Since the announcement of the resumption of the international tour of the original "Phantom of the Opera" and the announcement of China as the first stop, the "Phantom Fever" has quickly swept the domestic performance market, and sales in Shenzhen, Xi'an, Shanghai and other cities that have already issued tickets are booming. At the same time, with the end of the casting work of the show, the cast lineup that has attracted much attention has also surfaced, in addition to the two actors of Phantom and Viscount announced earlier, Christine, Carlotta, Lady Gilry and other important characters in the play have also been assembled and returned to their positions.
Among them, there are not only the "musical angels" who stood out in this round of global casting, but also the veteran actors who have been on the Broadway and international tour stages for 20 years. The fusion and collision of calm veterans and fresh blood is like leaving a blank space for imagination on the classic background, which is full of expectations for "The Phantom of the Opera", which is about to restart the tour.
The old card returned collectively to provoke the beam
Nearly 40 years since its inception in London's West End, The Phantom of the Opera has toured more than 190 cities around the world, and although the cast has changed several times during this period, the Phantom has impressed audiences with high quality everywhere it goes, which relies on the production team's mature casting system. After the global pandemic subsided, the original English version of The Phantom of the Opera was immediately put into preparation and casting for this round of international tour.
Recently, in anticipation, the show announced the cast of the main characters in the play. Broadway-based Raquel Suarez Glenn joins the international tour this year as Carlotta Juricelli after a brief farewell to the Phantom family in April 2023. Prior to that, Raquel had been known to many Phantom fans for the role on Broadway for six consecutive years.
Marnie Raab, who plays Mrs. Girey this time, is also from Broadway, and she was one of the most perfect incarnations of Christine in the minds of many viewers. She has nearly 20 years of experience on the Phantom stage, touring North America and Asia, and starring in more than 3,000 performances of Christine in the Broadway version of The Phantom of the Opera. In addition, Marnie also has an indissoluble bond with Chinese audiences. In December 2004, she made her official appearance as Christine in the performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" in Shanghai, and more than 1,000 Chinese audiences witnessed her Little C debut at the Shanghai Grand Theatre that night. Since then, Marnie has been appearing on the stage of "The Phantom of the Opera" as Christine.
Talking about her upcoming trip to China, Marnie couldn't hide her excitement when she returned as Mrs. Gildet this time, saying that it was a great honor for her to meet the Chinese audience 20 years ago and now, "I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet you in China, so I'm really happy to be back again." Rainer Fred, executive director of the international tour of The Phantom of the Opera, said that Marnie Rab's Lady Gary is both perceptive and empathetic, and her excellent voice makes her the perfect choice for the role.
James Bosvik and Tabiso Masemani have also confirmed their return to the team after a long international tour, and they will play the roles of Mr. Fairman and Ubaldo Piangi respectively. As the "ballast stone" of the new international tour of "The Phantom of the Opera", the collective return of the veteran actors not only makes the classic quality of the play more complete, but also evokes the scenes of the past buried deep in the audience's memory.
"Little C" continues to write a good story of China's debut
Christine, the heroine who is called "Little C" by fans, is one of the most core characters in the whole play, whether it is the original Sarah Brightman, or the later Ceyla Boggs and Ellie Ewalt, they all successfully restored the image of the heroine with a fragile appearance and a strong heart with their accurate and individual interpretation, which is fascinating at first sight in and out of the play. Therefore, the "Little C" role of each round of international tour of "The Phantom of the Opera" has naturally become one of the most focused points of the audience.
After several rounds of casting, Grace Roberts, a powerful newcomer from London's West End, stood out and became Christine's role in a new round of international tours. After graduating from the Royal College of Music at the University of London, Grace began to make her mark on the musical theatre scene. Rena Fred considers Grace to be a very talented actor, and many years ago, at a casting event, Grace caught his attention with her sweet voice and excellent expressiveness, "I recently had the pleasure of meeting Grace again at the casting scene in London, and we all agreed that she was the Christine we were looking for. ”
Reyner did not hesitate to praise and praise her: "Grace has all the abilities needed to play this role, vulnerable and brave, strong and empathetic. At the same time, she also brings a strong freshness to the character, and the charm she gives to the character is irresistible. Her abilities have also been highly recognized by international touring music director Christine Brogi and executive choreographer Dani Berry. Christine Brogie recalled the interview in London: "During the interview, she sang 'Somebody Somewhere' from The Most Happy Fella, and we thought, this is the Christine we're looking for! Danny Berry couldn't help but praise Grace: "At first glance, it makes people feel girlish, which coincides with Christine's fragile and charming temperament." ”
With the maturity of the Chinese musical theater market, the high quality of Chinese audiences in terms of professionalism and aesthetics has made more and more top international musical theater performers look forward to the Chinese stage, and take the China tour as an important opportunity to show and prove their talent and strength. 20 years ago, Marnie Raab started her new journey on the stage of the musical theater with the role of "Little C" on the stage of the Shanghai Grand Theatre. And when Grace stands on the Chinese stage, both she and the Chinese audience have more reason to believe that this will be the beginning of a new story.
In addition, Caitlin Fanny, who starred as Christine's alternate on the Phantom of the Opera Asia tour, will continue to participate in this international tour in this capacity. In addition to The Phantom of the Opera, Caitlyn has also toured Les Misérables North America, starring as Cosette.
The new lineup starts with a new lineup, and everyone has a background
In addition to the newly announced actors in this round, the previously announced "Phantom" actor Jonathan Losmov and "Viscount Raul" Matt Lisi are also "old acquaintances" in the past international tour versions. On the stage of "Phantom", they not only have rich performance experience, but also receive praise from audiences all over the world.
One viewer from Mallani commented: "Jonathan has a wealth of experience interpreting characters, as evidenced by the way he stands, the way he stretches his fingers, and the dramatic timbre changes. Even if he is not on stage, he can be perceived. An audience member who watched Matt Lissy perform in Singapore was impressed by the powerful aura of his role as Viscount Raul, "He is evenly matched with the Phantom at every turn, making the character more able to challenge the Phantom's control over Christine." ”
Not only do the actors have a background, but the core creative team of the international tour has also continued the long-term "golden configuration". Executive director Rena Fred has been with the crew of "The Phantom of the Opera" for 30 years, participated in many rounds of international tours and the production of the Chinese version of "The Phantom of the Opera"; music director Christine Brogi and executive choreographer Dani Berry have both worked in the crew for 36 years, and can be called "veteran" figures. Christine Brogie has worked on 20 versions of The Phantom of the Opera, while Danny Berry originally joined the Phantom team from the Broadway version, where her husband, Steve Patton, was the first Viscount Raul Shani in The Phantom of the Opera, which premiered in 1986. The rich experience of the main creative team will escort the performance quality of this international tour.