Davis Gaines (born January 21, 1954, Orlando, Florida) is an American stage actor and baritone. He has performed as The Phantom in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera over 2,000 times, on Broadway, on tour, in Los Angeles, and in San Francisco. (He had previously played Raoul in the Broadway production.) He won the Bay Area Critics' Award for Best Actor. He performed the role for a Phantom segment for the Kennedy Center Honors in 1994.
He originated the lead role of The Man in Whistle Down the Wind (1996). Gaines was also the singing voice of Chamberlain in The Swan Princess (1994). He guested in "Murder in White", a 1993 episode of Murder, She Wrote. He was also a musical guest star for Broadway on Ice, a touring ice show with live music. Gaines played the role of Anthony Hope in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in concert, alongside George Hearn as Todd, Patti LuPone as Lovett, Timothy Nolen as Turpin, and Neil Patrick Harris as Tobias. He has since reprised the role of Anthony in numerous productions. He also played the Old Confederate Soldier and Judge Roan in Parade at the Lincoln Center in 2015.
He's also known for his performances in regional productions of Les Misérables, Parade, Damn Yankees, and Hello, Dolly!. He received an Ovation Award for his performance in the role of Don Quixote / Miguel de Cervantes in Man of La Mancha. He was also in the original Off-Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins as an understudy for the roles of the Balladeer and Charles Guiteau. In 2000, he was in a concert version of The Frogs opposite Nathan Lane and Brian Stokes Mitchell at the Library of Congress.Davis Gaines AboutTheArtists
One of his first jobs was as a costumed character at Walt Disney World theme park; as a high school student, he played Pinocchio character J. Worthington Foulfellow.
Stage credits Sources:IBDB Year Title Role Location Notes1979The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasCowboy / Dogette / Aggie / Photographer / Governor's Aide-US National Tour1980CamelotSir Lionel's Squire / EnsembleNew York State TheatreBroadway1981Sir Lionel's Squire-US National TourSir Sagramore's Squire-1982The Death of von Richthofen as Witnessed from EarthMember of The Flying Circusu/s R. Raymond-BarkerThe Public TheaterOff-Broadway1983Hello, Dolly!Cornelius Hackl-US National Tour1984Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJosephPaper Mill PlayhouseWestport Country Playhouse1985Guys and DollsSky MastersonSeattle Repertory TheatreCabaretClifford BradshawDarien Dinner Theatre1986Hello, Dolly!Cornelius HacklHeinz HallCamelotSir Lancelot du LacGarde Arts CenterThe New MoonRobert MissionNew York City OperaAlternateDamn YankeesJoe HardyPaper Mill Playhouse1988Damn YankeesJoe HardyRoyal Alexandra TheatreArsenic and Old LaceMortimer BrewsterHart House Theatre1989CompanyRobertBirmingham TheatreShe Loves MeSteven KodalyLillie Blake SchoolShow BoatGaylord RavenalMinnesota OperaWest Side StoryTonyNorth Shore Music Theatre1990CarouselBilly BigelowThe Phantom of the OperaRaoul, Vicomte de ChagnyMajestic TheatreBroadway1990-1991Assassinsu/s The Balladeeru/s Charles GuiteauPlaywrights HorizonsOff-Broadway1991-1994The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera-US National Tour1994-1996Majestic TheatreBroadway1995PippinPippin1996-1997Whistle Down the WindThe ManNational Theatre1997The Boys from SyracuseAntipholus of SyracuseNew York City Center Off-BroadwayEncores!1998The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera-US National Tour1999Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetAnthony HopeAhmanson TheatreConcert2000Royal Festival Hall, Southbank CentreAvery Fisher Hall, Lincoln CenterThe New York PhilharmonicThe FrogsWilliam ShakespeareThe Library of CongressConcert2001Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetAnthony HopeSan Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts CenterRavinia Festival2009Sweeney ToddBob Carr TheaterParadeOld Confederate Soldier /Judge Leonard RoanMark Taper Forum20101776Richard Henry LeeCarpenter Performing Arts Center2011CamelotKing ArthurWells Fargo Pavilion2012Man of La ManchaDon Quixote / Miguel de CervantesCarpenter Performing Arts CenterWon an Ovation AwardMonty Python's SpamalotKing ArthurSilence! The MusicalDr. Hannibal LecterHayworth Theatre2013 Mack and Mabel Mack Carpenter Performing Arts CenterI Do! I Do!MichaelLaguna Playhouse2014The Music ManProfessor Harold HillCarpenter Performing Arts CenterLes MisérablesInspector JavertOrlando Shakespeare Theater2015ParadeOld Confederate Soldier /Judge Leonard RoanAvery Fisher Hall, Lincoln CenterConcertLes MisérablesInspector JavertCarpenter Performing Arts Center2016Dirty Rotten ScoundrelsLawrence JamesonLend Me a TenorTito MerelliLa Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts2017EvitaJuan PerónCarpenter Performing Arts CenterNewsiesJoseph PulitzerThe Muny2018ParadeHugh DorseyCerritos Center for the Performing Arts2019Oliver!FaginCarpenter Performing Arts CenterSomething Rotten!Nostradamus2022The FantasticksEl GalloOrlando Shakespeare Theater
Filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1993Warlock: The ArmageddonNathan Sinclair1994The Swan PrincessSir Chamberlain (singing voice)Voice1998Cab to CanadaMaitre D'TV movieThe Swan Princess: Sing AlongSir ChamberlainShortVoice2001Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in ConcertAnthony HopeTV movie
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1992The Bold and the BeautifulStuart Maxwell2 episodes1993Bodies of EvidencePeter Marx2 episodesMurder, She WrotePeter Drew1 episode1995Guiding LightDoctor1 episode1998Chicago HopeRolf Cabot2005CharmedWalter Nance1 episode2009Desperate HousewivesAccountant
Awards and nominations Ovation Awards 2012: Won the award for Lead Actor in a Musical for his role as Cervantes/Quixote in the Musical Theatre West production of Man of La Mancha
References
External links
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