(© Johan Persson)
International musical theater star Ben Lewis has died aged 46.
The news was confirmed by friend, tennis star, and TV presenter Todd Woodbridge, who posted a tribute to Lewis on his social media channels. The story was subsequently picked up by Australian news outlets.
Lewis played a coterie of major roles across the world, appearing in the long-running West End production of The Phantom of the Opera and playing the Phantom in the original Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. He also starred in the filmed performance of Love Never Dies, which is available for home viewing. Lewis received a nomination for Helpmann Award and won a Judith Johnson Award for Best Actor in Leading Role in a Musical at the 2012 Sydney Theatre Awards for his performance.
Other credits include Larry in Marianne Elliott’s award-winning production of Company, Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End, UK tours of Love Me Tender and The Bodyguard, and Australian productions of Urinetown, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2024, Lewis was a caregiver for his wife, Melle Stewart, who suffered a stroke in 2021. A GoFundMe page exists to donate funds for her future care.
Source link
