Dave Willetts

b. 24 June 1952, Birmingham, Western world Midlands, Britain. A vocalist and actor, using a popularity as ‘one of the greatest performing voices in city’, Willetts appeared to emerge from nowhere within the 80s to dominate leading assignments in two blockbusting Western world End musicals. He previously no singing, dance or performing lessons, and before he was 20, seldom visited the theatre. Nevertheless, while working throughout the day as an excellent control supervisor for the Midlands company of designers, he became involved with regional amateur dramatics. His delicate functionality as Charlie within the Charles Strouse musical Blooms For Algernon, found the see of Bob Hamlyn, creative director from the Belgrade Theater, Coventry. Hamlyn cast him in his initial professional component, as ‘the third flunky through the remaining’, in another Strouse display, Annie. Right now in his thirties, Willetts started his incredible popularity. Movie director Trevor Nunn place him in to the chorus of Les Misérables at London’s Palace Theater, and inside a yr he was understudy for the business lead part of Jean Valjean, which he ultimately got over in 1986 after Colm Wilkinson remaining to become listed on the Broadway creation. In the next yr, when Michael Crawford also departed Britain for the united states premiere from the Phantom Of Opera, Willetts been successful him at Her Majesty’s in the Western End’s hottest solution. He subsequently performed the Phantom in Manchester, and earned the Evening Information Theater Award. Since that time, aside from his participation as Main Lee in Petula Clark’s ill-fated American Civil Battle musical, Someone AS IF YOU (1990), Willetts’ profession has prospered. Shows have included looks at London’s leading cabaret space, Pizza WITHIN THE Recreation area (1991), a go back to the London creation of Les Misérables (1992), as well as the name part of Jesus inside a concert edition of Jesus Christ Superstar in the Barbican Center and the next 1993 Western tour; he also co-starred with Lorna Luft within the touring concert staging from the Magical Globe Of The Musicals (1995), and got the leading part within an acclaimed Leicester Haymarket creation of Sweeney Todd (1996). Within the same yr, Willetts developed the name role in a fresh musical by Tony Rees and Gary Adolescent, Jekyll, in the Churchill Theater, Bromley. Willetts originated leading heroes in the united kingdom premieres of Tycoon and Unhappy Hearts, and in addition has starred in his personal UK and worldwide concerts and one-man displays. In 1997, he and Bonnie Langford going a small solid at London’s Jermyn Theater, in A WHOLE LOT Of Living!, a romantic revue offering the tracks of Charles Strouse. Subsequently, he portrayed Jean Valjean once more, within the 10th Wedding anniversary creation of Les Misérables in Sydney, Australia. Early in 1999, Willetts was co-starred with Marti Webb inside a UK tour from the Magic FROM THE Musicals In Concert.