Michael Burgess, Canadian Les Misrables star, dead at 70

Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre will dim its marquee lights this evening to honour the late Michael Burgess, the Canadiantenor who famously took its stage asJean Valjean inLesMisrables.

Burgess died peacefully Monday evening in a Toronto hospice, surrounded by his family, according tofamily friendBruceBowser.

The 70-year-old musical theatre star had struggled with basal cell carcinomafor a number of years.

'He was magnificent in the role [of Jean Valjean] and led the all-Canadian cast to great heights.'-David Mirvish, theatre producer

Burgess played the role of JeanValjeanin more than 1,000 performances ofLesMisrablesat the historicRoyalAlexand on tour across Canadaduringthe1980s.Healsoappeared in the production's10th-anniversary concert atRoyal Albert Hall in London.

"Michael createdtheroleofJeanValjeaninLesMisrables,which was one of the first international blockbusters to have its own production in Canada with a local cast, instead of a touring version.He was magnificent in the role and led the all-Canadian cast to great heights," theatre mogulDavidMirvish, head of Mirvish Productions, said in a statement Monday night.

Both the Royal Alex and Princess of Wales Theatre will dim their marquee lights for two minutes Tuesdayevening in memory of Burgess, Mirvish said.

"He was a very talented performer with a spellbinding voice and a truly arresting stage presence... Canada has lost one of its major artists. He will be sorely missed."

Burgess was "that kind of performer that could walk the line between opera and musical theatre and connect with an audience," Daphne Burt, manager of artistic planning with the National Arts CentreOrchestra, told CBC News on Tuesday.

"You look out at a darkened concert hall and you can't see faces, but it still felt like he was looking straight into people's eyes."

The NAC in Ottawa has lowered its flag to half-mast tohonour Burgess.

Voice familiar to sports fans

For hockey fans, Burgess was known as the singer ofthe national anthem at Toronto Maple Leafs home games for many years. In 1992, he become the first personto sing O Canadaat a World Series baseball game.

In 2013, Burgess wasinducted into the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame in Parry Sound, Ont., asan honoured member.

"Michael Burgess is one of those rare individuals ... [whose]presence transcends across sports, theatre and music seamlessly," reads a citation onthe Hall of Fame's site.

"Michael shares his amazing voice each and every time we ask, without hesitation. His performance of Danny Boyhas often brought our audiences to tears."

Michael Burgess sings Canada's national anthem

9 years ago

Duration 2:24

Best known for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the Toronto production of Les Miserables

Performed in Toronto, Ottawa, Stratford

Born in Regina, Burgess was the eldest of seven children and spent his formative years in Toronto, singing at St. Michael's Choir School. He laterattended the University of Ottawa.

He first gained national attention in 1974 when he was specifically chosen for a leading tenor role in a Toronto production of La Bohme, despitehavingnever performed in a professional opera before.

Instead, he had spent the first years of his professional career performing in plays and musical comedies, including on the Stratford Festival stage.

After other notable performances, including in Twelfth Night at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Burgess was tiring of singing roles when he was offered the career-changing, starring rolein Les Miserables.

"I thought Jean Valjean was a wonderful role, but I wasn't sure I wanted to try out, I don't know why," he recalled to the Globe and Mail in 1991.

Countlesstheatre fans are thankful he did take the role, including David Mucci, who sang in the chorus and later servedas Burgess's understudy in Les Misrables and now works as managing director of Mirvish Productions.

"The role of Jean Valjean is like a mountain to climb, for male singers, certainly for male tenors, male musical theatre performance. There's no greater mountain than Jean Valjean," Mucci said Tuesday.

"WhenMichael came to work,he was going to climb that mountain eight times a week and the rest of us followed. That was a really important part of the show and part of the success of Les Mis:Michael and Michael's work ethic."

Michael Burgess 'sang to every single person'

9 years ago

Duration 0:49

Former colleague David Mucci remembers Michael Burgess and how the musical theatre star touched Canadians with his performances.

Les Mis was also where Burgess metmusical theatre actressSusan Gilmore, whom he married in 1994. The couple later divorced.

Other credits include the title role in Man of LaMancha,television productions ofH.M.S. Pinafore, You Must Remember This, The Beggar's Opera andThe Sandy Bottom Orchestra, as well appearancesonTV shows such asStreet Legal,Border TownandE.N.G.

An Oct. 5funeral is planned, according to Bowser.Burgess is survived by his son Jessefrom his first marriage, his mother Dorothy and six siblings: Wayne, Bill, Cathy, Patty, Missy and Julie.

In lieu offlowers,the family has requested for donations to be made to the Dancers with Cancer campaign at theHospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Canadian fans from sports teams to musical theatre loversare sharing condolence messages for the singer online.