Editing Michael Crawford (section)

===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>