| Michael Crawford | |
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| Born | Michael Patrick Dumbell-Smith January 19, 1942 Salisbury, Wiltshire, England |
| Spouse(s) | Gabrielle Lewis (1965-1975) |
Michael Crawford, OBE (born 19 January 1942), is an English actor and singer. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works He has won critical acclaim and numerous awards during his career, which includes radio, television and stage (including appearing on stage in the West End in London, and on Broadway in New York). Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic In Theatre, the stage (sometimes referred to as the deck in Stagecraft) is a designated space for the Performance of theatrical productions West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous
Although he most often appears on stage, in musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Barnum, he first became a household name and famous to millions for his role as the hapless Frank Spencer on the British television sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973-78), for which he performed most of his own stunts. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the book written by the French novelist Gaston Leroux Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or any act requiring a special skill performed for artistic purposes in TV, Theatre, or cinema The series became one of the BBC's most successful programmes of all time. Crawford has been awarded the OBE, and has also been named Showbusiness Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Variety the Children's Charity was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1927 when a group of eleven men involved in Show
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Crawford was born Michael Patrick Dumbell-Smith in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He was raised by his widowed mother, Doris, and her parents, Montague Pike and Edith Kathleen O'Keefe, whom Michael always called "Monty" and "Nan". Doris' first husband, Arthur Dumbell-Smith, had been killed during the Battle of Britain, less than a year after they married. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Two years after his death, Michael was born, the result of a short-lived relationship, and given his mother's first husband's surname. During his early years, he would divide his time between the army camp in Wiltshire (where he and his mother were living during the war) and the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, with his mother and grandparents. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye This article is about the Isle of Sheppey in northern Kent not to be confused with Shepway in south-eastern Kent KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format However at the end of the war in 1945, his mother re-married a grocer named Den Ingram in 1945 and they moved to London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. There Michael attended Oakfield Preparatory School, Dulwich, where he was known as Michael Ingram. Oakfield School is an independent coeducational preparatory school situated in the leafy outskirts of Dulwich Village, London, United Kingdom This article is about Dulwich in London Dulwich South Australia is a suburb of Adelaide.
From an early age, it was clear that he demonstrated both an aptitude for comedy and an exceptional singing voice. At the tender age of seven, he made one of his first (and briefer) public appearances as a choirboy at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, but he soon left that vocation. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
He made his first stage appearance in the role of Sammy the Little Sweep in his school production of Benjamin Britten's Let's Make an Opera, which was then transferred to Brixton Town Hall in London, England. Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 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. This is not the same theatre as The Prince of Wales Theatre, in Leicester Square which was built in 1884 became the The Prince of Wales in 1886 and is still David Hemmings ( November 18, 1941 &ndash December 3, 2003) was an English Film Actor and director
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. The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the Composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, 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 performer in England was using the same surname. Noye's Fludde ( Noah 's Flood) is a late 16th century Mystery play from the Chester Mystery Cycle. While he was riding home on a bus after an audition, he noticed a lorry with the slogan "Crawford's Biscuits Are Best". An audition is a sample performance by an Actor, Singer, Musician, Dancer or other performer It was then that he decided to change his name to "Michael Crawford".
He went on to perform in a wide repertoire. Among his stagework, he performed in André Birabeau's French comedy Head of the Family, Neil Simon's Come Blow Your Horn, Change for the Angel, Out of the Frying Pan, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Twelfth Night, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Striplings, The Move After Checkmate and others. Head of the Family is a 1996 B-movie Black comedy released by Full Moon Features. Marvin Neil Simon (born July 4, 1927 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American Playwright and Screenwriter 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 William Shakespeare ( baptised Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599 Coriolanus is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Gaius Martius Coriolanus. Twelfth Night Or What You Will is a Comedy by William Shakespeare, based on the Short story "Of Apolonius and Silla" by The Importance of Being Earnest is a play by Oscar Wilde. It premiered on February 14, 1895 at the St At the same time, he also appeared in over 400 radio broadcasts on the BBC and early BBC soap-operas - such as Billy Bunter, Emergency Ward 10, Probation Officer, Two Living, One Dead, and even appearing as cabin boy, John Drake, in the TV series Sir Francis Drake, a twenty-six part adventure series made by ITC, starring Terrence Morgan and Jean Kent. William George Bunter or Billy Bunter, the "Fat Owl of the Remove" is a fictional character created by Charles Hamilton (using the nom de plume of Emergency Ward 10 was a British television series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Sir Francis Drake (aka The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake) was a British adventure Television series starring Terence Morgan as Sir Jean Kent (born June 21 1921) is a British Film Actress who performed in movies of the period 1935-76 And his film work included leading roles in two children's films, Blow Your Trumpet and Soapbox Derby, for The Childrens' Film Foundation in Britain. The Soap Box Derby is a youth Soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1934 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
At nineteen, he was approached to play an American, Junior Sailen, in the film The War Lover opposite Steve McQueen in 1962. The War Lover ( is a black and white War film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 Pulitzer Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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, Michael briefly returned to the stage until he was offered a more prominent 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. The War Lover ( is a black and white War film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 Pulitzer Not So Much a Programme More a Way of Life was a BBC -TV satire programme produced by Ned Sherrin, which aired during the winter of 1964 - The character became so popular that Michael was asked to write a column, as Byron, in which he answered any questions regarding the character.
It was this character that attracted British director Richard Lester to hire him for the roles of Colin in The Knack. Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932) is a British -based Film director famous for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s . . And How to Get It opposite Rita Tushingham and Ray Brooks in 1965. Rita Tushingham (b 14 March 1942; erroneously reported by some sources as 1940 Liverpool, England) is a noted British actress Ray Brooks may refer to Ray Brooks (Actor Arthur Raymond Brooks, known as Ray (World War I Pilot Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The film was a huge success in the UK and very soon afterwards, Lester also hired him for the roles in such films as 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, The Jokers starring Oliver Reed, and How I Won the War with Roy Kinnear and John Lennon. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a Musical comedy film based on the stage musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (born March 22 1930 is an American musical and film composer and lyricist winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Samuel Joel “Zero” Mostel ( February 28 1915 – September 8 1977) was an American Actor of stage and Jack Gilford ( July 25, 1908  &ndash June 4, 1990 was an Academy Award - and Tony Award -nominated and Daytime Emmy Award Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton ( October 4 1895 &ndash February 1 1966) was an Academy Award -winning American Phil Silvers ( May 11, 1911 &ndash November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and Comedy actor The Jokers is a 1967 comedy film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Michael Winner. Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 &ndash 2 May 1999 was an English Actor known for his burly screen presence How I Won the War is a Black comedy film directed by Richard Lester, released in 1967. Roy Mitchell Kinnear ( January 8, 1934 &ndash September 20, 1988) was a prolific English Character actor. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born In between he met and fell in love with an actress-disc jockey named Gabrielle Lewis and they married in Paris in 1965. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. They had two daughters, Emma and Lucy.
In 1967, he made his Broadway debut in Black Comedy/White Lies 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 and through walls in the dark. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Black Comedy/White Lies is a play composed of two unrelated acts by Peter Shaffer. Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE (born 8 March, 1943) is two-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning English 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 upcoming film adaptation of the musical Hello, Dolly!. Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director Hello Dolly! is a 1969 American Musical film, based on the Broadway production of the same name. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938
He was cast and shared top billing with Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress Walter John Matthau ( October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American award-winning Actor best known for his role It did well at the box office, but most of his later movies were flops, although Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in which he played the White Rabbit, enjoyed moderate success in the UK. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a 1972 British musical film based on the Lewis Carroll novel of the same name. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located During this difficult time, his marriage fell apart and divorce followed in 1975; but he and Gabrielle have remained very close friends. [1]
After performing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and with offers of work greatly reduced, Crawford faced a brief period of unemployment, in which he helped his ex-wife stuff cushions (for her shop) and took up a job as an office clerk in an electric company to pass the time between. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a 1972 British musical film based on the Lewis Carroll novel of the same name.
His career was saved with 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. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford 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. Ronald William George Barker, OBE (25 September 1929 &ndash 3 October 2005 was an English actor and Comedian, best known for his roles as Norman Stanley Fletcher Sir Norman Wisdom, OBE (born 4 February 1915) is an English Comedian, Singer and Actor. Cast alongside him was actress Michele Dotrice in the role of Frank's long-suffering wife Betty, and the series premiered in 1973. Michele Dotrice (born September 27 1948 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is a British actress best known for her portrayal Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em soon became one of the BBC's most popular TV series. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford At first it ran only until 1975 when it was felt that it would be best to stop while still successful. Popular demand saw it revived for a short period from 1977 to 1978, and when it finally closed in 1978, it remained one of the top 10 British TV series of all time.
At the same time he was playing in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Crawford was approached to star in the musical Billy (based on the novel, Billy Liar) in 1974 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Billy Liar (1959 is a Novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, Film, musical and TV series The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. Having not sung professionally in some time, Crawford went back to studying singing seriously with a vocal coach, Ian Adam, and spent hours perfecting his dancing capabilities with choreographer Onna White. Onna White ( March 24, 1922 &ndash April 8, 2005) was a Canadian Choreographer and Dancer nominated for eight The show was a huge hit and soon, along with the fame from Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, his career was back on track. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford
It also should be mentioned that, in this pre CGI age, Frank perfomed all his own stunts on the show yet always chose to wear his lucky black leather gloves whilst doing so.
After the closing of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em during this time, Michael continued to perform in plays and musicals, starring in the ill-fated Flowers for Algernon (1979) in the role of Charly Gurdon, based on the book of the same title; Cy Coleman's Barnum (1981) (one of the longest runs by a leading actor) and in the title role of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (1986), for which he won an Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Musical), a Tony Award (Best Performance By An Actor in a Lead Role, Musical), an N. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973&ndash1978 was a BBC Situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford Charlie and Algernon is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by Charles Strouse. For the fictional principal Seymour Kaufman see Room 222. Cy Coleman ( June 14, 1929 - November 18, 2004) was an American Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. Andrew Lloyd Webber Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948 is a British Composer of Musical theatre, the elder son of William Lloyd Webber The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the book written by the French novelist Gaston Leroux The Laurence Olivier Award is regarded as the most prestigious award in British theatre and is presented in recognition of artistic achievement in London theatre The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Y's Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance).
During the run of Phantom in Los Angeles, he was asked to perform "The Music of the Night" at the Inaugural Gala for President George Bush in Washington, D. " The Music of the Night " is a song from the musical The Phantom of the Opera. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 C. , on 19 January 1989. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) At the gala, Crawford was presented with a birthday cake (it was his own 47th birthday).
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. EFX was a Las Vegas production show residing at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino opened on March 23, 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 to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early-hip replacement.
He also had a short comeback to Broadway as the Count von Krolock in the short-lived commercial and financial flop musical Dance of the Vampires in 2002 and early 2003. Dance of the Vampires (or Tanz der Vampire as the original German language version is named is a musical remake of a 1967 See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Many fans of the show blame Crawford directly for the bombing of Dance Of The Vampires. Crawford was given creative control over the production, and made vital changes in the elements that had made the original Tanz Der Vampire such a great success. What was originally a gothic fairy tale was to become a musical farce detested by fans, some of whom refer to it as "Carry On Tanz". It is believed that Crawford changed the count's character as he did not want to be type cast after the success of Phantom, but changing the count from German to Italian so he could do a "funnier accent" was certainly an indication of how drastically the role and the play itself were to be changed under Crawford's hand. The fact that "Von" is a German title, yet still given to the Italian count gives insight into how little thinking had gone into these changes.
Later, he went on to originate the role of Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman in White which opened at the Palace Theatre, London, in September 2004. 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 The Palace Theatre, is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster. However, he was forced to leave the show three months later due to ill health.
Crawford was invited to attend the Gala Performance of the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway at the Majestic Theater to celebrate the show becoming the longest running musical in Broadway history (supplanting Cats). The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the book written by the French novelist Gaston Leroux Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T
Crawford was ranked #17 in the 100 Greatest Britons (2002) poll sponsored by the BBC. He has also been president of the Sick Children's Trust since 1987. [2] The Michael Crawford International Fan Association (MCIFA) makes large contributions to many charities.
Crawford has also been known to be something of a prankster, including planting fake mice around mouse-phobic Dale Kristien's dressing room, shouting in his "Phantom Voice" to lighten the mood on the set of a tedious shoot, and pretending that the van he was riding in hit someone (very nervous driver and Crawford told her she'd knocked someone with the van).
Awards won by Michael Crawford in 1988 for his performance in the title role in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway: