David Benoit (born 1966) is an American actor and singer most known for being a replacement in the original

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 ...

run of '' Les Miserables''. His most recent Broadway credit is playing the Bishop and Spider in the Broadway revival of ''

Jekyll & 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 ...

''.

Early life and education

Benoit, who accepts both the Americanized (pronounced "Benoyt") and French (pronounced "Benois") pronunciations of his name, was born in

Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and lived on Raymond Street for four years before moving to nearby

Somerset, Massachusetts Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,303 at the 2020 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland (1883–1924), the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel ...

with his father, a bus driver, his mother, two sisters and a brother. He graduated from

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded ...

in 1988 with a degree in musical theatre and moved to New York City. He also had 8 years of

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

playing and is somewhat of an amateur puppet maker, having made his own puppets while in ''Forbidden Broadway''.

Acting career

After moving to New York in the summer of 1992, he worked on Broadway and touring companies of shows such as ''

Forbidden Broadway ''Forbidden Broadway'' is an Off-Broadway revue parodying musical theatre, particularly Broadway musicals. It was conceived, written and directed by Gerard Alessandrini. The original version of the revue opened on January 15, 1982, at Palsson's S ...

'', ''

Forever Plaid ''Forever Plaid'' is an Off-Broadway musical revue written by Stuart Ross, and first performed in New York in 1989 and now performed internationally. Overview The show is a revue of the close-harmony "guy groups" (''e.g.'' The Four Aces, The ...

'', '' Dance of the Vampires'', ''

All Shook Up "All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the ''Bil ...

'', ''

Avenue Q ''Avenue Q'' is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. It won Best Musical, Book, and Score at the 2004 Tony Awards. The show's format is a parody of PBS' ...

'', '' Les Miserables'', ''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor F ...

'', ''

'' and ''

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 ...

''. He also performed in the Actor's Fund concert of ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,Gro ...

''.

Stage credits

Broadway

* ''

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 original ...

'' (1997-2002) --
The Bishop of Digne/Montparnasse/Diner
Understudy Javert & Thenardier
(Replacement) * '' Dance of the Vampires'' (2002) -- as Villager, Vampire and Creature of the Night * ''

'' (2007) -- as Bear/Nicky/Trekkie Monster (Replacement) * ''

'' (2013) -- as Bishop of Basingstoke, Spider

Off-Broadway

* ''

''—as Sparky (Replacement) * ''Forbidden Broadway 1992'' (1992) -- Replacement * ''The Big Bang'' (2000) -- as Jed (Understudy) * ''Forbidden Broadway Summer Shock!'' (2004)

Regional/ National Tours

* '' The Nerd'' (1989) -- as Rick Steadman (

Merrimack Repertory Theatre Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) is a non-profit professional theatre located in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. Known for its productions of contemporary work and world premieres, the company presents a September - May season of seven plays at the N ...

) * '' 1940's Radio Hour'' (1989) (musical) --as Neal Tilden (

Worcester Foothills Theatre The Worcester Foothills Theatre was a professional theater company and venue in Worcester, Massachusetts that performed a variety of plays, Musicals, and Musical Reviews. History The Worcester Foothills Theatre, was founded in 1974 by Marc and S ...

) * '' 1940's Radio Hour'' (musical) (1989) --as Clifton Feddington ( Chisiwick Park Theatre) * ''Tomfoolery'' (musical) (1989) (

) * '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical) (1989) --as Orin Scrivello and others ( Nickerson Theatre) * ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

'' (musical) (1990) --as King Herod ( American Stage Festival) * ''Forbidden Broadway'' (musical) (1990–91) (

Boston Park Plaza The Boston Park Plaza is a historic hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, opened on March 10, 1927. It was built by hotelier E.M. Statler as part of his Statler Hotels chain. A prototype of the grand American hotel, it was called a "c ...

) * ''Forever Plaid '' (musical) --as Sparky (1992) (

) * ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specifica ...

'' (musical) 1993—as Pseudolus (Merrimack Repertory Theatre) * ''Forbidden Broadway'' (musical) (1994) ( Olde Towne Theatre) * ''Forbidden Hollywood'' (musical) (1995) ( Appollo Theatre) * ''Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!'' (1996–97) (

) * ''

The Spitfire Grill ''The Spitfire Grill'' (also known as ''Care of the Spitfire Grill'') is a 1996 American film written and directed by Lee David Zlotoff and starring Alison Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Will Patton, Kieran Mulroney and Gailard Sartai ...

'' (2003) -- as Caleb Thorpe (

Arkansas Repertory Theatre Arkansas Repertory Theatre (The Rep) is the longest-running nonprofit resident theater in Arkansas. It is affiliated with Actors' Equity Association and offers a year-round season. The Rep is housed in a 377-seat facility in Little Rock, Arkansas. ...

) * '' Les Miserables'' (musical) (2004) Monsieur Thenardier (National Tour) * ''

'' (2005-2006) --as Nicky Trekkie (

Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts, and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn resort ...

) * ''

'' (2007) -- (National Tour) * ''

'' (2007-2009) --as Nicky/Trekkie (National Tour) * ''Citizen Ruth'' (2009) -- (Minetta Lane Theatre) * ''

Adding Machine An adding machine is a class of mechanical calculator, usually specialized for bookkeeping calculations. In the United States, the earliest adding machines were usually built to read in dollars and cents. Adding machines were ubiquitous off ...

'' (2009) -- as Mr. Zero (

Studio Theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

) * ''

The Great American Trailer Park Musical ''The Great American Trailer Park Musical'' is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. It explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Starke, Florida, particularly between Pippi, "the s ...

'' (2010) -- as Norbert (SpeakEasy Stage Company) * ''

'' (2010) -- as Kemp/Blind Hermit (National Tour) * ''

'' (2011) -- as Miles Gloriosus (Weston Playhouse Theatre Company) * ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...

'' (2011) -- as Merlyn/Pellinore (John W. Engeman Theater) * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'' (2011) -- as Ebeneezer Scrooge (Arkansas Repertory Theatre) * ''

'' (2012) --as Bishop/Spider (National Tour) * '' 42nd Street'' (2013) as Abner Dillon (Weston Playhouse Theatre Company) * ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' (2013) -- as Tevye (Virginia Repertory Theatre) * ''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy wh ...

'' (2014) -- as Big Davey (

Ogunquit Playhouse Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater at 10 Main Street (United States Route 1) in Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theaters from the Summer Stock which still produces musical theatre. The Playhouse is lis ...

) * ''

Romance in Hard Times ''Romance in Hard Times'' is a musical by William Finn. It ran briefly Off-Broadway in 1989 at the Public Theater. Productions An earlier version of the same show, '' America Kicks Up Its Heels'', received two staged readings from Playwrights Hor ...

'' (2014) -- as Polly (

Barrington Stage Company Barrington Stage Company (BSC) is a regional theatre company in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. It was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, and former Managing Director Susan Sperber in Sheffield, Massachusetts. I ...

) * ''

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 ...

'' (2014) -- as Monsieur Firmin (National Tour) * '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (musical) (2017) -- as

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial ''The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London urban legend, legend. A barber fr ...

(

Olney Theatre Center Located in Olney, Maryland, the Olney Theatre Center offers a diverse array of professional productions year-round that enrich, nurture, and challenge a broad range of artists, audiences and students. One of two state theaters of Maryland, Olney ...

)

References

External links

* *
David Benoit's Stage Credits
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, David 1966 births American male musical theatre actors Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni Living people Male actors from Massachusetts People from Somerset, Massachusetts Singers from Massachusetts