Michael Crawford
by Claire J Rottenberg
As a child, Michael Crawford sang in a church choir
and in school plays, but his professional acting
career began in a non-musical role in a movie at the
age of 16. His first major role on Broadway in
"Black Comedy / White Lies" was also a
non-musical role. However, that part led to his first
major movie role as Cornelius Hackl in "Hello
Dolly," a film that showcased Crawford's
singing and dancing talents.
Crawford continued his career after "Hello
Dolly" primarily on the London and Broadway
stages, but not in musicals. He also appeared for
five years (1973 to 1978) on a popular British TV
comedy series, "Some Mothers Do 'Ave
'Em."
When Crawford finally returned to musical theater, he
achieved his greatest successes with his lead role in
"The Phantom of the Opera," both in the
London and Broadway productions. Crawford won two
prestigious awards for his performance - the British
Olivier award in 1986 and the Tony award in
1988.
Crawford last appeared on Broadway in 2003 in a
short-lived musical, "Dance of the
Vampires."
In addition to his acting career, Crawford has
appeared in concerts and he has recorded many albums
that include a wide selection of Broadway
songs.