Edmonds began his career
off-Broadway in the 1950s, appearing in mostly light comedy and classical works. He created the role of Algernon Moncrieff in
Ernest in Love, the musical version of
Oscar Wilde's
The Importance of Being Earnest. The cast recording was recently reissued on CD. He played Max in the original Broadway production of
Leonard Bernstein's
Candide, but due to a temporary illness, he is not heard on the cast recording. In the 1970s and 1980s, Edmonds toured in several national tours; two of the most successful were
Man of La Mancha (as
Miguel de Cervantes/
Don Quixote) and
My Fair Lady (as Henry Higgins). ==Personal life==