Richard H. Blake

Richard H. Blake, born Richard Harrison Thomas on May 17, 1975, is an American actor and singer whose Broadway career spans from 1987 to 2018.

Blake's introduction to Broadway came in 1987 with Teddy & Alice, the Len Cariou-led production at the Minskoff Theatre. The following year he appeared as Boy McDuff in Macbeth at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, a production that starred Christopher Plummer and Glenda Jackson. In 1989, at the age of 14, Blake took on the title role in the Broadway musical Prince of Central Park, becoming the youngest Broadway performer to have his name above the title of a show. The production closed after four performances. In 1990, Blake appeared on Star Search, where he defeated future Tony Award winner Sutton Foster.

His return to Broadway included a stint taking over the role of Roger Davis in Rent, as well as originating the role of Gus in the 1999 musical Saturday Night Fever, later joining its national tour as Tony Manero. He also took over the role of Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray, and appeared in Aida.

Blake originated the role of Glen Guglia in the 2006 Broadway production of The Wedding Singer at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, and can be heard on the show's cast recording. The following year he originated the role of Warner Huntington III in Legally Blonde at the Palace Theatre, appearing alongside Laura Bell Bundy and Christian Borle, and is featured on that production's cast recording as well.

Beginning November 18, 2008, Blake replaced Cliffton Hall as Fiyero on the First National tour of Wicked, remaining with that production through February 13, 2011. He then replaced Kyle Dean Massey in the Broadway company of Wicked starting March 29, 2011, and held the role until July 29, 2012, when Massey returned. Blake subsequently joined a third production of Wicked, this time in Asia, replacing David Harris as Fiyero beginning August 7 in Seoul, South Korea.

Following his extensive work with Wicked, Blake joined the Broadway cast of Matilda the Musical in the roles of the Escapologist, Sergei, and the Party Entertainer. On January 9, 2014, he took over the role of Tommy DeVito in the Broadway production of Jersey Boys. Blake then starred as Lorenzo in A Bronx Tale at the Longacre Theatre, a musical adaptation that opened officially on December 1, 2016 and closed on August 5, 2018.