Internet Broadway Database — IBDB
Larry Kert's Broadway production history, roles and theatre credits, including West Side Story, Company, Side by Side by Sondheim and other Broadway appearances.
Research, archives and verification
Larry Kert Archive, Research Sources and External Links
This page brings together the principal archives, theatre databases, recordings, television resources, newspaper material and image collections used to research Larry Kert's career.
Why this archive matters:
Larry Kert's career extended far beyond West Side Story. The sources below
document his Broadway work, Company, television appearances, recordings,
cabaret work, photographs, reviews and later career.
Major Larry Kert Archive
New York Public Library — Larry Kert Papers, 1930–2016
The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library holds the major Larry Kert research collection. The finding aid describes scores, scripts, photographs, audio and moving-image recordings, correspondence, programmes, clippings and other material documenting his stage, television, film and nightclub career.
Broadway and Theatre Records
Playbill Vault
Playbill's Larry Kert archive provides Broadway credits, production information, photographs and award information.
Tony Awards and Company
1971 Tony Award Nomination
Larry Kert was nominated for the 1971 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Bobby in Company.
A Unique Tony Awards Record
The Tony Awards' historical facts page identifies Kert as the only cast replacement ever nominated in a competitive Tony category.
West Side Story Sources
Ed Sullivan — Tony and Maria on Television
The official Ed Sullivan archive records the appearance by Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence performing material from West Side Story.
Paley Center — 2 November 1958 Broadcast
The Paley Center catalogue provides an archival record for the television broadcast in which Kert and Lawrence appeared.
Television and Film Research
Television Credits on LarryKert.com
The rebuilt television page now contains the much fuller chronology assembled from the Larry Kert research material, including dramatic television, film, variety and talk-show appearances and the extensive series of appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Open the expanded Television & Film credits
Where the surviving research sources contain conflicting dates or role names, the website identifies the conflict rather than silently choosing one version.
Recordings and Music
Masterworks Broadway
Biography and recording information covering Larry Kert's Broadway work and recorded legacy.
Performances Preserved Online
The Songs & Videos page links directly to surviving performances including “Tonight,” “Being Alive,” television appearances and Stephen Sondheim material.
Photographs and Image Sources
Wikimedia Commons — Larry Kert
Wikimedia Commons contains archival Larry Kert photographs and individual image-information pages with source and licensing details.
Two Key West Side Story Photographs
Newspaper and Obituary Sources
Los Angeles Times
Contemporary obituary coverage and the 1990 report on Larry Kert's reunion with Carol Lawrence at Rainbow and Stars.
El País
The Spanish newspaper published an obituary for Larry Kert in June 1991.
LarryKert.com Research Pages
- Timeline: 1930–1991 career chronology
- Stage Career: Broadway and theatre credits
- Television & Film: expanded screen and talk-show chronology
- Did You Know? lesser-known Larry Kert facts
- Reviews: contemporary and retrospective critical reception
- Obituaries: contemporary memorial coverage and corrections
- Larry & Carol: the Kert–Lawrence partnership
- Company: Bobby and the 1971 Tony nomination
Research Principles
- Prefer primary archives and professional theatre databases for dates and credits.
- Link directly to the source where practical.
- Preserve source conflicts rather than silently rewriting them.
- Correct demonstrable errors in the old website.
- Distinguish established facts from anecdotal or incomplete research.
- Do not reproduce long copyrighted articles or recordings when a source link will do.
Image-rights note:
LarryKert.com already uses a number of historic production photographs. Matching
images on Wikimedia Commons provide useful source and licensing information, but
copyright treatment can vary by jurisdiction. The rights position should be checked
before adding new archival images.