J.B. Adams (born September 29, 1954) is an American character stage and film actor, director, and singer. He has credits in film, television and, most notably, musical theatre. Originally from

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, Oklahoma, he attended

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and docto ...

, where he studied voice, piano, opera, and musical theatre, after which he became a New York City-based Broadway actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway productions of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (as Maurice, the father), '' Annie'' (as Rooster/Drake/Bert Healy/FDR), ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

'' (as Luther Rosser), ''

Me and My Girl ''Me and My Girl'' is a musical with music by Noel Gay and its original book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose. The story, set in the late 1930s, tells of an unapologetically unrefined Cockney gentleman named Bill Snibson, wh ...

'' (as Sir Jasper), ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...

'' (as Grandpa Potts), and ''Elf: The Musical'' (as Santa). He played the role of Morris Farnsworth in the film ''

Far From Heaven ''Far from Heaven'' is a 2002 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert and Patricia Clarkson. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Moore won the ...

'', as well as originating the same role in the Off-Broadway musical adaptation (2013). On TV and the web, he has played Santa for Verizon FiOS and has had guest starring roles on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and '' The Michael J. Fox Show''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Broadway

* ''

'' as Luther Rosser * ''

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

'' as Maurice * ''

'' as Grandpa Potts * '' Annie'' as Drake/Bert Healy * ''

'' as Sir Jasper *''Elf: The Musical'' as Santa

Off-Broadway

*''

Far from Heaven ''Far from Heaven'' is a 2002 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert and Patricia Clarkson. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Moore won the ...

'' as Dr. Bowman *''Balancing Act''

External links

* *
Broadway World J.B. profile

References

1954 births Living people American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors {{US-stage-actor-stub