All The World’s a Stage: Actor Donald Craig Manuel

All the World’s a Stage

By Terrel Kent, Fifth Vice President/Eligibility Advisor (Beta Zeta, Baton Rouge Alumni)

After touring internationally and living and performing in Asia, opera singer makes his West End debut

Donald Craig Manuel (Beta Zeta) is an actor, singer, songwriter and voiceover artist from Lake Charles, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and also holds a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

A highly accomplished opera singer, he has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and other ensembles throughout the city. He has performed on various stages throughout Europe in the international tour of “Porgy and Bess.” In recent years, Manuel has worked with Disney, performing in mainstage productions aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, as well as performing the roles of Scar in “The Festival of the Lion King” and Gaston in “Let’s Get Wicked” at Hong Kong Disneyland.

This summer, Manuel made his West End debut in “The Phantom of the Opera” now playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

He’s relishing life in London.

“I lived in Chicago for 11 years, which prepared me to live anywhere. London reminds me of Chicago a bit, so I feel right at home. London is extremely diverse and there are so many beautiful things to see in the city. The architecture, parks and historical landmarks fill the city with such beauty. Theater is also incredibly popular in London, and that’s what mainly attracted me to the city.”

He’s been fascinated by music since he was a child.

“I remember getting a Casio keyboard one Christmas, and that’s when my musical journey started. I then joined the concert band in middle school where I played the trumpet. I also joined the chorus during my senior year of high school, but I didn’t think I was any good at singing. At this point, I was still playing the trumpet, and I planned on attending Southern University to study instrumental music.”

A professor encouraged him to pursue singing.

“During my first semester at Southern, I had to sing a small passage in my sight-singing course in front of the entire class. I remember being extremely nervous, but I was able to get through it. My professor, Charles Lloyd Jr., came to me afterwards and suggested that I consider switching my focus to voice because he thought I had the potential to be a successful singer. I remember thinking how silly that sounded because I never thought I was a good singer.

“I always wanted to sing, but I didn’t think that I had the voice to do it. Mr. Lloyd introduced me to the voice instructor Jaqueline Paige-Green, and she started teaching me how to use my voice. I remember being very timid and shy when I first started the lessons. However, after a few months of working with Mrs. Green, I found a bit of confidence, and started performing during performance class. The focus at Southern was classical singing, so that’s when I became more interested in opera. I started learning different arias and decided that opera was the route for me.”

His voice is multi-faceted.

“I’m a baritone, and my voice is quite rich and warm, but there are lighter qualities to it, as well. When I was an undergrad, my voice teacher classified me as a bass. In grad school, I was classified as a lyric baritone. There are many colors of my voice, and I find myself constantly exploring them all!”

Like many performers, the COVID-19 pandemic upended his career.

“I was actually working in Asia when the pandemic started. My contract was cut short, and I was sent back to the United States. I had another job lined up in Paris, but that was also canceled due to COVID-19. I then went through a period of depression because it seemed as though I wouldn’t be performing any time soon. I tried to figure out a backup plan, but there’s never been a plan B. It’s always been performing. I managed to stay connected to other friends in the industry, and that kept me motivated. However, it’s certainly been a challenge.”

Touring internationally led to a love of travel.

“When I landed my first international gig in 2009, I became so fascinated with seeing as much of the world as possible. I’ve been fortunate to see a lot but there are so many other places that I’d like to see, as well. Hopefully, I’ll get back to it once the world opens back up.”

He writes his own music.

“I enjoy creating music. I’ve been writing songs since I was teenager, and it’s still a passion of mine. R&B is my favorite genre of music, so that’s the style that I like to write in. I compose both the music and lyrics, and I also produce everything on my own. I’ve released two singles over the past few years, but I’ve never performed them anywhere. Right now, I’m finishing my debut album which I’m planning to release within the next year. I have songs that are almost 20 years old, and I really want to share them with the world!”

He spent three years performing at Hong Kong Disneyland.

“I was performing as Scar in “The Festival of the Lion King,” which was quite an enjoyable experience for me. While there, I also performed in other special events which helped stretch me as a vocalist. I also recorded voiceovers for Disney and hosted events in the park, as well as other countries in Asia. I was also fortunate to meet some amazing people there, including my fiancé!”

He’s currently cast in “The Phantom of the Opera” ensemble as a swing.

“Being a swing in a show is a huge responsibility! When you’re cast as a swing, you have to cover all of the ensemble roles in the show. So, that means you would learn lines, blocking, choreography and costume changes for each of those ensemble roles. Swings spend most of their time watching the show or sitting backstage going over notes, waiting to go on. We basically save the show if someone is sick, on vacation or if someone gets injured during the show. It’s not an easy job.”

He’s responsible for covering eight ensemble roles in the show.

“It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m always reviewing my script and my notes which keeps me prepared. Swings don’t get as much rehearsal time as the full cast, so sometimes the first opportunity to go through the show is when we’re thrown on at the very last minute.”

His best advice for others is to always be prepared.

“That was the advice given to me and it’s managed to work for me throughout my career. Don’t compare yourself to other artists. Figure out what separates you from the rest and then embrace it.”

A Swing and a Hit

As a swing in the West End production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” Manuel is tasked with covering for all the ensemble roles in the show. Here he is ready to go on as Monsieur LeFevre, a masquerade dancer and a Hannibal soldier.

The Show Must Go On

Once, while performing as Scar in “The Festival of the Lion King” at Hong Kong Disneyland, Manuel experienced a wardrobe malfunction on stage. During the fight scene with Simba, the actor who played Simba signaled to Manuel to look down at his costume top. That’s when Manuel saw that his zipper had broken and his chest was exposed. He ran off after the scene was finished and immediately went to the costuming department for help. There wasn’t much time, so the costumers covered the zipper with black duct tape so Manuel could make the finale.

A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, attorney Terrel T. Kent earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from Southern University and A&M College. She and Donald Craig Manuel pledged Beta Zeta together. During her collegiate years, she served as chapter president from 2004 to 2006. She subsequently held the office of vice president from 2006 to 2007. She enjoys cooking, collecting vinyl records, playing the violin and attending sporting events in her spare time.