| Crawford abandoned the show during its first series and returned to theatre work. Bens shirt is by Stephen F; bow tie by J. He switched his major to theater one year into his studies. "There was a concern about that, because we didn't want the dust cover to fall on anyone," he said. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, Trump mistrial request denied in NY rape lawsuit, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Heavy drinkers told to leave India police force. Justin Crawford, Evan Crawford, and Erin Crawford are his younger siblings. Now she's made diversity part of her ethos. [11], Since casting Harley, however, Lloyd Webber had also begun to regret his artistic choices (as stated in the 'Behind the Mask' documentary that he and Cameron MackIntosh agreed that Harley wasn't an actor, nor a large theatre presence, all of which by this point Crawford had vast experience in). I disrupted the whole opening. BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayBox and Tech the Tech aretrademarks of BroadwayBox, Inc. BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayBox and Tech the Tech are trademarks of BroadwayBox, Inc. Broadway Replacement Stars That Left Us Stunned. Crawford was not the first choice for the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. What's announced and what's in previews in the West End. In addition to his stint the Broadway production, Lampel went on tour with the show supervising the rigging when the Phantom wreaked havoc on the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Wang Theatre in Boston, and other venues. If you havent seen it in a while, do yourselves a favor and revisit this gem of a musical. His mother's second marriage was abusive, according to Crawford. Monsieur Andr | I didnt grow up a musical theatre kid. We did that with a number of items on the show, and it was all a fundraiser driven through Equity fights AIDS.". "But it's quite expensive," added the show's producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. In the New York production alone, an estimated 6,500 people (including 450 actors) were employed during its more than three-decade run. May 1, 2023, By "It's the most superb show. Thats par for the course for what Crawford calls this living, breathing entity, in which new cast members bring their own singular spin to the material, which most audiences love. Former MT performer, for many years I ran TKTS in Leicester Square. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Personable and fun; would sign up again in a heartbeat. Dont get me wrong, all the magical moments still shine: Phantoms solo hanging above the statue (All I Ask of You) still gives me goosebumps; the exciting descent into the Paris catacombs; Phantom appearing in the mirror made me gasp; the exuberance of the Masquerade; and of course the chandelier crash. His Broadway credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Mr. Salt . The productions nearly 14,000 performances have been seen by 19.5 million people and grossed $1.3 billion. Sometimes it takes them a while to get going, but once they're off, nothing can hold them back. We will continue to update information on Ben Crawfords parents. And at the invite-only performance, it was a whos who of current and former stars of the show. Michael Crawford originated the role of the Phantom in 1988, winning . Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. Mary Millar London's favourite Christmas musical returns to spread festive cheer at the Dominion Theatre this winter , The exhilarating new musical Ain't Too Proud opens to rave reviews! Jun. 22 - 30: Ashley Blanchet, Ben Crawford, Claybourne Elder, Ann This series would spawn the much better-known The Avengers. Ben Crawford Stage Actor Birthday May 22, 1982 Birth Sign Gemini Birthplace Arizona Age 40 years old #54906 Most Popular Boost About Actor who rose to prominence for being the replacement for the titular character during Shrek the Musical's original 2008 Broadway run. In the late 1990s, Michael began a long-term relationship with Natasha MacAller, an American dancer and chef. Phantom of the Opera returns to the Majestic on October 22. In 1986 this production, with a new cast, though still headed by Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC. Yoanna Nikolova, David Firth So were doing our job!. The 2023 Tony Awards nominations will be announced on May 2, 2023. It was a lot of seeing how the energy trickles down. Michael Patrick Smith CBE (born 19 January 1942),[1] known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian, and singer. The 40-year-old stage actor has done well thus far. After creating the role of Firmin in Phantom, he went on to enjoy national celebrity as Coronation Streets Fred Elliott. | NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Ben Crawford as "The Phantom" makes a speech as "The Phantom of the Opera" celebrates 13,000 Performances on Broadway at The Majestic Theatre on April 24, 2019 in New York City. The illustrious group (ranging from title stars to scene-stealing co-stars) was shot at the beautiful West Village restaurant The Spaniard. The silver lining was the joy of introducing one of the best musicals of all time to my daughter, who was 12 at the time. You get a lot of leeway.. Dont worryCrawford and company arent reinventing the show. May 1, 2023, By Crawford had dashed to join the celebrations after performing in his own West End musical, The Go-Between, which ends its run this week at the Apollo Theatre.