Tony nominee Eddie Mekka died November 27 at his home in Newhall, Calif. Born Edward Rudolph Mekjian on June 14, 1952, in Worcester, Mass., Mekka graduated from Burncoat H.S. and attended Berklee College of Music. After college, he taught voice at Worcester County Light Opera, while he pursued a performing career. He made his Broadway debut in the Tom Stoppard play Jumpers (1974) and his musical debut as a replacement in The Magic Show. His third (and final) Broadway credit was the title role in the short-lived musical The Lieutenant (1975), which earned him a Tony nomination for best actor. Below you can listen to the show’s opening segment, including Mekka in the “I Want” song “Join the Army” (at 2:20).
Mekka moved to Los Angeles in 1975 to audition for television and film work, and quickly landed his breakthrough role of Carmine “The Big Ragoo” Ragusa in the Emmy-nominated Happy Days spinoff series Laverne & Shirley (1976-83). Below is a medley of Mekka in musical clips from his time on the show.
Mekka also played the recurring role of Joey DeLuca in another Happy Days spinoff, the short-lived Blansky’s Beauties (1977), as well as appearing as Carmine in two episodes of Happy Days itself, including “Joanie’s Weird Boyfriend” (1977), in which he introduced his character’s signature song, “Rags to Riches,” which you can watch below.
After Laverne & Shirley ended, Mekka made numerous TV guest appearances, including two reunion specials. He began getting more film work after his memorable scene-stealing dance with Madonna in A League of Their Own (1992), directed by Laverne & Shirley’s Penny Marshall, which you can watch below.
His recent musical stage work included a national tour of Grease (2000) with Laverne & Shirley’s Cindy Williams, a run in Hairspray (2006) at the Luxor in Las Vegas, and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (2010) at Long Island’s Engeman Theater.