Brent Barrett
Encyclopedia
Brent Barrett is an American
actor
and tenor
who is mostly known for his work within American theatre
. Barrett has performed in musical
s and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera house
s, and concert halls internationally. He starred in the original production of Maltby
and Shire
's hit Off-Broadway
musical Closer Than Ever
in 1989 and the 2001 West End
revival of Cole Porter
's Kiss Me, Kate
. He has also appeared sporadically on television and in films.
, the youngest of three children.
He began his education at Fort Hays State University
in 1974 as a vocal performance major but ultimately transferred to Carnegie Mellon University
in 1976 where he studied musical theatre. While still a student he began his professional career performing with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
during the 1978 and 1979 seasons, appearing in productions of Half a Sixpence
, Camelot
, Good News
, The Red Mill
, Cabaret
, and Funny Girl among others.
While in his final year in college, he was cast by Jerome Robbins
to play Diesel in the 1980 Broadway
revival of Leonard Bernstein
's West Side Story
. He finished his degree that year and went to Broadway to begin his long association with New York theatre. He ultimately took over the role of Tony for the last three months of the show's run.
In 1981, Barrett played Whizzer in the Off-Broadway production of March of the Falsettos
, taking over the role when the production moved to the Westside Arts Theater. In 1982 he portrayed the title role in the Off-Broadway
production of Des McAnuff
's The Death of Von Richtofen as Witnessed From Earth at the Joseph Papp Public Theater and he starred in Howard Marren's Portrait of Jennie at the Henry Street Settlement
's New Federal Theater. He returned to Broadway in 1983 as Charles Castleton in the ill-fated Alan Jay Lerner
musical Dance a Little Closer
. That same year he was cast in the recurring role of Tony Barclay on the soap opera
All My Children
, appearing in several episodes through 1984.
In 1985 Barrett portrayed the role of Lieutenant Cable in the National Tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein
's South Pacific
. In 1986 he appeared as Eddie Yeager in the Off-Broadway revival of Arthur Laurents
's The Time of the Cuckoo
at the York Theatre at St. Peter's. In 1988 he portrayed the role of R. Daneel Olivaw
in Robots
, a television film
adaptation of Isaac Asimov
's Robot Series
. In 1989 he appeared in the original production of Richard Maltby, Jr.
and David Shire
's Closer Than Ever
at the Cherry Lane Theatre
. A critical success, the show ran for 312 performances and a CD recording was made on the RCA Victor label.
. In May of that same year he joined the original Broadway cast of Grand Hotel
, replacing David Carroll
as Baron Felix Von Gaigern. This replacement—only six months into the show's run—resulted in Barrett playing the Baron during the 44th Tony Awards
telecast, despite the fact that Carroll was nominated for the part. Delays in recording the Grand Hotel score led to Barrett also being featured on the show's cast album. Barrett went on to reprise the Baron role for the original West End
production of Grand Hotel in 1992, as well as portray the Baron during the show's international tour.
In 1993 he toured the United States as Frank Butler in Irving Berlin
's Annie Get Your Gun
, with Cathy Rigby
as Annie. In 1994 he appeared as Victor Duchesi in the original production of the Sherman Brothers
's Busker Alley
, which through unhappy circumstance never made it to Broadway, although it had been scheduled to do so. In 1996 he played the role of Uris in the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
s episode A Star to Guide Them
. That same year he appeared as Tommy Albright in the New York City Opera
's production of Brigadoon with Rebecca Luker
as Fiona, and he played the role of Archibald in Lucy Simon
's The Secret Garden
in cities throughout New Zealand
.
He returned to Broadway in 1997 to portray Maximilian in the revival of Bernstein's Candide
. In 1998 he portrayed the role of Billy Flynn in the National Tour of Chicago
for which he won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
, and the following year he took up the same role in the Broadway revival for several months.
In 2000 Barrett portrayed the role of Edward Moncrief in the New York City Center
Encores!
revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
with Kristin Chenoweth
as Daisy Gamble. He returned to Broadway again in the winter of 2001 to replace Patrick Cassidy
as Frank Butler in the revival of Irving Berlin
's Annie Get Your Gun
, portraying the role opposite Reba McEntire
as Annie. The Fall of that same year he was cast in the starring role of Fred Graham for the West End
revival of Cole Porter
's Kiss Me, Kate
, which also starred Rachel York
as Lilli Vanessi. For his performance he received a Laurence Olivier Awards
nomination. The production was recorded live for broadcast on PBS's Great Performances
in the United States and is available on DVD.
In 2002 he portrayed the role of Sid Sorokin in the City Center Encores! revival of The Pajama Game
and he played the role of Billy Crocker in Anything Goes
at UCLA's Freud Playhouse in Westwood, California
. On New Years Day of 2003 he appeared in a concert of music by Kurt Weill
with the Berlin Philharmonic under conductor Simon Rattle
. That same year he portrayed Arthur in Lerner and Loewe
's Camelot
at the Paper Mill Playhouse
in Millburn, New Jersey
and he returned to Broadway to portray Billy Flynn in the revival of Chicago, leaving the production in 2004.
In 2005 Barrett appeared as Brian The Set Designer in the film version of The Producers
. That same year he returned to Broadway to portray the role of Billy Flynn again in the revival of Chicago and he sang at the New York Festival of Song
at Carnegie Hall
in a concert honoring Hal Prince
. In 2006 he played the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's The Phantom of the Opera
for the new production in at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas
which was directed by Hal Prince.
On July 7, 2009, he rejoined the Broadway cast of Chicago
, in the role of Billy Flynn, a role he has now played several engagements of on Broadway. He starred alongside Samantha Harris from television's Dancing with the Stars
in the role of Roxie.
Brent rejoined the cast of Chicago
from February 7 to March 7, 2011, to be replaced by Christopher Sieber
temporarily, to then take over again from March 26 to June 19, 2011. During this return, Brent starred opposite Christie Brinkley
in her Broadway debut.
On June 24, 2011, five days following his exit from Chicago
, Brent began starring as famous character Hannibal Lector, in SILENCE! The Musical
, described as an “unauthorized parody” of The Silence of the Lambs
. The show is set to run off-Broadway from June 24-September 24 at 80 St. Marks Place, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
who is mostly known for his work within American theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. Barrett has performed in musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s, and concert halls internationally. He starred in the original production of Maltby
Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Eldridge Maltby, Jr. is an American theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He is also well known as a constructor of cryptic crossword puzzles. He has done this for Harper's Magazine, sometimes in collaboration with E. R...
and Shire
David Shire
David Lee Shire is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtrack to the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 and parts of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack such as Night on Disco Mountain, an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald...
's hit Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical Closer Than Ever
Closer Than Ever
Closer Than Ever is a musical revue in two acts, with words by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire. The revue contains no dialogue, and Maltby and Shire have described this show as a "bookless book musical"...
in 1989 and the 2001 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
revival of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
. He has also appeared sporadically on television and in films.
Early life and career
Barrett was born and raised in Quinter, KansasQuinter, Kansas
Quinter is a city in Gove County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 918.-History:The city of Quinter is built at the location of an old railroad switching site called Melota. A town named Familton was built there in 1885, consisting originally of a two-story...
, the youngest of three children.
He began his education at Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students .- History :FHSU was founded in 1902 as the...
in 1974 as a vocal performance major but ultimately transferred to Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in 1976 where he studied musical theatre. While still a student he began his professional career performing with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera is a nonprofit professional theater company based in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
during the 1978 and 1979 seasons, appearing in productions of Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele.It is based on H.G. Wells's novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul...
, Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
, Good News
Good News (musical)
Good News is a musical with a book by Laurence Schwab and B.G. DeSylva, lyrics by DeSylva and Lew Brown, and music by Ray Henderson.The show opened on Broadway in 1927, the same year as Show Boat, but its plot was decidedly old-fashioned in comparison to Show Boats somewhat tragic and daring...
, The Red Mill
The Red Mill
The Red Mill is an operetta written by Victor Herbert, with a libretto by Henry Blossom. It premiered on Broadway on September 24, 1906 at the Knickerbocker Theatre and ran for 274 performances, starring comedians Fred Stone and David Montgomery. It was revived on October 16, 1945, opening at the...
, Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
, and Funny Girl among others.
While in his final year in college, he was cast by Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
to play Diesel in the 1980 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revival of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
. He finished his degree that year and went to Broadway to begin his long association with New York theatre. He ultimately took over the role of Tony for the last three months of the show's run.
In 1981, Barrett played Whizzer in the Off-Broadway production of March of the Falsettos
March of the Falsettos
March of the Falsettos is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by William Finn.A sequel to In Trousers, the one-acter continues the story of Marvin and his journey in search of self-understanding, inner peace, and a life with a "happily ever after" ending...
, taking over the role when the production moved to the Westside Arts Theater. In 1982 he portrayed the title role in the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of Des McAnuff
Des McAnuff
Desmond McAnuff is the Canadian-American artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of musical theatre of such Broadway productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys.-Biography:...
's The Death of Von Richtofen as Witnessed From Earth at the Joseph Papp Public Theater and he starred in Howard Marren's Portrait of Jennie at the Henry Street Settlement
Henry Street Settlement
The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founded in 1893 by Progressive reformer Lillian Wald.The...
's New Federal Theater. He returned to Broadway in 1983 as Charles Castleton in the ill-fated Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
musical Dance a Little Closer
Dance a Little Closer
Dance a Little Closer is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Charles Strouse. The story is an updated version of Robert E...
. That same year he was cast in the recurring role of Tony Barclay on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, appearing in several episodes through 1984.
In 1985 Barrett portrayed the role of Lieutenant Cable in the National Tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
. In 1986 he appeared as Eddie Yeager in the Off-Broadway revival of Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents was an American playwright, stage director and screenwriter.After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S...
's The Time of the Cuckoo
The Time of the Cuckoo
The Time of the Cuckoo is a play by Arthur Laurents. It focuses on the bittersweet romance between Leona Samish, a single American executive secretary vacationing in Europe, and Renato Di Rossi, a shopkeeper she meets in Venice...
at the York Theatre at St. Peter's. In 1988 he portrayed the role of R. Daneel Olivaw
R. Daneel Olivaw
R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. The "R" initial in his name stands for "robot," a naming convention in Asimov's future society...
in Robots
Robots (television movie)
Robots is a 1988 television film directed by Doug Smith and Kim Takal. Its screenplay, by Peter Olatka, is based on Isaac Asimov's Robot Series. It stars Stephen Rowe as Elijah Baley, Brent Barrett as R. Daneel Olivaw, and John Henry Cox as Han Fastolfe....
, a television film
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
adaptation of Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's Robot Series
Isaac Asimov's Robot Series
Isaac Asimov's Robot Series is a series of short stories and novels by Isaac Asimov featuring positronic robots.- Short stories :Most of Asimov's robot short stories are set in the first age of positronic robotics and space exploration...
. In 1989 he appeared in the original production of Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Eldridge Maltby, Jr. is an American theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He is also well known as a constructor of cryptic crossword puzzles. He has done this for Harper's Magazine, sometimes in collaboration with E. R...
and David Shire
David Shire
David Lee Shire is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtrack to the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 and parts of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack such as Night on Disco Mountain, an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald...
's Closer Than Ever
Closer Than Ever
Closer Than Ever is a musical revue in two acts, with words by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire. The revue contains no dialogue, and Maltby and Shire have described this show as a "bookless book musical"...
at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
. A critical success, the show ran for 312 performances and a CD recording was made on the RCA Victor label.
Later life and career
Barrett had a small role in the 1990 film Longtime CompanionLongtime Companion
Longtime Companion is a 1989 film with Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of...
. In May of that same year he joined the original Broadway cast of Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (musical)
Grand Hotel is a musical with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, with additional lyrics and music by Maury Yeston....
, replacing David Carroll
David Carroll (actor)
David Carroll , sometimes billed as David James Carroll, was an American actor whose last, and best remembered, role was that of Baron Felix von Gaigern in Grand Hotel: The Musical....
as Baron Felix Von Gaigern. This replacement—only six months into the show's run—resulted in Barrett playing the Baron during the 44th Tony Awards
44th Tony Awards
The 44th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on June 3, 1990. The hostess was Kathleen Turner.Presenters and Performers: Philip Bosco, Matthew Broderick, Len Cariou, Dixie Carter, Michael Crawford, Sandy Duncan, Morgan Freeman, Helen Hayes, Dustin Hoffman, James...
telecast, despite the fact that Carroll was nominated for the part. Delays in recording the Grand Hotel score led to Barrett also being featured on the show's cast album. Barrett went on to reprise the Baron role for the original West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Grand Hotel in 1992, as well as portray the Baron during the show's international tour.
In 1993 he toured the United States as Frank Butler in Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
, with Cathy Rigby
Cathy Rigby
Cathleen Roxanne Rigby , best known as Cathy Rigby, is a former gymnast, actress and speaker.-Early life:Rigby was born in Los Alamitos, California in 1952....
as Annie. In 1994 he appeared as Victor Duchesi in the original production of the Sherman Brothers
Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
's Busker Alley
Busker Alley
Busker Alley is a musical with a score by the Sherman Brothers and a book by AJ Carothers, based on the 1938 British film, St. Martin's Lane, which was inspired by the 1905 novel, Small Town Tyrant, by Heinrich Mann....
, which through unhappy circumstance never made it to Broadway, although it had been scheduled to do so. In 1996 he played the role of Uris in the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
s episode A Star to Guide Them
A Star to Guide Them
"A Star to Guide Them" is the 9th episode of the third season of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.-Overview:Iolaus has a strange dream, which leaves him with a yearning to travel north...
. That same year he appeared as Tommy Albright in the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
's production of Brigadoon with Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker is an American musical theatre actress and soprano who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions.-Life and career:...
as Fiona, and he played the role of Archibald in Lucy Simon
Lucy Simon
Lucy Simon is an American composer for the theatre and popular songs. She is known for the musical, The Secret Garden.-Biography:...
's The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden (musical)
The Secret Garden is a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon...
in cities throughout New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
He returned to Broadway in 1997 to portray Maximilian in the revival of Bernstein's Candide
Candide (operetta)
Candide is an operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. The operetta was first performed in 1956 with a libretto by Lillian Hellman; but since 1974 it has been generally performed with a book by Hugh Wheeler which is more faithful to...
. In 1998 he portrayed the role of Billy Flynn in the National Tour of Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
for which he won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards is an annual awards program presented by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle . Established in 1969, the awards recognize excellence in theatre in the Greater Los Angeles Area....
, and the following year he took up the same role in the Broadway revival for several months.
In 2000 Barrett portrayed the role of Edward Moncrief in the New York City Center
New York City Center
New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been reincarnated...
with Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as Daisy Gamble. He returned to Broadway again in the winter of 2001 to replace Patrick Cassidy
Patrick Cassidy
Patrick Cassidy may refer to: * Patrick Cassidy , Irish classical composer of movie soundtracks* Patrick Cassidy , U.S. actor in musical theatre and television...
as Frank Butler in the revival of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
, portraying the role opposite Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
as Annie. The Fall of that same year he was cast in the starring role of Fred Graham for the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
revival of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
, which also starred Rachel York
Rachel York
Rachel York is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in City of Angels, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Les Misérables, Victor Victoria, Kiss Me, Kate, Sly Fox, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels...
as Lilli Vanessi. For his performance he received a Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
nomination. The production was recorded live for broadcast on PBS's Great Performances
Great Performances
Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
in the United States and is available on DVD.
In 2002 he portrayed the role of Sid Sorokin in the City Center Encores! revival of The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
and he played the role of Billy Crocker in Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
at UCLA's Freud Playhouse in Westwood, California
Westwood, California
Westwood is a census-designated place in Lassen County, California, United States. Westwood is located west-southwest of Susanville, at an elevation of 5128 feet...
. On New Years Day of 2003 he appeared in a concert of music by Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
with the Berlin Philharmonic under conductor Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
. That same year he portrayed Arthur in Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe are the duo of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, known primarily for the music and lyrics of some of Broadway's most successful musical shows, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon....
's Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
at the Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
in Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
and he returned to Broadway to portray Billy Flynn in the revival of Chicago, leaving the production in 2004.
In 2005 Barrett appeared as Brian The Set Designer in the film version of The Producers
The Producers (2005 film)
# "Overture" - Orchestra# "Opening Night" - Opening Nighters# "We Can Do It" - Max and Leo# "I Wanna Be a Producer" - Leo, Accountants, Mr. Marks and Dancing Chorus Girls# "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" - Franz, Max, and Leo...
. That same year he returned to Broadway to portray the role of Billy Flynn again in the revival of Chicago and he sang at the New York Festival of Song
New York Festival of Song
The New York Festival of Song presents an annual series of concerts in New York City dedicated to the art of song, classical, modern and popular...
at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in a concert honoring Hal Prince
Hal Prince
Harold Smith Prince is an American theatrical producer and director associated with many of the best-known Broadway musical productions of the past half-century...
. In 2006 he played the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
for the new production in at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
which was directed by Hal Prince.
On July 7, 2009, he rejoined the Broadway cast of Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
, in the role of Billy Flynn, a role he has now played several engagements of on Broadway. He starred alongside Samantha Harris from television's Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
in the role of Roxie.
Brent rejoined the cast of Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
from February 7 to March 7, 2011, to be replaced by Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Kevin Burke in Two of a Kind starring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen and Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical. Christopher studied acting and musical comedy at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City...
temporarily, to then take over again from March 26 to June 19, 2011. During this return, Brent starred opposite Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley is an American model and actress best known for her three consecutive appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, for her long-running contract with CoverGirl, the longest ever of any model in history, and for her marriage...
in her Broadway debut.
On June 24, 2011, five days following his exit from Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
, Brent began starring as famous character Hannibal Lector, in SILENCE! The Musical
SILENCE! The Musical
SILENCE! The Musical is an award winning musical created by Jon and Al Kaplan as a parody of the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. The project began in 2003 as an internet musical made up of nine songs that retold the entire story. The audio tracks became popular to the extent that a live show...
, described as an “unauthorized parody” of The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. It was directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, and Scott Glenn...
. The show is set to run off-Broadway from June 24-September 24 at 80 St. Marks Place, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
Discography
Barrett has appeared on several recordings, including theatrical cast recordings and compilations.- Christmas Mornings
- Brent Barrett: The Alan Jay LernerAlan Jay LernerAlan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
Album - Brent Barrett: The Kander and EbbKander and EbbKander and Ebb were a highly successful songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb . Known primarily for their stage musicals, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies including their most famous song, the theme song from Martin Scorsese's New York, New York...
Album - The Maury YestonMaury YestonMaury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
Songbook - Sondheim: The Stephen SondheimStephen SondheimStephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
Album - Wonderful TownWonderful TownWonderful Town is a musical with a book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein...
: 1999 Studio Album - Lost in Boston IV
- Unsung Musicals III
- CandideCandide (operetta)Candide is an operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. The operetta was first performed in 1956 with a libretto by Lillian Hellman; but since 1974 it has been generally performed with a book by Hugh Wheeler which is more faithful to...
: The New Broadway Cast Recording - The Busby BerkeleyBusby BerkeleyBusby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
Album - Grand HotelGrand Hotel (musical)Grand Hotel is a musical with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, with additional lyrics and music by Maury Yeston....
: 1992 Broadway Cast Album - BrigadoonBrigadoonBrigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love" have become standards....
: 1991 New York City Opera Recording - Strike Up the BandStrike Up the BandStrike Up the Band is a musical with a book by Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. The musical ran on Broadway in 1930 after the original book by George S. Kaufman was revised...
: 1991 Studio Recording - Closer Than EverCloser Than EverCloser Than Ever is a musical revue in two acts, with words by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire. The revue contains no dialogue, and Maltby and Shire have described this show as a "bookless book musical"...
: Original Cast Recording
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Series | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles drama Critics Awards | Award For Best Actor | Chicago as Billy Flynn | Winner | |
| Olivier Awards | Olivier Award for Best Actor for Fred/Petruchio (London) | Kiss Me Kate | Nominated | |