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Chris Barton (born 21 March 1987 in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England) is an English actor and singer who appeared in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
talent show ''
Any Dream Will Do'' and went on to appear in musical theatre productions in the
West End and across the UK.
Early career
Barton trained at
The Hammond School
The Hammond is a specialist performing arts offering training and education to students across school, college and degree courses.
History
In 1917, Irene Hammond, a dance teacher and performer from Cheltenham, moved to Chester where she began ...
in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, a specialist dance school where he was given a scholarship to attend for five years. It was full-time and he also boarded at the school. He trained in ballet,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
tap,
contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...
, singing and drama. Barton furthered his training at the Liverpool Theatre School, from which he graduated in 2007, gaining a
National Diploma in musical theatre.
''Any Dream Will Do''
In Barton's third year of college, in 2007, he successfully auditioned for the BBC reality television talent show ''
Any Dream Will Do'', where he worked closely with
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
. The show was hosted by
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comedy ...
and was the second West End talent show to be produced by the BBC and Lloyd Webber. Barton was selected from thousands of auditionees and was invited to attend "Joseph School" where, after surviving further auditions and elimination rounds, he reached the final 12, singing live on television every Saturday night. One of the judges,
Denise Van Outen, commented at Barton's early audition, that when he performed, the "hairs on her arms stood on end". Another judge,
Zoe Tyler's, reaction to his audition was "Wow!".
Studio performances
Week 1 – "
Walking in Memphis
"Walking in Memphis" is a song composed and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, for whom it remains his signature song. It received a Song of the Year nomination at the 34th Grammy Awards in 1992, the same year that the ...
" (
Marc Cohn
Marc Craig Cohn (; born July 5, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for the song "Walking in Memphis" from his eponymous 1991 album, which was a Top 40 h ...
)
Week 2 – "
I'll Be There" (
Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
)
Week 3 – "
Tell Her About It
"Tell Her About It" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel released as a single from his album ''An Innocent Man'' (1983). The song hit the number one spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for one week on September 24, 1983, replacing "M ...
" (
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
)
Week 4 – "
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long (All Night)" is a hit single by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, ''Can't Slow Down'' (1983), it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This ...
" (
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
)
Barton was the fifth to leave the competition and was offered the role of Benjamin in
Bill Kenwright
William Kenwright, CBE (born 4 September 1945) is an English West End theatre producer and film producer. He has also been the chairman of Everton Football Club since 2004.
Kenwright was born in Liverpool and attended Booker Avenue County Prima ...
's touring production of ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...
''. He played Joseph at certain performances and narrator. Barton recorded an album with other ''Joseph'' friends called ''Dream On'', following which they performed a concert at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
.
Further career
Barton went on to play the older Benny in ''Our Benny'', a rags to riches musical set in Liverpool. He then took part in his first West End show, ''
Spring Awakening'', a musical that won eight
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
s on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
and won "Best New Musical" in London at the
Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
. Barton, as Swing in ''Spring Awakening'', had the opportunity to play most roles within the show during his time in the production, including the lead role of Melchior Gabor. After seven months in ''Spring Awakening'', he moved on to a role in the hit West End musical, ''
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:
* Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind
* ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters
** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album
** ''Hairspray ...
'', where he played Sketch, leaving in March 2010.
''The Sound of Music''
In summer 2010, Barton played Rolf in the UK touring production of ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' starring alongside
Connie Fisher
Connie Fisher (born 17 June 1983) is a British actress, singer and TV presenter, who won the BBC One talent contest, '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''
On 15 November 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp ...
who won the BBC Talent show in the year before ''
Any Dream Will Do'' – ''
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria''. Barton continued in the 2011 tour of the show alongside
Verity Rushworth
Verity Charlotte Rushworth (born 15 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Donna Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1998 to 2009, with a guest appearance in 2014. She has played many theatre rol ...
and
Jason Donovan
Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 mi ...
until the summer that year.
''Coronation Street- Street of Dreams''
After 18 months as Rolf in ''The Sound of Music'', Barton joined the
Paul O'Grady
Paul James O'Grady Order of the British Empire, MBE Deputy Lieutenant, DL (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his d ...
in the original cast of ''
Street of Dreams'', a musical based on the TV soap ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
'', at the
Manchester Arena
Manchester Arena, currently referred to as the AO Arena for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the Manchester city centre, city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights s ...
.
Other work
Barton has recently studied TV and film acting at
Manchester School of Acting
The Manchester School of Acting is a drama school that provides training in film, television and theatre and operates in the Deansgate area of Manchester, United Kingdom established in 2000.
History
Manchester School of Acting was founded by th ...
with the acting coach Mark Hudson. Barton has appeared in many television programs since, such as, ''
Hollyoaks
''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...
'', ''Coronation Street'', ''
Emmerdale
''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...
'' and ''
From Here to There''. He appeared in Channel 4's drama ''
Cucumber
Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables. '' as an assistant to the actress
Tupele Dorgu
Tupele Dorgu (born 13 December 1977 in Preston, Lancashire) is an English actress and voice over artist. She is best known for playing the role of Kelly Crabtree in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' from 2004 to 2010.
Education
Dorgu ...
. He has also appeared in television commercials for leading brands, such as
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
, Injury Lawyers For You and
Co-operative Food
Co-op Food is a brand used for the food retail business of The Co-operative Group in the United Kingdom.
Prior to reintroducing the brand in 2016, the group used " The Co-operative" branding, which is still used by a number of consumers' co ...
.
Barton was in the UK premiere of ''It's Only Life'', a contemporary musical written by
John Bucchino
John Bucchino (born 1952) is an American songwriter of both lyrics and music, an accompanist, a cabaret performer, and a teacher. He has been called "super-talented". Stephen Schwartz said his songs have "insightful lyrics and gorgeous melodies", ...
, performed at the
Brighton Fringe
Brighton Fringe is an open-access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world. The programme of 2018 included 1008 events at over 166 ve ...
in May 2015.
Barton filmed a pilot for a major television broadcaster and was cast in the long running musical ''
Starlight Express
''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope of ...
'' (written by Andrew Lloyd Webber) and was due to start rehearsals in February 2016.
In 2022, Barton joined the cast of Dreamcoat Stars, which is currently touring the UK as of 2023. The production features several performers who have played the role of Joseph, including
Keith Jack
Keith Jack (born 2 March 1988) is a British actor and singer. He was the runner-up on the BBC reality talent show ''Any Dream Will Do (TV series), Any Dream Will Do'', which offered the chance to be the next West End theatre, West End Joseph fo ...
, the runner-up of Any Dream Will Do.
References
External links
Chris Barton's official websiteThe Sound of Music UK tour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, Chris
1987 births
Living people
Male actors from Liverpool
English male musical theatre actors