Born in England, Jonathan Barr trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School before making his stage debut in the West End production of Oliver!. He went on to appear in numerous revivals and new works across London, other British cities, and touring productions throughout the provinces. Among his roles during the 1980s were parts in Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie, Sweeney Todd, the musical adaptation of Treasure Island, and the 1988 West End mounting of Les Misérables. In 1989 he joined the original company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects Of Love in a minor part, followed by the original cast of The Wonderful West End in 1990. Early in the following decade he performed in the Kurt Weill revue Berlin To Broadway, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Flora The Red Menace, In The Midnight Hour, Snoopy-The Musical (in the title role), and Oscar, the last of which he preserved on disc. He also participated in the 1992 studio cast of Godspell, Tom Jones’ Matador, and the original cast albums of Aspects Of Love and The Happy Prince.
Barr performed cabaret in Washington, DC, in 1994, and two years later released his first album under his own name. An extensive American cabaret tour ensued. During the mid-1990s he took part in BBC Radio 2 broadcasts of Jesus Christ Superstar, Kiss Me, Kate, A Chorus Line, and Fiddler On The Roof. From the late 1990s into the early 2000s he joined Opera Della Luna for tours throughout Britain and abroad that encompassed The Mikado, The Merry Widow, and HMS Pinafore. In the same period he presented cabaret programs in Australia and at prominent London theatres, appeared on luxury cruise liners, and joined the West End revival of Ragtime in 2003. Since the 1980s he has maintained a steady presence in pantomime while also undertaking straight acting roles on television.
