Colm Wilkinson

Colm Wilkinson (2007)

Colm Wilkinson , also CT Wilkinson (born June 5, 1944 in Dublin ) is an Irish musical actor and singer.

He became known as the original cast of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables . He is one of the most common occupations of the Valjean, including those in the West End and Broadway premieres . He appeared again in this role at "Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert" on the occasion of the musical's 10th birthday at the Royal Albert Hall in London .

Career

The beginnings

After playing in various Irish bands, including The Action , Wilkinson auditioned for a role in the Dublin production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and then played the role of Judas Iscariot in the Dublin production. He later portrayed the same in London and on the tour of England. In 1976 Wilkinson sang the role of Ché for Evita's album . When the production was staged in London, he made no effort to appear in this role, but began a solo career as a singer and songwriter . In 1985 he worked again with Andrew Lloyd Webber, where he took over the casting of the role of Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at the Sydmonton Festival.

Colm Wilkinson also played the role of Dr. Jekyll on the original Jekyll & Hyde album.

In 1977 Wilkinson released his own album, which was able to claim first place in the charts in his home country Ireland for eight weeks. After this successful solo LP , Wilkinson actively prepared for singing competitions, which ultimately led to his taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland in 1978 with Born to Sing and reaching fifth place with his performance.

Les Misérables

The London production of Les Misérables started in October 1985 and was moved to Broadway in March 1987. Originally, the US Actors' Equity Association (AEA) refused to give Wilkinson permission to play the role of Valjean in New York because of a clause in its regulations that only allows US actors to do so. As a result, producer Cameron Mackintosh, in turn, refused to open the show without Wilkinson as Valjean, as a result of which the AEA eventually gave in and allowed the cast. Wilkinson has won a number of awards, including the Helen Hayes Award , the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Theater World Award , for his interpretations, and was nominated for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

In the 2012 film adaptation of the musical , in which Hugh Jackman played the role of Jean Valjean, Wilkinson plays the Bishop of Digne who changed Valjean's life.

The Phantom of the Opera

In 1989, Wilkinson and his family moved to Toronto , Canada when he was offered the lead role in the original cast of the Canadian production of Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theater (now the Canon Theater ). Since then he has lived in Toronto.

Current

Colm Wilkinson is the father of singer and songwriter Aaron Wilkinson and one other son and two daughters.

His most recent work is a solo album from 2002 entitled Some of My Best Friends Are Songs . As part of this album, he sings the Cat Stevens song " Father and Son " in a duet with his son Aaron . The album is a mixture of show recordings, his personal favorites and various songs from his stage productions. His support for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and audience-supported television in North America, followed by his participation in the production to mark the tenth birthday of Les Misérables allowed him to perform for an hour, including some songs from his album and Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar, in which he had played Judas years earlier. He also revealed to the audience that he had waited 23 years to finally slip into the role of Jesus. His performance is powerful and at the same time soulful. His television broadcast Stage Heroes, Colm Wilkinson earned him widespread positive feedback from fans and critics alike, and also led Rolling Stone magazine readers to add his name to the list of "Five Greatest Singers of All Time."

In October and November 2007, Wilkinson toured Canada on Broadway and Beyond with Susan Gilmore and Gretha Boston .

In the third and fourth seasons of the Canadian-Irish television series The Tudors , which started on April 12, 2009, he played the role of Lord Thomas Darcy in three episodes in 2009 and 2010.

Wilkinson, on 8 March 2009 to the celebration of the birthday of US Senator Ted Kennedy in Kennedy Center in Washington, DC part. The highlight of the evening was the appearance of US President Barack Obama , who sang Happy Birthday in honor of Ted Kennedy with all the actors on stage . Colm Wilkinson was also asked to appear at the devotion for Ted Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library on August 28, 2009 the night before the Senator's funeral.

On May 24, 2009, Wilkinson performed in front of a large audience at the Memorial Day Concert at the Government House in Washington DC, the concert was broadcast live by PBS in the United States.

credentials

1. ^ Review Allmovie.com, accessed April 3, 2009.
2. ^ Wilkinson, Colm Official Website
3. ↑ Listing amazon.com, accessed April 3, 2009.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Interview broadwayworld.com, December 16, 2004.
5. ↑ Maple Music Artist Biography: Colm Wilkinson . MapleMusic Ltd. 2000-2009. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
6. ↑ ^{a b} LeBlanc, Larry. Wilkinson Returns to Pop / Soul Roots, Allbusiness.com, December 21, 2002.
7. ↑ Colm Wilkinson Online ( Memento of the original from August 15, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ News Release ( Memento of the original from November 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. lesmis.com, circa 1999.  
9. ^ Colm Wilkinson - Biography
10. ↑ Article cdbaby.com, accessed April 3, 2009.
11. ^ Rolling Stone, News, Stage Heroes: Colm Wilkinson: Review
12. ↑ Andrew Gans: Wilkinson's Broadway & Beyond Concert Tour to Begin in October, ( Memento of the original from September 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Playbill.com, June 18, 2007.

Web links

• ColmWilkinson.com
• LesMis.com