Michael McCarthy
Biography
Recently, he has taken on the role of Sweeney Todd to rave reviews in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Gothenburg Opera House, with the Gothenburg Orchestra, Sweden for West End International.
Other recent performances include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Key West Pops Orchestra, USA, Rogers and Hammerstein, RTE Concert Orchestra, Ireland, and Stockholm Sinfonietta, Sweden, Dracula in a music video filmed on location in Wales entitled, “Within My World” now available on YouTube, special guest appearances in the Michael Ball concert series, and several concerts for BBC Radio's, Friday Night is Music Night, BBC Concert Orchestra, the latest of which was a special audience for Stephen Sondheim and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate their coinciding birthdays.
For more information please visit www.michaelmccarthy.net.
Born in Cork, Ireland, Michael began his professional career at the age of 15 performing leading roles at the Cork Opera House. Having studied classical piano from a younger age, he went on to receive a diploma in drama with honours from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Michael performed with the Montfort Singers in Cork and also taught on the staff of the Montfort College of Performing Arts. He then received a full scholarship to Stephens College in the United States where he attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre and music. He is one of the few, proud survivors of the Okoboji Theatre!!
Concerts: Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with the Gothenburg Orchestra (Gothenburg Opera House), Best of the West End with the Stockholm Sinfonietta (Stockholm/Gothenburg), Rodgers & Hammerstein with the RTE Concert Orchestra (National Concert Hall, Dublin/Limerick/ Athlone/Galway), Friday Night is Music Night with the BBC Concert Orchestra (BBC Radio, London), An Evening With Sir Tim Rice (London), Who Could Ask For Anything More? - a tribute to Ira Gershwin at his centenary (Royal Albert Hall, filmed by HD Thames TV/recorded by BBC Radio/ in the presence of the Gershwin Family and PM John Major), Lesley Garrett and Friends - Music From the Movies with the Orchestra of Opera North (Temple Newsham, filmed by BBC),replacing the international opera star, Bryn Tyrfel, in the open-air Bryn Tyrfel's Faenol Festival (Wales/filmed for BBC), The Music of Sir Andrew Lloyd-Weber (National Concert Hall, Dublin), An open-air concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Dulwich Festival (London), Summer Concert with The Jersey Symphony Orchestra (Jersey), Inkle & Yarico in concert (Berlin/Edinburgh/live on the internet and screened in Covent Garden), Night of 100 Stars- tribute to Marvin Hamlisch (London Palladium), A featured guest soloist with Michael Ball in his summer concert series (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/UK,2004-2008), The Proms in Ireland with the RTE Concert Orchestra (filmed by RTE), Michael McCarthy in cabaret (London/Belfast for Performing Artists), Mad About Musicals (National Concert Hall, Dublin/recorded by RTE), Summer Concert Season (NCH, Dublin/recorded by RTE), Kander & Ebb Revue (USA), A Musical Adventure (Wales), Michael McCarthy in cabaret (Lauderdale House, London), Michael McCarthy in concert (Worcester, UK), A Musical Gala (Halifax, UK), A World Cup Celebration (NCH, Dublin), Michael McCarthy (Afternoon Concert Series/NCH, Dublin), VE Day Celebration (Hyde Park, London, in the presence of Queen Elisabeth), The open-air concert of Les Miserables at the Chelmsford Festival, Tenth Anniversary concert of Les Miserables (Royal Albert Hall, filmed & recorded, available on DVD), Les Miserables in concert (Windsor Castle in the presence of Queen Elisabeth, PM Tony Blair and French President Chirac), Les Miserables in concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (The Globen, Stockholm/Copenhagen/ Gothenburg/Helsinki/Oslo), Michael has also performed in a variety of charity concerts including: York Cathedral, Ripon Cathedral, Lanesborough Hotel/London, Royal Academy of Music/London, Huntingdon Hall/Worcester, Spain & Gilbratar for children's charity, ARC Concert/Cork Opera House, Ireland and many more. He has been interviewed and sang many times on BBC, RTE, LBC and Australia's Channel 7. He also sang the theme song to the documentary I Have a Dream about the work of Christina Noble (Christina Noble Foundation, a children's charity giving children around the world the right to have dreams.)
Recordings & Film: Michael's own CDs, Broadway and Living for the Moment. A CD entitled Dracula by Sang de Vie with a music video, “Within My World” shown on YouTube.com. In concert DVD film released entitled Lesley Garrett & Friends: Music From The Movies (filmed by the BBC which aired on Christmas Day). Special appearance as The Gypsy King in the film The Tenth Kingdom (NBC/SKY), Presenter in Careers (filmed in Canada), Thomas Inkle in Inkle & Yarico (PBS Documentary/USA, filmed on location in Barbados) and in the film, Jesus Christ Superstar, as Priest (Universal/RUG)
Theatre: Inspector Javert in Les Miserables (London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney, Melbourne, Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, Plymouth, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, and Oslo. For the Tenth Anniversary production in Australia he received a nomination for Best Male Artist), Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (West End International/Gothenburg), The Phantom in Ken Hill's The Phantom of the Opera (UK tour/London), Molokov in CHESS - The Musical (Norway), Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Key West Pops Orchestra/Key West, USA), Thomas Inkle in Inkle & Yarico (Washington DC/Berlin/Edinburgh and filmed in Barbados by PBS/USA), The Red Shadow in The Desert Song (Ireland), Dr. Akizuki in Out of The Blue (West End, London), Marco in A View From The Bridge (Edinburgh/USA), Count Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music (USA), Sir Lancelot in Camelot (Ireland), Dominique in The Baker's Wife (USA), The Officer in The Hostage (USA), Patrick Dennis in Mame (Ireland), Tom Trainer in No No Nannette (Ireland), Tom in Brigadoon (USA), Max in Cabaret (USA), Cole Porter (biographical revue/USA), Rigoletto (Ireland), Duke in Twelfth Night (USA), Mr. Loveday in London Cuckolds, Harry McMichael in Not Now Darling, Leonard in Pajama Tops, Laurey in Little Women, Love From Judy and Eugene O'Neill's Ah Wilderness (USA).
Michael starred in the world premiere of a new musical entitled, Inkle and Yarico at the Edinburgh Festival. The show was the first to air live on the Internet and to a mega screen in Covent Garden, London. The show was then taken to Washington DC where Michael performed for members of the White House. Immediately after that performance, he filmed a documentary on location in Barbados which dealt with the history of Thomas Inkle, Yarico and the British abolition of the slave trade two centuries ago for PBS television in the USA.
Michael is a supporter of the Christina Noble Foundation giving children around the world the right to have dreams.
2010
Michael McCarthy made an incredible impact around the world with his critically acclaimed and powerful portrayal of Inspector Javert in the hit musical Les Misérables.
Michael has not only performed this role in London's West End, Broadway, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, Dublin and many other cities but he has also performed concert versions of Les Misérables at Windsor Castle, the Royal Albert Hall and various European stadiums and arenas with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Michael McCarthy
