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Michael Xavier

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For the alias of Magneto, see Magneto (Marvel Comics).

Michael Xavier
Born
Michael David Smith

(1977-11-27) 27 November 1977 (age 46)
NationalityBritish
Alma materKnutsford Academy
Manchester Metropolitan University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Websitewww.michaelxavier.co.uk

Michael D. Xavier (born Michael David Smith; 27 November 1977) is an English actor and singer. He is a two-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee and has performed on Broadway and in the West End.

Early life

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Michael David Smith (later known as Michael Xavier) attended Knutsford High and ultimately completed his professional acting training at the Manchester Metropolitan University[1] in 1999. His first professional role and London West End debut was in the musical comedy Pageant in 2000.[2][3]

Work in theatre

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Xavier has been nominated twice for a Laurence Olivier Award. He was first nominated for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2011 for his performance as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.[4] The same year he was also nominated for the Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Oliver in the musical Love Story at the Duchess Theatre.[5] In January 2017, Xavier's lead performance in Sunset Boulevard (at the London Coliseum) won the 2016 BroadwayWorld UK/West End Award for Best Actor in a New Production of a Musical.

Xavier has worked in lead roles on stage in the United Kingdom and the United States of America for over 20 years. Notable productions in which he has appeared include Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway,[6] Prince Of Broadway with the theatre director and producer Harold Prince,[7] Miss Saigon, Freddie Eynsford-Hill and 20 years later Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Curly in Oklahoma!, and Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. In 2014, he played Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.[8]

In 2008, Xavier played Rock Hudson in Tim Fountain's play Rock at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool, the Library Theatre in Manchester, and the Oval House Theatre in London. It went on to be produced as a radio play by production company Made in Manchester, and won the Best Online Only Audio Drama award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2012.[9][10]

Theatre credits

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Year Show Role Theatre Director
2000 Pageant Miss Great Plains Vaudeville Theatre, West End Bill Russell
2002-03 My Fair Lady Freddy Eynsford-Hill Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End Trevor Nunn
2003 Miss Saigon Ensemble / Alternate Chris UK Tour Matthew Ryan
2004 Sunset Boulevard Artie Green Cork Opera House
Mamma Mia! Sky International Tour Phyllida Lloyd / Paul Garrington
2006 The Phantom of the Opera Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny Her Majesty's Theatre, West End Hal Prince
2008 Rock Rock Hudson Oval House Theatre, Off-West End Tamara Harvey
2008-09 Spamalot Sir Dennis Galahad / The Black Knight / Prince Herbert's Father Palace Theatre, West End Mike Nichols
2009 Oklahoma! Curly Chichester Festival Theatre John Doyle
2010 Into the Woods The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Timothy Sheader
Love Story Oliver Duchess Theatre, West End Rachel Kavanagh
2012 Soho Cinders James Prince Soho Theatre Jonathan Butterell
Wonderful Town Bob Baker UK No. 1 Tour Braham Murray
Hello Dolly Cornelius Hackl Curve Theatre Leicester Paul Kerryson
2013 The Sound of Music Captain Von Trapp Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Rachel Kavanagh
2014 The Pajama Game Sid Sorokin Shaftesbury Theatre, West End Richard Eyre
2015 Assassins John Wilkes Booth Menier Chocolate Factory, Off-West End Jamie Lloyd
The War of the Roses Suffolk / George of Clarence Rose Theatre Kingston Trevor Nunn
Showboat Gaylord Sheffield Crucible Daniel Evans
2016 Bumblescratch Hookbeard Adelphi Theatre, West End Stewart Nicholls
The Secret Garden Lord Archibald Craven Shakespeare Theatre Company David Armstrong
Sunset Boulevard Joe Gillis London Colliseum, West End (English National Opera) Lonny Price
2017 Palace Theatre, Broadway
Prince of Broadway Featured Performer Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway Hal Prince, Susan Stroman
2021 Love Story Oliver Cadogan Hall Kirk Jameson
2022 Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends Performer Sondheim Theatre, West End Matthew Bourne
2022-23 My Fair Lady Professor Henry Higgins UK Tour Bartlett Sher

Work in television and film

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Although Xavier started out primarily as a theatre actor, he has also gained many television and film credits including Lieutenant Hamilton Knox[11] in Outlander (Stars), Christopher Miles in The Blacklist[12] (NBC), Dr. Steph Belcombe[13] in Gentleman Jack (BBC) and series regular DCI Elliott Wallace [14] in season 7 and 8 of Grantchester (ITV). As well as roles in Grace[15] (ITV) and The Chelsea Detective[16] (ITV).

Xavier's film work includes his portrayal of Maurice in Hallmark's 'Paris, Wine & Romance' directed by Alex Zamm, Tom in the 2014 production 'Never Let Go'[17] with director Howard J. Ford for Latitude Films, scheduled for release in 2015.[18] In 2013, he appeared as Rob in the short film 'Gnomeland' by writer/director Francesca Jaynes,[19] as well as playing a Russian Gulag Prisoner in Walt Disney Pictures' 'Muppets Most Wanted', filmed at Pinewood Studios.

Major television and film credits

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Year Role Production Producer Director
2015 Tom Never Let Go Independent Howard J. Ford
2019 Maurice Paris, Wine & Romance Hallmark Alex Zamm
2019 Christopher Miles The Blacklist NBC Andrew McCarthy, Michael Caraciollo, Christine Gee
2019-2021 Dr. Steph Belcombe Gentleman Jack BBC, HBO Sally Wainwright, Sarah Harding
2020 Lieutenant Hamilton Knox Outlander Starz Stephen Woolfenden, Meera Menon
2021 Martin Broom Grace ITV Julia Ford
2022 Patrick Thompson The Chelsea Detective Alibi (TV channel) Richard Signy
2022-2023 DCI Elliot Wallace Grantchester ITV Tim Fywell
2023 Hellemans Hammarskjöld Patrick Ryborn Per Fly

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2023 The Isle Tide Hotel  [d] Josh Malone Interactive film

Presenting and recording work

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In 2013, Xavier co-presented the Olivier Awards BBC Radio 2 Covent Garden Stage with Claudia Winkleman,[20] and returned again in 2014 to co-present on the ITV Stage with Myleene Klass.[21][22] He also hosted the UK Theatre Awards at the historic Guildhall in the City of London in both 2013 and 2014.[23][24]

In addition, Xavier has worked as a recording artist, with both radio and original soundtrack credits to his name. In 2007, BBC Radio 2 presented a special edition of Friday Night is Music Night, celebrating the work of Leonard Bernstein and the 50th anniversary of West Side Story. Paul Gambaccini presented the program at London's Mermaid Theatre, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and Xavier as Tony.[25][26] He also played Artie Green in the BBC Radio 2 live recording of Sunset Boulevard, performed at the Cork Opera House with Michael Ball and Petula Clark.[27] Outside of radio, his work in recordings includes Bumblescratch (2016 London Concert Cast Recording) Collaborations: The Songs of Elliot Davis (2013), Lift (2012 Concept Album), Soho Cinders (2011 Concert Cast), Love Story (2011 Original London Cast), and Little Women (2004 Studio Cast).[28]

MX Masterclass

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Xavier is the Principal of MX Masterclass, a training school for musical theatre students which aims to aid them in gaining acceptance to professional training colleges.[29] The school runs every Sunday, based at Rambert, Upper Ground. Their patrons are Matthew Bourne, Natalie Paris, Emily Carey and Sebastian Croft. Regular teachers over the years have included Anna Tringham, Ross Sharkey, Lucinda Lawrence, Brandon Lee Sears, Nicola Coates, Peter Polycarpou and Alex Young. Students are also taught by guest performers and practitioners including Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Rebecca Trehearn, Marc Antolin, Robbie Sherman, Katie Brayben, Louise Dearman, Trevor Dion Nicholas and Matt Henry (singer).

The students are often given an opportunity to perform at various charity and West End events at which Xavier also appears. The students also appear at a Christmas concert at St Paul's, Covent Garden, alongside industry professionals. The 2016 concert was hosted by Rufus Hound.

Students have many performance opportunities throughout the year and gain national and local news coverage in the process. On three occasions they performed at The Best of the West End concert at The Royal Albert Hall starring many big West End names including Xavier himself.[30] They have also performed at Lambert Jackson Productions concert, West End Women[31] and Main Men Of Musicals.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "Chichester Festival Theatre – Michael Xavier". cft.org.uk. Chichester Festival Theatre. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. ^ Herbert, I (2000). Theatre Record (Volume 20, Issues 9–18 ed.). I. Herbert. pp. 614–615.
  3. ^ "Pageant Confirmed for West End Run". whatsonstage.com. WhatsonStage. Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Into the Woods wins 2011 Laurence Olivier Award". digitaltheatre.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  5. ^ Robertson, Willie (October 2012). Michael Ball – The Biography. John Blake. ISBN 978-1857826746. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  6. ^ Razaq, Rashid (18 March 2016). "Glenn at close quarters? She's no diva, says Sunset co-star". Evening Standard. p. A13. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  7. ^ Clement, Olivia. "After Sunset Boulevard, Michael Xavier Will Head to Prince of Broadway". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  8. ^ Bosanquet, Theo. "Pajama Game confirms West End transfer, Michael Xavier and Joanna Riding star". whatsonstage.com. WhatsonStage. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  9. ^ Murphy, Paul. "The winners of the first BBC Audio Drama Awards". bbc.co.uk. BBC Radio Blog. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  10. ^ "Rock Hudson radio drama wins BBC award". pinknews.co.uk. Pink News. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  11. ^ Woolfenden, Stephen (23 February 2020), Between Two Fires, Outlander, retrieved 16 November 2021
  12. ^ McCarthy, Andrew (15 March 2019), Bastien Moreau (No. 20), The Blacklist, retrieved 16 November 2021
  13. ^ Harding, Sarah (13 May 2019), Most Women Are Dull and Stupid, Gentleman Jack, retrieved 16 November 2021
  14. ^ Fywell, Tim (11 March 2022), Series 7 Episode 1, Grantchester, retrieved 11 March 2022
  15. ^ Ford, Julia (24 April 2022), Looking Good Dead, Grace, retrieved 24 April 2022
  16. ^ Signy, Richard (14 February 2022), Mrs Romano, The Chelsea Detective, retrieved 14 February 2022
  17. ^ Ford, Howard J. (13 February 2015), Never Let Go, retrieved 13 February 2015
  18. ^ "Howard J Ford's Never Let Go enters post production". liveforfilm.com. Live For Films. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Gnomeland – Cast". gnomelandthefilm.com. For George Films. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Claudia Winkleman & Michael Xavier to host the BBC Radio 2 Stage during Olivier Awards". westendframe.com. West End Frame. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  21. ^ "Olivier Awards 2014". olivierawards.com. Olivier Awards. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  22. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - The Olivier Awards, Olivier Awards, Radio 2 Audience Award nominees perform live - Michael Xavier". BBC. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Winners of 2013 UK Theatre Awards Announced". uktheatre.org. UK Theatre. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  24. ^ "UK Theatre Awards 2014 – Winners Announced". uktheatre.org. UK Theatre. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  25. ^ "Friday Night is Music Night". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  26. ^ Hemley, Matthew (5 September 2007). "Radio 2 marks 50 years of West Side Story". The Stage. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  27. ^ "Sunset Boulevard – Cork Concert Revival 2014". ovrtur.com. Ovrtur. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  28. ^ "Michael Xavier Discography". castalbums.org. CastAlbums. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  29. ^ Dex, Robert (10 April 2018). "Teen who flies in from Portugal each week for lesson with West End star". Evening Standard. p. A13. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  30. ^ Jeffrey, Isabella. "Isabella Takes to the Royal Albert Hall Stage". Morpeth Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  31. ^ Jackson, Lambert. "West End Women". lambertjackson.co.uk. Lambert Jackson. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  32. ^ Weekly, Theatre. "Main Men Of Musicals concert". theatreweekly.com. theatreweekly.com. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
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