James Barbour (singer)

Barbour was born April 25, 1966 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.[1] He graduated from Hofstra University,[4] where he majored in English and Theatre with a minor in Philosophy and Physics.[5]

Barbour made his Broadway debut in 1993, in the short-lived production of Cyrano: The Musical. He has frequently played emotionally-troubled men in period musicals, including the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Billy Bigelow in Carousel, Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre (for which he was nominated for a Drama League Award), and Leon Czolgosz in Assassins. He also appeared in the Broadway production of Urinetown, and in the National Tours of The Secret Garden and Camelot.[6]

In late 2007, he performed the role of Sydney Carton in a world premiere pre-Broadway musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.[7] Following a 60-day incarceration at Rikers Island, Barbour reprised his role in the 2008 Broadway production of A Tale of Two Cities, which closed after just 60 performances.[8] In the New York Times, critic Ben Brantley disliked both the production and Barbour's performance in it:

If you want grotesque, look (bizarrely enough) to the show’s star, James Barbour, who portrays the worthy but dissolute Sydney Carton. ... [Barbour] is giving the kind of high-camp, hair-tossing performance New York hasn’t seen from a leading man since Robert Cuccioli lashed the air with his ponytail in Jekyll & Hyde. With a voice that combines the boom of thunder with the breathlessness of Marilyn Monroe and a leaning posture that appears to be in eternal search of a lamppost, Mr. Barbour invests every minute he’s onstage with heavy-lidded, overripe languor. Some might call his performance de trop (well, in Paris they might). But hey, at least he shows signs of life, something otherwise perversely lacking in this tale of historic turmoil.[9]

In 2011, it was announced that he would play the supporting role of Jack Favel in the Broadway musical adaptation of Rebecca. The production was plagued with legal and financial problems, and the production has been indefinitely postponed after multiple delays.[10][11]

Barbour played the title role in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera for nearly three years, from February 2015 until December 2017. He was succeeded by Peter Jöback.[12]

In April 2006, Barbour was arrested and charged with statutory rape of a 15-year-old female minor five and half years prior.[13][14][15] In the Fall of 2006, he was indicted by a grand jury in New York for said crime.[16][17][18][19][20] In January 2008, he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in exchange for a lesser sentence of 60 days in jail and three years' probation. Also, in accordance with his plea bargain, Barbour made a public allocution to these misdemeanors.[21][22] He began his sixty-day jail sentence at Rikers Island on February 29, 2008.[23]

Two months after Barbour's release, it was announced that he would return to Broadway as the star of a musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities.[24]

He launched a holiday concert series at New York's Sardi's Restaurant in 2008.[25] Each performance featured a guest performer, including Brandi Burkhardt, Natalie Toro, Deborah Gibson, Marla Schaffel, Marc Kudisch, and Kevin Earley.[26] He repeated the holidays concerts in 2009 in both New York and Los Angeles.[27] In 2010, he expanded these concerts to six cities.[28]

He followed this with a second Sardi's concert series, "Love Songs," featuring numerous Broadway classics.[29]

In March 2017, less than a decade after Barbour's arrest, his likeness was immortalized in a caricature portrait on the wall at Sardi's.[30][31]

He co-founded Laughing Dog Entertainment with Steve Binder.[32]

Barbour is married to fellow performer Dana Stackpole, with whom he has two daughters.[1][33][34]

In 2014, he gave a fundraising performance for Scientology.[35]

He has been an Artist Committee Board member of The Actors Fund of America for since 2000[36] during which time he has performed many charitable fundraisers in support of the Fund and Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.[37]

He has given benefit concerts for his alma mater, Hofstra University.[38]

• Cyrano: The Musical (1993)
• Carousel (1994)
• Beauty and the Beast (1998–1999)
• Jane Eyre (2000)
• Urinetown (2001)
• Assassins (2004)
• A Tale of Two Cities (2008)
• The Phantom of the Opera (2015)

• Beauty and the Beast: A Concert on Ice (1996) (TV)
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996) (TV)
• Cyrano: The Musical (1997) (TV)
• Just Shoot Me! (1997) (TV)
• Houdini (1998)
• Sex and the City (1999) (TV)
• Twinkle Toes (1999)
• The District (2000) (TV)
• That's Life (2001) (TV)
• Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
• Ed (2003) (TV)
• Alchemy (2005)

• Bring Me Giants (2010)
• A Gift of Christmas (2009)
• A Tale of Two Cities, The Musical: International Studio Cast Recording (2008)
• Broadway in Concert (with Hershey Felder) (2007)
• Dracula: The Musical Concept Recording
• Jane Eyre – Original Cast Recording
• Assassins - Broadway Cast Recording
• Love Songs
• The Gift

• 2001 Drama League Award - Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre ~ The Musical (WIN)
• 2006/7 LA Weekly Garland Award - Back From Broadway (WIN)
• 2007 Sarasota Magazine Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities (WIN - Tie)
• 2008-2009 BroadwayWorld Fan Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities (Finalist /Runner-Up )
• 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities (Nomination)
• 2009 Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities (Nomination)

• "James Barbour Official Website".
• James Barbour on IMDb
• James Barbour at the Internet Broadway Database
• James Barbour at the Internet Off-Broadway Database