Musical theatre actor Michael James Leslie has died, per numerous memorial posts to his Facebook profile from friends and colleagues. Mr. Leslie's age, nor the date of his death, was clear at the time of publication.

Born in Brielle, New Jersey, Mr. Leslie began his adult life attending Rutgers College, later graduating from Cornell Law School. But law would not be where he made his career. Mr. Leslie made his Broadway debut in the 1977 revival of Hair, moving over to the original run of The Wiz the next year. In the latter, the actor initially understudied several roles, ultimately playing the Lord High Underling, Uncle Henry, and the Lion during the run. The latter would become a favorite role, and one he returned to after his Broadway run at theatres including the Muny, Dallas Summer Musicals, and Kenley Players.

His next major credit would be the most frequent of his career, voicing Audrey II in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors. Mr. Leslie created the role in the original Los Angeles and London companies of the musical, both in 1983 and both opposite Ellen Greene's Audrey. On Broadway, he understudied the role, and played it full time in the musical's 1984 and 2004 tours, along with reprising the performance for the Muny in St. Louis in 1996 and New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in 2008. His powerful, rock baritone made his take on the part the signature performance of his career.

Mr. Leslie spent the rest of his career as a prolific regional presence, playing various roles at such venues as Westport Country Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Norfolk Stage, John Engeman Theater, Asolo Repertory Theater, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Connecticut Repertory Theater, and Lincolnshire Marriott, along with the national tour of Beauty and the Beast, and Sweeney Todd, Romance in Hard Times, Mowgli, and American Heroes Off-Broadway.