| Howard McGillin | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 5, 1953 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, vocalist |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Partner | Richard Samson |
Howard McGillin (born November 5, 1953, Los Angeles, California) is a Tony-nominated stage, screen and television actor, perhaps best-known for being the world's longest running Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.
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A graduate of Dos Pueblos High School and University of California, Santa Barbara, McGillin began his career on television, working as a contract player for Universal Studios. In the early 1980s he moved to New York with the intention of pursuing a career on Broadway. He was quickly cast as one of the male leads in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of La Boheme, which starred Linda Ronstadt.
Other featured and leading roles on Broadway soon followed. Often considered a "tall, dark and handsome" leading man, McGillin originated the role of John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Imperial Theatre; for his performance he was nominated for a 1986 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He earned a second Tony nomination in 1988 for his portrayal of Billy Crocker in the Broadway revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. McGillin starred in the award-winning West End revival of Mack & Mabel and sings on the cast album recording.
McGillin originated a leading role in the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim's 2003 musical Bounce and was featured in the Encores! production of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. He has performed in many concerts in the United States and abroad, including a production of Sondheim's Follies that was released on DVD.
McGillin has continued to perform in television and film as a voice-over artist. His is the singing voice of Gregory in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, has narrated many books on tape, and programs/commercials on television (including the PBS series Nature.) McGillin also was the voice of Prince Derek in the film The Swan Princess. McGillin has released one solo CD, Where Time Stands Still. He has contributed to numerous cast recordings, including those of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, Kiss of the Spider Woman (second cast recording) and Bounce. McGillin holds the record for the most performances by an actor in the title role of the musical The Phantom of the Opera (official title: "World's Longest Running Phantom") and was part of the musical when it became the longest-running production in Broadway history on January 9, 2006, and its twenty-first anniversary on January 26, 2009. McGillin played his last performance in the role on July 25, 2009, marking his 2,544th show.
McGillin starred as Sir Francis Chesney in the New York City Center Encores! production of Where's Charley? from March 17–20, 2011.[1]
McGillin has been cast as Frank Crawley in the upcoming Broadway musical "Rebecca," which will start previews at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 27, 2012, and open officially on April 22, 2012.