Record-breaking and award-winning West End and Broadway performer and recording artist JOHN OWEN-JONES will headline Stages – The Musical Theatre Festival at Sea this autumn for a second time. The cruise takes place from 27 September to 1 October 2020 onboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas.
Originally from Burry Port in South Wales, John has released six studio albums, worked extensively in theatre and has appeared on television, radio and in concert all over the world.
He is probably best known for his acclaimed record-breaking performances in Boublil and Schonberg’s Les Misérables and in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. He remains the youngest actor in history to have played Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (a role he also played twice on Broadway), was voted the “Best Ever Valjean” and “Best Ever Performer in Les Mis by fans of the show worldwide and can be heard as Valjean on the Les Miserables Live! album.
John has played The Phantom nearly 2,000 times (more than any actor in the show’s West End history) and was a special guest in the finales for the Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary concert events. He recently alternated the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables The Staged Concert.
Here John continues Musical Theatre Review’s new interview series: Five Questions With…
I was fortunate enough to attend Stages Festival last year and pretty much everyone I spoke to who had been on the cruise in the first year couldn’t wait to praise your performance. Can you tell us about your experience?
It was really interesting. I had never been on a cruise ship before, let alone performed on one, and was amazed at the size of the ship and how incredibly well organised everything was. Everyone was very lovely behind the scenes and the audiences were absolutely brilliant. When I wasn’t performing, I really enjoyed wandering the ship, meeting people and chatting to musical theatre fans. And there were so many fabulous acts on board. It was the most “showbiz” experience of my life!!
Scott Davies, John Owen-Jones, Sierra Boggess and Gadar Cortes at the 30th anniversary of the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Picture: Dan Wooller
Some of the people I spoke to said they had always been aware of what a fantastic singer you were, but they hadn’t realised how entertaining your banter/anecdotes would be between songs etc. Does that interaction (away from playing a character) come naturally to you?
I’m a naturally gregarious and social person who likes to entertain people no matter where I am, and the onstage chat comes quite naturally to me. I think the chatting and interacting with the audience side of my live shows is something that has grown over the years to become an important part of every concert I do. My concerts and cabarets are all about everyone having a good time, myself included; I love doing what I do and I like to think that comes across in my live shows.
I try to give my shows heart and be myself and not take things too seriously… The way I perform in concert is simple really – I sing dramatic songs and sometimes undercut them with humour. It keeps the audience engaged as they never know what might happen next. I just say what pops into my head during my live shows – none of it is scripted – and the audiences have always responded well even when I say something that may be considered risqué!
I imagine it is too early to ask about the content of your set, but can you give us any idea of the kind of material you are hoping to include?
I should imagine there’ll be songs from my latest album Spotlight and probably the odd song or two from Les Mis and Phantom…
You have played such iconic musical theatre roles, from Jean Valjean to The Phantom (breaking a few records along the way). Can you tell us a bit about your most recent experience playing the former in the recent West End concert version?
It was huge fun and a joy to be a part of such a special occasion. The fact I got the chance to perform my favourite role again in such a different way from what I was used to was hugely exciting. Considering how many times I have performed Valjean previously, I was quite surprised by how excited I was by the prospect of going into work every night.
Musical theatre has taken you all over the world and you have many fans as a result. Are there some real bucket list moments you could tell us about?
There are loads! I come from a small town in Wales and if you told me when I was young that I would get to work closely with people like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Hal Prince, Boublil and Schönberg, Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim, Judi Dench, Bryn Terfel, Emma Thompson, Katherine Jenkins, Michael Ball etc… I would have laughed at you.
If you had also said I’d have my own solo recording career and would sing in prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, the Bolshoi Theatre, Carnegie Hall and appeared in the West End and on Broadway I’d have screamed at you. The real big thing I have been able to tick off my bucket list though has to be standing on the pitch before a major rugby international in Cardiff, singing the Welsh national anthem in front of 75,000 people. There will never be better moment in my career. Not until I step on board ship for Stages 2020 that is!
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