‘My time at Bird College was invaluable. The all round training was crucial for sending me out into the acting profession. You need technique, stamina and artistic creativity to make it in the entertainment world and Bird College nurtures these disciplines perfectly’
Gavin Lee was appointed as patron in 2018 and is a strong advocate for Bird College and for the wider dance and musical theatre sector by promoting the work of the college. Gavin said ‘What an absolute honour it is to become a Patron of Bird Theatre College. The training I received all those years ago was invaluable, giving me the truly solid foundation I needed to build a career in theatre. Since I left ‘Bird’ back in the early 90s, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the amazing growth of the college. I am over the moon to formally be a friend and advocate for this wonderful place of talent!’
Gavin graduated from Bird College in 1990 having been an outstanding student, excelling from the start as a musical theatre artist. He has received great recognition, including being nominated for Tony, Olivier and Outer Critic Circle Awards. He has won the Drama Desk Awards for Mary Poppins and Sponge Bob Square Pants and the Theatre World Award and for Outstanding Broadway Debut in 2007.
Gavin Lee’s theatre credits also include Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (Gerald W. Lynch Theatre), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Paper Mill Playhouse), Les Miserables (Imperial Theatre), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Hulu Theatre), Showboat (Carnegie Hall), Holiday Inn (Goodspeed Opera House), The Nerd (Bucks County Playhouse), Top Hat (Aldwych Theatre), Crazy For You (Prince Edward Theatre), Peggy Sue Got Married (Shaftesbury Theatre), Me And My Girl (Adelphi Theatre), Oklahoma! (RNT), Contact (Queens Theatre), Singin’ In The Rain (Haymarket Theatre), Of Thee I Sing (Bridewell Theatre), Saturday Night (Bridewell Theatre) and Whenever (Stephen Joseph). TV credits include White Collar, Law and Order: SVU, The Good Wife.
In 2004, he auditioned to be the Bert understudy in the London production of Mary Poppins, but managed to win the role outright. He was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical at the 2005 Olivier Awards and the 2005 Theatregoer’s Choice Awards. For his Broadway performance, Lee was nominated for the 2006 Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Actor in a Musical) and the 2007 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He also won the 2007 Drama Desk Award for Featured Actor in a Musical and an award for Outstanding Broadway Debut at the 63rd annual Theatre World Awards. In August 2007, Gavin was added to Sardi’s caricature gallery with other Broadway actors.
In June 2008, Lee performed in a concert version of Show Boat at Carnegie Hall. Gavin is married to Emily Harvey, an American actress who was playing role of Mme Firmin in London’s The Phantom of the Opera during his own run in London’s Mary Poppins.
In addition, he has worked as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera film adaptation, appearing as one of the singers/dancers in the ’Masquerade’ scene. Alongside former London co-star Laura Michelle Kelly, they performed as Bert and Mary Poppins in the America Celebrates July 4 at Fords Theatre in front of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on June 6, 2010.