Steve Barton

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Steve Barton ( Steven Neal Barton ; born June 26, 1954 in Hot Springs , Arkansas , USA ; † July 21, 2001 in Bremen , Germany ) was an American actor , singer , dancer , musical artist , choreographer , director and teacher .

Life

Steven Neal Barton was in Hot Springs ( Arkansas born), the youngest of three children of his parents, Tom and Mary Barton. He grew up in Nederland , Texas . He later received a triple scholarship from the University of Texas at Austin , where he studied acting , dance and singing . During this time he appeared in over 30 university productions and with the Austin Ballet . After graduating from university, he went to Europe . Steve Barton got his first job in St. Gallen , Switzerland and then played at leading theaters in Switzerland, Germany and Austria , mainly in leading roles in world premieres.

Steve Barton starred in West Side Story , Godspell , Romeo and Juliet , The Fantasticks , The Threepenny Opera , Oklahoma! , Jesus Christ Superstar , Evita , Guys and Dolls and Camelot , before he took on the role of Munkustrap ( Dance Capitan ) in Austria, in the original Viennese cast of Cats , at Theater an der Wien .

At the Theater des Westens in Berlin he played roles in Guys and Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar (as Jesus ) and La cage aux folles (as Jean Michel and Albin / Zaza ) as well as the role of Robert in Company . The choreographer Gillian Lynne brought Steve Barton from Berlin to London and recommended him for Andrew Lloyd Webber's world premiere of The Phantom of the Opera . In this musical he created the role of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny and alternated with Michael Crawford in the role of the phantom .

Steve Barton came in 1996 - after a period of more than twelve years - to Vienna, to the Raimund Theater , the main role of the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast by Ethan Freeman to take over. Then he created, also at the Raimundtheater, the leading role of Graf von Krolock in the world premiere of Jim Steinman's German-language musical Tanz der Vampire . This role earned him the IMAGE (International Music Award, Germany) award in 1998 . In 1997, Steve Barton was also able to celebrate his 30th stage anniversary in the role of Graf von Krolock . He played Graf von Krolock from October 4, 1997 to January 17, 1999. Dance of the Vampires was also the last musical in which Steve Barton was on stage. Barton was then supposed to appear on stage in Berlin as Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but had to cancel this role because of his knee problems. From June 2001 he should play the role of Dr. in the musical Jekyll & Hyde in the Musical Theater Bremen. Jekyll / Mr. Embody Hyde , but got out of the contract before its premiere due to recent health reasons.

Barton had been married to the dancer and choreographer Denny Berry since 1978, whom he had met while studying. The couple has a son who was born in Vienna in 1984. Steve Barton and Denny Berry owned a foundation at the University of Texas that was named after them. Steve Barton was also an Honorary Chairman for the Steadman / Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation and an Honorary Board Member for Education at the University of Texas at Austin.

Steve Barton died of heart failure on July 21, 2001 at the age of 47 . His ashes were buried in his home in Texas in August 2001.

Productions

Broadway

  • 1988 to 1990: The Phantom of the Opera, Original Cast, as Raoul and as Phantom (from March to October 1990)
  • 1993: The Red Shoes , as Boris Lermontov

Off-Broadway

Regional

also still regional: Goodspeed Opera House , CT , Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd as Sweeney Todd , January / February 1996 in Pittsburgh , 1996 Mirette , as Bellini in Chester , Connecticut, and Nick Cameron , alias the Count of Luxembourg in LET'S DO IT! , a new AR Gurney show with music and lyrics by Cole Porter , performed as a workshop at the Long Wharf Theater , New Haven , CT in April and May 1996.

Television (guest roles)

Discography

  • 1983: Cats (Original Wien Cast, as Munkustrap )
  • 1985: Masterpieces (two duets with Angelika Milster )
  • 1987: Highlights from The Phantom of the Opera (Original London Cast, as Raoul )
  • 1987: Complete recording of The Phantom of the Opera (Original London Cast, as Raoul )
  • 1988: Show Boat, (as Steve Baker )
  • 1991: Cole Porter Centennial Gala Concert
  • 1995: Living Water (with Mother Teresa and with Brian Sutherland )
  • 1998: Anastasia - The Musical (as Prince Paul )
  • 1998: Highlights from Tanz der Vampire (Original Wien Cast, as Graf von Krolock )
  • 1998: Complete recording of Tanz der Vampire (Original Vienna Cast, as Graf von Krolock )
  • 2009: Only For A While (contains 14 songs not previously released on phonograms)
  • 2010: ENCORE - The Private Collection (includes 22 digitally revised songs that have not been released on recordings before, as well as bonus material) - official release date: May 10, 2010

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Photo of the grave slab on findagrave.com; accessed on April 16, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Barton, Steve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Barton, Steven Neal
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer
DATE OF BIRTH June 26, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Hot springs
DATE OF DEATH July 21, 2001
Place of death Bremen