Robert John Guest (17 July 19501 October 2008) was a New Zealand-Australian actor, television personality and host and singer, who started his career in pop music in New Zealand, before becoming best known for his work in Australian
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
, particularly in various productions of ''
The Phantom of the Opera''. He played the lead for a record-breaking 2,289 performances over seven years, more than any other performer.
Biography
Guest was born in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, England. He moved to New Zealand with his family when he was 13, and later moved to Canada where he was in a band called The Apparition. The family returned to New Zealand and in 1968 Guest joined the band The Shore Thing who relaunched in 1969 as the Apparition. In 1970 Guest joined The In-Betweens as their vocalist. He signed with
Polydor
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
records in 1972 and released his debut single "
House of Cards" written by
Lynsey de Paul
Lynsey de Paul (born Lyndsey Monckton Rubin; 11 June 1948 – 1 October 2014) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. After initially writing hits for others, she had her own chart hits in the UK and Europe in the 1970s, starting ...
and
Barry Blue
Barry Blue (born Barry Ian Green; 4 December 1950) is an English singer, producer, and songwriter. As an artist, he is best known for his hit songs "Dancin' (on a Saturday Night)" and "Do You Wanna Dance" (both 1973).
Blue has also been a pr ...
.
Guest appeared on the New Zealand radio charts and starred for many years on television shows including ''Happen Inn''.
He also appeared in the Hamilton Operatic Society's productions of ''
Half a Sixpence'' and ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', reprising the lead role for the Rotorua Operatic Society, for which he also played the lead in ''
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...
''. Guest won his first lead at age 22 in ''
The Jesus Christ Revolution'' (which was presented as ''Man of Sorrows'' in New Zealand and which predated ''Jesus Christ Superstar''). After performing his hit songs all around the world, Guest won the 1978 Korean Song Festival Best Male Vocalist trophy, recorded a special for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
, and was voted the 1979 New Zealand 'Professional Performer of the Year'.
In 1981 Guest moved to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
with his first wife, Lynette Perry, where he spent most of the 1980s performing and hosting shows in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
,
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...
and
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...
.
In 1985 Guest won the
FIDOF Award in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
for his performance at the World Song Festival. He returned to New Zealand, opened a photographic studio, while continuing to moonlight as a performer. In 1988, he was named New Zealand's male theatrical performer of the year.
Guest moved to Australia after he was cast as
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
in the Australian production of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'', following
Normie Rowe
Norman John Rowe (born 1 February 1947) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a pop star and teen idol, backed by The Playboys. His 1965 double A-side " Que Sera Sera"/" Shakin' All Over" w ...
's portrayal, and spent three-and-a-half years touring Australia and New Zealand in the role; Guest also received a
Green Room Award for
Best Male Performer in a Leading Role. Guest then followed
Anthony Warlow in the title role in ''
The Phantom of the Opera'' from December 1991 to September 1998.
Guest was the world's longest-serving
Phantom, having played the role a record 2,289 performances over seven years in front of Australian and New Zealand audiences.
During this time in 1994 he also hosted the Australian version of German game show ''
Man O Man''.
In 1995, Guest was invited as one of the seventeen Jean Valjeans from around the world to perform the encore of the ''
Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert'' at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.
Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. He later reprised the role of Valjean in 1998–99 for the Australasian 10th-anniversary production.
In 1993 Guest received the
Benny Award from the
Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer.
In the
1994 New Zealand New Year Honours, Guest was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
, for services to entertainment.
His first marriage had ended in divorce, and in 1994 he married the singer Judy Barnes. They had two children, but separated in 2001.
Following his work in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' and ''Les Misérables'', Guest performed in a number of other high-profile theatre roles, including
Al Jolson
Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian.
Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...
in ''
Jolson'',
Captain von Trapp in ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'', Rev Shaw Moore(
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
) in ''
Footloose'', and Professor Harold Hill in ''
The Music Man
''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...
''.
Guest performed numerous gala performances both in Australia and internationally, twice hosting
Carols in the Domain, and also releasing four gold-selling albums.
Death

On the evening of 30 September 2008, Guest was taken to
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, after suffering a
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
. He died on the morning of 1 October 2008 with his partner Kellie Dickerson, Judy Barnes and their children Christopher and Amy and best friend Greg Smart by his side. At the time of his death, Guest was appearing as the
Wizard of Oz in the Australian premiere production of the hit Broadway musical ''
Wicked'', which had opened in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in July 2008. Kellie Dickerson was the show's musical director at the time. A public memorial was held for Guest at the Regent Theatre on 13 October 2008, featuring speeches and musical performances by his friends and co-stars from various shows.
Bert Newton was brought in as his replacement in ''Wicked'', six weeks following his death.
Guest was buried at
Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium,
Macquarie Park, New South Wales.
Discography
Albums
Performances
*''
Jekyll & Hyde'' as
Dr. Henry Jekyll/
Mr. Edward Hyde
*''
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...
'' as
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
*''
Jolson'' as
Al Jolson
Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian.
Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...
*''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' as
Joseph
Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...
*''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'' as
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
*''
Pippin'' as Pippin
*''
The Music Man
''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...
'' as Harold Hill
*''
The Phantom of the Opera'' as
The Phantom of the Opera
*''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'' as Captain Von Trapp
*''
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' as
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...
*''
Wicked'' as
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
''Guest died whilst performing in'' ''
Wicked''
Honours and awards
*Officer of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE), 31 December 1993
*Entertainer of the Year
[Undate]
resume
(PDF) for Guest, Sherin Richards Management. Retrieved 2009-09-27. The resume does not specify the year or give any further detail.
*Recording Artist of the Year
*Theatrical Performer of the Year
*Benny Award Winner from the
Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc
*Shure Gold Microphone Award from the
Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc
*
Green Room Awards
The Green Room Awards are Australian peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, theatre companies, independent theatre, musical theatre, contemporary and experimental performance, and opera. The awards, which were established in ...
–
Best Male Theatrical Performer – Jean Valjean
*Best Performance Award – Los Angeles –
Los Angeles Song Festival
*
F.I.D.O.F Award. Seoul Korea
*
Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Wicked
The Rob Guest Endowment
In recognition of Guest's achievements in the musical theatre industry, ANZ Trustees established a memorial fund in his honour to help emerging young performers in musical theatre. The Rob Guest Endowment is awarded each year to an emerging musical theatre performer selected by a panel of industry experts. The award will provide the emerging performer with further knowledge and training in the industry to develop their potential. 2009 saw the Endowment created, the competition launched and the inaugural concert staged at
Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. Recipients of the endowment have been
Danielle Matthews (2009),
Francine Cain (2010), Blake Bowden (2011), Glen Hill (2012), Samantha Leigh Dodemaide (2013) and Josh Robson (2014). 2014 saw the inclusion of two more awards, each offering a prize of $10,000. The
Sue Natrass Award, won by Isabelle Stadler in 2014 for a member of a musical theatre technical team. The
Brian Stacey Award for a musician currently working in the field of musical theatre was won by Isaac Hayward.
References
External links
The Rob Guest Endowment website*
ttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4720943a24437.html The Dominion Post, 9 October 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guest, Rob
1950 births
2008 deaths
New Zealand male stage actors
Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands
New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Helpmann Award winners
British emigrants
Immigrants to New Zealand
New Zealand male musical theatre actors
Immigrants to Australia
20th-century New Zealand male singers
20th-century Australian male singers