Hugh Panaro

Last updated
Hugh Panaro
Hugh Panaro Phamlet.jpg
Hugh Panaro, September 10, 2005, with the Phantom of the Opera mask.
Born (1964-02-19) February 19, 1964 (age 60)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)Actor, Singer
Notable workThe Phantom of the Opera
Height6’0 (1.83)

Hugh Panaro (born February 19, 1964) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work in Broadway stage musicals, most well known for his role in The Phantom of the Opera being in over 2,000 performances in the Broadway production. [1]

Contents

His most recent stage performance was in 2018 as the title role in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street .

Early life

Hugh Panaro was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resided in the East Oak Lane section of the city with his family. As a schoolchild, he attended St. Helena’s parochial school in the adjoining Philadelphia neighborhood of Olney. He played organ for the parish church from age twelve. Panaro graduated from La Salle College High School, in Springfield (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania) in 1982. [2]

Career

Having a love for animals since childhood, he considered becoming a veterinarian, an ambition which was never fulfilled as he fell in love with theater after having seen his first Broadway musical, starring fellow Philadelphian Andrea McArdle, as an adolescent. Hugh appeared in high school productions of Godspell and Pippin, as well as numerous regional and dinner theater productions throughout his teen years; with his first stage role being Friedrich in The Sound of Music. He began performing at the age of 13 and studied voice with Robert Grooters at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University.[ citation needed ]

His pre-Broadway and regional roles include 'Mary Sunshine' in Chicago, and the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar . He made his Broadway debut as Marius in Les Misérables , a role he originated in the first U.S. national touring company. Hugh created the roles of Buddy in Side Show and Julian in Jule Styne's last musical, The Red Shoes . [3] He made his West End debut in the original London company of Harold Prince's Show Boat as Ravenal, the role he played on Broadway and in Toronto. [4]

Panaro in Phantom's make-up. Panaro.jpg
Panaro in Phantom's make-up.

At Avery Fisher Hall, he performed with the Radio City Rockettes in Jerry Herman's Mack and Mabel and also in The Stephen Sondheim Gala, the culmination of the Kennedy Center's "Summer of Sondheim," where Hugh played Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd . In Los Angeles, Hugh played Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along and received an Ovation Award nomination for his performance as Kenneth in Call Me Madam , both for Reprise!. As a concert artist, Hugh has performed with symphony orchestras across the U.S. and abroad and can be heard on numerous recordings. He is one of the few actors to play both the roles of Raoul (1991) and the Phantom (1999) in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera , but after wearing the mask for only a few months, he left to play the title role in the American premiere of Sir Cameron Mackintosh's Martin Guerre . [5] Panaro returned to play the title role at the Majestic Theatre's production of Phantom until October 1, 2005. In late 2005 he created the title role in the Elton John musical, Lestat. At Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, he performed leading roles in two Stephen Sondheim musicals: Bobby in Company, and George in Sunday in the Park with George (the latter a recreation of the Menier Chocolate Factory production, directed by Sam Buntrock). In 1998, he appeared as a Hotel Clerk in one episode of Law & Order. He appeared in the 1997 romantic comedy, Broadway Damage . [6]

He has performed in a number of concerts and benefits, including 'An Evening With Hugh Panaro' at the University of Findlay in Ohio, The Leading Men II at the venerable Birdland Jazz Club, and Broadway For Medicine at City Center. Following his performance in the March 26, 2007, Broadway Musicals of 1938 concert, Hugh invited fans to suggest songs for his first solo album. In the summer of 2007, Hugh was one of four Broadway performers joining Barbra Streisand on her first European concert tour. He starred as Jean Valjean in a new, non-replica production of Les Misérables at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre for which he received the 2008 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Actor In A Musical.

In 2009, he starred in Sunday in the Park with George at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle and appeared as 'Fagin' in Oliver! to rave reviews before hometown audiences at the Walnut Street Theatre, opening November 18, 2009, through January 10, 2010. He was later active as a concert artist appearing with symphonies throughout the United States and Canada.[ citation needed ]

Panaro returned to the title role in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera on September 7, 2010. He replaced John Cudia in the role. [7] [3] This was Panaro's third time playing The Phantom in this production. In January 2013, he performed the role in the Broadway production's 25th anniversary. He took a break from Phantom from April until the end of August 2013. During this time, he reprised the role of Jean Valjean at The Muny in the St. Louis in their production of Les Misérables , alongside Norm Lewis as Javert. [8] Panaro won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award for his portrayal of Valjean. [9] Afterwards, he returned to the Majestic stage on August 26, starring opposite Mary Michael Patterson as Christine Daaé. Panaro's final performance as the Phantom was May 3. His former co-star in Les Miserables, Norm Lewis, succeeded him in the role.

Beginning August 29, he assumed the lead from Norm Lewis in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd at the Barrow Street Theater. [10] He played the role through February 25, 2018. [11] In 2011 he was the announced 'Maxim de Winter' in a later to be cancelled Broadway version of Rebecca . [12]

Stage work

Related Research Articles

<i>Les Misérables</i> (musical) Musical based on Victor Hugos novel of the same name

Les Misérables, colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a sung-through musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and a book by Schönberg and Boublil, based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The original French musical premiered in Paris in 1980 with direction by Robert Hossein. Its English-language adaptation, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, has been running in London since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Mackintosh</span> British theatre and musical producer (born 1946)

Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times. He is the producer of shows including Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, Oliver!, and Hamilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Ball</span> English singer, presenter and actor (born 1962)

Michael Ashley Ball is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of Les Misérables. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything", from the musical Aspects of Love, where he played Alex Dillingham. He played the role in the West End and on Broadway. His album Coming Home To You reached number one in the UK making it his 4th number one album to date. On 24 April 2020, Ball and Captain Tom Moore entered the UK Singles Chart at number one with a cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone", with combined chart sales of 82,000 making it the fastest-selling single of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colm Wilkinson</span> Irish singer and actor (born 1944)

Colm Wilkinson, also known as C. T. Wilkinson, is an Irish singer and actor who is best known for originating the lead role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for creating the title role in The Phantom of the Opera (1985) preview at the Sydmonton Festival and the original Canadian production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Owen-Jones</span> Welsh musical theatre actor and singer

John Owen-Jones is a Welsh musical theatre actor and singer, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.

<i>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</i> 1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1970 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls.

Chuck Wagner is an American actor, director, musical theater historian and teacher. He has had an extensive career in theater, but is perhaps best known for co-starring in the short-lived science fiction TV series Automan (1983–84).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramin Karimloo</span> Canadian actor, singer, composer (born 1978)

Ramin Karimloo is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and New York's Broadway theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Gemignani</span> American actor and musician (born 1979)

Alexander Cesare Gemignani is a Broadway actor, tenor, musician, and conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Jöback</span> Musical artist

Peter Arne Jöback is a Swedish singer, actor and musical artist.

John Cudia is a classical tenor singer and a musical theatre actor who has played many of the biggest roles in musical theatre on Broadway.

Peter Lockyer is an American actor and tenor. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. As a child, he split his time between Toronto and Connecticut, and went to the same high school as the actress Gretchen Mol. Lockyer has appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including Miss Saigon as Chris Scott, Chicago as Billy Flynn, The Phantom of the Opera as Ubaldo Piangi and as a Phantom/Raoul/Andre understudy, Les Misérables as Marius Pontmercy and La Boheme as a Rodolfo understudy on Broadway. He has also appeared in the 25th anniversary US tour of Les Misérables as Jean Valjean. He appeared on TV with Bette Midler in a 1993 adaption of Gypsy.

Jon Robyns is a British stage actor, who is best known for playing Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and is currently playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera in London's West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Boggess</span> American theater actress and singer (born 1982)

Sierra Marjory Boggess is an American theater actress and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Lewis</span> American actor, singer (born 1963)

Norm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway, in the West End, film, television, recordings and regional theatre. He’s also noted for his wide vocal range. Lewis was the second African-American actor after Robert Guillaume to perform in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and the first one to do so in the Broadway production. In 2023, he reprised the role in the show's sequel, Love Never Dies, in London's West End.

Barry James is an English theatre actor and singer.

David Thaxton is a Welsh singer, actor and musical theatre and opera performer. He starred in the Donmar Warehouse's Passion, for which he won the 2011 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Killian Donnelly is an Irish tenor. He has appeared in musicals and plays, such as Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Commitments, Memphis and Kinky Boots.

Glyn Kerslake is a British actor who was born in 1967 in Devon. He trained as an actor at Arts Educational Schools, London. He has had an extensive career spanning more than 30 years playing leading roles in the West End and regional theatres nationwide, and has been a soloist in many orchestral concerts and radio broadcasts.

Bradley Jaden is an English actor. His West End credits include the leading roles of Javert and Enjolras in Les Misérables, Fiyero in Wicked, and Lancelot in Camelot.

References

  1. ↑ Hugh Panaro Now Stars
  2. ↑ "La Salle College High School - Alumni". www.lschs.org. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Hugh Panaro and Sara Jean Ford to Assume Leads in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera". Broadway.com. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "SBreview". xroads.virginia.edu. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  5. ↑ Jones, Chris (4 October 1999). "Martin Guerre". Variety. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  6. ↑ "Broadway Damage". Wolfe On Demand. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  7. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (September 17, 2010). "Hugh Panaro and Sara Jean Ford Will Sing Phantom's High Notes Starting in September". Playbill . Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  8. ↑ Gans, Andrew (May 8, 2013). "Hugh Panaro, Norm Lewis, Michael McCormick Among Principal Cast of St. Louis Muny Les Miserables". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  9. ↑ Newmark, Judith (March 18, 2014). "2014 St. Louis Theater Circle Award winners". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  10. ↑ Clement, Olivia (August 29, 2017). "Hugh Panaro Succeeds Norm Lewis in Off-Broadway's Sweeney Todd". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  11. ↑ "Cast: Hugh Panaro". Sweeney Todd NYC. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  12. ↑ Gans, Andrew (2011). "Reading of Musical Rebecca, With Sierra Boggess, Hugh Panaro, Presented March 18". Playbill. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  13. ↑ Guys and Dolls: In Concert, with Brown, Panaro, Beach, Lawrence, Linden, Presented Oct. 10-12
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.