William Youmans is an American Broadway, film and television actor and singer, best known for originating the roles of John Jacob Astor in Titanic: the Musical, Sir Richard Bingham in The Pirate Queen, and Doctor Dillamond in Wicked. He made a return to Wicked on March 7, 2023.

Life and career Youmans was born into a performing family; his great-uncle was Broadway composer Vincent Youmans. William attended the State University of New York at Purchase, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. William made his Broadway debut in 1981, playing Leo Hubbard in The Little Foxes. He performed numerous roles in the original production of Big River and sang the role of Alcindoro in the Baz Luhrmann-directed revival of La Bohème. He also portrayed Sir Richard Bingham in The Pirate Queen and performed in the play The Farnsworth Invention. In 1986 he was in the Off Broadway play The Widow Claire by Horton Foote. He played a few different roles in the musical Coraline. He originated the roles of Albert and Ben in the world premiere of The Secret Garden. In 1993, Youmans played several roles in the Off-Broadway recording of Alan Menken'''s Weird Romance.

In 1997 he originated the role of John Jacob Astor in Titanic, and 2003, originated the role of Doctor Dillamond in Wicked. After a San Francisco tryout, in which the role was played by John Horton, the original Broadway production opened October 30, 2003, starring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. Youmans left the role on July 24, 2005, and later reprised the role in the Chicago production for a limited engagement from December 12, 2006, through January 14, 2007. He can be heard on the show's original Broadway cast recording. He made a return on March 7, 2023.

In 2015, he originated the role to critical acclaim as The Director in Being Seen by Richard Gustin at the International Fringe Festival NYC.

In 2018, he played Bascombe and understudied the Starkeeper in the Broadway revival of Carousel. In November 2019, he joined the cast of To Kill a Mockingbird as Dr. Reynolds/Mr. Roscoe and understudy Link Deas and Sheriff Heck Tate.William Youmans Playbill

Film and television Youmans appeared in the films Mrs. Soffel, Compromising Positions, Nadine, Fresh Horses and the independent film Last Supper.

Youmans' first television appearance was a made-for-television movie of a Mark Twain story, The Private History of a Campaign That Failed. He has since appeared on episodes of The Equalizer, Spenser: For Hire, NYPD Blue, Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''.

Filmography

Film + Year Title Role Notes1984 Mrs. Soffel Guard George Koslow 1985 Compromising Positions Motel clerk 1987 Nadine Boyd 1988 Fresh Horses Gary 1992 Last Supper The writer's son 2011 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Bartender 2014 Birdman Bartender (Tommy) A Midsummer Night's Dream Robin Starveling

Television + Year Title Role Notes 1981 The Private History of a Campaign That Failed Dunlap TV movie 1985 The Equalizer Ray Episode: "The Children's Song" 1988 Spenser: For Hire Stefan Smolens 1 episode 1995 NYPD Blue Brina "Peter" Cahill 1 episode 1998 Law & Order Byrne Chaikin Episode: "Scrambled" 2000 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ben Moreland Episode: "Noncompliance" 2008 Law & Order Larry Driscoll Episode: "Called Home" 2018 Madam Secretary David Clark 1 episode

Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1976 Henry V Court The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1981 The Little Foxes Leo Hubbard (Replacement) Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1983 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Smike Blackstone Theatre 1985 Big River Ben Rogers/Hank Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway 1986 Shout Up a Morning Pokehead La Jolla Playhouse 1987 The Widow Claire Ed Cordray Circle in the Square Theatre, Off-Broadway 1989 The Tempest Trinculo Virginia Stage Company 1989 The Secret Garden Captain Albert Lennox/Ben Weatherstaff Virginia Stage Company 1990 The Swan Bill Actors Theatre of Louisville 1990 The Cherry Orchard Yepikhodov La Jolla Playhouse 1990 Twelfth Night Sir Andrew Aguecheek La Jolla Playhouse 1991 Androcles and the Lion Androcles Syracuse Stage 1992 Weird Romance Joe WPA Theatre, Off-Broadway 1993 Escape From Happiness Junior Yale Repertory Theatre 1994 The Who's Tommy Uncle Ernie National Tour 1995 The Lover Various Baltimore Center Stage 1997 Titanic 3rd Class Passenger/J.J. Astor Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway 2001 Dracula, The Musical Renfield La Jolla Playhouse 2002 La Bohème Alcindoro Broadway Theatre, Broadway 2003 Wicked Doctor Dillamond Gershwin Theatre, Broadway 2005 Miracle Brothers Rancor Vineyard Theatre, Off-Broadway 2006 Brundibar Professor Ucitelli Yale Repertory Theatre 2006 The Pirate Queen Sir Richard Bingham Cadillac Palace Theatre 2007 The Pirate Queen Sir Richard Bingham Hilton Theatre, Broadway 2007 The Farnsworth Invention Wachtel Music Box Theatre, Broadway 2008 Billy Elliot: The Musical George (Replacement) Imperial Theatre, Broadway 2008 Road Show Ensemble The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2009 Coraline Other Father MCC Theater, Off-Broadway 2009 Finian's Rainbow Buzz Collins St. James Theatre, Broadway 2010 Take Flight Ensemble McCarter Theatre 2010 Titanic J. Bruce Ismay The Muny 2011 Cymbeline Pisanio Shakespeare Theatre Company 2012 Giant Pinkie The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2012 Titanic J. Bruce Ismay The Hangar Theatre 2013 Hands on a Hardbody Don Curtis/Dr. Stokes Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway 2013 Summer of '42 Mr. Sanders/Walter Winchell Bucks County Playhouse 2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Robin Starveling Theatre for a New Audience, Off-Broadway 2013 Ether Dome Dr. Charles Jackson Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company 2015 Being Seen The Director International Fringe Festival NYC 2015 Paint Your Wagon Jacob Woodling New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2016 Bright Star Stanford Adams Cort Theatre, Broadway 2016 The Rocky Horror Show The Narrator/Eddie/Dr. Scott Bucks County Playhouse 2017 The Skin of Our Teeth Mr. Fitzpatrick Theatre for a New Audience, Off-Broadway 2017 Clue: On Stage Various Bucks County Playhouse 2018 Carousel Mr. Bascombe Imperial Theatre, Broadway 2019 To Kill a Mockingbird Dr. Reynolds (Replacement)/Mr. Roscoe (Replacement) Sam S. Shubert Theatre, Broadway 2022 A Man of No Importance Baldy O'Shea Classic Stage Company, Off-Broadway

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