[11], Billy gave the many fans of Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer an opportunity to see him in a broadly similar role on the stage, and was a considerable hit (904 West End performances). 2023 BBC. The couple exchanged their wows and married in the year 1965. 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. . He informed Crawford that he was working on a new project based on a Gaston Leroux novel and wanted to know whether he was interested. Ubaldo Piangi Is climate change killing Australian wine? Andrew Gans "It's quite thrilling to be back," Crawford told the BBC afterwards. The show's current Phantom, Ben Crawford (no relation), was out of the show because of a. | In fact, there is a little more to the story than a falling chandelier though that episode was key in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, the classic 1925 Lon Chaney silent film, and every subsequent "Phantom" rendition. The final Broadway company features Laird Mackintosh as the Phantom (filling in for principal Ben Crawford), Emilie Kouatchou as Christine, John Riddle as Raoul, Nehal Joshi as Monsieur Andr, Craig Bennett as Monsieur Firmin, Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta Giudicelli, Maree Johnson as Madame Giry, Carlton Moe as Ubaldo Piangi, and Sara Esty as Meg Giry. Im a linebacker in a suit!, For the most part, however, the response is positive. The OG Phantom was not in attendance on the closing night of the hit Broadway show, but he left a note. And worlds apart from the Phantoms I remembered, especially the soft baritone of Michael Crawford. [23], He later moved to New Zealand briefly, both to be near his daughter and her family in Australia[24] and to convalesce from his illness. Crawford's Barnum is one of the longest runs by a leading actor. You can also find out who is Ben Crawford dating now and celebrity dating histories at CelebsCouples. Rosemary Ashe So, there was a lot of chattingdoing the scene and then really engaging in conversation for 20 or 30 minutes about what the show is, what the purpose of each scene is, the Phantoms motivation. [9] He also participated in the recording of that opera (as Michael Ingram, singing the role of Gay Brook) made that same year, conducted by the composer. This was his first leading man role on the West End stage and helped to cement his career as both a singer and showman. This page is not available in other languages. Nor did he think to name the chandelier. "Didn't we all grow up with the story of 'The Phantom of the Opera'? Molly Higgins Crawford was brought up by his mother, Doris Agnes Mary Pike, and her parents, Montague Pike and his wife, Edith (ne Keefe or O'Keefe), in what Crawford described as a "close-knit Roman Catholic family". Ben Crawfords intense, slightly menacing take on the Svengali music teacher was utterly captivating. Former MT performer, for many years I ran TKTS in Leicester Square. May 1, 2023, By He played the role for two and a half years and over 1,300 performances, winning an Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Musical), a Tony Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Musical), a New York Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance). "It's a beautiful show, and the lighting design is a spectacular thing to have worked on," he said. He pursued another role on a very short-lived ITV sitcom, Chalk and Cheese, as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn. Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em soon became one of the BBC's most popular television series. Early into the run, Crawford suffered an accident during a performance (which involved him sliding from a wire hanger from the back of the theatre all the way to the stage and then jumping down 12 feet (3.7m) to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation.[21]. Later in his career,Steve took over the lead role of the 4th Phantom in the Broadway production.