Editing Michael Crawford (section)

==Acting career==
===Career beginnings===
Crawford made his first stage appearance in the role of Sammy the Little Sweep in his school production of [[Benjamin Britten]]'s ''[[Let's Make an Opera]]'', conducted by [[Donald Mitchell (writer)|Donald Mitchell]],<ref name=Mitchell28>Donald Mitchell, Philip Reed and Mervyn Cooke (eds) ''Letters from a Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol 3, 1946–1951''. Faber and Faber, London, 2004, p. 28. {{ISBN|978-0571222827}}.</ref> which was then transferred to [[Lambeth Town Hall|Brixton Town Hall]] in London. He auditioned, unsuccessfully, for the role of Miles in Britten's ''[[The Turn of the Screw]]'' – the role being given to another boy soprano, [[David Hemmings]]; but it appears that Crawford's audition sufficiently impressed Britten as in 1955 he hired him to play Sammy, alternating with David Hemmings, in another production of ''Let's Make an Opera'', this time at the [[Scala Theatre]] in London.<ref name=mitchell27>Mitchell (2004): p. 27</ref> He also participated in the recording of that opera (as Michael Ingram, singing the role of Gay Brook) made that same year, conducted by the composer.<ref name=mitchell27/><ref>Booklet details from Decca 436 393–2</ref>

In 1958, Crawford was hired by the [[English Opera Group]] to create the role of Jaffet in another Britten opera, ''[[Noye's Fludde]]'', based on the story of [[Noah and the Flood|Noah and the Great Flood]].<ref name=Mitchell28/> Crawford remembers that it was while working in this production that he realised he seriously wanted to become an actor. It was in between performances of ''Let's Make an Opera'' and ''Noye's Fludde'' that he was advised to change his name, "to avoid confusion with a television newsman called Michael Ingram[s] who was registered with [[British Equity]]".<ref name="parcel"/>

Crawford went on to perform in a wide repertoire. Among his stage work, he performed in [[André Birabeau]]'s French comedy ''Head of the Family (Dame Nature)'', [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[Come Blow Your Horn]]'', [[Bernard Kops]]'s ''Change for the Angel'', [[Francis Swann]]'s ''Out of the Frying Pan'', [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]'', ''[[Coriolanus]]'', and ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', [[Oscar Wilde]]'s ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'', ''The Striplings'', ''The Move After Checkmate'' and others. At the same time, he appeared in hundreds of BBC radio broadcasts and early BBC series, such as ''[[Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV series)|Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School]]'', ''[[Emergency - Ward 10]]'', ''[[Probation Officer (TV series)|Probation Officer]]'', and ''[[Two Living, One Dead]]''. He appeared as the cabin boy John Drake in the television series ''[[Sir Francis Drake (television)|Sir Francis Drake]]'', a 26-part adventure series made by ITC starring [[Terence Morgan]] and [[Jean Kent]]. He made his film debut in 1958 with leading roles in two children's films, ''Blow Your Own Trumpet'' and ''Soapbox Derby'', for The [[Children's Film Foundation]] in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Herincx |first=Gareth |title=Entertainment: Crawford comes clean |work=[[BBC News]] |date=16 September 1999 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/448037.stm |access-date=2 September 2014 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112195932/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/448037.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1961, Crawford appeared in an episode of ''[[Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond|One Step Beyond]]'' called "The Villa" in which he played a character experimenting with strobe lights. Crawford appears in the only surviving episode of the 1960 British crime series ''[[Police Surgeon (UK TV series)|Police Surgeon]]'' alongside [[Ian Hendry]]. This series would spawn the much better-known ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]''.

===Early adult career===
At age nineteen, he was approached to play an American, Junior Sailen, in the film ''[[The War Lover]]'' (1962), which starred [[Steve McQueen]]. To prepare for the role, he would spend hours listening to [[Woody Woodbury]], a famous American comedian of the time, to try to perfect an American accent. After ''[[The War Lover]]'', Crawford briefly returned to the stage and, after playing the lead role in the 1963 British film ''[[Two Left Feet (film)|Two Left Feet]]'', was offered a role in the British television series, ''[[Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life]]'', as the Mod-style, tough-talking, motor-scooter riding Byron. It was this character that attracted film director [[Richard Lester]] to hire him for the role of Colin in ''[[The Knack ...and How to Get It]]'' in 1965. The film was a huge success in the UK.

Lester also cast him in the [[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)|film adaptation]] of [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s musical ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', and ''[[How I Won the War]]'', which starred [[Roy Kinnear]] and [[John Lennon]] (during the filming of which he lived in London with Lennon and his first wife [[Cynthia Lennon|Cynthia]], and Gabrielle Lewis).<ref>As told to [[Matt Baker]] and [[Alex Jones (Welsh presenter)|Alex Jones]] on the [[BBC]] show "[[The One Show]]" on 1 August 2011.</ref> Crawford starred in ''[[The Jokers]]'' (directed by [[Michael Winner]]) with [[Oliver Reed]] in 1967.

===Broadway debut===
In 1967, Crawford made his [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] début in [[Peter Shaffer]]'s ''[[Black Comedy (play)|Black Comedy]]'' with [[Lynn Redgrave]] (making her début as well) in which he demonstrated his aptitude and daring for extreme physical comedy, such as walking into walls and falling down staircases. While working in the show, he was noticed by [[Gene Kelly]] and was called to Hollywood to audition for him for a part in the [[Hello, Dolly! (film)|film adaptation]] of the musical ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]''. He was cast and shared top billing with [[Barbra Streisand]] and [[Walter Matthau]]. Despite becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1969, it failed to recoup its $25&nbsp;million budget at the box office. It went on to win three [[Academy Awards]], was nominated for a further four (including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]), and is now considered to be one of the greatest musical films ever.<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 Greatest Film Musicals |url=http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/movie-pages/movie_musicals.php |access-date=7 December 2015 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017085638/http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/movie-pages/movie_musicals.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Movie Musicals of All Time |url=http://www.ranthollywood.com/2014/12/24/best-movie-musicals-of-all-time/ |access-date=7 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221130312/http://www.ranthollywood.com/2014/12/24/best-movie-musicals-of-all-time/ |archive-date=21 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Top 100 Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time |url=http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/8/9/the-top-100-greatest-movie-musicals-of-all-time/|access-date = 7 December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160206232128/http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/8/9/the-top-100-greatest-movie-musicals-of-all-time|archive-date = 6 February 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Crawford's later films fared less successfully, although ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', in which he played the White Rabbit, enjoyed moderate success in the UK. After performing in ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', and with offers of work greatly reduced and much of his salary from ''Hello, Dolly!'' lost, reportedly due to underhanded investments by his agent,<ref name="parcel">{{cite book |url=http://www.mcifa.com/parcel3.cfm |last=Crawford |first=Michael |title=Parcel Arrived Safely, Tied with String |date=23 August 1999 |access-date=6 April 2009 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112195925/https://www.mcifa.com/parcel3.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref> Crawford faced a brief period of unemployment, in which he helped his wife stuff cushions (for their upholstery business) and took a job as an office clerk in an electric company to pass the time between. During this difficult time, his marriage fell apart and divorce followed in 1975.<ref name="parcel"/>

===''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em''===
Crawford's acting career took off again after he appeared on the London stage in the farce ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', in which he played the part of frantic chief cashier Brian Runnicles. His performance led to an invitation to star in a [[BBC]] television comedy series about a childlike and eternally haphazard man who causes disaster everywhere he goes. Crawford was not the first choice for the role of Frank Spencer in ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''. Originally, the part had been offered to comedy actor [[Ronnie Barker]] but after he and [[Norman Wisdom]] had turned it down, Crawford took on the challenge, adopting a similar characterisation to that which he used when playing Brian Runnicles. Cast alongside him was actress [[Michele Dotrice]] in the role of Frank's long-suffering wife, Betty, and the series premiered in 1973.

''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' soon became one of the [[BBC]]'s most popular television series. Initially, only two series were produced, from 1973 to 1975, while the show's creators felt that it should stop while at its peak. There was a brief hiatus until popular demand saw it revived for a final series in 1978. The immense popularity that followed the sitcom was due perhaps to the unusual amount of physical comedy involved. Crawford said he had always been a fan of comedians such as [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Buster Keaton]] and [[Laurel and Hardy]], as well as the great sight gags employed in the days of silent film, and saw ''Some Mothers'' as the ideal opportunity to use such humour himself. He performed all of his own stunts during the show's run, and never used a double.<ref name="parcel"/>

===1970s===
While he was playing in ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', Crawford was approached to star in the musical ''[[Billy (musical)|Billy]]'' (based on the novel ''[[Billy Liar]]''), which opened in 1974 at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]] in London. This was his first leading man role on the West End stage and helped to cement his career as both a singer and showman. The part was demanding, requiring proficiency in both song and dance, and in preparation for the role, Crawford began taking both more seriously, studying singing under the tutelage of vocal coach Ian Adam and spending hours perfecting his dancing capabilities with choreographer [[Onna White]].<ref name="parcel"/>

''Billy'' gave the many fans of Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer an opportunity to see him in a broadly similar role on the stage, and was a considerable hit (904 West End performances). After the closing of ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', Crawford continued to perform in plays and musicals, starring in ''[[Charlie and Algernon|Flowers for Algernon]]'' (1979) in the role of Charley Gordon, based on the book of the same title. He pursued another role on an ITV sitcom, ''[[Chalk and Cheese]]'', as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn. The show did not go over well with his fans: the popularity of Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer, and the similar Billy Fisher character, had left him somewhat [[typecast]], to the extent that they could not accept his very different role as Dave Finn. Crawford abandoned the show during its first series and returned to theatre work.<ref name="parcel"/>

===1980s===

====''Condorman''====
Crawford starred in the 1981 Disney comedy/adventure film ''[[Condorman]]'', playing an eccentric American comic book writer and illustrator named Woody Wilkins who is asked by his friend at the [[CIA]] to help a [[Soviet Union|Russian]] woman to defect while acting out the fantasy of bringing his comic book creation, Condorman, to life.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Critics panned the film. On their television show, critics [[At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper|Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert]] featured the film in their round-up of the year's worst films pointing out the less-than-special effects such as the visible harness and cable used to suspend Condorman in the air and the obvious bluescreen effect. The film performed poorly at the box office but years later gained a [[cult following]] among Disney fans.<ref name="parcel"/>

====''Barnum''====
Also in 1981, Crawford starred in the original London production of [[Cy Coleman]]'s ''[[Barnum (musical)|Barnum]]'' (1981) as the illustrious American showman [[P. T. Barnum]]. He trained at the ''Big Apple Circus School'' in New York City to prepare for the ambitious stunts, learning to walk the tight-rope, juggle and slide down a rope from the rafters of the theatre. After further training for the second opening of ''Barnum'', he was awarded a British Amateur Gymnastics Association badge and certificate as a qualified coach.<ref name="parcel"/>

''Barnum'' opened on 11 June 1981 at the [[London Palladium]], where it ran for 655 performances. Crawford and [[Deborah Grant]] headed the cast. It was well-received, becoming a favourite of [[Margaret Thatcher]] as well as the [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Mother]]. Crawford earned his first [[Olivier Award]] for Best Actor in a Musical on the London stage. After the initial production of the show, he worked extensively with [[Torvill and Dean]], and can be seen rinkside with them as they received their "perfect six" marks in the 1983 world championships for their 'Barnum' routine.<ref>{{YouTube|o2UkD0tGitI|Crawford with Torvill & Dean receiving marks at World championships 1983}}</ref><ref>Hennessey, John. ''Torvill & Dean; David & Charles'' (1983); {{ISBN|0-7153-8476-7}}</ref>

In 1984 a revival of ''Barnum'' opened in [[Manchester]] at the [[Manchester Opera House|Opera House]], ending the tour at the [[Victoria Palace Theatre|Victoria Palace]] in the West End. In 1986 this production, with a new cast, though still headed by Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC. Crawford's ''Barnum'' is one of the longest runs by a leading actor.

====''The Phantom of the Opera''====
In 1984, at the final preview of ''[[Starlight Express]]'', Crawford happened to run into the show's creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lloyd Webber had met Crawford socially several times and remembered him from his work in ''Flowers for Algernon''. He informed Crawford that he was working on a new project based on a [[Gaston Leroux]] novel and wanted to know whether he was interested. Crawford said he was, but the show was still in the early planning stages, and nothing had been decided. Several months passed, during which Lloyd Webber had already created a pitch video featuring his then-wife [[Sarah Brightman]] as the female lead Christine, and British rocker [[Steve Harley]] as the Phantom, singing the title song in the manner of a contemporary [[New wave music|new wave]] video. Crawford was turned off by that, supposing the songwriter had chosen to do a "rock opera"-inspired spectacle in lieu of a more traditional operatic musical.<ref name="parcel"/>

Since casting Harley, however, Lloyd Webber had also begun to regret his artistic choices. According to the ''Behind the Mask'' documentary, he and producer [[Cameron Mackintosh]] agreed that Harley was neither an actor nor a commanding theatre presence, two areas in which Crawford had gained significant experience by this point. As production continued on the show, the bulk of the score was revealing itself to be far more classical and operatic, entirely unsuited to Harley's rough, contemporary voice. Wanting instead a performer with a more classic, melodic voice, as described in the original book, he began yet another search for the perfect actor to play his Phantom. Crawford's landing of the role was due in large part to the coincidence that he and Brightman were taking lessons from the same vocal coach, Ian Adam. Brightman and her husband had arrived early for her lesson, and it was while waiting that they chanced to hear Crawford practising the aria ''Care Selve'', from the opera ''Atalanta'' by [[Handel]]. Intrigued, Lloyd Webber asked Adam who his student was. Soon after, Crawford was called in for an audition and was hired virtually on the spot.<ref name="parcel"/>

Many critics were sceptical; Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were asked about his ability to manage such a vocally and dramatically demanding role. 

In September 1986, Crawford began his performances in London at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]]. In October 1987, he was replaced in London by [[Dave Willetts]], as he transferred over to Broadway. In January 1988, he started performances of the show on Broadway and in October of that same year, he was replaced by [[Timothy Nolen]]. Crawford then went on to start performing the show in Los Angeles in 1989. He played the Phantom for three and a half years and over 1,300 performances across the three productions, winning an [[Olivier Award]] (Best Actor in a Musical), a [[Tony Award]] (Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Musical), a New York [[Drama Desk Award]], and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre (Lead Performance).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcifa.com/biography.cfm|title=biography, timeline|access-date=2 February 2010|archive-date=12 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200011/https://www.mcifa.com/biography.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the run of ''Phantom'' in Los Angeles, Crawford was asked to perform "[[The Music of the Night]]" at the Inaugural Gala for President [[George H. W. Bush]] in Washington, D.C., on 19 January 1989. At the gala, Crawford was presented with a cake in celebration of his 47th birthday. 

On 29 April 1990, after three and a half years and over 1,300 performances later, Crawford left the show for the final time. He admits to having been saddened at his departure, and, during the final Lair scene, altered the Phantom's line to "Christine... I ''loved'' you", acknowledging that this was his final performance.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-30-me-82-story.html |title='Phantom' Departs Amid Cheers, Tears |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=30 April 1990 |last1=Braxton |first1=Greg |access-date=11 June 2018 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112195926/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-30-me-82-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, on 31 December 1990, he returned to the role in Los Angeles replacing [[Robert Guillaume]] in the role. Crawford played his true final performance on 28 April 1991. [[Davis Gaines]] replaced him in the production.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-09-ca-4163-story.html|title=Michael Crawford to Return to 'Phantom' Role : Theater: The originator of the title role in 'The Phantom of the Opera' will return to the Ahmanson on Dec. 31 to play the part again for at least three months.|first=Don|last=Shirley|date=9 November 1990|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=11 November 2023|archive-date=12 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200017/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-09-ca-4163-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/05/03/orlando-native-gets-notice-as-los-angeles-phantom/|title=Orlando Native Gets Notice as Los Angeles' 'Phantom'|date=3 May 1991|access-date=11 November 2023|archive-date=12 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112195928/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/05/03/orlando-native-gets-notice-as-los-angeles-phantom/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1990s===
At the request of Liz Kirschner, wife of film producer [[David Kirschner]], he obtained the role of Cornelius in [[20th Century Fox]]'s animated film ''[[Once Upon a Forest]]'', which was produced by her husband.

In 1995, Crawford created the high-profile starring role in ''[[EFX (show)|EFX]]'', the US$70&nbsp;million production which officially opened the 1,700-seat [[MGM Grand Las Vegas|MGM Grand Theatre]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]. The Atlantic Theater label released the companion album to EFX. Early into the run, Crawford suffered an accident during a performance (which involved him sliding from a wire hanger from the back of the theatre all the way to the stage and then jumping down {{convert|12|ft|m}} to the stage itself) and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation.<ref>''Weekend Wogan'', 25 September 2011</ref>

In the mid 1990s, Michael began a long-term relationship with Natasha MacAller, an American dancer and chef.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Honey |first1=Sam |title=Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em star's early life In Kent and the iconic Sheppey stunt |url=https://www.kentlive.news/news/celebs-tv/mothers-ave-em-stars-early-8564887 |website=Kent Live |access-date=17 September 2023 |date=30 June 2023 |quote=He has been with his current partner, Natasha MacAller, since 1996. |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200012/https://www.kentlive.news/news/celebs-tv/mothers-ave-em-stars-early-8564887 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===2000s to present===
In 2001, Crawford sang [[Baby Mine (song)|Baby Mine]] from Disney's ''[[Dumbo]]'' on its 60th anniversary [[VHS]] and DVD.
Crawford had a short comeback to Broadway as the Count von Krolock in the short-lived musical ''[[Dance of the Vampires (musical)|Dance of the Vampires]]'' (2002–03). He originated the role of Count Fosco in Lloyd Webber's ''[[The Woman in White (musical)|The Woman in White]]'', which opened at the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]], London in September 2004. However, he was forced to leave the show three months later because of ill health caused by dehydration resulting from the enormous fat-suit he wore during the performance. He spent several months recuperating and was thus unable to reprise the role on Broadway.<ref>{{cite web |title=An Interview with Michael Crawford |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/An_Interview_with_Michael_Crawford_20060106|access-date=6 April 2009}}</ref> He learned he was suffering from the post-viral condition [[myalgic encephalomyelitis]] (ME), which debilitated him for six years.<ref name=":0" />

He later moved to New Zealand briefly, both to be near his daughter and her family in Australia<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moran |first1=Jonathon |url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/the-secret-life-of-a-phantom-star/story-e6frfmqi-1226296026514 |title=The secret life of a Phantom star |newspaper=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |via=News.com.au |date=11 March 2012 |access-date=3 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120310202157/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/the-secret-life-of-a-phantom-star/story-e6frfmqi-1226296026514 |archive-date=10 March 2012}}</ref> and to convalesce from his illness.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=http://www.sundaymercury.net/lifestyle-news/nostalgia-history-midlands/2012/03/11/play-it-again-michael-crawford-on-the-day-he-ended-up-on-spaghetti-junction-in-his-pyjamas-66331-30500070 |title=Play it Again: Michael Crawford on the day he ended up on Spaghetti Junction in his pyjamas. |newspaper=Sunday Mercury |access-date=8 May 2012 |date=11 March 2012 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112210429/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/all-about/sunday-mercury |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, Crawford attended the Gala Performance of the stage version of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' on Broadway at the [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]] to celebrate the show's becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history (surpassing the run of ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]''). He was delighted with it, stating this was the first time he had been an audience member of any of the shows he had done.<ref>{{cite web |last=Crawford |first=Michael |title=Michael Attends Record-Breaking Phantom |url=http://www.mcifa.com/indexmain.cfm |access-date=8 April 2009 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200033/https://www.mcifa.com/indexmain.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 23 October 2010, Crawford attended the celebratory 10,000th performance of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in London alongside composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Crawford spoke of his own memories of the first performance 24 years ago, and was then presented, along with Lloyd Webber, with a special cake to commemorate the landmark achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_Phantom_Celebrates_10000th_West_End_Performance_with_Michael_Crawford_Andrew_Lloyd_Webber_20101023 |title=Phantom Celebrates 10000th West End Performance with Michael Crawford Andrew Lloyd Webber |date=23 October 2010 |access-date=29 October 2010 |archive-date=30 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930061832/http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_Phantom_Celebrates_10000th_West_End_Performance_with_Michael_Crawford_Andrew_Lloyd_Webber_20101023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Beginning with previews in February 2011, Crawford originated the part of the Wizard in the new [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]/[[Tim Rice]] musical version of ''[[The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' at the [[London Palladium]], which had its official opening on 1 March 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/8021358/Wizard-role-for-Michael-Crawford-in-new-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-musical.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/8021358/Wizard-role-for-Michael-Crawford-in-new-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-musical.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Wizard role for Michael Crawford in new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical |date=24 September 2010|access-date=24 September 2010 |location=London |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Anita |last=Singh}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He stated on ''[[This Morning (TV series)|This Morning: Sunday]]'', on 14 August 2011, that he had signed on for a further six months in the show.<ref>{{cite episode |title=This Morning |series=2011 |network=[[ITV1]] |airdate=14 August 2011}}</ref> He left the production on 5 February 2012; the same day as co-star [[Danielle Hope]] played her final performance as Dorothy. From 14 February, [[Russell Grant]] took over the role.<ref name=rt>{{cite web |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-01-23/russell-grant-to-join-andrew-lloyd-webber's-the-wizard-of-oz-stage-musical |title=Russell Grant to join Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz stage musical |author=Tim Glanfield |date=23 January 2012}}</ref>

On 2 October 2011 Crawford made a special appearance during the finale of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall]]'' — a fully staged production of the musical at the famous London venue – marking 25 years since the show received its world premiere. Although reunited with Sarah Brightman, he did no real singing as he had just finished performing in a matinee of ''The Wizard of Oz'' at the [[London Palladium]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND-OFF-PHANTOM-25-Sweet-Intoxication-20111003 |title=SOUND OFF: PHANTOM 25 – Sweet Intoxication |first=Pat |last=Cerasaro |website=BroadwayWorld.com |access-date=14 February 2021 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200424/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND-OFF-PHANTOM-25-Sweet-Intoxication-20111003 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 18 March 2016 Crawford and Dotrice reprised their roles in a one-off special of ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', broadcast as part of the [[Sport Relief]] charity fundraiser event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35595714 |work=[[BBC News]] |title=Michael Crawford to reprise Frank Spencer for Sport Relief |date=17 February 2016 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=31 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531040958/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35595714 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Crawford starred in the new West End musical ''[[The Go-Between]]'' which premiered on 27 May 2016 at [[Apollo Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/1740/Michael-Crawford-To-Star-In-The-Go-Between-London-Premiere-At-The-Apollo-Theatre.aspx |title=Michael Crawford To Star in the Go-Between London Premiere at the Apollo Theatre |publisher=London Theatre Direct |access-date=5 February 2016 |date=5 February 2016 |author=Porteous, Jacob |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112200616/https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/michael-crawford-to-star-in-the-go-between-london-premiere-at-the-apollo-theatre |url-status=live }}</ref> He appeared in the 60th anniversary performance of Britten's ''Noye's Fludde'' in London in 2018, performing the Voice of God, and recalled in a BBC Radio 3 interview [[Benjamin Britten]]'s valuable support in his early career.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b8gf26 |title=BBC Radio 3 – Radio 3 in Concert, A Britten Celebration |access-date=3 July 2018 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112210427/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b8gf26 |url-status=live }}</ref>