Ben Crawford is an actor who rose to prominence for being the replacement for the titular character during Shrek the Musical's original 2008 Broadway run. He went on to appear as a performer in On the Twentieth Century and Mr. Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In 2018, he took on the titular role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. He originally enrolled at the University of Arizona in their pre-med program, wanting to be a pediatrician. He switched his major to theater one year into his studies. He earned his Broadway debut in 2006 in Les Miserables' return engagement, where he understudied the lead role of Jean Valjean. He originated the role of Don Price in the original 2013 Broadway production of Big Fish.
