Frank Porretta

Frank Porretta Jr. (May 4, 1930, Detroit – April 23, 2015, Stamford, Connecticut) was an American tenor who had an active career performing in operas, musicals, and concerts from 1952 through 1971. He had a particularly fruitful relationship with the New York City Opera from 1956 to 1970 where he sang a highly diverse repertoire; including roles in new operas by composers Norman Dello Joio, Carlisle Floyd, Vittorio Giannini, and Robert Ward. For the NBC Opera Theatre he portrayed The Astronaut in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's Labyrinth.

Porretta also starred in several musicals at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera; notably performing on cast albums of The Great Waltz, The King and I and The Merry Widow. He made his only film appearance in the 1970 film Song of Norway in which he starred opposite Florence Henderson and Toralv Maurstad. After retiring from the stage in his early 40s, Porretta served as the choir director at St. John's Church in Darien, Connecticut, for more than 40 years.^[1]