He was born Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts to Rebecca (née Sack) and Abraham Shelasky, Russian Jewish immigrants.
When Irving was 13 or 14, he sang in synagogues and churches as a boy soprano. By his final high school year in 1940, he heard about a dramatic school in Boston for those who were not quite draft age and who were tall and had deep voices, so he immediately received a scholarship. In 1942, he worked in the chorus of the St. Louis Muny Opera.
Irving made his debut in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, only to be drafted days later to serve in the United States Army in World War II. He received this role when one of the original actors lost his voice and Irving went on as his replacement. He explains the following: "I wrote to The Theatre Guild when they were casting Oklahoma! and asked them to remind Oscar Hammerstein that he knew me a little, and I got an audition and was cast in the chorus". Irving is best known to Broadway audiences for his role as opposite Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell (successively) in Irene (1974), and his Tony nominated performance as Sir John in Me and My Girl (1987).
In 2008, Irving recreated the three roles he originally played in the ill-fated 1976 Joseph Stein musical So Long, 174th Street, now reworked, revised, and with its original title Enter Laughing at Off-Broadway's York Theatre Company, and received rave reviews for his rendition of "The Butler's Song". Irving performed his one-man cabaret show to great acclaim at Feinstein's in New York City in November 2008. On December 8, 2008, aged 86, Irving received the 17th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre.
Productions
Oklahoma! (1943)
Call Me Mister (1946)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)
Two's Company (1952)
Can-Can (1953)
Me and Juliet (1953)
Bells Are Ringing (1956)
Shinbone Alley (1957)
Irma La Douce (1960)
Bravo Giovanni (1962)
Romulus (1962)
Tovarich (1963)
Anya (1965)
The Happy Time (1968)
An Evening With Richard Nixon and... (1972)
Irene (1973 revival)
So Long, 174th Street (1976)
Once in a Lifetime (1978 revival)
I Remember Mama (1979)
The Pirates of Penzance (1981 revival)
Copperfield (1981)
On Your Toes (1983 revival)
Me and My Girl (1986)
Busker Alley (2005)
A Wonderful Life (2005)
Promenade Off Broadway 1969
One of his most prominent non-Broadway roles was a voice-over for The Year Without a Santa Claus, in which he played the embittered Heat Miser opposite Dick Shawn's Snow Miser. He did another voice-over for Rankin-Bass as Mister Geppetto in Pinocchio's Christmas and was the narrator of the animated cartoon series Underdog, as well as the voice of Running Board on Go Go Gophers. He also voiced Captain Contagious in Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure. Irving has also narrated the popular Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Audio Books.
Irving returned to television in 2008 after an absence of more than a decade to reprise his role as Heat Miser in a new sequel to The Year Without a Santa Claus, A Miser Brothers' Christmas, which premiered on December 13, 2008, on cable's ABC Family. The show served as the network's first-ever original animated special. The production was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children by the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Animated Film Society.
Irving was familiar to television audiences of the 1970s as a result of his memorable guest-starring appearances on All in the Family as Russ DeKuyper, the loudmouthed husband of Edith Bunker's cousin Amelia. He was also a regular in the cast of the short-lived 1976 sitcom The Dumplings. Irving also did some work in commercials for White Owl Cigars in the early 1970s.
Irving was married to Maria Karnilova from 1948 until her death in 2001. They had a son, Alexander of Oceanside, California, a daughter, Katherine Irving of South Salem, New York, and three grandchildren.
Irving died in Manhattan of heart failure on December 26, 2016 at the age of 94.
The Voice
George S. Irving Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause angels' voices are rarely heard
The sound of silence swirls all around me
Harmonizing every unspoken word
And the absurdity of it is that it's within me
From the beginning
A chirpless bird
And I can't seem to take what's given to me
Went to the dirt
Oh I feel like a stranger to this world
In the opening lines of George S. Irving's song "The Voice," the singer expresses a belief that they possess a voice that is reminiscent of an angel's. This comparison is drawn not only for its beauty but also for the rarity with which angels' voices are heard. The sense of rarity adds to the mystical quality of the voice being described, hinting at a divine or otherworldly quality. The choice of comparing their voice to that of an angel serves to emphasize the purity and ethereal nature of the sound that the singer believes they possess.
The following lines illustrate a contrasting image of the singer being surrounded by the "sound of silence," which appears to both engulf and intertwine with their voice. This image of silence swirling around them creates a poignant atmosphere, suggesting a deep sense of isolation or disconnect from the world around them. Despite this isolation, there is a sense of unspoken communication, with the silence harmonizing with every word left unsaid. This concept presents a paradoxical harmony in the absence of sound, adding to the complexity of the singer's experience.
The singer reflects on the internal nature of their voice, describing it as existing within them from the very beginning. The metaphor of a "chirpless bird" further emphasizes the silence and restraint that characterize their expression. The mention of life's challenges causing what was given to them to be thrown to the dirt conveys a sense of struggle or adversity that has tainted their inherent gift. This juxtaposition of inner purity and external hardship adds layers to the singer's identity and suggests a tension between their innate abilities and the challenges they face in expressing them.
The final line, "Oh I feel like a stranger to this world," encapsulates a profound sense of alienation and detachment that permeates the singer's experience. This expression of feeling out of place or disconnected from the world hints at a deeper existential struggle or a longing for belonging. The juxtaposition of the angelic voice within the singer and their sense of estrangement from the world around them paints a poignant picture of inner turmoil and longing for connection. Overall, these lyrics convey a complex mix of beauty, isolation, and introspection, inviting listeners to delve into the depths of the singer's inner world and the challenges they face in expressing their unique voice.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I have the voice of an angel
I believe my voice is pure and divine
Cause angels' voices are rarely heard
Because angelic voices are seldom experienced
The sound of silence swirls all around me
I am surrounded by profound quietness
Harmonizing every unspoken word
Creating harmony with every thought left unsaid
And the absurdity of it is that it's within me
Surprisingly, this gift lies inside me
From the beginning
Since the start
A chirpless bird
Muted like a bird without a song
And I can't seem to take what's given to me
I struggle to accept what fate has presented
Whatever life threw me
No matter the challenges faced
Went to the dirt
Have fallen to the ground
Oh I feel like a stranger to this world
I feel disconnected from the world around me
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Irving Glick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind