No, Ramin Karimloo isn’t what you might expect in a traditional musical theatre star. And make no mistake, Karimloo is a star, with a voice that can be as powerful as a freight train before it drops to a gentle and angelic wisp of the wind. Born in Iran and raised north of Toronto in Richmond Hill, Karimloo returns to his home turf this month to star as Jean Valjean in a bold new production of the classic Les Misérables, scheduled to run until at least Dec. 22.
It might be the heavily tattooed arm and the love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and mixed martial arts cage fighting that set him apart.
“I was into ink,” says Karimloo, who explains that all the designs on his arm have to do with his family and different stories for each member.
“I’m not stereotypical. I ride a Harley, love motorbikes, and I’m a big cage fighting fan. I’m going to UFC this weekend.”
Or maybe it is his love of bluegrass that inspired him to create a new genre of music he’s dubbed “Broadgrass,” which combines Broadway show tunes and traditional bluegrass instrumentation, such as banjos.
Over the past 18 months, Karimloo and his Broadgrass Band have released an album and toured relentlessly in support of this new effort.
“It happened through a few tours; it evolved,” he says. “Now we’ve got this genre with an actual identity, which is great.
“The more we toured, the more we found we didn’t want to get away from theatre necessarily,” Karimloo explains. “But I never liked just doing theatre songs as you would hear them onstage. So [we asked] how can we make this truthful and honest. The banjo can sound really haunting and create a nice mood, so we thought, ‘OK, let’s just try it.’ ”
Fans of Ramin and the Broadgrass Band will be happy to learn that a new EP is on the way before Christmas.
Whether it’s the Broadgrass or the tats or the bikes, Karimloo is definitely unique. So it isn’t that surprising he took anything but a traditional approach to musical theatre.
As a kid, his first taste of the theatre was Phantom of the Opera in Toronto, starring Colm Wilkinson. Apparently, something clicked because he went again and again.
“It was never about musical theatre, for me,” he explains. “I always just wanted to be an actor. Phantom, Les Mis, The Godfather, they were all just great roles played by great actors. These guys, De Niro, Daniel Day Lewis, doing things that are beyond who they are.”
After high school, Karimloo got a job performing on a cruise ship that sailed out of Britain. And it was there that he learned about how much work was available in the West End theatre district of London, England.
“It was just based on instinct, you know,” says Karimloo, who describes himself as being self-taught.
“In England, there are so many tours and shows. I thought I was bound to get something. I just needed one part at back of stage to learn the ropes and work my way up.
“I had no contacts or connections or any other reason to go. There was just something in my head that said to go to England. I was 18, I had nothing to lose, so I thought, why not?”
Whatever Karimloo did, whatever internal machinations were cranked to full, he exploded onto London stages and was soon landing lead roles in Phantom of the Opera and other productions.
He has become so accomplished that, when Andrew Lloyd Webber was looking for a lead in his much-ballyhooed sequel to Phantom, Love Never Dies, he insisted the only person acceptable was Karimloo. Now that’s respect.
This new version of Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh is modern and exciting. The show has garnered rave reviews. The New York Times has called it “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times is just as affected by the show, dubbing it “a five-star hit, astonishingly powerful.”
“I really like this man,” says Karimloo, of his character Jean Valjean, an ex-convict in 19th-century France who spent 19 years in prison after stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving niece.
“He is very selfless, you know. Everything he’s done has been for someone else. I can really relate to his struggle with faith and the journey within that and the decisions he makes.”
The Mirvish production, a Canadian premiere, features a number of talented local performers, and one familiar with Karimloo: fellow West End star Earl Carpenter, who will portray Jean Valjean’s nemesis, Inspector Javert.
Karimloo is diplomatic when it comes to home. For him it comes down to family (he has two boys).
“England has become my home. I always say now, ‘Home is where my kids are.’ ”
Now that he’s finally jumped the pond for a good gig, who knows what the future might bring. Karimloo still has plenty of family in the area, including his mother, father and big brother, who is a police officer with Toronto’s 53 Division.
There has been a long-standing rumour that Karimloo was slated to star alongside Louise Pitre in Theatre 20’s production of Company. But Karimloo has heard nothing for a while, and according to him, that information should never have come out as it was too early in the process. But, for the record, working with someone of Pitre’s rare talent is pretty high up on his list.
Following its successful run in Toronto, it has just been announced that the lengthy production (it runs close to three hours) is Broadway bound
As of March 1, 2014, Les Mis will be debuting at New York City’s Imperial Theatre where the original production ran for 16 years. Joining Karimloo onstage are New York musical theatre star Will Swenson, as antagonist Inspector Javert, and Caissie Levy as Fantine (the role for which Anne Hathaway nabbed an Academy Award). The Tony Award–winning performer Nikki M. James will play the lovesick Eponine in what is bound to be a blockbuster of a run.
“For me, I always want to go after the right role regardless of geography,” says Karimloo. “Broadway, West End, if it is the right role, I’ll go.”