Howard McGillin is an American actor. He is known for his role of John Jasper in Drood and for being the longest running Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.
Other featured and leading roles on the stage followed. Often considered a "tall, dark and handsome" leading man, McGillin originated the role of John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Imperial Theatre; for his performance he was nominated for a 1986 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He earned a second Tony nomination in 1988 for his portrayal of Billy Crocker in the Broadway revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. McGillin starred in the award-winning West End 1995 production of Mack & Mabel and sings on the cast album recording. He received praise as Molina in the Kander and Ebb musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, replacing Brent Carver in 1994. The New York Times reviewer wrote: "In an impressive change of pace from the smooth philanderer he played in 'She Loves Me,' Howard McGillin is Molina...Mr. McGillin can be almost boyishly blithe at times. He embraces Aurora's campy films with the flair of the musical-comedy aficionado...While Mr. McGillin is playing up Molina's more exuberant charm, Mr. Mitchell is playing down Valentin's brusque condescension. As a result, the growing affection between them seems the more believable." Due to their performances and that of leading lady Vanessa L. Williams, the show received a rare second cast recording. McGillin originated a leading role in the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim's musical Bounce at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago, and the Kennedy Center in 2003. He was featured in the Encores! production of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 in 1999. He has performed in many concerts in the United States and abroad, including a concert production of Sondheim's Follies in 1985 at Lincoln Center that was released on DVD. He appeared in the Irish Repertory Theatre concert, A Child's Christmas in Wales in Concert in December 2011. McGillin has continued to perform in television and film as a voice-over artist. His is the singing voice of Gregory in , has narrated many books on tape, and programs/commercials on television. He voiced Prince Derek in the animated film The Swan Princess. McGillin has released one solo CD, Where Time Stands Still. He has contributed to numerous cast recordings, including those of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Bounce. McGillin holds the record for the most performances by an actor in the title role of the musical The Phantom of the Opera, joining the Broadway cast in 1999. He was part of the musical when it became the longest-running production in Broadway history on January 9, 2006, and its twenty-first anniversary on January 26, 2009. McGillin played his last performance in the role on July 25, 2009, marking his 2,544th show. He performed in the York Theatre production of I Remember Mama, which ran from October 8–10, 2010. McGillin starred as Sir Francis Chesney in the New York City Center Encores! production of Where's Charley? from March 17–20, 2011. He played Applegate in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of Damn Yankees! in Millburn, New Jersey, which ran from March 7, 2012 through April 1, 2012.
Personal life
McGillin married longtime partner Richard Samson in September 2013; he had been married and divorced prior to this. McGillin has two sons, Brian and Christopher.
