The dream role reunites Southampton-born Earl, who grew up in Bournemouth and Poole, with Tony nominee Ramin Karimloo who played Valjean opposite Earl in Cameron Mackintosh’s 25th anniversary production in Toronto last year.
“It’s an amazing opportunity and incredibly exciting to appear again in a show that I absolutely love, but for it to also be my Broadway debut is out of this world,” says Earl, who trained at the Jellicoe Theatre in Poole.
“When I came back from Canada it was the first time in 20 years as an actor that I didn’t already have something lined up to go to. I had just decided to enjoy the break when the offer to go to Broadway came in – an offer I couldn’t refuse!”
Earl is due to fly to New York this week and opens on Broadway on August 12, covering for American actor Will Swenson until October 3.
But not even the brightest of bright lights will stop him lending a hand to a local event that is dear to his heart – assisting his friend the renowned cellist Yvonne Marie Parsons in The Big Swim, an epic cross-Solent swim on September 7 to raise money for the Royal Society Of Musicians.
Earl paddled the lead kayak in the original Big Swim in 2012 from Southsea to Ryde Sands near his home on the Isle of Wight and was planning to take part again this year when Yvonne and fellow musicians Neil McTaggart and Dan Czwartos will swim nine miles from Colwell Bay, near the Needles, across the mouth of the Solent to Hurst Spit and along the coast to Hengistbury Head.
“Living by the water is just the perfect remedy to what is normally a most chaotic existence,” says Earl. “The sense of achievement we all felt after the first Big Swim was just so incredible it didn’t take much to agree to support this gallant new attempt by Yvonne, especially when you consider the cause.”
In 2002 Yvonne was struck down by a serious illness caused by chlorine poisoning from when she was a baby. Her nervous and immune systems broke down leaving her with a blood disorder and severe autoimmune deficiency. Unable to find a cure in this country, the Royal Society of Musicians gave her £2000, which enabled her to see a pioneering doctor of immunology research in Copenhagen.
Britain’s oldest musical charity, the Royal Society of Musicians was founded in 1738 as the Fund for Decay’d Musicians to help those working in music and their dependents. Its founding members included Henry Purcell’s son Edward and the composer Handel who took part in annual fundraising concerts.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Earl Carpenter
Earl Carpenter began his West End career in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre in 1996, as Courfeyrac. In 2008 he played Javert at the Queens Theatre and then in the 25th anniversary UK tour. He also played the Bishop of Digne at London’s O2 Arena concert in 2010.In 2003 Earl joined the London cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre as ‘walking cover’ to the Phantom. He took over the iconic role in February 2005 and gave more than 1,000 performances. He opened the 25th anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall as the Auctioneer and reprised the role of the Phantom in Cameron Mackintosh’s 25th anniversary tour in 2012/13. Other West End, UK and European stage credits include Evita, We Will Rock You, Zorro, Sunset Boulevard, Beauty and the Beast, The Secret Garden, The Merry Widow, Between the Lines and The Witches of Eastwick.
Les Misérables on Broadway
Directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, the newly reimagined Broadway production of Les Misérables is playing at the Imperial Theatre. The cast also includes Caissie Levy (Fantine), Nikki M James (Eponine), Andy Mientus (Marius), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras) and Cliff Saunders and Keala Settle (the Thenardiers). Will Swenson is taking a sabbatical from Les Miserables to appear in Bull Burham in Atlanta.
Yvonne Marie Parsons
Yvonne’s diverse musical career as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician finds her playing with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of London Sinfonia, English National Ballet, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, RPCO and Glyndebourne Touring Opera, as well as chamber music with various artistes. Her first show was The Lord of the Rings at Drury Lane, with others including Oklahoma and The Last Five Years. In the West End she has played on Matilda, Les Misérables, The Wizard of Oz, Betty Blue Eyes, Oliver, Passion, Porgy and Bess, Carousel, The Woman in White, and in national tours of Top Hat, The Sound of Music and West Side Story. She was the cellist for The Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary tour in 2012 and the UK tour of Ghost The Musical in 2014. She is playing the opening of the season at Opera Holland Park with CLS and joins ENB at the Albert Hall for their summer season of Romeo and Juliet.
The Big Swim
The Big Swim 2014 route has never been attempted before. As well as swimmers Yvonne, Neil and Dan, the effort includes kayak support team Emma Sheppard, Kevin Jones, Steve Peaks and Griff Melhuish; safety officer Dave Lewins and Alan Smith of Aqua Therapy Marine Charters, which is providing the safety boats.
The Swim Swim 2014 leaves Colwell Bay at 9am on Sunday, September 7 and is expected to reach its conclusion at Hengistbury Head at about 2pm. To find out more about The Big Swim 2014 go to www.justgiving.com/thebigswim2014. You can follow the exciting lead up on Twitter, @TheBigSwim2014. Donations can also be made by SMS, simply text SWIM16 followed by the amount to 70070.
The Royal Society of Musicians
Founded in 1738 as the Fund for Decay’d Musicians, 228 members signed its Declaration of Trust including Edward Purcell (son of Henry) and Handel. The Society still maintains its account at Drummonds Bank, which Michael Festing (the first Secretary) opened in November 1738. From the beginning Handel took part in the annual concerts for the Fund’s benefit and bequeathed it £1,000 in a 1759 Codicil to his Will. George III gave his patronage in 1784 and its first Royal Charter was granted in 1790. Its charitable work has continued unceasingly since its foundation as the Society continues to provide assistance to those working in music and their dependents, when in need, because of accident, illness or old age.
