Michael Crawford
Encyclopedia
Michael Crawford OBE
(born 19 January 1942) is an English
actor
and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio
, television
, film, and stage
work on both London's West End
and on Broadway
in New York City
. He is best-known for originating the title role in The Phantom of the Opera
, as well as playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the popular 1970s British sitcom, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
, which made him a household name.
, Wiltshire
, England
as Michael Patrick Smith. He was raised by his mother, Doris Agnes Mary Pike, and her parents, Montague and Edith Kathleen (née O'Keefe) Pike, whom Crawford described as a "close-knit Roman Catholic family". His maternal grandmother was born in Ireland, and lived to be 99 years old.
His mother's first husband, who was not his biological father, Arthur Dumbell Smith, was killed during the Battle of Britain
, less than a year after they married. Sixteen months after Smith's death (on 6 September 1940), Crawford was born, the result of a short-lived relationship and given the surname of his mother's first husband.
During his early years, he divided his time between the army camp in Wiltshire, where he and his mother lived during the war, and the Isle of Sheppey
off the coast of Kent
, where his mother had grown up and where Crawford would live with his mother and maternal grandparents. At the end of WWII, his mother was re-married to a grocer, Lionel Dennis "Den" Ingram. The couple moved to London
, where Crawford was a church chorister and sent to attend the Oakfield Preparatory School, Dulwich
, where he was known as Michael Ingram. His mother's second marriage, however, was stormy and abusive, according to Crawford, and she died at the age of 44 from acute pancreatitis. At the time of his mother's death, Michael was taken under the wing by the famous theatrical Kendall family, the head being the music hall star Marie Kendall
.
's Let's Make an Opera, which was then transferred to Brixton Town Hall in London
, England
. But his professional break did not come until Britten hired him to play Sammy in another production of the opera, this time at the Scala Theatre
in London, which he alternated with another boy soprano, David Hemmings
.
Soon afterwards, the English Opera Group
hired him for the role of Japhet in another Benjamin Britten opera, Noye's Fludde, based on the story of Noah and the Great Flood. Crawford remembers that it was while working in this production that he realized he seriously wanted to become an actor. It was in between performances of Let's Make an Opera and Noye's Fludde
that he was advised that he had to change his name, as another young performer in the children's theatre group that Crawford was in had the same surname. While he was riding home on a bus after an audition
, he noticed a lorry with the slogan "Crawford's Biscuits Are Best", which prompted him to decide to change his name to Michael Crawford.
He went on to perform in a wide repertoire. Among his stage work, he performed in André Birabeau
's French comedy Head of the Family
, Neil Simon
's Come Blow Your Horn
, Bernard Kops
's Change for the Angel, Francis Swann
's Out of the Frying Pan, Shakespeare
's Julius Caesar
, Coriolanus
, and Twelfth Night, Oscar Wilde
's The Importance of Being Earnest
, The Striplings, The Move After Checkmate, and others.
At the same time, he appeared in hundreds of BBC radio broadcasts and early BBC soap-operas, such as Billy Bunter
, Emergency - Ward 10, Probation Officer
, and Two Living, One Dead
. He appeared as the cabin boy John Drake in the TV series Sir Francis Drake, a twenty-six part adventure series made by ITC starring Terence Morgan
and Jean Kent
. His film work included leading roles in two children's films, Blow Your Own Trumpet and Soapbox Derby, for The Children's Film Foundation
in Britain
.
opposite Steve McQueen in 1962. To prepare for the role, he would spend hours listening to Woody Woodbury
, a famous American comedian of the time, to try to perfect an American accent. After The War Lover
, Crawford briefly returned to the stage and, after playing the lead role in the 1963 British film Two Left Feet
, was offered a role in the British television series, Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life
, as the Mod-style, tough-talking, motorcycle-riding Byron. It was this character that attracted film director Richard Lester
to hire him for the role of Colin in The Knack …and How to Get It in 1965. The film was a huge success in the UK. Lester also cast him in the film adaptation
of Stephen Sondheim
's musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
with Zero Mostel
, Jack Gilford
, Buster Keaton
, and Phil Silvers
, and How I Won the War
with Roy Kinnear
and John Lennon
(during the filming of which he lived in London
with Lennon, Cynthia Lennon
and Gabrielle Lewis) He starred in The Jokers
(dir. Michael Winner) with Oliver Reed
.
debut in Peter Shaffer
's Black Comedy with Lynn Redgrave
(making her debut as well) in which he began to demonstrate his aptitude and daring for extreme physical comedy, such as walking into walls and falling down staircases. While working in the show, he was noticed by Gene Kelly
and was called to Hollywood to audition for him for a part in the film adaptation of the musical
Hello, Dolly!
. He was cast and shared top billing with Barbra Streisand
and Walter Matthau
. It did well at the box office. Crawford has related, although it may be apocryphal, that he got the part of Cornelius Hackl, an "attractive idiot", because Kelly's wife thought he was attractive, and Kelly thought he was an idiot.
His later films fared less successfully, although Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
, in which he played the White Rabbit, enjoyed moderate success in the U.K. After performing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and with offers of work greatly reduced and much of his salary from Hello, Dolly! was lost, reportedly due to underhanded investments by his agent, Crawford faced a brief period of unemployment, in which he helped his wife stuff cushions (for their upholstery business) and took a job as an office clerk in an electric company to pass the time between. During this difficult time, his marriage fell apart and divorce followed in 1975.
where he played the part of frantic chief cashier Brian Runnicles. His performance led to an invitation to star in a BBC
television comedy series about a childlike and eternally haphazard man who causes disaster everywhere he goes. Crawford was not the first choice for the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
. Originally, the role had been offered to actor-comedian Ronnie Barker
but after he and Norman Wisdom
had turned it down, Crawford took on the challenging role, adopting a similar characterisation to that which he adopted when playing the part of Brian Runnicles. Cast alongside him was actress Michele Dotrice
in the role of Frank's long-suffering wife Betty, and the series premiered in 1973.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em soon became one of the BBC
's most popular TV series. Initially, only two seasons were produced, from 1973 to 1975, while the show's creators felt that it should stop while at its peak. There was a brief hiatus until popular demand saw it revived for a short season in 1978. The immense popularity that followed the sitcom was due perhaps to the unusual amount of physical comedy involved. Crawford said he had always been a fan of comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy, as well as the great physical gags employed in the days of silent film, and saw "Some Mothers" as a great opportunity to use such humour himself. He performed all of his own stunts during the show's run, and never used a double.
(based on the novel
, Billy Liar
) in 1974 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
in London. This was his first leading man role on the West End stage and greatly helped to cement his career as both a singer and showman. The part was extremely demanding, requiring proficiency in both song and dance, and in preparation for the role, Crawford began taking both more seriously, studying professional singing under the tutelage of vocal coach Ian Adam and spending hours perfecting his dancing capabilities with choreographer Onna White
. The show was a huge hit and soon, along with the fame as Frank Spencer in "Some Mothers", his popularity soared, and he was on the road to becoming a household name.
After the closing of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Crawford continued to perform in plays and musicals, starring in the ill-fated Flowers for Algernon
(1979) in the role of Charley Gordon, based on the book of the same title. He pursued another role on a very short-lived ITV sitcom, Chalk and Cheese as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn. The show did not go over well with his fans, who admired him as Frank Spencer and were put off by the rapid departure; consequently, Crawford abandoned it within the first season and returned to theatre work.
, playing an eccentric American comic book writer and illustrator named Woody Wilkins who is asked by his friend at the CIA to help a Russian woman to defect while acting out the fantasy of bringing his comic book creation, Condorman, to life. Critics panned the film. On their television show, critics Siskel and Ebert featured the film in their round-up of the year's worst films pointing out the less-than-special effects such as the visible harness and cable used to suspend Condorman in the air and the obvious bluescreen effect. The film also did poorly at the box office. Despite the film's failure, it has gained a cult following
among recent Disney fans.
's Barnum
(1981) as the illustrious American showman P. T. Barnum
. He trained at the Big Apple Circus School in New York City
to prepare for the ambitious stunts, learning to walk the tight-rope, juggle and slide down a rope from the rafters of the theatre. After further training for the second opening of Barnum, he was awarded a British Amateur Gymnastics Association badge and certificate as a qualified coach.
Barnum opened on 11 June 1981 at the London Palladium, where it ran for 655 performances. Crawford and Deborah Grant headed the cast. It was well-received, becoming a favorite of Margaret Thatcher
as well as the Queen Mother. Crawford earned his first Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical on the London stage. After the initial production of the show, he worked extensively with Torvill and Dean
, and can be seen rinkside with them as they received their "perfect six" marks in the 1983 world championships for their 'Barnum' routine.
In 1984 a revival of Barnum opened in Manchester
at the Manchester Opera House, ending the tour at the Victoria Palace in the West End. In 1986 this production, with a new cast, though still headed by Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC. Crawford's Barnum is one of the longest runs by a leading actor.
, Crawford happened to run into the show's creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lloyd Webber had met Crawford socially several times and remembered him from his work in Flowers for Algernon. 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. Crawford said he was, but the show was still in the early planning stages, and nothing had been decided. Several months passed, during which Lloyd Webber had already created a pitch video featuring his then-wife Sarah Brightman
as the female lead Christine and British rocker Steve Harley
as the Phantom, singing the title song in the manner of a contemporary New Wave
video. Crawford was turned off by this, supposing the songwriter had chosen to do a more "rock opera"-inspired spectacle in lieu of a more traditional operatic musical.
Since casting Harley, however, Lloyd Webber had also begun to regret his artistic choices. As production continued on the show, the bulk of the score was revealing itself to be far more classical and operatic, entirely unsuited to Harley's rough, contemporary voice. Wanting instead a performer with a more classic, melodic voice, as described in the original book, he began yet another search for the perfect actor to play his Phantom. Crawford's landing of the role was due largely in part to the coincidence that Lloyd Webber's then wife, Sarah Brightman
, had taken lessons with the same vocal coach as Crawford. She and her husband had arrived early for her lesson, and it was while waiting that they chanced to hear him practising a piece from Handel's Atalanta, namely the aria Care Selve. Intrigued, Lloyd Webber inquired of Mr. Adam as to the identity of his student. Soon after, Crawford was called in for an audition and was hired nearly on the spot.
Many critics were highly sceptical of Webber's choice; Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were raised if Crawford could manage such a demanding role, both vocally and dramatically. In 1986, Crawford began his performance in London, continuing on to Broadway in 1988, and then Los Angeles
a year later, in 1989. He played the role for 2½ 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), an N.Y's Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance) for his efforts.
During the run of Phantom in Los Angeles, Crawford was asked to perform "The Music of the Night" at the Inaugural Gala for President George Bush
in Washington, D.C., on 19 January 1989. At the gala, Crawford was presented with a birthday cake (it was his own 47th birthday).
On 29 April 1991, three and a half years and over 1,300 performances into The Phantom of the Opera later, Crawford left the company. He admits to having been genuinely broken up at his own departure, and, during the Final Lair scene, altered the Phantom's line to "Christine....I loved you...", acknowledging that this was his last and final performance.
, which was, in fact, produced by David Kirschner. During filming, Michael stated that he had a terrible time singing one of the musical numbers called "Please Wake Up". This was because he had to struggle not to cry when this was being completed, as the scenario was that his character Cornelius was singing to a child who was on the verge of death. The film was completed nonetheless and was released in theatres on 18 June 1993. 1993 also saw the release of his special "A Touch of Music In The Night" to coincide with the release of his new album of the same name.
In 1995, Crawford created the high-profile starring role in EFX
, the US$70 million production which officially opened MGM's 1700-seat Grand Theatre in Las Vegas. The Atlantic Theater label released the companion album to EFX. But 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 (4 m) to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation.
in 2002 and early 2003. Many fans of the original German hit, Tanz der Vampire, blamed Crawford for the show's failure, although Crawford's fans blamed other causes.
Crawford originated the role of the morbidly obese Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman in White
, which opened at the Palace Theatre, London
, in September 2004. However, he was forced to leave the show three months later because of ill health caused by dehydration resulting from the enormous fat-suit he wore during the performance. He spent several months recuperating and was thus unable to reprise the role on Broadway. Crawford later learned he was suffering from the post-viral condition myalgic encephalopathy (ME), which debilitated him for two years.
In 2006, Crawford attended the Gala Performance of the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera
on Broadway at the Majestic Theater to celebrate the show's becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history (surpassing the run of Cats
). He was delighted with it, stating this was the first time he had been an audience member of any of the shows he had done. On 23 October 2010, Crawford attended the celebratory 10,000th performance of The Phantom of the Opera
in London alongside composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Crawford spoke of his own memories of the first performance 24 years ago, and was then presented, along with Webber, with a special cake to commemorate the landmark achievement.
Beginning in February 2011, Crawford has played the role of the Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's
musical version of The Wizard of Oz
at the London Palladium
. He stated on This Morning: Sunday
, 14 August 2011, that he had signed a further six months to the Wizard of Oz, terminating in February 2012.
On 2nd October 2011, Crawford made a special appearance during the finale of The Phantom of the Opera
at The Albert Hall
- a fully staged production of the musical at the famous London
venue - marking 25 years since the show received its world premiere. Although reunited with original Christine, Sarah Brightman
, Crawford did not sing, as he had just finished performing in a matinee of The Wizard of Oz
at the London Palladium
.
. The MCIFA makes contributions to many charities.
(similar to the Ronald McDonald House Charities
) since 1987.
Crawford supported the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
by helping to unveil a commemorative plaque to the famous music hall star Marie Kendall
at her former home in Clapham, where he was once her neighbour.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 19 January 1942) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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 singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, film, and stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
work on both London's 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...
and on 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...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is best-known for originating the title role in 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,...
, as well as playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the popular 1970s British sitcom, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
, which made him a household name.
Early life
Michael Crawford was born in SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as Michael Patrick Smith. He was raised by his mother, Doris Agnes Mary Pike, and her parents, Montague and Edith Kathleen (née O'Keefe) Pike, whom Crawford described as a "close-knit Roman Catholic family". His maternal grandmother was born in Ireland, and lived to be 99 years old.
His mother's first husband, who was not his biological father, Arthur Dumbell Smith, was killed during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, less than a year after they married. Sixteen months after Smith's death (on 6 September 1940), Crawford was born, the result of a short-lived relationship and given the surname of his mother's first husband.
During his early years, he divided his time between the army camp in Wiltshire, where he and his mother lived during the war, and the Isle of Sheppey
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
off the coast of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, where his mother had grown up and where Crawford would live with his mother and maternal grandparents. At the end of WWII, his mother was re-married to a grocer, Lionel Dennis "Den" Ingram. The couple moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where Crawford was a church chorister and sent to attend the Oakfield Preparatory School, Dulwich
Oakfield School
Oakfield Preparatory School is an independent coeducational preparatory school, situated near Tulse Hill, Dulwich, Lambeth.Oakfield is a member of the Independent Schools Association...
, where he was known as Michael Ingram. His mother's second marriage, however, was stormy and abusive, according to Crawford, and she died at the age of 44 from acute pancreatitis. At the time of his mother's death, Michael was taken under the wing by the famous theatrical Kendall family, the head being the music hall star Marie Kendall
Marie Kendall
Marie Kendall ; 1873–1964) was a British music hall comedienne and actress who had a successful career spanning 50 years.-Biography:Marie Kendall was born Mary Ann Florence Holyome on 27th July 1873 in Bethnal Green, London....
.
Career
He made his first stage appearance in the role of Sammy the Little Sweep in his school production of Benjamin BrittenBenjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
's Let's Make an Opera, which was then transferred to Brixton Town Hall in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. But his professional break did not come until Britten hired him to play Sammy in another production of the opera, this time at the Scala Theatre
Scala Theatre
The Scala Theatre was a theatre in London, sited on Charlotte Street, off Tottenham Court Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire...
in London, which he alternated with another boy soprano, David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
.
Soon afterwards, the English Opera Group
English Opera Group
The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operatic works. The group later expanded in order to present larger-scale works, and was renamed the English...
hired him for the role of Japhet in another Benjamin Britten opera, Noye's Fludde, based on the story of Noah and the Great Flood. Crawford remembers that it was while working in this production that he realized he seriously wanted to become an actor. It was in between performances of Let's Make an Opera and Noye's Fludde
Noye's Fludde
Noye's Fludde is an early 15th century mystery play from the Chester Mystery Cycle. It was set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1957 based on an edition by Alfred W. Pollard...
that he was advised that he had to change his name, as another young performer in the children's theatre group that Crawford was in had the same surname. While he was riding home on a bus after an audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
, he noticed a lorry with the slogan "Crawford's Biscuits Are Best", which prompted him to decide to change his name to Michael Crawford.
He went on to perform in a wide repertoire. Among his stage work, he performed in André Birabeau
André Birabeau
-Novels and short stories:* La débauche English trans. Revelation cited as the first novel about a homosexual man from the mother's point of view* Voyage d'agrément became 1935 movie...
's French comedy Head of the Family
Head of the Family
Head of the Family is a 1996 b-movie black comedy released by Full Moon Features. It concerns a Southern couple who blackmail a family of mutants to get money and revenge. It was rated R for language and strong nudity.-Plot:...
, Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's Come Blow Your Horn
Come Blow Your Horn
Come Blow Your Horn was Neil Simon's first play, which premiered in the United States in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.-Act Summaries:Time: The Present...
, Bernard Kops
Bernard Kops
Bernard Kops is a British Dramatist, poet and novelist, born in the East End of London in 1926.His first play, The Hamlet of Stepney Green, was produced at the Oxford Playhouse in 1957...
's Change for the Angel, Francis Swann
Francis Swann
Francis Swann was a playwright and novelist, and a film and television writer. He was born in Maryland and died in California. He wrote several Broadway plays, most notable of which was Out of the Frying Pan. He wrote a number of screenplays for Warner Brothers and other studios...
's Out of the Frying Pan, Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, Coriolanus
Coriolanus (play)
Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus.-Characters:*Caius Martius, later surnamed Coriolanus...
, and Twelfth Night, Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
's The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
, The Striplings, The Move After Checkmate, and others.
At the same time, he appeared in hundreds of BBC radio broadcasts and early BBC soap-operas, such as Billy Bunter
Billy Bunter
William George Bunter , is a fictional character created by Charles Hamilton using the pen name Frank Richards...
, Emergency - Ward 10, Probation Officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
, and Two Living, One Dead
Two Living, One Dead
Two Living, One Dead is a 1961 Anglo-Swedish existentialist thriller, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Patrick McGoohan, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers.-Background:...
. He appeared as the cabin boy John Drake in the TV series Sir Francis Drake, a twenty-six part adventure series made by ITC starring Terence Morgan
Terence Morgan
Terence Ivor Grant Morgan was an English actor in theatre, cinema and television. He was the nephew of British character actor Verne Morgan...
and Jean Kent
Jean Kent
Jean Kent is a British film actress who appeared in a number of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s.-Biography:Jean Kent was born in Brixton, London as Joan Mildred Summerfield. She started her theatrical career as a dancer in 1931. Initially, she used the stage name of Jean Carr when she...
. His film work included leading roles in two children's films, Blow Your Own Trumpet and Soapbox Derby, for The Children's Film Foundation
Children's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation was a non-profit-making organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom, typically running for about 55 minutes. It was founded in 1951. For 30 years it was subsidised by the Eady Levy - a tax on box office receipts, but this was abolished in 1985...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Early adult career
At nineteen, he was approached to play an American, Junior Sailen, in the film The War LoverThe War Lover
The War Lover is a 1962 British black-and-white war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 novel, The War Lover by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework...
opposite Steve McQueen in 1962. To prepare for the role, he would spend hours listening to Woody Woodbury
Woody Woodbury
Robert “Woody” Woodbury is an American comedian, actor, television personality and talk show host. He is perhaps best known for his best-selling comedy albums of "risqué" stories, most of which were released in the early 1960s...
, a famous American comedian of the time, to try to perfect an American accent. After The War Lover
The War Lover
The War Lover is a 1962 British black-and-white war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 novel, The War Lover by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework...
, Crawford briefly returned to the stage and, after playing the lead role in the 1963 British film Two Left Feet
Two Left Feet (film)
Two Left Feet is a 1963 Comedy-drama film directed by Roy Ward Baker, starring Nyree Dawn Porter, Michael Crawford, David Hemmings and Julia Foster....
, was offered a role in the British television series, Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life
Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life
Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life is a BBC-TV satire programme produced by Ned Sherrin, which aired during the winter of 1964-1965, in an attempt to continue and improve on the successful formula of his That Was The Week That Was , which had been taken off by the BBC because of the coming...
, as the Mod-style, tough-talking, motorcycle-riding Byron. It was this character that attracted film director Richard Lester
Richard Lester
Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...
to hire him for the role of Colin in The Knack …and How to Get It in 1965. The film was a huge success in the UK. Lester also cast him in the film adaptation
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a 1966 farce musical comedy film, based on the stage musical.Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus – specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria – it tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus...
of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen 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...
's musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
with Zero Mostel
Zero Mostel
Samuel Joel “Zero” Mostel was an American actor of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version...
, Jack Gilford
Jack Gilford
Jack Gilford was an American actor on Broadway, films and television.-Early life:Gilford was born Jacob Aaron Gellman on the lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, and Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S...
, and How I Won the War
How I Won the War
How I Won the War is a black comedy film directed by Richard Lester, released in 1967. The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon , Jack MacGowran , Roy Kinnear and Lee Montague as soldiers under his command...
with Roy Kinnear
Roy Kinnear
Roy Mitchell Kinnear was an English character actor. He is best remembered for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
(during the filming of which he lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Lennon, Cynthia Lennon
Cynthia Lennon
Cynthia Lillian Lennon is the former wife of musician John Lennon, and mother of Julian Lennon. She grew up in the middle-class section of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England. At the age of twelve, she was accepted into the Junior Art School, and was later enrolled in the...
and Gabrielle Lewis) He starred in The Jokers
The Jokers
The Jokers is a 1967 comedy film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Michael Winner. The film stars Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed as brothers who hatch a plot to steal the Crown Jewels....
(dir. Michael Winner) with Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
.
Marriage
He met and married actress Gabrielle Lewis in Paris in 1965. They had two daughters, Emma (b. 1966) and Lucy (b. 1968), before divorcing in 1975.Broadway debut
In 1967, he made his BroadwayBroadway 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...
debut in Peter Shaffer
Peter Shaffer
Sir Peter Levin Shaffer is an English dramatist and playwright, screenwriter and author of numerous award-winning plays, several of which have been filmed.-Early life:...
's Black Comedy with Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
(making her debut as well) in which he began to demonstrate his aptitude and daring for extreme physical comedy, such as walking into walls and falling down staircases. While working in the show, he was noticed by Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
and was called to Hollywood to audition for him for a part in the film adaptation of the 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...
Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
. He was cast and shared top billing with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
. It did well at the box office. Crawford has related, although it may be apocryphal, that he got the part of Cornelius Hackl, an "attractive idiot", because Kelly's wife thought he was attractive, and Kelly thought he was an idiot.
His later films fared less successfully, although Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a 1972 British musical film based on the Lewis Carroll novel of the same name. It had an all star cast, and John Barry composed the score....
, in which he played the White Rabbit, enjoyed moderate success in the U.K. After performing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and with offers of work greatly reduced and much of his salary from Hello, Dolly! was lost, reportedly due to underhanded investments by his agent, Crawford faced a brief period of unemployment, in which he helped his wife stuff cushions (for their upholstery business) and took a job as an office clerk in an electric company to pass the time between. During this difficult time, his marriage fell apart and divorce followed in 1975.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
His acting career took off again after he appeared on the London stage in the farce, No Sex Please, We're BritishNo Sex Please, We're British
No Sex Please, We're British is a British comedic play written by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott, first staged in London's West End in 1971. It was unanimously panned by critics, but still ran for nearly a decade to packed audiences...
where he played the part of frantic chief cashier Brian Runnicles. His performance led to an invitation to star in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television comedy series about a childlike and eternally haphazard man who causes disaster everywhere he goes. Crawford was not the first choice for the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
. Originally, the role had been offered to actor-comedian Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
but after he and Norman Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
had turned it down, Crawford took on the challenging role, adopting a similar characterisation to that which he adopted when playing the part of Brian Runnicles. Cast alongside him was actress Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice is an English actress best known for her portrayal of Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, played by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, which ran from 1973 to 1978....
in the role of Frank's long-suffering wife Betty, and the series premiered in 1973.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em soon became one of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's most popular TV series. Initially, only two seasons were produced, from 1973 to 1975, while the show's creators felt that it should stop while at its peak. There was a brief hiatus until popular demand saw it revived for a short season in 1978. The immense popularity that followed the sitcom was due perhaps to the unusual amount of physical comedy involved. Crawford said he had always been a fan of comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy, as well as the great physical gags employed in the days of silent film, and saw "Some Mothers" as a great opportunity to use such humour himself. He performed all of his own stunts during the show's run, and never used a double.
1970s
At the same time he was playing in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Crawford was approached to star in the musical BillyBilly (musical)
Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The book was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the music is by John Barry, and the lyrics are by Don Black.-Production:...
(based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Billy Liar
Billy Liar
Billy Liar is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse, which was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs....
) in 1974 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in London. This was his first leading man role on the West End stage and greatly helped to cement his career as both a singer and showman. The part was extremely demanding, requiring proficiency in both song and dance, and in preparation for the role, Crawford began taking both more seriously, studying professional singing under the tutelage of vocal coach Ian Adam and spending hours perfecting his dancing capabilities with choreographer Onna White
Onna White
Onna White was a Canadian choreographer and dancer nominated for eight Tony Awards.-Career:Born in Inverness, Nova Scotia, White began taking dance lessons at the age of twelve, and eventually her studies took her to the famed San Francisco Ballet Company, where she danced in the first full-length...
. The show was a huge hit and soon, along with the fame as Frank Spencer in "Some Mothers", his popularity soared, and he was on the road to becoming a household name.
After the closing of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Crawford continued to perform in plays and musicals, starring in the ill-fated Flowers for Algernon
Charlie and Algernon
Charlie and Algernon is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by Charles Strouse. It is based on the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It received its premiere on 21 December 1978 at The Citadel Theater, in Edmonton, Canada.The title characters are a mentally retarded...
(1979) in the role of Charley Gordon, based on the book of the same title. He pursued another role on a very short-lived ITV sitcom, Chalk and Cheese as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn. The show did not go over well with his fans, who admired him as Frank Spencer and were put off by the rapid departure; consequently, Crawford abandoned it within the first season and returned to theatre work.
Condorman
Crawford starred in the 1981 Disney comedy/adventure movie CondormanCondorman
Condorman is a 1981 comedy/adventure film from Walt Disney Productions starring Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed. Inspired by Robert Sheckley's The Game of X, Condorman follows comic book illustrator Woodrow Wilkins' attempts to assist in the defection of a female Soviet KGB agent.-Plot:Woodrow...
, playing an eccentric American comic book writer and illustrator named Woody Wilkins who is asked by his friend at the CIA to help a Russian woman to defect while acting out the fantasy of bringing his comic book creation, Condorman, to life. Critics panned the film. On their television show, critics Siskel and Ebert featured the film in their round-up of the year's worst films pointing out the less-than-special effects such as the visible harness and cable used to suspend Condorman in the air and the obvious bluescreen effect. The film also did poorly at the box office. Despite the film's failure, it has gained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
among recent Disney fans.
Barnum
Also in 1981, Crawford starred in the Original London production of Cy ColemanCy Coleman
Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.-Life and career:He was born Seymour Kaufman on June 14, 1929, in New York City to Eastern European Jewish parents, and was raised in the Bronx. His mother, Ida was an apartment landlady and his father was a brickmason...
's Barnum
Barnum (musical)
Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
(1981) as the illustrious American showman P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
. He trained at the Big Apple Circus School in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to prepare for the ambitious stunts, learning to walk the tight-rope, juggle and slide down a rope from the rafters of the theatre. After further training for the second opening of Barnum, he was awarded a British Amateur Gymnastics Association badge and certificate as a qualified coach.
Barnum opened on 11 June 1981 at the London Palladium, where it ran for 655 performances. Crawford and Deborah Grant headed the cast. It was well-received, becoming a favorite of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
as well as the Queen Mother. Crawford earned his first Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical on the London stage. After the initial production of the show, he worked extensively with Torvill and Dean
Torvill and Dean
Torvill and Dean are British ice dancers and former British-, European-, Olympic- and World champions...
, and can be seen rinkside with them as they received their "perfect six" marks in the 1983 world championships for their 'Barnum' routine.
In 1984 a revival of Barnum opened in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
at the Manchester Opera House, ending the tour at the Victoria Palace in the West End. In 1986 this production, with a new cast, though still headed by Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC. Crawford's Barnum is one of the longest runs by a leading actor.
The Phantom of the Opera
In 1984, at the final preview of Starlight ExpressStarlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
, Crawford happened to run into the show's creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lloyd Webber had met Crawford socially several times and remembered him from his work in Flowers for Algernon. He informed Crawford that he was working on a new project based on a Gaston Leroux
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera , which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring Lon...
novel and wanted to know whether he was interested. Crawford said he was, but the show was still in the early planning stages, and nothing had been decided. Several months passed, during which Lloyd Webber had already created a pitch video featuring his then-wife Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
as the female lead Christine and British rocker Steve Harley
Steve Harley
Steve Harley is an English singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the 1970s rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still occasionally tours .-Biography:As a child, Harley suffered from polio, spending four years in hospital up to the...
as the Phantom, singing the title song in the manner of a contemporary New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
video. Crawford was turned off by this, supposing the songwriter had chosen to do a more "rock opera"-inspired spectacle in lieu of a more traditional operatic musical.
Since casting Harley, however, Lloyd Webber had also begun to regret his artistic choices. As production continued on the show, the bulk of the score was revealing itself to be far more classical and operatic, entirely unsuited to Harley's rough, contemporary voice. Wanting instead a performer with a more classic, melodic voice, as described in the original book, he began yet another search for the perfect actor to play his Phantom. Crawford's landing of the role was due largely in part to the coincidence that Lloyd Webber's then wife, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, had taken lessons with the same vocal coach as Crawford. She and her husband had arrived early for her lesson, and it was while waiting that they chanced to hear him practising a piece from Handel's Atalanta, namely the aria Care Selve. Intrigued, Lloyd Webber inquired of Mr. Adam as to the identity of his student. Soon after, Crawford was called in for an audition and was hired nearly on the spot.
Many critics were highly sceptical of Webber's choice; Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were raised if Crawford could manage such a demanding role, both vocally and dramatically. In 1986, Crawford began his performance in London, continuing on to Broadway in 1988, and then Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
a year later, in 1989. He played the role for 2½ years and over 1,300 performances, winning an Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Musical), a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
(Best Performance By An Actor in a Lead Role, Musical), an N.Y's Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance) for his efforts.
During the run of Phantom in Los Angeles, Crawford was asked to perform "The Music of the Night" at the Inaugural Gala for President George Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
in Washington, D.C., on 19 January 1989. At the gala, Crawford was presented with a birthday cake (it was his own 47th birthday).
On 29 April 1991, three and a half years and over 1,300 performances into The Phantom of the Opera later, Crawford left the company. He admits to having been genuinely broken up at his own departure, and, during the Final Lair scene, altered the Phantom's line to "Christine....I loved you...", acknowledging that this was his last and final performance.
1990s
In 1993, at the request of Liz Kirschner, wife of acclaimed film producer David Kirschner, he obtained the role of Cornelius in 20th Century Fox's animated motion picture Once Upon a ForestOnce Upon a Forest
Once Upon a Forest is an animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with HTV Cymru/Wales, Ltd. and released on June 18, 1993 by 20th Century Fox....
, which was, in fact, produced by David Kirschner. During filming, Michael stated that he had a terrible time singing one of the musical numbers called "Please Wake Up". This was because he had to struggle not to cry when this was being completed, as the scenario was that his character Cornelius was singing to a child who was on the verge of death. The film was completed nonetheless and was released in theatres on 18 June 1993. 1993 also saw the release of his special "A Touch of Music In The Night" to coincide with the release of his new album of the same name.
In 1995, Crawford created the high-profile starring role in EFX
EFX (show)
EFX was a Las Vegas production show residing at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino which opened on March 23, 1995 and closed January 1, 2003. When it premiered, it was the most expensive and largest scaled theatre installation in the world. A significant entertainment landmark of the strip for nearly 8...
, the US$70 million production which officially opened MGM's 1700-seat Grand Theatre in Las Vegas. The Atlantic Theater label released the companion album to EFX. But 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 (4 m) to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation.
2000s to present
Crawford had a short comeback to Broadway as the Count von Krolock in the short-lived musical Dance of the VampiresDance of the Vampires
Dance of the Vampires is a musical remake of a 1967 Roman Polanski film of the same name . Polanski also directed the original German production of this musical...
in 2002 and early 2003. Many fans of the original German hit, Tanz der Vampire, blamed Crawford for the show's failure, although Crawford's fans blamed other causes.
Crawford originated the role of the morbidly obese Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman in White
The Woman in White (musical)
The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
, which opened at the Palace Theatre, London
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, in September 2004. However, he was forced to leave the show three months later because of ill health caused by dehydration resulting from the enormous fat-suit he wore during the performance. He spent several months recuperating and was thus unable to reprise the role on Broadway. Crawford later learned he was suffering from the post-viral condition myalgic encephalopathy (ME), which debilitated him for two years.
In 2006, Crawford attended the Gala Performance of the stage version of 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,...
on Broadway at the Majestic Theater to celebrate the show's becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history (surpassing the run of Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
). He was delighted with it, stating this was the first time he had been an audience member of any of the shows he had done. On 23 October 2010, Crawford attended the celebratory 10,000th performance of 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,...
in London alongside composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Crawford spoke of his own memories of the first performance 24 years ago, and was then presented, along with Webber, with a special cake to commemorate the landmark achievement.
Beginning in February 2011, Crawford has played the role of the Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
musical version of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)
The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. He stated on This Morning: Sunday
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, 14 August 2011, that he had signed a further six months to the Wizard of Oz, terminating in February 2012.
On 2nd October 2011, Crawford made a special appearance during the finale of 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,...
at The Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
- a fully staged production of the musical at the famous London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
venue - marking 25 years since the show received its world premiere. Although reunited with original Christine, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, Crawford did not sing, as he had just finished performing in a matinee of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)
The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
.
Concert tours
Crawford has performed many concert tours in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand in the last eighteen years, beginning with The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992. In 1998, Mr. Crawford began Michael Crawford: Live In Concert tour around the United States. One performance, done at the Cerritos Arts Center in Los Angeles, was filmed and broadcast on PBS for their annual fundraiser. In 2006, he made a small concert tour of Australia and New Zealand, as well as a one-night benefit to open the LaSalle Bank Theatre in Chicago. He has also done various Michael Crawford International Fan Association (MCIFA) exclusive concerts around the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The MCIFA makes contributions to many charities.
Charity work
Since the late 1980s, Crawford has affiliated himself with various charities, particularly for the good of children. He is a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation in Australia, and has also been President of The Sick Children's TrustThe Sick Children's Trust
The Sick Children's Trust is a national charity in the United Kingdom, founded in 1982, providing 'Home from Home' accommodation at hospitals around the United Kingdom. The charity currently has seven houses, in London, Leeds, Cambridge, Sheffield and Newcastle upon Tyne...
(similar to the Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent 501c3 organization whose mission is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children across the world...
) since 1987.
Crawford supported the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America is a registered theatre charity and non-profit making theatre organisation based in London and was founded by Adrian Barry in 1992...
by helping to unveil a commemorative plaque to the famous music hall star Marie Kendall
Marie Kendall
Marie Kendall ; 1873–1964) was a British music hall comedienne and actress who had a successful career spanning 50 years.-Biography:Marie Kendall was born Mary Ann Florence Holyome on 27th July 1873 in Bethnal Green, London....
at her former home in Clapham, where he was once her neighbour.
Awards
- Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1988. - Awarded Olivier Award for "Best Actor in a Musical" for his performance of the title role in BarnumBarnum (musical)Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
(1981) - Awards won for his performance in the title role in Phantom of the OperaThe 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,...
:
- Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (1986)
- Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Actor in a Musical (1988) - Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (1988) - Outer Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardThe Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for Best Actor in a Musical (1988) - Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for "Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance)" (1990)
- Awards won for his performance as Count Fosco in "The Woman in WhiteThe Woman in White (musical)The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
" (2004):
- Awards won for his performance as Count Fosco in "The Woman in White
- Outstanding Stage Performance Award from the Variety Club of Great Britain (2004)
- "Best Supporting Actor in a Musical" -- Theatregoers Choice Award voted by on-line readers of WhatsonStage.com
- Named Showbusiness Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain
- Voted #17, ahead of Queen Victoria, in the 100 Greatest Britons100 Greatest Britons100 Greatest Britons was broadcast in 2002 by the BBC. The programme was the result of a vote conducted to determine whom the United Kingdom public considers the greatest British people in history. The series, Great Britons, included individual programmes on the top ten, with viewers having further...
(2002) poll sponsored by the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Stage productions
- The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
(2011) - The Wizard - The Woman in WhiteThe Woman in White (musical)The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
(2004) - Count Fosco - Dance of the Vampires (2002) - Count Giovanni von Krolock
- EFXEFXEFX may refer to:* EFX , a Las Vegas show* Enterprise Framework , see EFx Factory* Enerflex Systems, a Canadian company listed as EFX on the Toronto Stock Exchange* Equifax, a U.S...
(1995) - H.G. Wells, Merlin, P.T. Barnum, Harry Houdini; Various other characters - The Phantom of the OperaThe 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,...
(1986) - The Phantom - BarnumBarnum (musical)Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
(1981) — P.T. Barnum - CondormanCondormanCondorman is a 1981 comedy/adventure film from Walt Disney Productions starring Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed. Inspired by Robert Sheckley's The Game of X, Condorman follows comic book illustrator Woodrow Wilkins' attempts to assist in the defection of a female Soviet KGB agent.-Plot:Woodrow...
(1981) — Woody Wilkins - Flowers for AlgernonCharlie and AlgernonCharlie and Algernon is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by Charles Strouse. It is based on the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It received its premiere on 21 December 1978 at The Citadel Theater, in Edmonton, Canada.The title characters are a mentally retarded...
(1979) - Charlie Gordon - Billy (Billy Liar - The Musical)Billy (musical)Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The book was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the music is by John Barry, and the lyrics are by Don Black.-Production:...
(1974) - Billy Liar - No Sex Please, We're BritishNo Sex Please, We're BritishNo Sex Please, We're British is a British comedic play written by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott, first staged in London's West End in 1971. It was unanimously panned by critics, but still ran for nearly a decade to packed audiences...
(1971) - Brian Runnicles
Filmography
- WALL-EWALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
(2008)- Archive footage from the film version of Hello Dolly! - The Ghosts of Christmas EveThe Ghosts of Christmas EveThe Ghosts of Christmas Eve is a 1999 made-for-TV concert film showcasing a Christmas music performance by Trans-Siberian Orchestra with guest performers Michael Crawford and Jewel...
(2001) — Himself - My Favorite Broadway:The Love Songs (2001) — Himself
- Tony Palmer's Film About The Fantastic World of Michael Crawford (1996) - Himself
- David Foster's Christmas Album (1993) - Himself
- Once Upon a ForestOnce Upon a ForestOnce Upon a Forest is an animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with HTV Cymru/Wales, Ltd. and released on June 18, 1993 by 20th Century Fox....
(1993) (voice) — Cornelius - BarnumBarnum (musical)Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
(1986) — P.T. Barnum - CondormanCondormanCondorman is a 1981 comedy/adventure film from Walt Disney Productions starring Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed. Inspired by Robert Sheckley's The Game of X, Condorman follows comic book illustrator Woodrow Wilkins' attempts to assist in the defection of a female Soviet KGB agent.-Plot:Woodrow...
(1981) — Woody Wilkins/Condorman - Alice's Adventures In WonderlandAlice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a 1972 British musical film based on the Lewis Carroll novel of the same name. It had an all star cast, and John Barry composed the score....
(1972) — White Rabbit - Hello-GoodbyeHello-GoodbyeHello-Goodbye 1970 is a light comedy where one of the funny moments occurs where the film's main character, a drunk Harry England drives a prize vintage car into a swimming pool.- Plot :...
(1970) - Harry England - The GamesThe Games (film)The Games is a 1970 film based on the Hugh Atkinson novel and adapted to the screen by Erich Segal. It was directed by Michael Winner.The plot concerned four marathon competitors at a fictitious Olympic Games in Rome, played by Michael Crawford, Ryan O'Neal, Charles Aznavour, and Athol Compton...
(1970) — Harry Hayes - Hello, Dolly! (1969) — Cornelius Hackl
- How I Won the WarHow I Won the WarHow I Won the War is a black comedy film directed by Richard Lester, released in 1967. The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon , Jack MacGowran , Roy Kinnear and Lee Montague as soldiers under his command...
(1967) — Goodbody - The JokersThe JokersThe Jokers is a 1967 comedy film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Michael Winner. The film stars Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed as brothers who hatch a plot to steal the Crown Jewels....
(1967) - Michael Tremayne - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
(1966) — Hero - The Knack …and How to Get It (1965) - Colin
- Two Left FeetTwo Left Feet (film)Two Left Feet is a 1963 Comedy-drama film directed by Roy Ward Baker, starring Nyree Dawn Porter, Michael Crawford, David Hemmings and Julia Foster....
(1963) - Alan Crabbe - The War LoverThe War LoverThe War Lover is a 1962 British black-and-white war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 novel, The War Lover by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework...
(1962) — Sgt. Junior Sailen - Two Living, One DeadTwo Living, One DeadTwo Living, One Dead is a 1961 Anglo-Swedish existentialist thriller, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Patrick McGoohan, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers.-Background:...
(1961) - Nils Lindwall - A French MistressA French MistressA French Mistress is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Cecil Parker, James Robertson Justice, Ian Bannen, Raymond Huntley, Irene Handl and Thorley Walters.-External links:* at Yahoo Canada movies...
(1960) - Kent - Don't Call Me A Horse! (1959) - Harris
- Soapbox Derby (1958) - Peter Toms
- Blow Your Own Trumpet (1958) - Jim Fenn
Solo albums
- Songs from the Stage and Screen (1987)
- The Phantom Unmasked (1990)
- Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber (1991)
- With Love (1992)
- A Touch of Music in the Night (1993)
- Favorite Love Songs (1994)
- On Eagle's Wings (1998)
- In Concert (1998)
- A Christmas Album (1999)
- The Disney Album (2001)
- The Early Years - MCIFA Members Only Exclusive (2001)
- The Best of Michael Crawford - Australian Release (2002)
- The Very Best of Michael Crawford (2005)
Cast albums
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
- Hello, Dolly! (1969)
- Billy (1974)
- Flowers for Algernon (1980)
- Barnum (1981)
- Phantom of the Opera (1986)
- Highlights from Phantom of the Opera (1986)
- Once Upon a Forest (1993)
- EFX (1995)
- Woman In White (2004 London Cast) (2004)
- WALL-EWALL-E (soundtrack)WALL•E is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, mainly composed by Thomas Newman and released on June 24, 2008. Orchestration is credited to Carl Johnson, JAC Redford, Thomas Pasatieri, and Gary K. Thomas. Newman previously scored Finding Nemo; all other Pixar films have been scored by...
(2008) (excerpts from Hello, Dolly!) - The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
(2011)
Guest appearances
- Save The Children: Christmas Carols and Festive Songs (1988)
- Premier Collection Andrew Lloyd Webber (1988)
- Barry Manilow: Showstoppers (1991)
- A Christmas Spectacular (1992)
- Barbra Streisand: Back To Broadway (1993)
- David Foster's Christmas Album (1993)
- The London Symphony Orchestra Performs Rice/Webber (1994)
- Sarah Brightman: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection (1999)
- Millenium Chorus (2000)
- Child of the Promise (2000)
- My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs (2001)
External links
- Michael Crawford - BBC Guide to Comedy
- Michael Crawford profile at BroadwayWorld International Database
- Michael Crawford International Fan Association
- Broadway World interview with Crawford
- "Crawford Talks Return to the Stage"
- "Phantom of the Opera Tour Ends Two-Decade Run: Phantoms from Gleason to Crawford Talk Tour Closing"