BWW Exclusive: Plans Underway for Ramin Karimloo's Toronto Homecoming

Last week BWW reported that Ramin Karimloo had announced plans to do his first ever North American tour in support of his new album, Ramin.  Kicking off in Brampton, ON (where Ramin lived for a short period of time growing up) the tour will see him hit stages in NYC and across the United States promoting an album of original material and some well known hits.

Ramin is a household name in the UK, where he played The Phantom in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dies and is currently playing Jean Valjean in the 25^th Anniversary production of Les Miserables.  Most recently, he starred with Sierra Boggess and Hadley Fraser in the 25^th Anniversary Celebration of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Ramin spent much of his adolescence just outside of Toronto in Richmond Hill, and Canadian audiences have been eager to see the star come home to a Toronto stage.  When it was announced last year that Toronto would get a new sit-down production of Les Miserables (which has been subsequently postponed) there was an eruption of support in the theatre community to see Ramin cast as Jean Valjean and brought home to Toronto.

BWW is thrilled to report that not only will Ramin be coming home, but he will be celebrating his return to Canada by attempting to hit all the spots that he lived in and frequented growing up.  In an exclusive interview with BWW, he told us exactly what he hopes to do this summer:

News just broke that you’re launching your album tour in Brampton – how did that come about?

Well I lived in Bramalea for a short period of time growing up, so it seems like a great place to kick off the album tour.  The show in Brampton will focus on the music on the album and launch my ‘Show Me Light’ tour before I go to the United States.  I think it’ll be a great way to expose a new audience to my music.

We understand you will also be playing the Little Lake Festival in Peterborough – what kind of music will you be playing there?

I’m very excited about Little Lake.  It will bring me home to Peterborough and allow me to go back to my concert and ‘gig’ roots – very much like what I did in high school when I used to play with a band.  I really hope to have my good friend Hadley Fraser join me at the Festival and I will try and give my banjo a good workout.  I best be practicing though – I’m no hot shot on the banjo!

Finally, are you going to have an official homecoming in Toronto?

That’s the plan – to celebrate my theatrical homecoming with a big concert this summer in the heart of Toronto.  I’ve enlisted the help of my good friend Kevin Derouin to put his producer cap back on and my hope is to organize something very similar to my “Night with the Phantom” concert in the UK – where theatre lovers will be able to come out and have an intimate evening with me performing hits from Phantom, Les Miserables and my solo material.  I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve too – my hope is to bring along some very special guests and make it a remarkable night to remember.

In many ways I feel as though I’ve been earning my stripes in the UK and had the chance to work on some great projects such as Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.  I’ve been fortunate to enjoy great success in England and now I feel like I have the opportunity to share that with everyone back home.  Hopefully I can come back and show the country what I’ve been doing for the last decade – and earn a spot in their Canadian hearts.

When and Where?

For more details on Ramin's North American tour and his new CD please visit his official website at www.raminofficial.com