John Cudia To Replace McGillin In 'Phantom' This May

This May, John Cudia will become only the 12th actor to take over the title role in the Broadway production's 20+ year history.  Cudia has a 9-year history with the musical, having starred as The Phantom on the national tour and previously playing Raoul on Broadway.  He replaces record-breaking Phantom Howard McGillin, who has played the role more than any other actor on Broadway (at over 2,000 times), and who will return to the NY production in late July.

The winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the New York production has been seen by over 12.5 million people and grossed over $675 million.  On April 4, 2007, it became the first show in Broadway history to reach 8,000 performances (it has since played over 8,300), and earlier this year, on January 26, 2008, it became the first show in Broadway history to celebrate 20 years.

Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 80 million people in 25 countries and 124 cities.  There are currently seven productions around the world: London, New York, Budapest (Hungary), Osaka (Japan), Brisbane (Australia) the U.S. National Tour and the new production in Las Vegas at The Venetian. The next international opening will be in Warsaw (Poland) in April 2008.

Based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux, the play tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it.  He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.  Having donned the mask in over 2,000 performances, current leading man Howard McGillin has played the title role more than any other performer on Broadway.

For complete information on the Broadway and worldwide productions, visit the official website at www.thephantomoftheopera.com.