Ben Crawford (singer)

American singer and actor

Ben Crawford

Born| May 22, 1982 (age 41)

Tucson, AZ

Occupation(s)| Singer, actor
Known for| The Phantom of the Opera
Partner(s)| Kate Crawford (divorced)
Kelsey Connolly
Children| 2
Website| https://www.ben-crawford.com/

Ben Crawford (born May 22, 1982) is an American singer and stage actor from Tucson, Arizona. He played the lead role of The Phantom in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera for five years.

He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in Les Misérables as the understudy for Jean Valjean and Javert. His first lead role on Broadway was the title role in Shrek the Musical.

## Early life[edit]

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Crawford received a BFA in Music Theatre from the University of Arizona.

## Personal life[edit]

On June 22, 2022 he announced his engagement via Instagram to former-Phantom costar, Kelsey Connolly.[1]

## The Phantom of the Opera[edit]

Crawford made his debut performance in The Phantom of the Opera on April 16, 2018, following the tenure of Peter Joback.[2] After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crawford returned to the role in October 2021 and was set to be the final Phantom when the show closed after a record 35 year run on Broadway.[3] However, he was forced out of the show on April 1, 2023 due to sickness. He was covered the last fifteen days by Jeremy Stolle, Ted Keegan, and Laird Mackintosh.[4]

He has no relation to the originator of the role, Michael Crawford.

## Stage credits[edit]

Show  | Role(s)  | Year(s)  | Production

|
|
|

Oliver! | Bill Sikes | 2006  | The Muny
Les Misérables | Courfeyrac / Factory Foreman / Brujon / Champmathieu

u/s Jean Valjean
u/s Inspector Javert

| 2007-08  | Broadway
Oklahoma! | Jud Fry  | 2008  | Regional
Shrek the Musical | s/b Shrek | Regional Tryout
Broadway
s/b Shrek
u/s Lord Farquaad | 2009  | Broadway
Shrek | 2009-10
Titanic | Frederick Barrett | 2010  | The Muny
Footloose | Chuck Cranston
Guys and Dolls | Sky Masterson  | 2011  | US Tour
Next to Normal | Dr. Fine / Dr. Madden  | Regional
Merrily We Roll Along | Ensemble  | 2012  | Encores!
South Pacific | Luther Billis  | Regional
Big Fish | Don Price  | 2013  | Regional Tryout
Broadway
On the 20th Century | Ensemble
u/s Bruce Granit
u/s Max Jacobs  | 2015  | Broadway
110 in the Shade | Bill Starbuck  | 2016  | Regional
Evita | Che
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Mr. Salt  | 2018  | Broadway
The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera | 2018-23
Beauty and the Beast | The Beast | 2023  | The Muny

## References[edit]

1. ^ Hall, Margaret (June 22, 2022). "Ben Crawford and Kelsey Connolly Announce Engagement".
2. ^ Gans, Andrew (April 16, 2018). "Ben Crawford Is Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera Starting April 16". Playbill.
3. ^ Paulson, Michael (2022-09-16). "'Phantom of the Opera,' Broadway's Longest-Running Show, to Close". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
4. ^ Laird Mackintosh Will Play Phantom of the Opera's Final Broadway Performance; Principal Ben Crawford Sidelined

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