Cris Groenendaal is a retired American musical theatre actor and opera singer. He has performed in the original

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 Stre ...

productions of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', ''

Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...

'', ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' and ''

Passion Passion, the Passion or the Passions may refer to: Emotion * Passion (emotion), a very strong feeling about a person or thing * Passions (philosophy), emotional states as used in philosophical discussions * Stoic passions, various forms of emotio ...

'', as well as appearing in the original cast of the 1996 Broadway revival of ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

''.Cris Groenendaal Playbill
/ref>

Training

He is a trained operatic

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

. He was trained by fellow tenor Frederick Jagel.

Career

Known for his work in

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

's musicals, he made his Broadway debut in the original cast of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' as an ensemble member and understudy for the role of Anthony. He would later replace

Victor Garber Victor Garber, (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian stage and film actor and singer. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, he was made an ...

in the role of Anthony. He was also in the original cast of the first national tour of ''Sweeney Todd'' reprising his role of Anthony. He appeared in the 1982 televised recording of the touring production. Groenendaal was also in the original Broadway cast of ''

'' originating the roles of Billy Webster and Louis while understudying many roles including the titular role. He replaced

Robert Westenberg Robert Westenberg (born October 26, 1953) is an American stage actor and singer, acting teacher, and professor. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the original Broadway cast of ''Into the Woods''. He appeared on Broadw ...

in the roles of a Soldier/Alex and later played the titular roles of

Georges Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat ( , ; ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough ...

/George for 5 days.Did They Finish the Hat? Where Are the Stars of Sunday in the Park with George Now?
/ref> Groenendaal originated the role of Monsieur Gilles André in the original Broadway cast of ''

'' also understudying the role of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. He would later take over the role of

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

from

Timothy Nolen Timothy Nolen (July 9, 1941 – August 31, 2023) was an American actor and baritone who had an active career in operas, musicals, concerts, plays, and on television for over four decades. He was the second actor to play the title role in Andre ...

in March 1989 on Broadway and was the third principal actor to play the Phantom on Broadway. He was replaced in the role in March 1990 by the original Broadway and West End Raoul,

Steve Barton Steven Neal Barton (June 26, 1954 – July 21, 2001) was an American actor, singer, dancer, teacher, choreographer, and stage director. He worked internationally in the United States, London, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He is most well k ...

. Groenendaal would later reprise the role of the Phantom in the Canadian production replacing

Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson (born 5 June 1944), also known as C. T. Wilkinson, is an Irish singer and actor who is best known for originating the lead role of Jean Valjean in ''Les Misérables'' (in the West End and Broadway) and for creating the title rol ...

and for two stints in the Canadian tour.There's a small club of actors who play Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera." 3 will perform together
/ref>Every Actor Who's Played the Angel of Music and Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway
/ref> In 1994 and 1996 he would play roles in two Sondheim musicals, the Broadway revival of ''

'' and the original Broadway production of ''

'', playing Miles Gloriosus and Major Rizzolli respectively. In 1998, he appears in the first US tour of ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

'' as the Father. This would be his last production before his retirement. However, he made an exception in 2002 to perform in the Sondheim celebration at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

in a production of ''

'' as Jules and Bob Greenberg.

Acting credits

Theatre

Source:Groenendaal AboutTheArtists
/ref>

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Groenendaal, Cris Living people 1948 births American male musical theatre actors American operatic tenors American male television actors 20th-century American male opera singers 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors