Crawford, Michael 1942- (Dame Edith Shorthouse)

PERSONAL

Original name, Michael Patrick Dumble-Smith; born January 19, 1942, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England; son of Arthur (a military pilot) and Doris (a homemaker; later surname, O'Keefe) Dumble-Smith; married Gabrielle Lewis (a radio music announcer), 1965 (divorced, 1975); children: Emma, Lucy. Education: Attended schools in Bexley and Dulwich, England.

Addresses:

Agent—Steve Levine, International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067; (voice work and commercials) Tim Curtis, William Morris Agency, 1 William Morris Pl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career:

Actor, singer, and writer. Began career as a boy soprano; sang in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral; as a child made more than 500 television and radio appearances; also performed in radio plays for BBC-Radio, beginning c. 1957; performer on several tours of world cities. Once operated a foam-cushion business. Sick Children's Trust, president, 1987—; also affiliated with Lighthouse Foundation and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Awards, Honors:

Variety Club Award, most promising newcomer, 1965, and Film Award nomination, most promising newcomer to leading film roles, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1966, both for The Knack … and How to Get It; Variety Club Awards, show business personality of the year and Silver Heart Award, 1974, for Billy; Television Award nominations, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, best actor, 1974, and best light entertainment performance, 1975, and TV Times Award, funniest man on television, 1974, all for Some Mothers Do 'Ave "em; Laurence Olivier Award, best actor in a musical, Society of West End Theatre, 1981, and Variety Club Award, show business personality of the year, both for Barnum; Laurence Olivier Award, best actor in a musical, 1986, Drama Desk Award, Antoinette Perry Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award, all best actor in a musical, and Drama League Award, all 1988, and Los Angeles DramaLogue Award, best actor in a leading role, 1989, all for The Phantom of the Opera; decorated officer, Order of the British Empire, 1987; Musical Achievement Award, Drama League of New York, 1988; Grammy Award nominations, best traditional pop vocal performance and best pop performance by a duo (with Barbra Streisand), National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1993, for A Touch of Music in the Night; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding performance in a variety or musical program, 1998, for Michael Crawford in Concert; Variety Club Showbusiness Award, outstanding stage performance, 2004; Laurence Olivier Award, best supporting actor in a musical, 2005, for The Woman in White; certificate and badge, British Amateur Gymnastics Association.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

(West End debut) Buddy, Come Blow Your Horn, Prince of Wales Theatre, 1962.

Second citizen and second serving man, Coriolanus, Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, England, 1963.

Arnold Champion, Travelling Light, Prince of Wales Theatre, 1965.

Tom, The Anniversary, Duke of York's Theatre, London, 1966.

(Broadway debut) Tom, "White Lies," and Brindsley Miller, "Black Comedy," in Black Comedy (double bill), Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1967.

Brian Runnicles, No Sex Please, We're British, Strand Theatre, London, 1971.

Bill Fisher (title role), Billy (musical), Drury Lane Theatre, London, 1974.

George, Same Time, Next Year, Prince of Wales Theatre, 1976.

Charlie Gordon, Flowers for Algernon (musical), Queen's Theatre, London, 1979.

Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum (title role), Barnum (musical), Palladium Theatre, London, 1981-83, then Manchester Opera House, Manchester, England, 1984-85, later Victoria Palace Theatre, London, 1985.

Erik (title role), The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 1986-88, then Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1988-89.

EFX, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, 1995.

My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, City Center Theatre, New York City, 2000.

Daryl Van Horne, The Witches of Eastwick, London production, 2000.

Count von Krolock and (as Dame Edith Shorthouse) Madam von Krolock, Dance of the Vampires (musical), Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 2002-2003.

Count Fosco, The Woman in White (musical), Palace Theatre, London, 2004-2005.

Appearances as child actor include role of Japeth, Noye's Fiddle.

Major Tours:

Sammy the little sweep, Let's Make an Opera, c. 1954.

Erik (title role), The Phantom of the Opera, international cities, beginning 1989.

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, international cities, 1990-92.

Film Appearances:

Peter Toms, Soapbox Derby, Children's Film Foundation, 1958.

Jim Fenn, Blow Your Own Trumpet, Children's Film Foundation, 1958.

Kent, A French Mistress, 1960.

Nils Lindwall, Two Living, One Dead (also known as Tvaa levande och en doed), Emerson, 1961.

Staff Sergeant Junior Sailen, The War Lover, Columbia, 1962.

Alan Crabbe, Two Left Feet, British Lion, 1963.

Colin, The Knack … and How to Get It (also known as The Knack), Lopert, 1965.

Hero, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, United Artists, 1966.

Michael Tremayne, The Jokers, Universal, 1966.

Lieutenant Ernest Goodbody, How I Won the War, United Artists, 1967.

Cornelius Hackl, Hello, Dolly!, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.

Harry Hayes, The Games, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1970.

Harry England, Hello-Goodbye, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1970.

White Rabbit, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, American National, 1972.

Woody Wilkins, Condorman, Buena Vista, 1981.

Voice of Cornelius the badger, Once upon a Forest (animated), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993.

Television Appearances; Series:

Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, 1953.

John Drake, The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake (also known as Sir Francis Drake), ITV, 1961, then ABC, 1962.

Byron and other characters, Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (also known as Not So Much a Programme …), BBC, 1964.

Frank Spencer, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, BBC, 1973-79.

Dave Finn, Chalk and Cheese, 1979.

Dale's All Stars, BBC1, 2000.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Dermot Drage, "The Siege at Killyfaddy," Armchair Theatre, ABC (England), 1960.

Edward, "The Three Barrelled Shotgun," Armchair Theatre, ABC (England), 1966.

"Home Sweet Honeycombe," Theatre 625, BBC, 1968.

Constable, "The Policeman and the Cook," ITV Saturday Night Theatre (also known as ITV Sunday Night Theatre), ITV, 1970.

Himself and Frank Spencer, To Be Perfectly Frank, 1977.

Ferdinand Vanek, "Sorry," Play for Today, BBC1, 1978.

America's Tribute to Bob Hope (also known as America at Its Finest: A Tribute to the Bob Hope Cultural Center), NBC, 1988.

Bob Hope Lampoons Show Business, NBC, 1990.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Story, Arts and Entertainment, 1992.

The Royal Variety Performance 1992, 1992.

David Foster's Christmas Album, NBC, 1993.

New Year's Eve in Vegas, Fox, 1995.

The 1996 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1996.

The Fantastic World of Michael Crawford, Bravo, 1997.

Michael Crawford in Concert, PBS, 1998, broadcast in England as An Evening with Michael Crawford in Concert, 2001.

My Favorite Christmas Songs, PAX, 1998.

The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (also known as TSO: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve), Fox Family Channel, 1999.

Christmas Eve from the Crystal Cathedral, Fox Family Channel, 1999.

"My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs," Great Performances, PBS, 2001.

I Love Christmas, BBC, 2001.

(Uncredited) Frank Spencer (in archive footage), The 100 Greatest TV Characters, Channel 4, 2001.

"30th Anniversary: A Celebration in Song," Great Performances, PBS, 2003.

Himself, It Started with … Swap Shop, BBC, 2006.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum (title role), Barnum!, PBS, 1986.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 42nd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1988.

Presenter, The 44th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1990.

The 45th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1991.

Presenter, The 47th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1993.

Variety Club Showbusiness Awards 2004, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Howard Garland, "The Woman from Kimberley," Dixon of Dock Green, BBC, 1959.

Chris Kelly, "A Lead from Mother Kelly," Dixon of Dock Green, BBC, 1960.

Thief, "Easy Money," Police Surgeon, ITV, 1960.

Tony Hudson, "The Villa," Alcoa Presents (also known as Alcoa Presents and One Step Beyond), ABC, 1961.

Alan Murray, "Destiny Sixty-Three," Suspense, BBC, 1963.

BBC 3, BBC, 1966.

A Whole Scene Going, 1966.

Guest, "Alice in Wonderland," Film Night, 1972.

Parkinson, BBC, 1976, 1999, 2001.

The film director, "A Touch of Class," To the Manor Born, PBS, 1979.

The South Bank Show, 1997.

Bar patron, Coronation Street (also known as Corrie), ITV, 1998.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1998.

Richard & Judy, Channel 4, 2004.

Broadway Beat, 2006.

(Uncredited) Frank Spencer (in archive footage), "Bread," Comedy Connections, BBC, 2007.

Television Appearances; Other:

Also appeared in Byron; Destiny; Move after Checkmate; and Still Life.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (cast recording), United Artists, 1966.

Hello, Dolly! (cast recording), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.

Billy (original cast recording), CBS, 1974.

Flowers for Algernon (original cast recording), 1980.

Barnum (cast recording), 1981.

The Phantom of the Opera (cast recording), 1986.

Highlights from Phantom of the Opera, 1986.

Michael Crawford: Songs from the Stage and Screen, Columbia, 1988.

(Contributor) The Premiere Collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1988.

Michael Crawford: With Love, 1989.

Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1991.

(Contributor) Barry Manilow: Showstoppers, 1991.

(Contributor) The Premiere Collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber Encore, 1992.

(Contributor) A Christmas Spectacular of Carols and Songs, 1992.

With Love/The Phantom Unmasked, 1992.

A Touch of Music in the Night, 1993.

(Contributor) Barbra Streisand: Back to Broadway, 1993.

(Contributor) David Foster's Christmas Album, 1993.

Once Upon a Forest (cast recording), 1993.

(Contributor) London Symphony Orchestra Performs the Music of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1994.

Favorite Love Songs, 1994.

EFX, 1995.

(Contributor) The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1996.

On Eagle's Wings, 1998.

Michael Crawford: In Concert, 1998.

(Contributor) Ultimate Broadway, 1998.

Michael Crawford: A Christmas Album, 1999.

(Contributor) Sarah Brightman: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, 1999.

(Contributor) Millennium Chorus, 2000.

(Contributor) Child of the Promise, 2000.

Michael Crawford: The Disney Album, Walt Disney, 2001.

The Best of Michael Crawford, EMI, 2002.

The Woman in White (original London cast recording), 2004.

The Very Best of Michael Crawford, 2005.

Other albums include original soundtrack recordings of Alice in Wonderland.

Videos:

Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Premiere Collection Encore, 1992.

Michael Crawford: In Concert, 1998.

Audio Books:

Reader for the abridged audio-book version of his autobiography Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied with String.

WRITINGS

Books:

Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied with String (autobiography), Century Books, 1999.

ADAPTATIONS

Several 1978 episodes of the series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em were based on stories by Crawford.

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Musicians, Volume 4, Gale, 1991.

Crawford, Michael, Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied with String, Century Books, 1999.

Newsmakers 1994, Issue 4, Gale, 1994.

Periodicals:

Chicago Tribune, August 21, 1988.

Hollywood Reporter, July 28, 1989, pp. 8-9.

Interview, February, 1988, p. 104.

New York, April 18, 1988, p. 51.

New York Times, February 1, 1988.

People Weekly, March 14, 1988, p. 95.

Playbill, November 30, 2002, p. 16.