Question: Who introduced the role that John Rich played from 1717 to 1760?

Context paragraphs:
Underneath the Same Moon: Underneath the Same Moon is an album recorded by John Rich.  The album was recorded in 1999, after Rich left from the country group Lonestar and before he joined Big Kenny in the duo Big & Rich.  However, like Big Kenny's 1999 album "Live a Little", this album was not released until 2006, after Big & Rich had released their first album.  Rich also self-released an album in 2001, "Rescue Me", though it was recorded after "Underneath the Same Moon."

John Rich (producer): John Rich (1692–1761) was an important director and theatre manager in 18th-century London.  He opened the New Theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields (1714), which he managed until he opened the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden (1732).  He managed Covent Garden until 1761, putting on ever more lavish productions.  He introduced pantomime to the English stage and played a dancing and mute Harlequin himself from 1717 to 1760 under the stage name of "Lun."  Rich's version of the servant character, Arlecchino, moved away from the poor, disheveled, loud, and crude character, to a colorfully-dressed, silent Harlequin, performing fanciful tricks, dances and magic.  The British idea of the Harlequin character was heavily inspired by Rich’s idea of a silent character.  Rich’s choice of being a silent character was influenced by his unappealing voice, which he was well aware of.

John Rich: John Rich (born January 7, 1974) is an American country music singer-songwriter.  From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist.  After departing from the band in 1998, he embarked on a solo career on BNA Records in the late 1990s, releasing two singles for the label and recording "Underneath the Same Moon", which was not released until 2006.  In 2001, he self-released "Rescue Me", an album he was inspired to record by a cancer patient named Katie Darnell.  By 2003, he joined Big Kenny to form the duo Big & Rich, who released three albums on Warner Bros.  Records as well as ten singles, including the Number One "Lost in This Moment".  After Big & Rich went on hiatus in 2007, Rich began work on a third solo album, "Son of a Preacher Man", which has produced two more chart singles.  In 2011, Rich released two Extended Plays, "Rich Rocks" and "For the Kids" before re-establishing Big & Rich in 2012.

Harlequin: Harlequin ( ; Italian: "Arlecchino" ] , French: "Arlequin" ] , Old French "Harlequin") is the best-known of the "zanni" or comic servant characters from the Italian "Commedia dell'arte".  The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by Zan Ganassa in the late 16th century, and was definitively popularized by the Italian actor Tristano Martinelli in Paris in 1584–1585 and became a stock character after Martinelli's death in 1630.

Live a Little (Big Kenny album): Live a Little is the first solo album by American singer Big Kenny, prior to his joining John Rich in the duo Big & Rich.  Recorded in 1999 for Hollywood Records, the album was not released until 2005, after Big & Rich had released their debut album.  Its release coincided with the release of Rich's previously-unreleased debut album "Underneath the Same Moon", also recorded in 1999 and released in 2006.  Unlike Kenny's work within the country music genre with Big & Rich, "Live a Little" is a mixture between rock and pop.  This album was followed by "The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy" in 2009 and "Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol.  1" in 2010.

Rescue Me (album): Rescue Me is an album by American country music artist John Rich, released in 2001.  Though "Rescue Me" was released before Rich's album "Underneath the Same Moon", it was not recorded until two years later.  Rich was inspired to record the album after he met Katie Darnell, a cancer patient at Monroe Carell Jr.  Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee.  Rich was visiting the hospital with a group of songwriters (including future Big & Rich collaborator Big Kenny) to sing Christmas carols for the children when Darnell offered to sing to Rich and Kenny.  Darnell sang "Rescue Me", a song of her own composition, which impressed Rich and Kenny.  They later asked for permission to record the song, which led to an album of the same name.  The album was recorded at Sony/Tree Studios with 30 hours of studio time donated by the location.  Though there was some local interest in the title track, specifically from Gerry House and WSIX-FM, the album was not released on a wide scale.  Prior to her death in 2003, Darnell appeared with Rich on several national TV shows to play her song.

Shuttin' Detroit Down: "Shuttin' Detroit Down" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer John Rich, one half of the duo Big & Rich.  The song addresses the issue of the government bailouts of financial institutions, and has received heavy rotation on Michigan radio stations, as well as others around the country.  Rich recorded and released the song in January 2009, and it appears on his second solo album, "Son of a Preacher Man".  The album was released on March 24, 2009 on Warner Bros.  Records Nashville, the same label to which Big & Rich is signed.

Rich Rocks: Rich Rocks is the first extended play (or "Six Pak," as referred to on the album cover) by American country music artist John Rich, one half of the duo Big & Rich.  Rich co-wrote all of the songs on the EP with the exception of "Let Somebody Else Drive", which is a John Anderson cover.  On four of the six tracks, Rich is introduced by a friend that is also in the music industry.  Originally slated for a late 2010 release, it was pushed back to May 17, 2011 to coincide with the release of John Rich's other EP, "For the Kids".  Reprise Records released both "Rich Rocks" and "For the Kids".

For the Kids (EP): For the Kids is the second Extended Play (or "Six Pak," as referred to on the album cover) by American country music artist John Rich, one half of the duo Big & Rich.  Rich contributed to the writing of three of the six total tracks.  The EP was released on May 17, 2011, coinciding with the release of John Rich's other EP, "Rich Rocks".  Reprise Records released both "For the Kids" and "Rich Rocks".  The songs "She's a Butterfly" and "Rescue Me" were originally recorded by Rich for his 2001 solo album "Rescue Me".

Michael Ray (singer): Michael Ray Roach (born April 29, 1988), best known as Michael Ray, is an American country music singer and songwriter.  He is signed to Warner Music Nashville, for which he has released his debut single, "Kiss You in the Morning".  The song has reached No. 1 on Country Airplay.  Before this single's release, Ray was mentored by John Rich of Big & Rich on the singing competition "", which he won.  He and Rich co-wrote Big & Rich's 2015 single, "Run Away with You".

Supporting paragraphs: John Rich (producer) Harlequin
Answer: Zan Ganassa