John Owen-Jones
Encyclopedia
John Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, 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 Phantom of the Opera
. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of Les Misérables. He is currently reprising his role as The Phantom in London.
in Carmarthenshire
He was educated at Glan-y-mor Comprehensive School
, and went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama
in London. He graduated in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in Acting.
's A Little Night Music at the National Theatre along with Judi Dench
, Patricia Hodge
, Joanna Riding and Siân Phillips
, and in The Ladies Paradise at the RNT Studio.
In 1998, he became the youngest person ever to play the role of Jean Valjean full-time when he took over in the London production at the age of 26. He had previously understudied the role, and had also performed the roles of the Factory Foreman, Feuilly and Grantaire. John also appeared in the choir of the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
in 1995.
In 2000, he was part of that year's season at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He played roles in The Pirates of Penzance and Much Ado About Nothing.
In 2001, he was chosen to succeed Scott Davies
in the title role in The Phantom of the Opera
. He left the role on 26 February 2005, after three and a half years and nearly 1,400 performances, making him the longest running London Phantom. His last performance in this run was with Rachel Barrell
.
His other theatre work includes Antipholus in The Boys from Syracuse
and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice
at Harrogate Theatre, Herr Zeller in The Sound of Music
, Cléante in The Hypochondriac, Valère in Le Médecin Volant at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Uprooted at the Tricycle Theatre, and he performed in a private concert version in London of the musical Tomorrow Morning
by Laurence Mark Wythe
.
Owen-Jones reprised the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre
in London, beginning 27 June 2005. He took a month off in May 2006, during which time he played the role of Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat
, the first fully staged musical performed at the Royal Albert Hall
, which played for a limited season between 10–25 June 2006. He then returned to Misérables in the West End until his contract expired on 6 October 2007. After finishing his London contract, John went to the US to perform the role of Valjean on Broadway
, trading locales with Drew Sarich
, who was playing the role of Valjean in the American production. John began performances on 23 October 2007 and returned in January 2008 when the show finished its Broadway run.
Owen-Jones most recently played Valjean on the 25th Anniversary International Touring production of Les Misérables, which opened 12 December 2009 in Cardiff
, and ended 2 October 2010 at the Barbican Theatre in London, where the show first played. He is currently playing the Phantom in London once again, as of 1 November 2010 and will continue his run until 10 December 2011. His first performance back was with Sofia Escobar. From March 2012, John will once again be playing the Phantom in the latest UK Tour of the Phantom of the Opera starting in Plymouth.
On 16 December 2010, Owen-Jones appeared in the Royal Variety Performance
at the London Palladium
as part of the 'Valjean Quartet' alongside Alfie Boe
, Colm Wilkinson
and Simon Bowman
(Each whom have previously played the role of Jean Valjean in various productions of Les Misérables). Together they sang "Bring Him Home" just as they had performed at the 25th Anniversary Performance of Les Misérables at the O2 Arena. Earlier that week, the recording of the song from the O2 Arena concert had been released as a UK Single.
Owen-Jones is also currently touring the UK with the Earl Carpenter production of The Three Phantoms, the highlight of which is a trio performance of 'Music of the Night'.
In December 2004 he appeared in a televised Christmas Concert as a featured soloist, alongside Michael Ball
.
John also released a self titled album in 2009 with tracks from Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera and a trio with Michael Ball and Bryn Terfyl.
He has begun to produce a third album, estimated to be released in spring 2012
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
in Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End...
& Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
's Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of Les Misérables. He is currently reprising his role as The Phantom in London.
Background
John Owen-Jones was born in 1971 and originates from Burry PortBurry Port
Burry Port is a small town five miles outside the larger centre of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the Loughor estuary. The town's population is roughly 8,000 although in the 2001 census there were 4209 residents....
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
He was educated at Glan-y-mor Comprehensive School
Glan-y-Mor Comprehensive School
Ysgol Glan-y-Môr School is a mixed, community comprehensive school of around 650 pupils, catering for all abilities across an age range of 11 years to 16...
, and went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
in London. He graduated in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in Acting.
Musical theatre
During 1995 he played the 'liebeslieder' in Stephen SondheimStephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's A Little Night Music at the National Theatre along with Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
, Patricia Hodge
Patricia Hodge
Patricia Ann Hodge is an English actor.-Early life:The daughter of the Royal Hotel owner/manager Eric and his wife Marion , Hodge attended Wintringham Girls' Grammar School on Weelsby Avenue in Grimsby and then St...
, Joanna Riding and Siân Phillips
Siân Phillips
Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman...
, and in The Ladies Paradise at the RNT Studio.
In 1998, he became the youngest person ever to play the role of Jean Valjean full-time when he took over in the London production at the age of 26. He had previously understudied the role, and had also performed the roles of the Factory Foreman, Feuilly and Grantaire. John also appeared in the choir of the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in 1995.
In 2000, he was part of that year's season at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He played roles in The Pirates of Penzance and Much Ado About Nothing.
In 2001, he was chosen to succeed Scott Davies
Scott Davies
Scott Davies may refer to:*Scott Davies , English footballer playing for Fleetwood Town*Scott Davies , Irish footballer playing for Crawley Town-See also:*Scott Davie, sports commentator...
in the title role in The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. He left the role on 26 February 2005, after three and a half years and nearly 1,400 performances, making him the longest running London Phantom. His last performance in this run was with Rachel Barrell
Rachel Barrell
Rachel Barrell is a British stage performer and singer known best for playing Christine in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera from September 2004 until October 2006...
.
His other theatre work includes Antipholus in The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical...
and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
at Harrogate Theatre, Herr Zeller in The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, Cléante in The Hypochondriac, Valère in Le Médecin Volant at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Uprooted at the Tricycle Theatre, and he performed in a private concert version in London of the musical Tomorrow Morning
Tomorrow Morning
Tomorrow Morning is a musical by British composer and lyricist Laurence Mark Wythe. The story concerns the relationships of two couples separated by a span of time; one couple is getting married, while the other is getting divorced....
by Laurence Mark Wythe
Laurence Mark Wythe
Laurence Mark Wythe is an award winning English composer, lyricist and writer for West End and Off-Broadway musicals. He is principally known for the off-Broadway musical Tomorrow Morning and Through the Door seen in the West End at the Trafalgar Studios starring Julie Atherton...
.
Owen-Jones reprised the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre
Queen's Theatre
The Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
in London, beginning 27 June 2005. He took a month off in May 2006, during which time he played the role of Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
, the first fully staged musical performed at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, which played for a limited season between 10–25 June 2006. He then returned to Misérables in the West End until his contract expired on 6 October 2007. After finishing his London contract, John went to the US to perform the role of Valjean on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, trading locales with Drew Sarich
Drew Sarich
-Biography:Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Boston Conservatory in 1997. Sarich made his Off-Broadway debut in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, followed by a tour as a backup singer for Liza Minnelli with the Cortes Alexander Trio...
, who was playing the role of Valjean in the American production. John began performances on 23 October 2007 and returned in January 2008 when the show finished its Broadway run.
Owen-Jones most recently played Valjean on the 25th Anniversary International Touring production of Les Misérables, which opened 12 December 2009 in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and ended 2 October 2010 at the Barbican Theatre in London, where the show first played. He is currently playing the Phantom in London once again, as of 1 November 2010 and will continue his run until 10 December 2011. His first performance back was with Sofia Escobar. From March 2012, John will once again be playing the Phantom in the latest UK Tour of the Phantom of the Opera starting in Plymouth.
On 16 December 2010, Owen-Jones appeared in the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
as part of the 'Valjean Quartet' alongside Alfie Boe
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
, Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
and Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
(Each whom have previously played the role of Jean Valjean in various productions of Les Misérables). Together they sang "Bring Him Home" just as they had performed at the 25th Anniversary Performance of Les Misérables at the O2 Arena. Earlier that week, the recording of the song from the O2 Arena concert had been released as a UK Single.
Owen-Jones is also currently touring the UK with the Earl Carpenter production of The Three Phantoms, the highlight of which is a trio performance of 'Music of the Night'.
Television
Owen-Jones's work on television includes The Bill; The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby; The South Bank Show; The Margaret Williams Show; A Week in the West End; Record Breakers; and Backstage: Pebble Mill.In December 2004 he appeared in a televised Christmas Concert as a featured soloist, alongside Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
.
Recordings
In late 2006, Owen-Jones released his first solo CD, a five-track EP entitled Hallelujah, which can be purchased through his website.John also released a self titled album in 2009 with tracks from Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera and a trio with Michael Ball and Bryn Terfyl.
He has begun to produce a third album, estimated to be released in spring 2012