Colm Wilkinson (born 5 June 1944), also known as C. T. Wilkinson, is an Irish

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

and actor who is best known for originating the lead role of

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' (in the West End and Broadway) and for taking the title role in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' at the

Sydmonton Festival The Sydmonton Festival is a summer arts festival presented in a deconsecrated 16th century chapel on the grounds of Sydmonton Court, the country estate of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is in Hampshire, located approximately 85 kilometres southwest of Lo ...

and the original Canadian production. Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of

during the ''Les Misérables'' 10th Anniversary Concert (at

The Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

), as well as appearing as a special guest at both the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of ''Les Misérables'' (at the

O2 arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decem ...

) and ''

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall ''The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall'' is a 2011 British concert film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'', which in turn was based on the 1910 French novel ''Le Fantôme de l'Opéra'' by G ...

''. His versions of both "

The Music of the Night "The Music of the Night" (also labelled as just "Music of the Night") is a major song from the 1986 musical ''The Phantom of the Opera''. The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Initially made ...

" from ''Phantom'' and " Bring Him Home" from ''Les Misérables'' are acclaimed throughout the world; fans "insist he perform them...at all his concerts."

Early life

Born in

Drimnagh Drimnagh () is a suburb in Dublin, Ireland to the south of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordered by the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12. History Early to mediaeval Drimna ...

, in 1944, in the downstairs room of his parents' house, Colm was one of ten children. He recalls a home that resonated with singing, poetry, and musical instruments. Both of his parents were skilled musicians. His mother, a native of

Crossmolina Crossmolina is a town in the Barony of Tyrawley in County Mayo, Ireland, as well as the name of the parish in which Crossmolina is situated. The town sits on the River Deel near the northern shore of Lough Conn. Crossmolina is about west o ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

, was a singer, and was involved in amateur dramatics, while the banjo and mandolin formed part of his father's extensive repertoire. Colm worked with his father, who was an asphalt contractor, and was playing in bands part-time. At just 16 years of age, he went to the US on a tour, and soon after quit the family business to become a full-time professional musician.

Life and career

After playing in several Irish bands which included The Action, (not to be confused with an English band of the same name), in 1972 Wilkinson was cast as

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

in the Dublin production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's '' Jesus Christ Superstar''; he went on to reprise the role in London and on the British national tour. In 1976, Wilkinson sang the part of Che on the album for the musical ''

Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron * Evita (album), ''E ...

''. Instead of auditioning for the role when the production was launched in London, Wilkinson launched a solo career as a singer-songwriter. Wilkinson also featured as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in the original ''

Jekyll and Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

'' concept album. By 1977, Wilkinson released his own

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

album, in his childhood home in Ireland, where he was known as "C.T. Wilkinson". The album charted in the Irish Charts for eight weeks at Number 1. After his successful solo LP, Wilkinson began to prepare actively for vocal competitions. This led to his eventual representation of Ireland in the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

in 1978 with " Born to Sing", earning fifth place in the European competition for his efforts.LeBlanc, Larr
"Wilkinson Returns To Pop/soul Roots"
Allbusiness.com, 21 December 2002 Colm starred in ''Voices'', a musical based on the life and times of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

, which went on stage at the Olympia Dublin in 1984. The show's music and lyrics were written by Derry-based composer, Tommy "TC" Doherty, with the single 'Child of Destiny' being released at the time and now available on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. In 1985, he collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber once again, originating the role of

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

in ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' at the Sydmonton workshop. Wilkinson was offered the role for the show's debut on the West End, but instead chose to play

in ''

''. The London production of ''

'' opened in October 1985, and transferred to Broadway in March 1987. Originally, the American

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

refused to allow Wilkinson to play the part of Valjean in New York, due to its strict policy of hiring only American actors unless an actor outside America was an international star. At this, producer

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) 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 "th ...

refused to open the show unless Wilkinson played Valjean, and Actors' Equity relented. Wilkinson took the lead role despite the temporary setback. He won the

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre, Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945� ...

for his performance; he was nominated for the

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 ...

and

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Best Actor in a Musical. In 1989, Wilkinson relocated his family to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada, when he was offered the title role in the original Toronto production of ''

'' playing at the Pantages Theatre (now

Ed Mirvish Theatre The Ed Mirvish Theatre, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, is a historic film and play theatre in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was initially known as the Pantages Theatre, then becam ...

). He has lived in Toronto ever since, and became a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

citizen in the early 2000s. From August 1998 through January 1999, Wilkinson played Valjean once again, this time in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Not long afterwards, he returned to the role of Valjean in Dublin, Ireland at the Point Theatre between February, 1999 and May, 1999. From June, 2002 to July, 2002 he again reprised the role in Shanghai at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. In 1995, Wilkinson played

in the 10th Anniversary Concert of ''

'' at the Royal Albert Hall. In October–November 2007, Wilkinson undertook a cross-Canada concert tour, ''Broadway and Beyond'', along with Susan Gilmour and Gretha Boston. Wilkinson plays the part of Lord Darcy in the third season showing of Showtime's miniseries ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' which began airing on 12 April 2009. He participated in

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...

's birthday celebration at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, D.C. on 8 March 2009. The highlight of the evening was when

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

arrived on the stage and together with all the performers sang "Happy Birthday" to Ted Kennedy. Wilkinson also was asked to perform at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at the Memorial Service for Senator Kennedy on 28 August 2009, the evening before the Senator's funeral. On 24 May 2009 Wilkinson performed in the

National Memorial Day Concert ''The National Memorial Day Concert'' is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in commemoration of Memorial Day from 1989-2019 and in 2022. In 2020 and 2021, the concert was ...

at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., in front of a large audience and screened live across America on PBS. A solo album was released in January 2010 titled ''Broadway and Beyond: The Concert Songs''. It covers all of the songs that Wilkinson performed on his cross-Canada tour in 2007. His previous album was released in 2002, titled "Some of My Best Friends Are Songs". In it, he and his son Aaron cover the Cat Stevens song, "

Father and Son Father and Son or Fathers and Sons may refer to: Literature * ''Father and Son'' (book), a 1907 memoir by Edmund Gosse *Father and Son (comics), cartoon characters created by E. O. Plauen * ''Fathers and Sons'' (novel), an 1862 novel by Ivan Tur ...

", as a duet. The album is a mix of show tunes, Wilkinson's personal favorites, and several songs from his stage productions. His support of

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and listener-supported television in North America, following his participation in the tenth anniversary of the production of ''Les Misérables'', brought him an hour-long program on which he performed songs including some selections from the album and a rendition of "Gethsemane", from ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', a song that he admitted having hoped to perform for 23 years. His supporting television broadcast, ''Stage Heroes: Colm Wilkinson'', aired on the heels of ''Les Misérables'', brought positive reviews from fans and critic. On 3 October 2010, Wilkinson was a special guest at the 25th Anniversary Concerts of

, at the

O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decem ...

, alongside many other original cast members. He performed as part of a "Valjean Quartet"; alongside Alfie Boe,

John Owen-Jones John Owen-Jones (born 5 May 1971) 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 of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''The ...

and

Simon Bowman Simon Bowman (born 16 February 1961) is a British actor and singer, born in Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for originating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of ''Miss Sa ...

(each of whom had previously played the role of

in various productions of ''Les Misérables''). This was recorded as a single (released in the U.K.) and performed live 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 a ...

; during the Royal Variety Performance on 16 December 2010. A year later, on 1 and 2 October 2011, he appeared – alongside a number of former Phantoms – at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of

, at

. He is a Founding Artist of Theatre 20, a musical theatre company in Toronto formed by artists in 2009, and performed in Theatre 20's 2011 Concert Series at the Panasonic Theatre. Other Founding Artists include Susan Gilmour,

Louise Pitre Louise Pitre (born January 1, 1957) is a Canadian actress in musical theatre. She performs on Broadway and in Canada. She is best known for her role as Donna Sheridan in the ABBA-themed musical '' Mamma Mia!'', which earned her a 2002 Tony Award ...

, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Tamara Bernier Evans and Adam Brazier. Wilkinson appeared as the

Bishop of Digne The Diocese of Digne (Latin: ''Dioecesis Diniensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Digne'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in the 4th century as the Diocese of Digne, the diocese has bee ...

in the 2012 film production of ''

''. He reprised this role in a performance of the musical in Toronto in January 2014. Wilkinson was voted one of the five greatest singers ever in a ''

Rolling Stone Magazine ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cove ...

'' readers' poll and is noted for maintaining a powerful singing voice into his late 60s. He has attributed his longevity to avoiding coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, and dairy products, as well as ensuring proper sleep, diet, and exercise. He is also noted as being rather soft-spoken in order to refrain from overworking his voice.

Personal life

In 1970, Colm married Deirdre, whom he describes as a source of constant and essential support over the past four decades. They started their life as a married couple in Bray in 1970, and went on to have four children – Aaron, Judith, Sarah, and Simon. They have a home in

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has a ...

, yet now live mainly in Canada. The family moved to

in 1989 when Colm began a four-and-a-half-year run at the Pantages Theatre as the title character of ''

'', originating the role in Canada. Of their children, Judith is now a curator, Simon and Sarah are graphic designers and Aaron is a singer/songwriter. Early in his music career, Wilkinson insisted that his wife and children accompany him on tour to avoid familial separation.

Discography

Solo albums * ''Colm C.T. Wilkinson'' (1977) * ''Stage Heroes'' (1989) * ''Some Of My Best Friends Are Songs'' (2002) * ''Broadway and Beyond: The Concert Songs'' (2010) Cast albums * ''

'' (1976) * '' Les Miserables'' (1985 London Cast) * ''Les Misérables'' (1987 Broadway Cast) * ''Highlights From Jekyll and Hyde'' (1990) * ''

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' (1990 Canadian Cast)

Filmography

Honours

* He was awarded the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage by the

Philosophical Society The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

in 2018.

Honorary degrees

;Honorary degrees

References

External links

* * *
LesMis.com

Theatre 20 Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Colm 1944 births Living people Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Ireland Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1978 Irish expatriates in Canada Irish male musical theatre actors Irish tenors Musicians from County Dublin People from County Dublin RSO Records artists Musicians from Toronto Irish guitarists Irish male guitarists Irish male singers Canadian tenors Canadian male musical theatre actors Canadian guitarists