Joel Higgins
Encyclopedia
Joel Franklin Higgins is an American
actor
s and singer with a stage career spanning over 30 years.
, Higgins initially performed in coffee houses to help pay his way through school. After leaving with a degree in advertising
and working for six months for General Motors, Higgins went to Europe
to perform.
In 1968 he enlisted in the United States Army
and was stationed at Camp Casey in Korea
, serving as the Special Services Sergeant
in charge of Entertainment. Following his Army days, he and several friends wrote a musical revue called The Green Apple Nasties. After leaving the Army, he sold the show to a producer and went on the road for two and a half years. During a performance in Louisville, Kentucky
, Higgins was approached by a producer who asked him to play Sky Masterson in a local theater production of Guys and Dolls. He went on a 17-week tour of the Midwest in the role.
In 1973 Higgins landed the role of Vince in the first national tour of Grease
, where he stayed for a year before leaving to join the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical called Shenandoah
. In 1975, he won the Theatre World Award
for his role in the Broadway version of Shenandoah. In the same year, he began the role Bruce Carson in the CBS
soap opera
Search For Tomorrow
, and in the following year he returned to Broadway for Music Is
. In 1978, Higgins was featured in the role of Ben Gant in the Broadway musical Angel
. While the show only ran for five nights, Higgins received a Drama Desk Award
nomination for his performance.
1979 took him from daytime to prime time with a starring role in the short-lived television series Salvage 1 with Andy Griffith
. Best of the West
featured Higgins as United States Marshal Sam Best who, after returning from fighting in the American Civil War
, uproots his family and moves them out West. ABC
canceled the show after the first season. During the late 70s and early 80s he also appeared in several movies, including Bare Essence
, Threesome
, First Affair
, and Killing At Hell's Gate. He also continued to perform on stage in the musicals She Loves Me
, Oklahoma!
, Music Is, and Camp Meeting, as well as writing jingle
s for Kool-Aid
, I Can't Believe it's not Butter
, M&M's
, and the theme song for Lucille Ball
's comeback series Life With Lucy
. Higgins has performed in several theaters around the country including The Muny
in Forest Park
, (the largest and oldest outdoor theatre in America) in St. Louis, Missouri
.
In 1982, Embassy Television
and NBC
created the TV series Silver Spoons
. Higgins played Edward W. Stratton III, the childlike son of one of the country's richest industrialists. In the show's opening he learned he has a twelve-year-old son, the product of his first marriage (lasting all of seven days). Higgins was the only member of the cast familiar with doing comedy and took each of the others under his wing to teach them what he knew. His character went from a childish playboy
to a responsible father and husband but still maintained a touch of that little boy charm.
Higgins most recently appeared in Dead Canaries, in 2003, a crime drama featured at the 2004 Bahamas International Film Festival
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and singer with a stage career spanning over 30 years.
Life and Career
A graduate of Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, Higgins initially performed in coffee houses to help pay his way through school. After leaving with a degree in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and working for six months for General Motors, Higgins went to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to perform.
In 1968 he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was stationed at Camp Casey in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, serving as the Special Services Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in charge of Entertainment. Following his Army days, he and several friends wrote a musical revue called The Green Apple Nasties. After leaving the Army, he sold the show to a producer and went on the road for two and a half years. During a performance in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Higgins was approached by a producer who asked him to play Sky Masterson in a local theater production of Guys and Dolls. He went on a 17-week tour of the Midwest in the role.
In 1973 Higgins landed the role of Vince in the first national tour of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, where he stayed for a year before leaving to join the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical called Shenandoah
Shenandoah (musical)
Shenandoah is a musical that was written in 1975 with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell, and a book by Udell, Philip Rose and James Lee Barrett, based on Barrett's original screenplay for the 1965 film Shenandoah.-Productions:...
. In 1975, he won the Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
for his role in the Broadway version of Shenandoah. In the same year, he began the role Bruce Carson in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Search For Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
, and in the following year he returned to Broadway for Music Is
Music Is
Music Is is a musical with a book by George Abbott, music by Richard Adler, and lyrics by Will Holt. It is the second musical adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Twelfth Night, following Your Own Thing in 1968....
. In 1978, Higgins was featured in the role of Ben Gant in the Broadway musical Angel
Angel (musical)
Angel is a Broadway musical that opened at the Minskoff Theatre in New York on May 4th 1978.It was based on Ketti Frings’ theatrical adaptation of the best-selling Thomas Wolfe novel Look Homeward, Angel...
. While the show only ran for five nights, Higgins received a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nomination for his performance.
1979 took him from daytime to prime time with a starring role in the short-lived television series Salvage 1 with Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
. Best of the West
Best of the West
Best of the West is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 1981 through August 1982.-Synopsis:The Old West spoof featured the misadventures of Sam Best, a Civil War veteran who becomes a marshal in Copper Creek after accidentally scaring off an incompetent gunfighter called the Calico...
featured Higgins as United States Marshal Sam Best who, after returning from fighting in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, uproots his family and moves them out West. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
canceled the show after the first season. During the late 70s and early 80s he also appeared in several movies, including Bare Essence
Bare Essence
Bare Essence is an American television soap opera which aired on the NBC network during the 1982-1983 season.Bare Essence starred popular daytime soap actress Genie Francis and dealt with the intrigues of the perfume industry...
, Threesome
Threesome (film)
Threesome is a 1994 film, written and directed by Andrew Fleming. The film is an autobiographical comedy mixed in with some social commentary, and is based on the college memories of Fleming. It was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America...
, First Affair
First Affair
First Affair is an album by The Four Freshmen. It was released in 1960 by Capitol Records.# “Please Be Kind” # “I Hadn't Anyone Till You” # “At Last”...
, and Killing At Hell's Gate. He also continued to perform on stage in the musicals She Loves Me
She Loves Me
She Loves Me is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the...
, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, Music Is, and Camp Meeting, as well as writing jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s for Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
, I Can't Believe it's not Butter
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is a butter substitute produced by Becel/Flora/Promise, which is a subsidiary of Unilever. It was introduced to the United States in 1986 and later to the United Kingdom and Canada in 1991. The product was put on the market in Germany in 2011. Due to the length of...
, M&M's
M&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
, and the theme song for Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
's comeback series Life With Lucy
Life With Lucy
Life with Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The show ran on the ABC network in 1986, and unlike Ball's previous hits on television, it was a critical and ratings flop.- Premise :...
. Higgins has performed in several theaters around the country including The Muny
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
in Forest Park
Forest Park
-Towns and villages:*Forest Park, Ontario, Canada*Forest Park, Georgia, USA*Forest Park, Illinois, USA*Forest Park, Ohio, Hamilton county, Ohio, USA*Forest Park, Ottawa County, Ohio, USA*Forest Park, Oklahoma, USA...
, (the largest and oldest outdoor theatre in America) in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
In 1982, Embassy Television
Embassy Pictures
Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as The Graduate, The Lion in Winter, This Is Spinal Tap and Escape from New York.-Founding:The company was founded in 1942 by producer Joseph E...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
created the TV series Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987...
. Higgins played Edward W. Stratton III, the childlike son of one of the country's richest industrialists. In the show's opening he learned he has a twelve-year-old son, the product of his first marriage (lasting all of seven days). Higgins was the only member of the cast familiar with doing comedy and took each of the others under his wing to teach them what he knew. His character went from a childish playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
to a responsible father and husband but still maintained a touch of that little boy charm.
Higgins most recently appeared in Dead Canaries, in 2003, a crime drama featured at the 2004 Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in early December in the Bahamas, founded in 2004.The Bahamas International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films...
.
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20031031020445/http://joelhiggins.tripod.com/biography.htm : Biography page of "Official Joel Higgins Website" as recorded by http://archive.org on Oct 31, 2003