Ben Crawford (singer)
Ben Crawford (born May 22, 1982) is an American singer and stage actor from Tucson, Arizona. He played the lead role of The Phantom in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera for five years.
Ben Crawford | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 22, 1982 (age 41) Tucson, AZ |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Known for | The Phantom of the Opera |
| Partner(s) | Kate Crawford (divorced) Kelsey Connolly |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | https://www.ben-crawford.com/ |
He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in Les Misérables as the understudy for Jean Valjean and Javert. His first lead role on Broadway was the title role in Shrek the Musical.
Early life
Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Crawford received a BFA in Music Theatre from the University of Arizona.
Personal life
On June 22, 2022 he announced his engagement via Instagram to former-Phantom costar, Kelsey Connolly.[1]
The Phantom of the Opera
Crawford made his debut performance in The Phantom of the Opera on April 16, 2018, following the tenure of Peter Joback.[2] After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crawford returned to the role in October 2021 and was set to be the final Phantom when the show closed after a record 35 year run on Broadway.[3] However, he was forced out of the show on April 1, 2023 due to sickness. He was covered the last fifteen days by Jeremy Stolle, Ted Keegan, and Laird Mackintosh.[4]
He has no relation to the originator of the role, Michael Crawford.
Stage credits
| Show | Role(s) | Year(s) | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver! | Bill Sikes | 2006 | The Muny |
| Les Misérables | Courfeyrac / Factory Foreman / Brujon / Champmathieu u/s Jean Valjean | 2007-08 | Broadway |
| Oklahoma! | Jud Fry | 2008 | Regional |
| Shrek the Musical | s/b Shrek | Regional Tryout | |
| Broadway | |||
| s/b Shrek u/s Lord Farquaad | 2009 | Broadway | |
| Shrek | 2009-10 | ||
| Titanic | Frederick Barrett | 2010 | The Muny |
| Footloose | Chuck Cranston | ||
| Guys and Dolls | Sky Masterson | 2011 | US Tour |
| Next to Normal | Dr. Fine / Dr. Madden | Regional | |
| Merrily We Roll Along | Ensemble | 2012 | Encores! |
| South Pacific | Luther Billis | Regional | |
| Big Fish | Don Price | 2013 | Regional Tryout |
| Broadway | |||
| On the 20th Century | Ensemble u/s Bruce Granit u/s Max Jacobs | 2015 | Broadway |
| 110 in the Shade | Bill Starbuck | 2016 | Regional |
| Evita | Che | ||
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Mr. Salt | 2018 | Broadway |
| The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera | 2018-23 | |
| Beauty and the Beast | The Beast | 2023 | The Muny |
References
- ^ Hall, Margaret (June 22, 2022). "Ben Crawford and Kelsey Connolly Announce Engagement".
- ^ Gans, Andrew (April 16, 2018). "Ben Crawford Is Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera Starting April 16". Playbill.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (2022-09-16). "'Phantom of the Opera,' Broadway's Longest-Running Show, to Close". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Laird Mackintosh Will Play Phantom of the Opera's Final Broadway Performance; Principal Ben Crawford Sidelined