Charles Bergell
While in the Broadway and National Touring companies of Les Miserables, Charles had the privilege of performing the leading role of Jean Valjean. He appeared as Mssr. Andre in the 2nd National Tour of Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, and was a member of the 2Oth Anniversary Tour of Evita. Other credits include Children of Eden at The Paper Mill Playhouse (original cast recording), Father Andrew in Neil Berg's hit Off-Broadway musical, The Prince and the Pauper, and Linda' Eder's Christmas Concert, seen on Bravo Television. Charles is the co-founder and Executive Producer of Broadway Sings, a Broadway performer concert production company, www.BroadwaySings.com.
Charles grew up in a musical family: his father, Aaron Bergell, is a professional opera singer, and some of Charles earliest memories are of sitting in opera houses all over the world watching his father perform. After spending years living abroad when he was a child - in Switzerland, Israel, and Germany - Charles' family settled in Upper Montclair, NJ, where he attended the public schools. It was in middle school that he first started his formal musical training, first on the violin, then on the clarinet in the school band, and participating in all of the school musicals. Attending Montclair High School, he was a member of nearly every performance ensemble possible: concert bands, jazz ensemble, the school choir marching bands – and performed in nearly every theatrical production of the Montclair High School of Performing Arts. In his senior year, he auditioned for, and was accepted in, the NJ Allstate Concert Band.
Attending the prestigious Northwestern University Theatre Dept, Charles graduated in 1987 with a degree in Speech, major in Theatre. During his time there, Charles took part in many theatrical productions, including the famous Waa-Mu show. He also received vocal training from the voice teachers in the school of music, notably – Ryan Edwards of the Metropolitan Opera. Charles spent several years auditioning and performing in the Chicago area before being cast by Harold Prince in the first National Tour of Phantom of the Opera.
Charles has received vocal instruction form Lorna Haywood of Covent Gardens, Katherine Hartgrove of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Dan Ballestrero of the San Francisco Opera. Charles has performed at some of the most prestigious venues throughout North America. Some highlights of his career include meeting and performing for such luminaries as Placido Domingo and Julia Childs, and also, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – performing for and meeting two presidential first families: President George Bush and Barbara Bush and his entourage, including Dick Cheney and Colin Powell, and (twice!) President Bill Clinton, Hillary, and Chelsea.
Charles makes frequent concert appearances in the NYC area, often performing with his friend, composer Neil Berg. In 2003, Charles was the co-founder, with Lisa Capps, a fellow Les Miserables alum, of Broadway Sings – a concert production company featuring Broadway performers. This year, they reached a milestone by producing their first international concert, at the Five-Star Diamond Award Gala held at the Hotel Adlon Kempinsky in Berlin, Germany.
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