Davis Gaines Biography

Davis Gaines performed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "The Phantom of the Opera" over 2,000 times, during his run on Broadway, in Los Angeles, (where he remains LA’s longest-running Phantom), and in San Francisco, (where he received the Bay Area Critics’ Award for Best Actor). Subsequently, he was chosen by Hal Prince and Lloyd Webber to play the leading role in the world premiere of "Whistle Down the Wind". Other Broadway and National Tour credits include Raoul in "The Phantom of the Opera", Cornelius Hackl in "Hello, Dolly!" (with Carol Channing), "Camelot" (with Richard Burton) and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (with Alexis Smith). Gaines’ Off-Broadway appearances include Des McAnuff’s "The Death of Von Richthofen as Witnessed from Earth", the Maury Yeston/Larry Gelbart musical "One Two Three Four Five", Stephen Sondheim’s "Assassins", "She Loves Me" and "Forbidden Broadway". He made his New York City Opera debut in "The New Moon" and appeared in New York in concert versions of "Sitting Pretty", "The Cat and the Fiddle", "Pippin" and the Encores production of "The Boys from Syracuse". Regionally, he appeared in "Spamalot", "Man of La Mancha" (Ovation Award, Best Lead Actor) and "1776" (Musical Theatre West), "Night of the Hunter" (Lyric Stage) and "Parade" (with T.R. Knight/Mark Taper Forum), in addition to "Camelot" (Sacramento Music Circus), "Side by Side by Sondheim" (Rubicon Theatre/Pasadena Playhouse), "Damn Yankees" as Joe Hardy (directed by the legendary George Abbott), "Arsenic and Old Lace" as Mortimer Brewster (with Kate Reid), "The Rink" (with Lainie Kazan) and "Two Into One" (with Tony Randall). Gaines played Anthony Hope, in the 20th anniversary concert productions of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" in Los Angeles (with Kelsey Grammer and Christine Baranski), in London (with Len Cariou and Judy Kaye) and in New York, San Francisco and Ravinia Festival (with George Hearn and Patti LuPone). More recently, played Sweeney Todd in "Sweeney Todd" opposite Faith Prince, and Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls", both with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. He also toured the country with Olympic Champion Dorothy Hamill in "Broadway on Ice". Film work includes a featured role in "Warlock: The Armageddon" (with Julian Sands) and television credits include "Desperate Housewives", "Charmed", "Chicago Hope", "Veronica’s Closet", "Bodies of Evidence" and "Murder, She Wrote". He appeared in three PBS Great Performances broadcasts (Emmy Award-winning "Sweeney Todd" with the San Francisco Symphony, "Broadway Originals" with the Boston Pops and "Jerry Herman’s Broadway at the Bowl"), as well as the televised specials of the "1994 Kennedy Center Honors" and the opening ceremony of the "1998 Goodwill Games". Additionally, Gaines has sung for five U.S. Presidents and with every major symphony orchestra in North America, including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl. He has also performed in cabaret in New York at ‘Feinstein’s at Loews Regency’ and ‘Rainbow and Stars’, Hollywood’s ‘Cinegrill’ and San Francisco’s ‘Plush Room’. His voice can be heard over 30 cast recordings and compilation albums, as well as two solo CDs, 'Against the Tide' and 'All My Tomorrows: Songs of Sammy Cahn'. Gaines resides in Los Angeles and is a frequent singer of our National Anthem for the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Dodgers. Most recently, he portrayed Hannibal Lecter in the musical parody, "SILENCE! The Musical" at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles and made his LA directing debut at Musical Theatre West with "Oklahoma!".