Michael Patrick Smith (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian and singer.
Crawford is best known for playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Cornelius Hackl in the musical film Hello, Dolly!, and the titular character in the stage musical The Phantom of the Opera. His acclaimed performance in the latter earned him both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. He has received international critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his acting career, which has included many film and television performances as well as stage work on both London's West End and on New York's Broadway theatre.
Crawford has also published the autobiography Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String. Since 1987, he has served as the leader and public face for the British social cause organisation the Sick Children's Trust.
During his early years, Crawford divided his time between the army camp in Wiltshire, where he and his mother lived during the war, and the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The isle was where his mother had grown up and where Crawford would later live with his mother and maternal grandparents. He attended St Michael's, a Catholic school in Bexleyheath which was run by whom Crawford later described as not being shy in their use of corporal punishment. At the end of the Second World War, his mother remarried, this time to a grocer, Lionel Dennis "Den" Ingram. The couple moved to Herne Hill in London, where Crawford attended Oakfield Preparatory School, Dulwich, where he was known as Michael Ingram. His mother's second marriage was abusive, according to Crawford.
In 1958, Crawford was hired by the English Opera Group in the role of Jaffet in Noye's Fludde, Britten's setting of the Chester miracle play of the Genesis flood narrative. Crawford remembers that it was while working in this production that he realised 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 to change his name, "to avoid confusion with a television newsman called Michael Ingrams who was registered with British Equity".
Crawford went on to perform in a wide repertoire. Among his stage work, he performed in André Birabeau's French comedy Head of the Family (Dame Nature), 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 television series, such as Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, Emergency - Ward 10, Probation Officer, and Two Living, One Dead. He appeared as the cabin boy John Drake in the television series Sir Francis Drake, a 26-part adventure series made by ITC starring Terence Morgan and Jean Kent. He made his film debut in 1958 with leading roles in two children's films, Blow Your Own Trumpet and Soapbox Derby, for the Children's Film Foundation in Britain.
In 1961, Crawford appeared in an episode of called "The Villa" in which he played a character experimenting with strobe lights. Crawford appears in the only surviving episode of the 1960 British crime series Police Surgeon alongside Ian Hendry. This series would spawn the much better-known The Avengers.
Lester also cast him in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and How I Won the War, which starred Roy Kinnear and John Lennon (during the filming of which he lived in London with Lennon and his first wife Cynthia Lennon, and Gabrielle Lewis).As told to Matt Baker and Alex Jones on the BBC show "The One Show" on 1 August 2011. Crawford starred in The Jokers (directed by Michael Winner) with Oliver Reed in 1967.
Crawford's later films fared less successfully, although Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in which he played the White Rabbit, enjoyed moderate success in the UK. After performing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and with offers of work greatly reduced and much of his salary from Hello, Dolly! 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 soon became one of the BBC's most popular television series. Initially, only two series 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 final series 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 sight gags employed in the days of silent film, and saw Some Mothers as the ideal opportunity to use such humour himself. He performed all of his own stunts during the show's run, and never used a double.
Billy gave the many fans of Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer an opportunity to see him in a broadly similar role on the stage, and was a considerable hit (904 West End performances). After the closing of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Crawford continued to perform in plays and musicals, starring in Flowers for Algernon (1979) in the role of Charley Gordon, based on the book of the same title. He pursued another role on an ITV sitcom, Chalk and Cheese, as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn. The show did not go over well with his fans: the popularity of Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer, and the similar Billy Fisher character, had left him somewhat typecast, to the extent that they could not accept his very different role as Dave Finn. Crawford abandoned the show during its first series and returned to theatre work.
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 favourite 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.Hennessey, John. Torvill & Dean; David & Charles (1983);
In 1984 a revival of Barnum opened in Manchester at the 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.
Since casting Harley, however, Lloyd Webber had also begun to regret his artistic choices. According to the Behind the Mask documentary, he and producer Cameron Mackintosh agreed that Harley was neither an actor nor a commanding theatre presence, two areas in which Crawford had gained significant experience by this point. 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 in large part to the coincidence that he and Brightman were taking lessons from the same vocal coach, Ian Adam. Brightman 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 Adam who his student was. Soon after, Crawford was called in for an audition and was hired virtually on the spot.
Many critics were sceptical; Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were asked about his ability to manage such a vocally and dramatically demanding role.
In September 1986, Crawford began his performances in London at Her Majesty's Theatre. In October 1987, he was replaced in London by Dave Willetts, as he transferred over to Broadway. In January 1988, he started performances of the show on Broadway and in October of that same year, he was replaced by Timothy Nolen. Crawford then went on to start performing the show in Los Angeles in 1989. He played the Phantom for three and a half years and over 1,300 performances across the three productions, 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).
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 H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C., on 19 January 1989. At the gala, Crawford was presented with a cake in celebration of his 47th birthday.
On 29 April 1990, after three and a half years and over 1,300 performances later, Crawford left the show for the final time. He 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.
However, on 31 December 1990, he returned to the role in Los Angeles replacing Robert Guillaume in the role. Crawford played his true final performance on 28 April 1991. Davis Gaines replaced him in the production.
In 1995, Crawford created the high-profile starring role in EFX, the US$70 million production which officially opened the 1,700-seat MGM Grand Theatre in Las Vegas. The Atlantic Theater label released the companion album to EFX. 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 to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation. Weekend Wogan, 25 September 2011
In the mid 1990s, Michael began a long-term relationship with Natasha MacAller, an American dancer and chef.
He later moved to New Zealand briefly, both to be near his daughter and her family in Australia and to convalesce from his illness.
In 2006, Crawford attended the Gala Performance of the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre 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 earlier, and was then presented, along with Lloyd Webber, with a special cake to commemorate the landmark achievement.
Beginning with previews in February 2011, Crawford originated the part of the Wizard in the new Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical version of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium, which had its official opening on 1 March 2011. He stated on , on 14 August 2011, that he had signed on for a further six months in the show. He left the production on 5 February 2012; the same day as co-star Danielle Hope played her final performance as Dorothy. From 14 February, Russell Grant took over the role.
On 2 October 2011 Crawford made a special appearance during the finale of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal 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 Sarah Brightman, he did no real singing as he had just finished performing in a matinee of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.
On 18 March 2016 Crawford and Dotrice reprised their roles in a one-off special of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, broadcast as part of the Sport Relief charity fundraiser event.
Crawford starred in the new West End musical The Go-Between which premiered on 27 May 2016 at Apollo Theatre. He appeared in the 60th anniversary performance of Britten's Noye's Fludde in London in 2018, performing the Voice of God, and recalled in a BBC Radio 3 interview Benjamin Britten's valuable support in his early career.
Following on from this, in the same year Crawford released a studio album of show tunes with the London Symphony Orchestra, titled Songs from the Stage and Screen, which reached number 12 in the UK Albums Chart and number 74 on the Australian Music Report chart. From this album, his version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" was released as a single, reaching number 97 in the UK Singles Chart.
Songs from the Stage and Screen was followed by other charting studio albums recorded by Crawford, including With Love / The Phantom Unmasked (1989), Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber (1991), A Touch of Music in the Night (1993), On Eagle's Wings (1998) and The Disney Album (2001), as well as several compilation albums. A Touch of Music in the Night included a new version of the Phantom song "The Music of the Night", this time recorded as a duet between Crawford and Barbra Streisand. Released as a single, it reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1994. It was also included on Streisand's album Back to Broadway (1993), and was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1994 Grammy Awards.
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 US. The MCIFA makes contributions to many charities.
In 2007, Crawford relocated to New Zealand for health reasons, as he sought recovery from his diagnosed myalgic encephalitis and to be closer to one of his daughters who had settled in Australia.
Crawford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1988 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for charitable and philanthropic services, particularly to children's charities.
+ !Year !Awards !Category !Nominated work !Result !Ref. | |||||
1966 | British Academy Film Awards | Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | The Knack ...and How to Get It | ||
1974 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Actor | Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em | ||
1975 | Best Light Entertainment Performance | ||||
1979 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Charlie and Algernon | ||
1981 | Barnum | ||||
1986 | The Phantom of the Opera | ||||
1988 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | |||
Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | ||||
Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | ||||
2004 | Theatregoers' Choice Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | The Woman in White | ||
Variety Club of Great Britain Award | Outstanding Stage Performance | ||||
2005 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical |
Brindsley Miller / Tom |
Brian Runnicles |
Billy Liar |
Charlie Gordon |
P.T. Barnum |
The Phantom of the Opera |
The EFX Master / Merlin / P.T. Barnum / Harry Houdini / H.G. Wells |
Count Giovanni von Krolock |
Count Fosco |
Professor Marvel / Emerald City Doorman / Tour Guide / The Wizard of Oz |
Older Leo Colston |
Peter Toms |
Jim Fenn |
Kent |
John Drake |
Nils Lindwall |
Sgt. Junior Sailen |
Alan Crabbe |
Colin |
Hero |
Michael Tremayne |
Lt. Earnest Goodbody |
Cornelius Hackl |
Harry Hayes |
Harry England |
White Rabbit |
Woody Wilkins |
P.T. Barnum |
Cornelius/Narrator (voice) |
Himself (performer) |
Frank Nugent |
Read |
John Drake |
Byron |
Frank Spencer |
Dave Finn |
Frank Spencer |
Frank Spencer |
+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="3" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Certifications |
+ List of video albums, with selected chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Certifications |
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