Gavin Lee | |
|---|---|
 Lee in 2019 | |
| Born | Woodbridge, Suffolk, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
Gavin Lee is an English actor who has appeared on the stage in musical theatre, playing Bert in the musicalMary Poppins, in both theWest End and onBroadway, andSquidward Tentacles in the original Broadway cast ofSpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.
Lee is an alumnus of theDoreen Bird College of Performing Arts after which he has been involved in various musicals as a performer and choreographer.[citation needed]
Lee appeared in the dance playContact in the West End at the Queen's Theatre, opening in October 2002.[1]
In 2004, Lee auditioned to be theBert understudy in the London production ofMary Poppins, but won the role outright. He originated the role of Bert in the originalWest End production. He also starred as Bert in theBroadway production ofMary Poppins.[2] He was chosen for the Broadway role because of his critically acclaimed performance as Bert in the West End production. He departed the Broadway production after nearly two years to launch the US National Tour, but returned to the Broadway production in August 2010 until January 2013. Lee was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical at the 2005Olivier Awards and the 2005 Theatregoer's Choice Awards for originating the West End role of Bert. For his Broadway performance, Lee was nominated for the 2006Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Actor in a Musical) and the 2007Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He also won the 2007Drama Desk Award for Featured Actor in a Musical and an award for Outstanding Broadway Debut at the 63rd annualTheatre World Awards. In August 2007, Lee was added toSardi's caricature gallery with other Broadway actors.[3]
In June 2008, Lee performed in a concert version ofShow Boat atCarnegie Hall asFrank Schultz.[4] He has performed as part ofAndrew Lloyd Webber'sThe Phantom of the Opera film adaptation, appearing as one of the singers/dancers in the "Masquerade" scene.
Lee and former London co-starLaura Michelle Kelly performed as Bert and Mary Poppins in theAmerica Celebrates 4 July at Fords Theatre in front of PresidentBarack Obama and First LadyMichelle Obama on 6 June 2010. The special aired on 2 July 2010 onABC.[5] Lee again reunited with Kelly when he returned to the role of Bert in the Broadway production ofMary Poppins on 24 August 2010.[6]
He took over the role of Jerry Travers in the West End production ofTop Hat beginning 5 February 2013.[7] He joined the Broadway revival ofLes Miserables as Thenardier beginning 3 March 2015.[8]
Lee playedSquidward Tentacles inSpongeBob SquarePants, the Broadway Musical. The stage musical premiered at theOriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, and ran from June to July 2016.[9] Lee reprised his role as Squidward for the Broadway run of the musical, starting with November 2017 previews at thePalace Theatre[10] and remaining until it closed in September 2018.[11] Lee was nominated for aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Squidward.
In June 2019, he appeared atPaper Mill Playhouse inMillburn, New Jersey, taking on the role of Lumiere inBeauty and the Beast.[12] He reprised the role in the 2021 UK tour.[13] The production then transferred to the West End'sLondon Palladium for a limited engagement beginning June 2022.[14]
On February 17, 2020, he performed the Manhattan Concert Productions' 50th-anniversary celebration ofJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat atDavid Geffen Hall,Lincoln Center. He played the Butler.[citation needed]
Lee returned to thePaper Mill Playhouse to play Max Detweiler in its production ofThe Sound of Music from December 2–January 1, 2023.[15] He then went on to star in the tribute revueStephen Sondheim's Old Friends, which opened at theGielgud Theatre on 3 October 2023 following preview performances that began on 21 September.[16] The production is scheduled to run until 6 January 2024.[17]
Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony
| Year | Award | Performance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Best Actor in a Musical | Mary Poppins | Nominated |
| 2018 | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants | Nominated |
Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony
| Year | Award | Performance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Mary Poppins | Won |
| 2018 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Won |
Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony
| Year | Award | Performance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Best Actor in a Musical | Mary Poppins | Nominated |
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