Cameron Mackintosh

**Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh** (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the *New York Times*. He is the producer of shows including *Les Misérables*, *The Phantom of the Opera*, *Cats*, *Miss Saigon*, *Mary Poppins*, *Oliver!,* and *Hamilton.*

Mackintosh was knighted in 1996 for services to musical theatre. Two of his productions, *Les Misérables* and *The Phantom of the Opera*, are the two longest-running musicals in West End history. In 2008, *The Daily Telegraph* ranked him number 7 in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture". In the *Sunday Times Rich List* of 2021, Mackintosh was estimated to have a net worth of £1.2 billion.

## Early life

Mackintosh was born in Enfield, London, the son of Diana Gladys, a production secretary, and Ian Robert Mackintosh, a timber merchant and jazz trumpeter. His father was Scottish, and his mother who was a native of Malta, was of Maltese and French descent. Mackintosh was raised in his mother's Roman Catholic faith and educated at Prior Park College in Bath.

He first knew that he wanted to become a theatre producer after his aunt took him to a matinee of the Julian Slade musical *Salad Days* when he was eight years old.

## Theatrical career

Mackintosh began his theatre career in his late teens, as a stagehand at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and then became an assistant stage manager on several touring productions. In 1967, working with Robin Alexander, he co-produced five plays at the Kenton Theatre, Henley. He began producing his own small tours before becoming a London-based producer in the 1970s. His early London productions included *Anything Goes* in 1969 (which closed after a mere two weeks), *The Card* (1973), *Side by Side by Sondheim* (1976), *My Fair Lady* (1978), and *Tomfoolery* (1980).

In 1981, he produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's *Cats*, then considered an unlikely subject for a musical. It became the hit of the season, and went on to become one of the longest running musicals on both sides of the Atlantic. After the success of *Cats*, he approached the French writing team Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil about bringing their musical *Les Misérables* (then a successful French concept album) to the London stage. The musical opened in 1985 at the Barbican before transferring to the Palace Theatre. *Les Misérables* had a shaky start at the box office and a lukewarm critical reception before becoming a massive hit, largely by word-of-mouth and is now the longest running musical and second longest running London production.

In 1986, Mackintosh produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's *The Phantom of the Opera*, which is one of the most commercially successful musicals of all time outgrossing record-breaking films like *Titanic* and *E.T.* The original London production is still running and is the 3rd longest running production in London, along with the New York production, which is the longest-running Broadway musical of all time.

He produced Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's next musical *Miss Saigon*, which opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the West End in September 1989. It was similarly successful, and the 1991 Broadway production had what was then the largest advance ticket sales in theatre history prior to its controversy. Asian American actors protested the casting of a Caucasian actor and the use of yellowface in the role of the pimp.

Mackintosh has produced several other successful musicals, including *Five Guys Named Moe* (both in London in 1990 and on Broadway) and a revised London production of Stephen Sondheim's *Follies* in 1987. In 1995, Mackintosh produced the 10th anniversary concert of *Les Misérables* in London. Additionally he was responsible for presenting the West End transfers of the National Theatre revivals of *Oklahoma!* (1999), *My Fair Lady* (2001), and *Carousel* (1993).

Mackintosh's less successful London productions include *Moby Dick* (1993) and *Martin Guerre* (1996). He produced the stage adaptation of John Updike's *The Witches of Eastwick* (2000) which despite some positive reviews and a run of over 15 months, failed to replicate the worldwide success of his previous blockbusters.

Mackintosh became a co-owner of the theatrical licensing company Music Theatre International in 1990. He started the theatre group Delfont Mackintosh Theatres in 1991.

Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher met with Mackintosh in 2001 to discuss making *Mary Poppins* into a stage musical. Mackintosh's involvement in the development of the musical adaptation led to his producing both the 2004 West End and 2006 Broadway productions, at the Prince Edward Theatre and the New Amsterdam Theatre, respectively, along with Schumacher. He co-produced the London transfer of *Avenue Q*, which opened in the West End at the Noël Coward Theatre on 1 June 2006.

In 1998, Mackintosh celebrated thirty years in show business with *Hey, Mr. Producer!*, a gala concert featuring songs from shows he had produced during his career. The concert was performed twice, on 7 and 8 June, with proceeds going to the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Combined Theatrical Charities. Many celebrities took part, and the 8 June performance was attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Mackintosh produced a revival of Lionel Bart's *Oliver!* at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane which ran from 2008–09. The production was cast via the hit BBC television series *I'd Do Anything*. Jodie Prenger became the winner and was subsequently cast as Nancy in the production, with Rowan Atkinson as Fagin. The publicity and attention surrounding the production was unprecedented on the West End stage, and it was reported in January 2009 that the production was the fastest-selling show in West End history, with £15 million of pre-opening sales.

In April 2010, Mackintosh staged a West End revival of the musical *Hair* in London's Gielgud Theatre. This production was transferred from Broadway, where a revival production was staged in 2009.

In 2013, he worked with the Chichester Festival Theatre on a revival of *Barnum*, starring Christopher Fitzgerald. Due to the Theatre's refurbishment, it was performed in a giant tent 'Theatre in the Park' in July and August. Mackintosh has voiced interest in producing a Broadway revival of *Barnum* with American actor Neil Patrick Harris in the title role.

On 27 January 2014, Mackintosh was the first British producer to be inducted into Broadway's American Theater Hall of Fame.

On 3 May 2014, Mackintosh relaunched *Miss Saigon* at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, celebrating 25 years since its first launch.

On 6 December 2017 Mackintosh began previews of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit musical *Hamilton* in London. It premiered on 21 December 2017 at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

## Production credits

* *Anything Goes*
* *Salad Days*
* *The Card*
* *Godspell*
* *Side by Side by Sondheim*
* *Oliver!*
* *My Fair Lady*
* *Oklahoma!*
* *Tomfoolery*
* *Cats*
* *Little Shop of Horrors*
* *Song and Dance*
* *Blondel*
* *Abbacadabra*
* *The Boy Friend*
* *Les Misérables*
* *The Phantom of the Opera*
* *Follies*
* *Miss Saigon*
* *Five Guys Named Moe*
* *Moby Dick*
* *Putting It Together*
* *Carousel*
* *Martin Guerre*
* *The Fix*
* *Hey, Mr. Producer!*
* *Swan Lake*
* *The Witches of Eastwick*
* *Mary Poppins*
* *Just So*
* *Avenue Q*
* *The Sundowe*
* *Hair*
* *Betty Blue Eyes*
* *Barnum*
* *Kinky Boots*
* *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street*
* *Half a Sixpence*
* *Hamilton*