purgatory," Alfred Hitchcock Hour, NBC, 1964

Coley Thomas, "Bargain Day on the Street of Regret," Trials of O'Brien, CBS, 1965

"The Blue Steel Suite," Trials of O'Brien, CBS, 1966

Billy, "The Blessings of Liberty," The Fugitive, ABC, 1966

N.Y.P.D., ABC, 1967

"The Tall Tree," Marcus Welby, M.D., ABC, 1973

Joe Basic, "Fathers and Sons," Police Story, NBC, 1974

Vince Della Maggiore, "Breaking Point," Police Story, NBC, 1975

Dr. Paul Brandon, "The God Syndrome," Medical Story, NBC, 1975

"The Quality of Mercy," Medical Story, NBC, 1975

Jack Mitchell, "The Other Side of the Badge," Police Story, NBC, 1976

George, "Weekend," American Playhouse, PBS, 1982

John Parker, "Pretenders," The Equalizer, CBS, 1986

Roy, "Grace," Night Heat, CBS, 1987

Gary the cook, "Song of Songs," Nothing Sacred, ABC, 1997

Rocco, Acapulco H.E.A.T., syndicated, 1998

Frank Esposito, "Bobby & Cynthia," 100 Centre Street, Arts and Entertainment, 2001

Albert Esposito, "A Shot in the Dark," 100 Centre Street, Arts and Entertainment, 2001

Movies

Joe Ferrone, Ride with Terror, 1963

Joe Larkin, The Desperate Miles, ABC, 1975

Lieutenant William Calley, Judgment: The Court-Martial of Lieutenant William Calley, ABC, 1975

Derek MacKenzie (some sources cite the role Claude Boisson), My Husband Is Missing, NBC, 1978

Lieutenant Colonel Harris Thatcher, High Ice, NBC, 1980

Vince Martino, Rearview Mirror, NBC, 1984

Brad Baxter, Last Waltz on a Tightrope, PBS, 1986

Lennox, Deep Family Secrets (also known as Dark Family Secrets: The Dawna Kay Wells Story), CBS, 1997

Don Giancarlo Uzielli, Exiled (also known as Exiled: A Law and Order Movie), NBC, 1998

Un Bacio nel buio, 1999

Specials

Intimate Portrait: Bonnie Franklin (documentary), Lifetime, 2003

Pilots

David Toma, Toma, ABC, 1973

Joey Faber, Nowhere to Hide (also known as Fatal Chase), NBC, 1977

MacGruder and Loud, ABC, 1985

WRITINGS

Television Episodes

(With wife, Jane Sparkes) Toma, ABC, 1973-74