Gary Beach | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1947-10-10)October 10, 1947 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2018(2018-07-17) (aged 70) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Education | Old Dominion University University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1969–2018 |
| Spouse | Jeffrey Barnett |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical 2001The Producers |
Gary Beach (October 10, 1947 – July 17, 2018) was an American actor ofstage, film and television. His roles included Roger De Bris in both thestage andfilm productions ofThe Producers, which won him aTony Award, and Lumiere in thestage musical version of Disney'sBeauty and the Beast, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.
Beach was born inAlexandria, Virginia, and graduated fromGroveton High School. He went on to graduate from theNorth Carolina School of the Arts, the same school as hisBeauty and the Beast co-starTerrence Mann.[1]
Beach's television credits included both the 2003 and 2009Kennedy Center Honors,Queer as Folk,Murder, She Wrote,Cheers,Sisters,Arli$$, andSaved by the Bell, as well as "Recording the Producers", a documentary for PBS.[2] Beach also lent his voice to Fox'sFamily Guy in the now infamous banned-from-television episode "Partial Terms of Endearment" (available on DVD).
In 1994, Beach originated the comical role ofLumiere inBeauty and the Beast, a performance that earned him aTony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2001, he originated the stage role of Roger DeBris inThe Producers for which he won theTony Award for Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2004, he starred as Albin in the Broadway revival ofLa Cage aux Folles, earning him his third Tony nomination, this time for Leading Actor. After starring in the2005 film version ofThe Producers, Beach returned to his stage role as Roger DeBris while the movie was in release, becoming the first artist to play the same part on Broadway and in movie theaters at the same time. In 2006, Beach played the role ofThénardier in the Broadway revival ofLes Misérables, a role he had originated in theLos Angeles production. Previously, he performed in the chorus for the 1989Les Misérables: Complete Symphonic Recording. In March 2008, Beach joined the United States national tour cast ofMonty Python's Spamalot in the lead role ofKing Arthur.[3]
Beach's other Broadway credits includedAnnie,Doonesbury,The Moony Shapiro Songbook,Broadway Bash,Sweet Adeline (Encores),Something's Afoot and1776. He toured nationally with theJames Kirkwood comedyLegends! starringMary Martin andCarol Channing. In addition to his Broadway credits, Beach was well known for hisSummer stock theatre performances. In later years he frequently returned to Sacramento as aMusic Circus favorite in shows such asGuys and Dolls,A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum andSpamalot.
Beach and his husband, Jeffrey Barnett,[4][5] resided inPalm Springs, California where Beach died on July 17, 2018, at the age of 70. On July 20th, 2018 at 6:45 pm, Disney presented a tribute to Beach on the marquee of theNew Amsterdam Theatre.[6]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Beauty and the Beast | Nominated |
| 2001 | The Producers | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | La Cage aux Folles | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |