Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. and directed by Harold Prince, the musical is in its phenomenal 23rd year in New York, playing at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street).
Broadway favorite Liz McCartney will return to the role of Carlotta starting Monday evening, December 6. Ms. McCartney first played the role of the tempestuous opera diva over ten years ago, for nearly 2 years and over 600 performances from June 1999 to April 
2001. She had initially joined the Broadway Company in March 1999 as a member of the Ensemble, prior to taking over the role of Carlotta that June.
PHANTOM National Tour star Sean MacLaughlin will take over the romantic leading role of Raoul, also beginning performances Monday evening, December 6. Mr. MacLaughlin was Raoul in the final cast of the long-running National Tour of PHANTOM, which recently ended its record-breaking 18-year run. He first joined the tour in June 2007 as a member of the Ensemble. He assumed the role of Raoul in February 2009, playing it for a year and a half up until the tour's final performance this past October 31.
Both performers will join the show one week after the New York production's upcoming and unprecedented 9,500th performance, which will take place Monday evening, November 29. In a year of international PHANTOM milestones, the original London production recently celebrated its 10,000th performance on October 23.
Mr. MacLaughlin is the fourteenth actor to be cast as Raoul (not including alternates and understudies). He follows, in order and excluding return engagements: Steve Barton, Kevin Gray, Davis Gaines, Hugh Panaro, Keith Buterbaugh, Ciaran Sheehan, Brad Little, Gary Mauer, Jim Weitzer, Michael Shawn Lewis, John Cudia, Tim Martin Gleason and Ryan Silverman.
Ms. McCartney is one of thirteen actresses to have been cast as Carlotta in New York (not including alternates and understudies). In order and excluding return engagements, they are: Judy Kaye, Marilyn Caskey, Elena Jeanne Batman, Geena Jeffries, Patricia Hurd, Kelly Ellenwood, Leigh Munro, Liz McCartney, Rebecca Eichenberger, Patricia Phillips, Julie Schmidt, Anne Runolfsson and Kim Stengel.
Mr. McLaughlin succeeds Ryan Silverman. Having taken over the role of Raoul in April 2009, Mr. Silverman has performed it on Broadway nearly 600 times. He also previously played the role in the Vegas production.
Ms. McCartney succeeds Patricia Phillips. Since first taking over the role of Carlotta in June 2003, she's played four engagements with the Broadway cast with a total of more than 1,600 performances. She was the first person of African-American descent to play the role on Broadway and also previously performed the role as part of both the Toronto Company and on the Canadian tour.
