James Barbour (born April 25, 1966) is an American singer and theatre actor who played the title role in the

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 ...

production of ''

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 ...

'' from February 2015 until December 2017. Among his other credits are the Beast in ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...

'' and Sydney Carton in ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...

'', for which he was nominated for a

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 ...

. In 2008, Barbour pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and he admitted to engaging in sexual activities with a 15-year-old on more than one occasion.

Early life and education

Barbour was born April 25, 1966, in

Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 census.

. He graduated from

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...

, where he majored in English and Theatre with a minor in Philosophy and Physics.

Career

Barbour made his Broadway debut in 1993, in the production of '' Cyrano: The Musical.'' He also played Billy Bigelow in ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' in 1994 and the Beast in ''

'' in 1998''.'' He was nominated for a

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

in the Outstanding Actor In A Musical category for his role as

Edward Rochester Edward Fairfax Rochester (often referred to as Mr Rochester) is a character in Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre''. The brooding master of Thornfield Hall, Rochester is the employer and eventual husband of the novel's titular protagonist ...

in ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

.'' He played

Leon Czolgosz Leon Frank Czolgosz ( , ; May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901) was an American laborer and anarchist who assassinated President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. The president died on September 14 after his wound became ...

in ''

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...

.'' He also appeared in the Broadway production of ''

Urinetown ''Urinetown: The Musical'' is a satirical comedy musical that premiered in 2001, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, burea ...

'', and in the national tours of ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels and ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. He also co-founded Laughing Dog Entertainment with the theatre director

Steve Binder Steve Binder (born December 12, 1932) is an American producer and director. He found success behind the camera on television shows showcasing music, when he was only in his early 20s."Elvis the comeback'". ''Record Collector'', 357 (Christmas 2008 ...

. In late 2007, he performed the role of Sydney Carton in a pre-Broadway musical adaptation of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

' ''

'' at the

Asolo Repertory Theatre The Asolo Repertory Theatre or Asolo Rep (AKA: Asolo Theatre Company, Inc.) is a professional theater in Sarasota, Florida. It is the largest Equity theatre in Florida, and the largest Repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States. Asolo ...

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

. In 2008, Barbour reprised his role in the Broadway production of ''A Tale of Two Cities'', which closed after 60 performances. In the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

,'' critic

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

wrote that he disliked both the production and Barbour's performance in it. Barbour was nominated for the Drama League,

Drama Desk 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 ...

, and

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

s in the Best Actor in a Musical category for his role in ''A Tale of Two Cities''. In 2011, it was announced that he would play the supporting role of Jack Favel in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

''. The production was plagued with legal and financial problems, and the production has been indefinitely postponed after multiple delays. Barbour then played the title role in the Broadway production of ''

'' for nearly three years, from February 2015 until December 2017. He launched a holiday concert series at New York's Sardi's Restaurant in 2008. Each performance featured a guest performer, including

Brandi Burkhardt Brandi Lynn Burkhardt (born June 25, 1979) is an American television and film actress, and former Miss New York. She grew up in Pasadena, Maryland and lives in Los Angeles. Biography Education She attended New York University Tisch School of ...

Natalie Toro Natalie Toro is an American singer and actress for stage, television, and film. Early life and education Toro was born in Bronx, NY, where her parents both immigrated to from Puerto Rico. She debuted at the Apollo Theater at the age of five. Lat ...

Deborah Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...

Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of ''Jane Eyre''. Personal life Schaffel was raised in Miami, Florida,

Marc Kudisch Marc Kudisch (born September 22, 1966) is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway. Early life and education Kudisch was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of Florence and Raymond Kudisch. His fami ...

, and

Kevin Earley Kevin Earley is an American actor and singer. Biography Earley was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of four brothers, and attended Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois. He trained at the Webster Conservatory of Webster University in the ...

. He repeated the holidays concerts in 2009 in both New York and Los Angeles. In 2010, he expanded these concerts to six cities. He followed this with a second Sardi's concert series, "Love Songs", featuring numerous Broadway classics. The annual holiday concert series has since moved to Birdland, a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

jazz club. In March 2017, Barbour's likeness was immortalized in a caricature portrait on the wall at Sardi's. The same year, he finished writing ''The Ghosts of the Majestic'', a solo show about

John Raitt John Emmet Raitt (; January 29, 1917 – February 20, 2005) was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theatre. Early years Raitt was born in Santa Ana, California, United States. He got his start in theatre as ...

Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...

, and

Ezio Pinza Ezio Fortunato Pinza (May 18, 1892May 9, 1957) was an Italian opera singer. Pinza possessed a rich, smooth and sonorous voice, with a flexibility unusual for a bass. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 ...

, three notable actors that performed at the

Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to: Australia * Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished * Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed b ...

Personal life

Barbour is married to fellow performer Dana Stackpole, with whom he has two daughters. He has been an Artist Committee Board member of The Actors Fund of America for since 2000 during which time he has performed many charitable fundraisers in support of the Fund and Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. In 2014, he gave a fundraising performance for

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data indi ...

. He has given benefit concerts for his alma mater, Hofstra University.

Arrest

In April 2006, Barbour was arrested and charged with five counts of sexual abuse and sodomy, after a woman accused him of committing statutory rape against her in 2001, when she was 15 years old. In December 2006 he was indicted by a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

in New York for said crime. In January 2008, Barbour pleaded guilty to two

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...

counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in exchange for a lesser sentence in jail and three years'

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...

. Also, in accordance with his

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...

, Barbour made a public allocution to these misdemeanors.Type casting: Broadway 'Beast' pleads guilty to molestation
The New York Daily News, January 3, 2008 He served his sentence at

Rikers Island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...

, which lasted for 36 days beginning on February 29, 2008.

Broadway appearances

*'' Cyrano: The Musical'' (1993) *''

'' (1994) *''

'' (1998–1999) *''

'' (2000) *''

'' (2001) *''

'' (2004) *''

'' (2008) *''

'' (2015)

Filmography

*''

: A Concert on Ice'' (1996) (TV) *''

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest ''The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest'' (also known as ''Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures'') is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996, to April 16, 1997. A continuati ...

'' (1996) (TV) *'' Cyrano: The Musical'' (1997) (TV) *''

Just Shoot Me! ''Just Shoot Me!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 4, 1997, to November 26, 2003, with a total of 145 half-hour episodes spanning seven seasons. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive pr ...

'' (1997) (TV) *''

Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

'' (1998) *''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...

'' (1999) (TV) *''

Twinkle Toes Twinkle Toes is the largest excavator in the Southern Hemisphere. It was used in Christchurch to demolish tall buildings following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes before moving to Wellington following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. History and des ...

'' (1999) *''

The District ''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department. Pre ...

'' (2000) (TV) *'' That's Life'' (2001) (TV) *''

Eight Crazy Nights ''Eight Crazy Nights'' (also known as ''Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights'') is a 2002 American adult animated musical black comedy film directed by Seth Kearsley and produced, co-written by and starring Adam Sandler in his first voice-acting role ...

'' (2002) *'' Ed'' (2003) (TV) *''

Alchemy Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...

'' (2005)

Discography

*Bring Me Giants (2010) * A Gift of Christmas (2009) * A Tale of Two Cities, The Musical: International Studio Cast Recording (2008) * Broadway in Concert (with

Hershey Felder Hershey Felder (born July 9, 1968) is a pianist, actor, and playwright known for his portrayals of classical and American composers on the theatrical stage. Early life Felder was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Jacob Felder (born 1929 in Ustrzyk ...

) (2007) * Dracula: The Musical Concept Recording * Jane Eyre – Original Cast Recording * Assassins – Broadway Cast Recording *Love Songs *The Gift

Awards

*2001 Drama League Award – ''Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre ~ The Musical'' (WIN) *2006/7 LA Weekly Garland Award – ''Back From Broadway'' (WIN) *2007 Sarasota Magazine Award for Best Actor in a Musical – ''Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities'' (WIN – Tie) *2008-2009 BroadwayWorld Fan Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical – ''Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities'' (Finalist /Runner-Up ) *2009

for Best Actor in a Musical – ''Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities'' (Nomination) *2009

for Best Actor in a Musical – ''Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities'' (Nomination)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbour, James Stacy 1966 births 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers Living people American Scientologists American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Hofstra University alumni People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey Male actors from New Jersey Singers from New Jersey