Mikael Samuelson
Encyclopedia
Mikael Samuelson is a Swedish barytone
opera singer, actor and composer.
Samuelson is the son of the famous musician and music arranger Bror Samuelson. Mikael Samuelson has been considered as one of the greatest musical performers and composer ever in Sweden, especially for his versions of singing Evert Taube and Fred Åkerström.
During his youth, he performed at Norrlandsoperan, and sang the parts of Papageno in The Magic Flute
and the title role in The Marriage of Figaro
, among others, with outstanding results. In the 1980s, he moved to Kungliga Operan and Drottningsholmsteatern in Stockholm, and sang the parts of Escamillo in Carmen
and Tevje in Fiddler on the Roof
.
His breakthrough was playing the part of the Phantom in the Swedish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber
's The Phantom of the Opera
, during 1989-1995. Samuelson sang and portrayed the character for over 2000 performances and received the honourable Swedish theatre Award "Guldmasken" in 1991.
In the early 1990s, he was also famous for his role as one of the main characters in the Swedish TV series Rederiet
, a long-running drama show about a shipping company, which conducts passenger traffic on the Baltic Sea
between Stockholm
and Åbo
in Finland
. Mikael Samuelson played the ship's captain-later-turned C.E.O. Rolf Dahlén, son of the ships owner, between 1992 and 1994. Mikael Samuelson left the show in the end of the fifth season, his character was killed off in a car crash.
In the late 90's, he had major roles in musicals like "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Cabaret" and "The Showboat" for which he earned prize nominations and good critical receptions. From December 1999 to March 2000, Samuelson sang and performed popular songs and poems written by legendary Lars Forssell together with the two vocalists Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson and Evabritt Strandberg in a show called "Showtime - A Tribute to Lars Forssell".
In 2006, he played Herr Eriksson in the film "En liten tiger" and played opposite Lena Strömdahl, who portrayed his wife Yvonne in "Rederiet".
In 2007, he showed his comedic side playing the role as Magnus in the Swedish comedy film "Min frus förste älskare" ("My Wife's First Lover").
During the spring of 2008 he played the lead role in the Swedish version of Jekyll & Hyde
. The musical will end on 30 December 2009
and pianist Lennart Simonsson.
In his film career, Samuelson is most well-known and famous for his role as the Investigator in Håkan Alexandersson's thriller movie "Res aldrig på enkel biljett". Samuelson's character searches for the truth in the world, about love, sex, madness and cruelty. By now, he is most recognized for his role as Magnus in "My Wife's First Lover".
In his theatric career, he has played the police Rapp in Vilhelm Moberg
's comedy "Marknadsafton" and various other plays.
Barytone
In Ancient Greek grammar, a barytone is a word without any accent on the last syllable. Words with an acute or circumflex on the second-to-last or third-from-last syllable are barytones, as well as words with no accent on any syllable:...
opera singer, actor and composer.
Samuelson is the son of the famous musician and music arranger Bror Samuelson. Mikael Samuelson has been considered as one of the greatest musical performers and composer ever in Sweden, especially for his versions of singing Evert Taube and Fred Åkerström.
Career
Samuelson studied singing, conducting and violin at Musikhögskolan in the '70s, and is a well-known face in the Swedish musical and theatre industry.During his youth, he performed at Norrlandsoperan, and sang the parts of Papageno in The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
and the title role in The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
, among others, with outstanding results. In the 1980s, he moved to Kungliga Operan and Drottningsholmsteatern in Stockholm, and sang the parts of Escamillo in Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
and Tevje in Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
.
His breakthrough was playing the part of the Phantom in the Swedish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, during 1989-1995. Samuelson sang and portrayed the character for over 2000 performances and received the honourable Swedish theatre Award "Guldmasken" in 1991.
In the early 1990s, he was also famous for his role as one of the main characters in the Swedish TV series Rederiet
Rederiet
Rederiet was a long-running Swedish soap opera that aired on Sveriges Television between 1992 and 2002....
, a long-running drama show about a shipping company, which conducts passenger traffic on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
between Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Åbo
Abo
Abo may refer to:* ABO blood group system, a human blood type and blood group system** ABO , enzyme encoded by the ABO gene that determines the ABO blood group of an individual* Abo of Tiflis , an Arab East Orthodox Catholic saint...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Mikael Samuelson played the ship's captain-later-turned C.E.O. Rolf Dahlén, son of the ships owner, between 1992 and 1994. Mikael Samuelson left the show in the end of the fifth season, his character was killed off in a car crash.
In the late 90's, he had major roles in musicals like "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Cabaret" and "The Showboat" for which he earned prize nominations and good critical receptions. From December 1999 to March 2000, Samuelson sang and performed popular songs and poems written by legendary Lars Forssell together with the two vocalists Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson and Evabritt Strandberg in a show called "Showtime - A Tribute to Lars Forssell".
In 2006, he played Herr Eriksson in the film "En liten tiger" and played opposite Lena Strömdahl, who portrayed his wife Yvonne in "Rederiet".
In 2007, he showed his comedic side playing the role as Magnus in the Swedish comedy film "Min frus förste älskare" ("My Wife's First Lover").
During the spring of 2008 he played the lead role in the Swedish version of Jekyll & Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde (musical)
Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
. The musical will end on 30 December 2009
Records
In 1996, he released the record "Midvinter" where he sang famous Christmas songs in his own style, accompanied by cellist Svante HenrysonSvante Henryson
Svante Henryson is a composer, cellist, electric bassist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock.-Childhood & Studies:Svante Henryson grew up in Umeå in northern Sweden...
and pianist Lennart Simonsson.
In his film career, Samuelson is most well-known and famous for his role as the Investigator in Håkan Alexandersson's thriller movie "Res aldrig på enkel biljett". Samuelson's character searches for the truth in the world, about love, sex, madness and cruelty. By now, he is most recognized for his role as Magnus in "My Wife's First Lover".
In his theatric career, he has played the police Rapp in Vilhelm Moberg
Vilhelm Moberg
Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish author and historian, most commonly associated with his four novels known as The Emigrants Series.-Early life:...
's comedy "Marknadsafton" and various other plays.