Norm Lewis

At London's O2 Arena, he sang the role in the 25th anniversary concert of the show.

Norm Lewis (born June 2, 1963 ) is an American actor and baritone singer.

He has appeared on Broadway, in the West End, film, television, recordings and regional theatre.

He’s also noted for his wide vocal range.

Lewis was the second African-American actor after Robert Guillaume to perform in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and the first one to do so in the Broadway production.

In 2023, he reprised the role in the show's sequel, Love Never Dies, in London's West End.

He's also known for his many different performances as Inspector Javert in Les Misérables.

He graduated in 1981 from Edgewater High School, Orlando.

He worked at the Orlando Sentinel prior to his acting career.

Lewis credits the kickoff of his career to Ralph Petillo, who ran Theatre on Park in Winter Park, Florida.

Lewis was featured as Agwe in the Gateway Playhouse (Bellport, New York) production of Once on This Island in 1992.

Lewis made his Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy (1993).

He was a replacement in Miss Saigon as John.

In 1997, he originated the role of Jake in Side Show.

He also appeared in Michael John LaChiusa's Broadway musical The Wild Party as Eddie.

His other notable recordings include the cast recordings of Side Show, The Who's Tommy, and the 1998 cast recording of A New Brain as Roger Delli-Bovi, for Scott Alan's Keys and for the 2001 New York cast recording of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens in aid of the Momentum Aids Project.

He had previously played this role at the Signature Theatre in 1999.

He performed in several benefit concerts, including Dreamgirls (2001), Chess (2003), and Hair.

Lewis was in Michel Legrand's short-lived musical Amour in 2002, which also featured Melissa Errico, Malcolm Gets, and Lewis Cleale.

He played the racketeer Eddie Satin in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of Golden Boy in March 2002.

He played Billy Flynn in the Broadway revival of Chicago in February 2004 and March 2004.

In 2005, Lewis starred in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park revival of a musical version of Two Gentlemen of Verona.

He played the role of Nathan in the Lincoln Center 2005 production of Dessa Rose.

Lewis has played Javert in the musical Les Misérables several times.

First playing the role in the 2006 Broadway revival and later reprising the role in the West End, 25th Anniversary Concert, and at The Muny.

Some other major theatrical productions that he has been involved in include Miss Saigon, Porgy and Bess, The Little Mermaid, and many others.

Lewis was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up in Eatonville, Florida.

He first starred in the role in the 2006 Broadway revival, making him the first African American actor to play the role in a professional English production.

He later reprised it in the West End production.

In 2007, he originated the role of King Triton in the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid.

He went on to sing as King Triton on the original Broadway cast recording.

Lewis released his first solo album, This Is the Life! in 2008 under the Seahorse Productions label.

In regional theatre, he played the title role in Sweeney Todd, the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, at the Casa Mañana Theatre, Fort Worth, Texas, beginning November 10, 2009.

Lewis was featured in the musical revue Sondheim on Sondheim, which premiered in the Roundabout Theatre's Studio 54 in 2010.

The production, conceived and directed by James Lapine, also featured Barbara Cook and Vanessa L. Williams.

His rendition of "Being Alive" was one of the evening's outstanding highlights.

Lewis appeared in a revised version of Porgy and Bess, as Porgy, first at the Loeb Drama Center (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in August through September 2011 and then on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre starting in previews on December 12, 2011.

This American Repertory Theater production was "re-imagined by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray as a musical for contemporary audiences."

He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for his performance.

Lewis again reprised the role opposite Hugh Panaro as Valjean in The Muny, St. Louis production from July 15–21, 2013.