Michael Crawford Biography
Michael Crawford born as Michael Patrick Smith, CBE is an English actor, comedian, singer, voice artist and philanthropist.
Crawford has received international critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which has included many film and television performances as well as stagework on both London’s West End and on Broadway in New York City. Crawford is best known for playing the character Frank Spencer in a popular 1970s sitcom titled Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, which first made him a household name, as well as for originating the title role in The Phantom of the Opera.
His performance in the latter musical drama earned him both the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He has also published the autobiographical work Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String, which covers the changes in his career over the multiple decades. Since 1987, he has served as the leader of the Sick Children’s Trust as well and acted as a public face for the British social cause organization.
Michael Crawford Age
Crawford was born on 19 January 1942. He is aged 77 years as of 2019.
Michael Crawford Net Worth
The English actor, comedian, and singer has a net worth of $10 million.
Michael Crawford Photo
Michael Crawford Phantom
At the final preview of Starlight Express, Crawford happened to run into the show’s creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1984. Lloyd Webber had met Crawford socially several times and remembered him from his work in Flowers for Algernon. Crawford informed Crawford that he was working on a new project based on a Gaston Leroux novel and wanted to know whether he was interested.
He said he was, but the show was still in the early planning stages, and nothing had been decided. 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.
He was turned off by that, supposing the songwriter had chosen to do a “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. His landing of the role was due in large part to the coincidence that 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 Crawford practising the aria Care Selve, from the opera Atalanta by Handel.
Intrigued, Lloyd Webber asked Ian Adam who his student was. Soon after, Crawford was called in for an audition and was hired virtually on the spot. Alot of critics were sceptical; Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were asked about Crawford’s ability to manage such a vocally and dramatically demanding role. He began his performance in London at Her Majesty’s Theatre, continuing on to Broadway in 1988, and then Los Angeles in 1989 in 1986.
Crawford played the role for two and a half years and over 1,300 performances, winning an Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Musical), a Tony Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Musical), a New York Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance). In the run of Phantom in Los Angeles, Crawford was asked to perform “The Music of the Night” at the Inaugural Gala for President George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C., on 19 January 1989.
At the gala, Crawford was presented with a birthday cake (it was his 47th birthday). After three and a half years and over 1,300 performances later, Crawford left the show on 29 April 1990. Crawford admits to having been saddened at his departure, and, during the final Lair scene, altered the Phantom’s line to “Christine….I loved you…”, acknowledging that this was his final performance.
Michael Crawford Barnum
He in 1981, starred in the original London production of Cy Coleman’s Barnum (1981) as the illustrious American showman P.T. Barnum. Crawford 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. Upon further training for the second opening of Barnum, he was awarded a British Amateur Gymnastics Association badge and certificate as a qualified coach.
On 11 June 1981, Barnum opened at the London Palladium, where it ran for 655 performances. He and Deborah Grant headed the cast. It was well-received, becoming a favourite of Margaret Thatcher as well as the Queen Mother. He 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.
A revival of Barnum opened in Manchester at the Opera House, ending the tour at the Victoria Palace in the West End in 1984. This production, with a new cast, though still headed by Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC in 1986. His Barnum is one of the longest runs by a leading actor.
Michael Crawford Daughters/Wife
In 1965, Crawford met and married actress Gabrielle Lewis in Paris. They had two daughters, Emma (b. 1966) and Lucy (b. 1968), before divorcing in 1975. He has never remarried.
Michael Crawford Movies and TV Shows
In 1999, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve as Himself (performer). In 1993, in Once Upon a Forest as Cornelius (voice). In 1986, in Barnum as P.T. Barnum. In 1981, in Condorman as Woody Wilkins. In 1972, in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as White Rabbit. In 1970, in Hello-Goodbye as Harry England. In 1970, in The Games as Harry Hayes. In 1969, in Hello, Dolly! as Cornelius Hackl.
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