Alfie Boe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alfie Boe OBE
Boe performing at The Queen's Birthday Party in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe
Born	(1973-09-29) 29 September 1973 (age 51) Fleetwood, Lancashire, England
Genres	Classical crossover, operatic pop
Instruments	Vocals drums
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Decca (UK), Manhattan (US)
Associated acts	The Clint Boon Experience, Michael Ball

Alfie Boe (born September 29, 1973) is a famous English singer and actor. He is well-known for his amazing voice and for performing in musical plays.

Alfie is most famous for playing Jean Valjean in the musical Les Misérables. He has performed this role many times, including in London, on Broadway, and in special anniversary concerts. He also played the main character in Finding Neverland on Broadway. In 2003, he won a Tony Award with the cast of La bohème. Alfie has sold over a million albums in the United Kingdom!

Recently, he has performed in "Together in Vegas" with his friend, Michael Ball. In 2022, he announced plans for his own solo tour in 2023.

About Alfie Boe

Alfie Boe was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. He grew up in a town nearby called Fleetwood. He is the youngest of nine children in his family. His family named him after Pope John XXIII. Alfie went to St Wulstan's and St Edmund's School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School.

He loved listening to his dad's music, especially opera. That's how he first heard La bohème by Puccini. When he was 14, Alfie sang in public for the first time. It was at a local show, and even though he only sang a few lines, he was very nervous!

When Alfie was 17, he started working as a mechanic at the TVR car factory. He would sing opera songs while polishing cars. One day, a client heard him and was very impressed. This person had connections in the music world and told Alfie to audition for a famous opera company in London. Alfie got the part and started his singing career! He never found the client who helped him, as he lost their business card.

Alfie's Singing and Acting Journey

Alfie moved to London to study singing. He went to top music schools like the Royal College of Music and the Royal Opera House. In 1999 and 2000, he sang on albums for a band called the Clint Boon Experience. He also sang in an opera called Don Pasquale for Scottish Opera.

On Broadway and in London

A famous director, Baz Luhrmann, was looking for the main singer for his Broadway show, La bohème. He chose Alfie for the role! Alfie and the other main actors won a special Tony Award in 2003. He also sang this role in other opera houses.

In 2006, Alfie signed with Classic FM, a radio station, to release his album. His album, Classic FM Presents Alfie Boe, became very popular. Later, he signed with EMI Classics and released another album called Onward.

Alfie toured the UK in 2007. He also became an ambassador for the Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation. This charity helps introduce children to the arts, especially music and opera.

In April 2007, Alfie performed in a concert called Music of Morse at the Royal Albert Hall. He was also nominated for a Classical BRIT Award for Best Album.

Alfie performed with Michael Ball in the musical Kismet. His live song "Stranger in Paradise" from Kismet was released as a download. In August 2007, Alfie recorded an album of Neapolitan songs called La Passione. He also performed at the Festival of Remembrance in 2007.

In 2008, Alfie gave a special concert for over 1,600 children in Blackpool. This concert was part of a project to introduce classical music to a new generation.

From March to June 2016, Alfie played J. M. Barrie in Finding Neverland on Broadway. In 2017, he starred as Billy Bigelow in Carousel in London.

Les Misérables

On October 3, 2010, Alfie took on the role of Jean Valjean in a special concert of Les Misérables. This concert was held at the O2 Arena in London to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary. It was later released on DVD.

For the concert, Alfie and three other actors who had played Valjean sang "Bring Him Home" together. They re-recorded this song for charity. Alfie also performed as Valjean at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Royal Family.

Alfie played Valjean in the London production of Les Misérables from June to November 2011. His friend, Matt Lucas, also joined the cast.

In 2015, Alfie returned to play Valjean in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables in New York City. In 2019, he again played Valjean in a special staged concert of Les Misérables in London. He shared the role with John Owen-Jones and performed with Michael Ball and Matt Lucas.

In 2024, Alfie shared the role of Valjean for the Arena Spectacular World Tour. He performed in the UK and Australia.

Other Performances

In January 2011, Alfie performed in La Bohème and The Mikado for the English National Opera. He also performed concerts in Idaho and at the St George's Day celebration in Trafalgar Square. In May, he performed at the Classical BRIT Awards and the Hampton Court Palace Festival.

Alfie sang at the BBC Last Night of the Proms in September 2011. He then started his "Alfie Boe 'Bring Him Home' UK Concert Tour" in December 2011. In 2012, he performed at the Lytham Proms Festival, which was a special "homecoming" concert for him.

On June 4, 2012, Alfie performed at the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Elizabeth II. He sang "It's Now or Never" and "Somewhere" with American singer Renee Fleming at Buckingham Palace.

In December 2012, Alfie was a guest singer for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's holiday concerts. These performances were recorded and released as Home for the Holidays feat. Alfie Boe.

In February 2013, Alfie received two platinum albums for his albums Alfie and Bring Him Home. He also went on another tour across the UK. In May 2013, Alfie sang "Bring Him Home" at the U.S. National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C.

In 2014, he recorded a special version of Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He said the music was "thrilling to sing."

Alfie performed at the VE Day 70 celebration in London in May 2015.

On Television

Alfie appeared as a music-hall singer in an episode of Mr Selfridge. In 2016 and 2017, Alfie and Michael Ball had two TV specials together called Ball & Boe: One Night Only and Ball & Boe Back Together.

In December 2017, Alfie became the presenter for Christmas Carols on ITV. He also performed on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway with Michael Ball. Alfie was also on the reality show Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof. In 2022, he sang for a couple on ITV's Love Island.

Personal Life

Alfie Boe met his wife, Sarah, while rehearsing for La Bohème in San Francisco. They got married in 2004 and have two children. In 2020, Alfie announced that he and Sarah had separated in a friendly way.

Alfie is a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats, a famous show business charity. He was also given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2019 for his contributions to music and charity.

Notable Theatre Roles

Solo Recordings

• Classic FM Presents Alfie Boe (2006)
• Onward (2007)
• La Passione (2007)
• Franz Lehar: Love Was A Dream (2009)
• Bring Him Home (2010)
• Alfie (2011)
• Storyteller (2012)
• Trust (2013)
• Serenata (2014)
• Together with Michael Ball (2016)
• Together Again with Michael Ball (2017)
• As Time Goes By (2018)
• Back Together with Michael Ball (2019)
• Together at Christmas with Michael Ball (2020)
• Together in Vegas with Michael Ball (2022)
• Open Arms: The Symphonic Songbook (2023)
• Together at Home with Michael Ball (2024)

Awards and Nominations

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