Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Cariou, Len
Actor/singer/director and star of the Broadway stage (where he created, among many others, the title character in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street). He was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba , in 1939.
He began his career in Winnipeg, notably at Manitoba Theatre Centre /MTC, before being invited to the Stratford Festival (1962-65).
Among the lead roles Mr. Cariou has taken on in Canada are Cyrano de Bergerac (MTC, 1975), Coriolanus (Stratford, directed by Brian Bedford , 1981) and Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew (Stratford, 1981, opposite Sharry Flett ).
As a director he has led Death of a Salesman ( Citadel Theatre , 1984) and helmed the Manitoba Theatre Centre (1975).
Mr. Cariou has also had a solid television and film career.
His performances are marked by a magnificent voice and a huge stage presence together with a remarkable attention to character detail. He has one of the most sincere stage personnas in commercial theatre.
Last updated 2006-11-14
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