Beginning tonight Monday, July 27, there will be a new ‘man behind the mask' in the Broadway production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which is the longest-running show in Broadway history. John Cudia, the recent star of the National Tour, will take over the role on Broadway after a nearly decade-long association with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, directed by Harold Prince.
Hailed for his starring performance by critics across the country as "Powerful" (Washington Post), "Superb - a vocal powerhouse" (San Francisco Chronicle), "Grand, tender and menacing" (Hollywood Reporter), "Resplendent" (Toronto Globe & Mail) and "A sexier, more outré ‘Phantom'" (Chicago Tribune), Mr. Cudia will return to the Broadway production, where last summer he stepped in to play the title role for a limited engagement of 10 weeks at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street). This time, he'll be taking over the role officially.
Mr. Cudia succeeds longtime PHANTOM star Howard McGillin. With his record-breaking tally of 2,544 performances, Mr. McGillin has long been the ‘Phantom' longevity champ in New York - having played the title role more than any other performer on Broadway. Now, after 10 years since his first of many engagements with the production, McGillin decided to pursue other theatrical ventures and played his final performance tonight Saturday, July 25th.
Mr. McGillin will be going out on top with a new record as well, as his tally has now cemented his status as the World's Longest-Running ‘Phantom.' (In second place with just under 2,400 performances is the late Rob Guest, who played the role in Australia and New Zealand. Americans Franc D'Ambrosio - the longtime record-holder before Guest - and Brad Little follow with over 2,100 performances each.)
The role of the masked and lovelorn 'Erik', The Phantom of the Opera' was created by Michael Crawford. Crawford won a 1988 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his legendary performance in the role.
No stranger himself to PHANTOM performing Longevity, Mr. Cudia and his return to the New York Company is the latest chapter in his long history with the show, which began almost ten years ago. He first joined the National Tour in November 1999 as a Swing and cover for the leading role of ‘Raoul.' After only eight months, he took over as ‘Raoul,' which he played from July 2000 through March 2002, earning a National Broadway Touring Award nomination. He also covered the title role. (It was on this tour that he met while performing opposite his future wife, Broadway actress Kathy Voytko.) In October 2002, he joined the Broadway Company as ‘Raoul,' a role that he would play in New York for over 2½ years and 750 performances, through May 2005. During this time, he also continued to cover the title role. He next took over as ‘The Phantom' on the National Tour in April 2006, playing it for nearly 700 performances, through November 2007. In the summer of 2008, he stepped into the title role in the Broadway production for a limited engagement of 10 weeks, from May through July 2008. He returned to the National Tour in November 2008 for the recent Los Angeles and San Francisco engagements, continued to perform with the tour until his final performance in Minneapolis on May 24. After his final date with the National Tour and prior to joining the Broadway production, Cudia and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child.
With his recent engagements on the National Tour, John Cudia has played to rave reviews. In the sold-out L.A. and San Francisco engagements earlier this year, the San Francisco Chronicle cheered, "John Cudia as The Phantom is superb - a vocal powerhouse who delivers a heartbreaking performance perfectly balanced between longing and revenge." The Hollywood Reporter raved, "John Cudia is a grand Phantom, full of romantic longing, erotic obsession and just the right touch of madness born of deep despair. His handsome tenor can be both tender or menacing, and in the final unmasking scene he brings a stirring emotional reality to the evening's gothic thrills."
