Ramin Karimloo
Encyclopedia
Ramin Karimloo is an Iran
ian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London
's West End
. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s
longest running musicals; the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera
and Jean Valjean
in Les Misérables
, as of 29th November 2011, after Alfie Boe
signs off as the protagonist. He also originated the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's Love Never Dies, which continues the story of The Phantom of the Opera.
, Karimloo moved to Richmond Hill
from Peterborough
and graduated from Alexander Mackenzie
High School. He began his performing career in rock bands and various theatre projects before moving on to perform in theatre companies for Airtours and P&O Cruises
.
After moving to England
, his first role was in a pantomime of Aladdin
in Chatham, in which he played the title role. Following this, in 2001, he went on to join the UK national tour of The Pirates of Penzance
, understudying and then playing the role of the Pirate King.
In 2002, Karimloo joined the national tour of Sunset Boulevard
, playing Artie Green and covering the role of Joe Gillis.
Les Misérables
was his West End
debut; he played Feuilly and understudied the roles of Marius
and Enjolras
.
After this, in 2003, Karimloo took one of the lead roles, Raoul (Vicomte de Chagny), in The Phantom of the Opera
. His final matinee performance was filmed for use on a behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD
of Joel Schumacher
's The Phantom of the Opera
, a film in which he also appeared, in a cameo role as Gustave Daaé, Christine's violinist father whom Christine believes has sent her an Angel of Music from the heavens after his death.
During the same period, Karimloo also appeared in two concerts of Les Misérables (as Marius), and one of Jesus Christ Superstar
(as Simon Zealotes, and a featured singer in "Superstar"), as well as being involved in several theatre workshops.
In 2004, Karimloo went back to Les Misérables, this time taking on the role of Enjolras. In the December of that year, he appeared in a concert of Les Misérables at Windsor Castle
, in honour of the French president Jacques Chirac
. Excerpts from this were shown on Easter Sunday 2005, in a behind-the-scenes documentary about Windsor Castle. He also performed as Marius in 2004 at Powderham Castle with Nicholas Pound as Jean Valjean, Fred Johanson as Javert, Rebecca Thornhill as Fantine, Dianne Pilkington as Eponine, Jamie Farr as Cosette, David Bardsley as Enjolras, Tony Timberlake as Thenardier, and Rosie Ashe as Madame Thenardier.
In June 2005, Karimloo joined the UK national tour of Miss Saigon
, playing the role of Christopher Scott. He appeared in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera
, this time as the Phantom, starting in September 2007. He was the show's 21st anniversary Phantom. He brought a new interpretation to the role and a vitality which was recognized by fans of the show as it earned him a Theatregoers' Choice Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Take Over Role.
Karimloo has also released an EP, Within the Six Square Inch, on which he duets with Hadley Fraser
and Sophia Ragavelas, both of whom he had already appeared with in Les Misérables
(Marius and Éponine).
In July 2008, he was asked to take part in the Sydmonton Festival
and was the first actor to play The Phantom in the workshop presentation of Love Never Dies. It was the first act to the sequel of The Phantom of the Opera. It was confirmed he would play the role alongside Sierra Boggess
when the sequel opened in London, England, March 2010. A Broadway production was considered, but never put into action.
In 2008 Karimloo recorded a song, "I Only Wish for You", with Shona Lindsay and Dianne Pilkington, for the CD Songs from the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange, an album of 20 brand new recordings by 26 West End stars, released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records.
In 2009 he was asked to take part in the recording of new musical album called Bluebird, by Gareth Peter Dicks. Bluebird is a dramatic WW2 musical, in which he plays the part of US serviceman Ben Breagan. He appeared along with a host of West End stars. The 24-track album was released in four countries in September 2009.
Karimloo's last regular performance in The Phantom of the Opera took place on November 7, 2009. He moved on to playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel, Love Never Dies, alongside Sierra Boggess, performing the role until the show closed on 27 August 2011.
On 3 October 2010, Karimloo played the role of Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at The O2 Arena
in London.
On October 1 and 2 2011, he played The Phantom for three performances alongside Love Never Dies co-star Sierra Boggess as Christine in the unique 25th anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera
at the Royal Albert Hall and was streamed live to cinemas across the world. According to an interview in The Stage
magazine (May 2011), this would be his last performance behind the mask.
Between 29 November 2011 and 3 March 2012, Ramin Karimloo will return to Les Misérables
, to play the lead role of Jean Valjean
at The Queen's Theatre, London
.
Karimloo is also now composing music in his band, Sheytoons, with Hadley Fraser
.
He has been cast as the lead in 1066 Productions' UK/Canadian feature film Bad Town, scheduled to shoot in Quebec in 2012.
His new solo album, Ramin, will be released by Sony on 6 February 2012.
On the 20 February 2011 Karimloo won the Whatsonstage.com award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Love Never Dies.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
longest running musicals; the Phantom 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,...
and Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
in 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....
, as of 29th November 2011, after 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:...
signs off as the protagonist. He also originated the role 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 Love Never Dies, which continues the story of The Phantom of the Opera.
Career
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Karimloo moved to Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
from Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
and graduated from Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 8, 1878.-Biography:...
High School. He began his performing career in rock bands and various theatre projects before moving on to perform in theatre companies for Airtours and P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
.
After moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, his first role was in a pantomime of Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
in Chatham, in which he played the title role. Following this, in 2001, he went on to join the UK national tour of The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, understudying and then playing the role of the Pirate King.
In 2002, Karimloo joined the national tour of Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard (musical)
Sunset Boulevard is a musical with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on the 1950 film of the same title, the plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the...
, playing Artie Green and covering the role of Joe Gillis.
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....
was his West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut; he played Feuilly and understudied the roles of Marius
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
and Enjolras
Enjolras
Enjolras is the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- The Friends of the ABC :...
.
After this, in 2003, Karimloo took one of the lead roles, Raoul (Vicomte de Chagny), 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,...
. His final matinee performance was filmed for use on a behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)
The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux....
, a film in which he also appeared, in a cameo role as Gustave Daaé, Christine's violinist father whom Christine believes has sent her an Angel of Music from the heavens after his death.
During the same period, Karimloo also appeared in two concerts of Les Misérables (as Marius), and one of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
(as Simon Zealotes, and a featured singer in "Superstar"), as well as being involved in several theatre workshops.
In 2004, Karimloo went back to Les Misérables, this time taking on the role of Enjolras. In the December of that year, he appeared in a concert of Les Misérables at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, in honour of the French president Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
. Excerpts from this were shown on Easter Sunday 2005, in a behind-the-scenes documentary about Windsor Castle. He also performed as Marius in 2004 at Powderham Castle with Nicholas Pound as Jean Valjean, Fred Johanson as Javert, Rebecca Thornhill as Fantine, Dianne Pilkington as Eponine, Jamie Farr as Cosette, David Bardsley as Enjolras, Tony Timberlake as Thenardier, and Rosie Ashe as Madame Thenardier.
In June 2005, Karimloo joined the UK national tour of Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
, playing the role of Christopher Scott. He appeared in the West End production of 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,...
, this time as the Phantom, starting in September 2007. He was the show's 21st anniversary Phantom. He brought a new interpretation to the role and a vitality which was recognized by fans of the show as it earned him a Theatregoers' Choice Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Take Over Role.
Karimloo has also released an EP, Within the Six Square Inch, on which he duets with Hadley Fraser
Hadley Fraser
Hadley Fraser is an English stage actor. He made his critically acclaimed West End debut as Marius in Les Misérables. He also originated the role of Tiernan in the Broadway show The Pirate Queen.-Biography:...
and Sophia Ragavelas, both of whom he had already appeared with in 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....
(Marius and Éponine).
In July 2008, he was asked to take part in the Sydmonton Festival
Sydmonton Festival
The Sydmonton Festival is a summer arts festival presented in a deconsecrated 16th century chapel on the grounds of Sydmonton Court, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Hampshire estate...
and was the first actor to play The Phantom in the workshop presentation of Love Never Dies. It was the first act to the sequel of The Phantom of the Opera. It was confirmed he would play the role alongside Sierra Boggess
Sierra Boggess
Sierra Boggess is an American theater actress and soprano singer. She was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, with her two sisters, Summer and Allegra. The three of them were members of the Colorado Children's Chorale. Her parents are Kellun Turner and Michael Boggess...
when the sequel opened in London, England, March 2010. A Broadway production was considered, but never put into action.
In 2008 Karimloo recorded a song, "I Only Wish for You", with Shona Lindsay and Dianne Pilkington, for the CD Songs from the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange, an album of 20 brand new recordings by 26 West End stars, released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records.
In 2009 he was asked to take part in the recording of new musical album called Bluebird, by Gareth Peter Dicks. Bluebird is a dramatic WW2 musical, in which he plays the part of US serviceman Ben Breagan. He appeared along with a host of West End stars. The 24-track album was released in four countries in September 2009.
Karimloo's last regular performance in The Phantom of the Opera took place on November 7, 2009. He moved on to playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel, Love Never Dies, alongside Sierra Boggess, performing the role until the show closed on 27 August 2011.
On 3 October 2010, Karimloo played the role of Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at The O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London.
On October 1 and 2 2011, he played The Phantom for three performances alongside Love Never Dies co-star Sierra Boggess as Christine in the unique 25th anniversary production of 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,...
at the Royal Albert Hall and was streamed live to cinemas across the world. According to an interview in The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
magazine (May 2011), this would be his last performance behind the mask.
Between 29 November 2011 and 3 March 2012, Ramin Karimloo will return to 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....
, to play the lead role of Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
at The Queen's Theatre, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Karimloo is also now composing music in his band, Sheytoons, with Hadley Fraser
Hadley Fraser
Hadley Fraser is an English stage actor. He made his critically acclaimed West End debut as Marius in Les Misérables. He also originated the role of Tiernan in the Broadway show The Pirate Queen.-Biography:...
.
He has been cast as the lead in 1066 Productions' UK/Canadian feature film Bad Town, scheduled to shoot in Quebec in 2012.
His new solo album, Ramin, will be released by Sony on 6 February 2012.
Awards
Karimloo won the Best Actor award for the Broadwayworld.com awards in 2010 for his portrayal of The Phantom in Love Never Dies. He has also been nominated for the Best Actor category for the Viewers' Choice Theatre Awards at Whatsonstage.com in 2011. On 7 February 7 2011, Ramin Karimloo was also nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Love Never Dies received seven nominations.On the 20 February 2011 Karimloo won the Whatsonstage.com award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Love Never Dies.