{{Short description|Cabaret singer and actor (1944–1995)}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}} '''Tony Monopoly''' (3 December 1944 – 21 March 1995)<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151992299#view-photo=188872329 Antonio Rosario Monopoli gravestone]</ref> was an Australian-born cabaret singer and actor who enjoyed success in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Chalmers">{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/obituarytony-monopoly-1613088.html | title = Obituary :Tony Monopoly | last = Chalmers | first = Robert | work = The Independent | date = 28 March 1995 | accessdate = 10 November 2016 }}</ref> Born '''Antonio Rosario Monopoli''' in Adelaide, he was a regular on the national radio show, ''Kangaroos on Parade'' at the age of nine as a boy soprano.<ref name="Chalmers"/>

At the age of sixteen he became a Carmelite friar and remained in the order for five years.<ref name="Chalmers"/> During the 1960s he regularly performed with Edwin Duff and Norm Erskine, as a trio of singers, on ''In Melbourne Tonight'' and ''Tonight with Don Lane''.<ref name="Broun">{{cite web | url=https://onwiththeshow.com.au/edwin-duff-takes-his-final-bow/ | title = Edwin Duff takes his final bow | last = Broun | first = Shirley | work = On with the show | date = 14 October 2012 | accessdate = 10 November 2016 }}</ref>

In 1975 he was appearing at Caesar's Palace in Luton when he auditioned for and appeared on ''Opportunity Knocks'', a British television talent show, and won six weekly shows.<ref name="Chalmers"/> In June 1976, his self-titled album peaked at No.&nbsp;25 in the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 375}}</ref><ref name="UK Charts">{{cite web | url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2972/tony-monopoly/ | title = Tony Monopoly &#124; Full Official Chart History | publisher = Official Charts Company | accessdate = 10 November 2016 }}</ref>

In a national pre-selection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 9 March 1977 at the New London Theatre, Monopoly earned 66 points and placed ninth with the tune "Leave a Little Love." By the early 1980s Monopoly performed aboard cruise liners, "I lived on one yacht for a year," he said. "I went to 56 countries. I had champagne for breakfast. But I hated it".<ref name="Chalmers"/> When fulfilling his increasingly rare engagements on dry land, he divided his time between Australia and the UK.

Monopoly was head-hunted for a musical while appearing in ''Cinderella'' at Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. He starred&nbsp;– in drag&nbsp;– in ''Moby Dick'', the inaugural production at the newly refurbished Old Fire Station Theatre in Oxford. The show's success prompted Cameron Mackintosh to mount a 1992 West End production,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-monopoly-mn0001270531 |title=Tony Monopoly&nbsp;– Credits |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=2012-12-19}}</ref> which opened to scathing reviews and promptly closed, after which Monopoly portrayed Old Deuteronomy in a UK tour of ''Cats''.

Monopoly died of cancer in Brighton, England on 21 March 1995.<ref name="Chalmers"/>

In 2000, a character named Tony Cluedo - an obvious reference to Tony Monopoly - played By Ted Robbins, appeared in Series 2 of BBC TV comedy ''The League of Gentlemen'' as the lead singer of Crème Brulee.

==References==

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==External links== *{{IMDb name|2097166}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Monopoly, Tony}} Category:1944 births Category:1995 deaths Category:Australian male stage actors Category:Male actors from Adelaide Category:Musicians from Adelaide Category:20th-century Australian male actors Category:20th-century Australian male singers