Robert John Guest (17 July 19501 October 2008) was a New Zealand-Australian actor, television personality and host and singer, who started his career in pop music in New Zealand, before becoming best known for his work in Australian

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

, particularly in various productions 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 ...

''. He played the lead for a record-breaking 2,289 performances over seven years, more than any other performer.

Biography

Guest was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, England. He moved to New Zealand with his family when he was 13, and later moved to Canada where he was in a band called The Apparition. The family returned to New Zealand and in 1968 Guest joined the band The Shore Thing who relaunched in 1969 as the Apparition. In 1970 Guest joined The In-Betweens as their vocalist. He signed with

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

records in 1972 and released his debut single "

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...

" written by Lynsey de Paul and

Barry Blue Barry Blue (born Barry Ian Green, 4 December 1950) is an English singer, producer, and songwriter. As an artist, he is best known for his hit songs "Dancin' (on a Saturday Night)" and "Do You Wanna Dance" (both 1973). Blue has also been a pro ...

. Guest appeared on the New Zealand radio charts and starred for many years on television shows including ''Happen Inn''. He also appeared in the Hamilton Operatic Society's productions of ''

Half a Sixpence ''Half a Sixpence'' is a 1963 musical comedy based on the 1905 novel ''Kipps'' by H. G. Wells, with music and lyrics by David Heneker and a book by Beverley Cross. It was written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele. Background The ...

'' and ''

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 won his first lead at age 22 in '' The Jesus Christ Revolution'' (which was presented as ''Man of Sorrows'' in New Zealand and which predated ''

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 ...

''). After performing his hit songs all around the world, Guest won the 1978 Korean Song Festival Best Male Vocalist trophy, recorded a special for the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

, and was voted the 1979 New Zealand 'Professional Performer of the Year'. In 1981 Guest moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with his first wife, Lynette Perry, where he spent most of the 1980s performing and hosting shows in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

and

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...

. In 1985 Guest won the FIDOF Award in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

for his performance at the World Song Festival. He returned to New Zealand, opened a photographic studio, while continuing to moonlight as a performer. In 1988, he was named New Zealand's male theatrical performer of the year. Guest moved to Australia after he was cast as

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 the Australian production of ''

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 ...

'', following

Normie Rowe Norman John Rowe (born 1 February 1947) is an Australian singer and songwriter of pop music and an actor of theatre and soap opera for which he remains best known as Douglas Fletcher in 1980s serial '' Sons and Daughters''. As a singer he was ...

's portrayal, and spent three-and-a-half years touring Australia and New Zealand in the role; Guest also received a

Green Room Award The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

for Best Male Performer in a Leading Role. Guest then followed

Anthony Warlow Anthony Warlow (born 18 November 1961) is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980. ...

in the title role in ''

'' from December 1991 to September 1998. Guest was the world's longest-serving

Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...

, having played the role a record 2,289 performances over seven years in front of Australian and New Zealand audiences. During this time in 1994 he also hosted the Australian version of German game show '' Man O Man''. In 1995, Guest was invited as one of the seventeen Jean Valjeans from around the world to perform the encore of 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 govern ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He later reprised the role of Valjean in 1998–99 for the Australasian 10th-anniversary production. In 1993 Guest received the

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who ha ...

from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer. In the 1994 New Zealand New Year Honours, Guest was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to entertainment. His first marriage had ended in divorce, and in 1994 he married the singer Judy Barnes. They had two children, but separated in 2001. Following his work in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' and ''Les Misérables'', Guest performed in a number of other high-profile theatre roles, including

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

in ''

Jolson ''Jolson'' is a musical with a book by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson and a score composed of tunes by some of the all-time greatest songwriters of Tin Pan Alley. Based on the life of singer Al Jolson, one of America's most popular entertainer ...

'',

Captain von Trapp Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp (4 April 1880 – 30 May 1947) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy who later became the patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Trapp was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of World W ...

in ''

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 ...

'', Rev Shaw Moore(

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) in ''

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

'', and Professor Harold Hill in ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and ...

''. Guest performed numerous gala performances both in Australia and internationally, twice hosting

Carols in the Domain Carols in the Domain is an annual Australian Christmas concert event held in the Domain Gardens in Sydney. It began in 1983, and features many national and international performers and guest appearances. It a free event, broadcast around Austral ...

, and also releasing four gold-selling albums.

Death

On the evening of 30 September 2008, Guest was taken to

St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne St Vincent's Hospital is a major hospital in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia. It is operated by the St Vincent's Health service, previously known as the Sisters of Charity Health Service, Melbourne. It is situated at the corner of Nicholson Stree ...

, after suffering a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

. He died on the morning of 1 October 2008 with his partner Kellie Dickerson, Judy Barnes and their children Christopher and Amy and best friend Greg Smart by his side. At the time of his death, Guest was appearing as the Wizard of Oz in the Australian premiere production of the hit Broadway musical ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'', which had opened in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in July 2008. Kellie Dickerson was the show's musical director at the time. A public memorial was held for Guest at the Regent Theatre on 13 October 2008, featuring speeches and musical performances by his friends and co-stars from various shows.

Bert Newton Albert Watson Newton (23 July 1938 – 30 October 2021) was an Australian media personality. He was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, quadruple Gold Logie award-winning entertainer and radio, theatre and television personality and presenter. Newt ...

was brought in as his replacement in ''Wicked'', six weeks following his death. Guest was buried at

Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium formerly Northern Suburbs General Cemetery is a cemetery and crematorium in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The park caters for all religious, ethnic and cultural requirements. History Macq ...

Macquarie Park, New South Wales Macquarie Park () is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government a ...

Discography

Albums

Performances

*''

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 ...

'' as Jekyll and Hyde *''

'' as Jesus Christ *''

'' as

*''

'' as Joseph *''

'' as

*''

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

'' as Pippin *''

'' as Harold Hill *''

'' as The Phantom *''

'' as Captain Von Trapp *'' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' 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 ...

*''

'' as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''Guest died whilst performing in'' ''

Honours and awards

*Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE), 31 December 1993 *Entertainer of the YearUndate
resume
(PDF) for Guest, Sherin Richards Management. Retrieved 2009-09-27. The resume does not specify the year or give any further detail. *Recording Artist of the Year *Theatrical Performer of the Year *Benny Award Winner from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc *Shure Gold Microphone Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc *

Green Room Awards The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

– Best Male Theatrical Performer – Jean Valjean *Best Performance Award – Los Angeles – Los Angeles Song Festival * F.I.D.O.F Award. Seoul Korea *

Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical The Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical is a musical award, presented by Live Performance Australia (LPA) at the annual Helpmann Awards since 2003. This is a list of winners and nominations for the Helpmann Award ...

– Wicked

The Rob Guest Endowment

In recognition of Guest's achievements in the musical theatre industry, ANZ Trustees established a memorial fund in his honour to help emerging young performers in musical theatre. The Rob Guest Endowment is awarded each year to an emerging musical theatre performer selected by a panel of industry experts. The award will provide the emerging performer with further knowledge and training in the industry to develop their potential. 2009 saw the Endowment created, the competition launched and the inaugural concert staged at

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victor ...

. Recipients of the endowment have been

Danielle Matthews Danielle Matthews (born 16 December 1983) is an Australian singer, musical theatre and cabaret artist who resides in Melbourne. Matthews attended McKinnon Secondary College then studied Musical Theatre at The Victorian College of the Arts . In 2 ...

(2009), Francine Cain (2010), Blake Bowden (2011), Glen Hill (2012), Samantha Leigh Dodemaide (2013) and Josh Robson (2014). 2014 saw the inclusion of two more awards, each offering a prize of $10,000. The Sue Natrass Award, won by Isabelle Stadler in 2014 for a member of a musical theatre technical team. The

Brian Stacey Brian James Stacey, (3 December 194625 October 1996) was an Australian conductor who started his career with the Queensland Ballet, the Australian Ballet, and Victoria State Opera, latterly becoming known for his work in Australian musical theat ...

Award for a musician currently working in the field of musical theatre was won by Isaac Hayward.

References

External links

The Rob Guest Endowment website
* ttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4720943a24437.html The Dominion Post, 9 October 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Guest, Rob 1950 births 2008 deaths New Zealand male stage actors People from Birmingham, West Midlands New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire Helpmann Award winners English emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand male musical theatre actors English emigrants to Australia New Zealand expatriates in the United States 20th-century New Zealand male singers 20th-century Australian male singers