Bruce Hubbard

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Bruce Hubbard (1952–1991) was an American operatic baritone who also acted. He sang on Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera, on BBC television, in concerts, and made several recordings. He is best known for his roles as Joe in Show Boat and as Jake (and Porgy) in Porgy and Bess on Broadway, in the West End, and in major opera houses.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he graduated from Arlington High School in 1971 and studied music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. As a student he helped coach actors in musicals and made early recordings with the Arlington High School choir.

From 1978 to 1980 he appeared on Broadway and in national tours of Timbuktu!, eventually playing the Mansa of Mali. He also portrayed Rev. Bushrod in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and took part in the first Broadway production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. He began performing Show Boat in the 1970s and gained wide recognition with the Houston Grand Opera Broadway production in 1983, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination.

In 1988 an acclaimed three-CD recording of Show Boat under John McGlinn brought renewed attention to the work. Hubbard sang Ol’ Man River in its original 1927 style, a choice that caused controversy but was supported by Eartha Kitt. He later performed in Glyndebourne’s 1986 Porgy and Bess and at the Metropolitan Opera; the Glyndebourne recording was named an EMI Great Recording of the Century.

Hubbard released a solo album, For You, For Me, in 1990. It featured songs from Copland, Berlin, and Gershwin, plus selections from Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy, Centennial Summer and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, with soprano Marvis Martin joining him on a duet.

He appeared on screen in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club (1984) and on TV in The Equalizer (1987). In 1991 he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Show Boat in London.

Bruce Hubbard died of pneumonia in New York City on November 12, 1991, at age 39. In 1992 his family and friends established the Bruce Hubbard Memorial Scholarship Fund at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music to help voice students, with a preference for minority students. He had performed at the White House three times, and President Ronald Reagan praised his performance.