Rob Guest

Robert John Guest (17 July 19501 October 2008) was a British-born New Zealand-Australian actor, television personality and host and singer, who started his career in pop music in New Zealand, before becoming best known for his work in Australian musical theatre, particularly in various productions of The Phantom of the Opera. He played the lead for a record-breaking 2,289 performances over seven years, more than any other performer.

Biography Guest was born in Birmingham, England. He moved to New Zealand with his family when he was 13, and later moved to Canada where he was in a band called The Apparition. The family returned to New Zealand and in 1968 Guest joined the band The Shore Thing who relaunched in 1969 as the Apparition. In 1970 Guest joined The In-Betweens as their vocalist. He signed with Polydor records in 1972 and released his debut single "House of Cards" written by Lynsey de Paul and Barry Blue.

Guest appeared on the New Zealand radio charts and starred for many years on television shows including Happen Inn. Guest won his first lead at age 22 in The Jesus Christ Revolution (which was presented as Man of Sorrows in New Zealand and which predated Jesus Christ Superstar). After performing his hit songs all around the world, Guest won the 1978 Korean Song Festival Best Male Vocalist trophy, recorded a special for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and was voted the 1979 New Zealand 'Professional Performer of the Year'.

In 1981 Guest moved to the United States with his first wife, Lynette Perry, where he spent most of the 1980s performing and hosting shows in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Guest then followed Anthony Warlow in the title role in The Phantom of the Opera from December 1991 to September 1998.

Guest was the world's longest-serving Phantom, having played the role a record 2,289 performances over seven years in front of Australian and New Zealand audiences.

In the 1994 New Zealand New Year Honours, Guest was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to entertainment. His first marriage had ended in divorce, and in 1994 he married the singer Judy Barnes. They had two children, but separated in 2001.

Following his work in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, Guest performed in a number of other high-profile theatre roles, including Al Jolson in Jolson, Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Rev Shaw Moore (baritone) in Footloose, and Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man. He died on the morning of 1 October 2008 with his partner Kellie Dickerson, Judy Barnes and their children Christopher and Amy and best friend Greg Smart by his side. At the time of his death, Guest was appearing as the Wizard of Oz in the Australian premiere production of the hit Broadway musical Wicked, which had opened in Melbourne in July 2008. Kellie Dickerson was the show's musical director at the time. A public memorial was held for Guest at the Regent Theatre on 13 October 2008, featuring speeches and musical performances by his friends and co-stars from various shows. Bert Newton was brought in as his replacement in Wicked, six weeks following his death.

Guest was buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, Macquarie Park, New South Wales.

Discography Albums + List of albums, with Australian chart positions Title Album details Peak chartpositions AUS Dedication Released: 1979 Format: LP Label: Festival Records (L 36686) - Standing Ovation Released: 1991 Format: CD, Cassette Label: EMI Music (798621-2) 56 Unmasked Released: 1997 Format: CD Label: Thom Marketing (488648-2) 93 The Magic of Christmas Released: November 1998 Format: CD Label: Thom Marketing (5599252) -

Performances Jekyll & Hyde as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde Jesus Christ Superstar as Jesus Christ Jolson as Al Jolson Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Joseph Les Misérables as Jean Valjean Pippin as Pippin The Music Man as Harold Hill The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera The Sound of Music as Captain Von Trapp Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as Sweeney Todd Wicked as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Guest died whilst performing in Wicked

Honours and awards Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 31 December 1993 Recording Artist of the Year Shure Gold Microphone Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc The Sue Natrass Award, won by Isabelle Stadler in 2014 for a member of a musical theatre technical team. The Brian Stacey Award for a musician currently working in the field of musical theatre was won by Isaac Hayward.