Beginning Thursday evening, March 27, Kim Stengel, the actress who has played the role of the outrageous opera diva 'Carlotta' in The Phantom of the Opera more than any other actress worldwide, will join the Broadway production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, directed by Harold Prince, at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street). This will mark Ms. Stengel's Broadway debut.
Ms. Stengel has played the role over 4,500 times in several productions, playing across the U.S., Canada and Asia. Her first experience with the show was on the Canadian National Tour, which she joined in 1994. This production took her across Canada, to Alaska and Hawaii and became the musical's first Asian Tour, taking her to Singapore and Hong Kong in 1995. She joined the Toronto Company in October 1995, playing the role for four years including with Kiss rocker Paul Stanley in the title role. She joined the U.S. National Tour in July 2002 and has played the role for nearly six years, up until earlier this month.
Ms. Stengel is the 12th actress to be cast in the role on Broadway, and replaces another history-maker,
Patricia Phillips, who was the first person of African-American descent to play the role in the New York production. Ms. Phillips will play her final performance on Saturday evening, March 22 and return on Monday, May 19. Ms. Stengel's two-month engagement with the Broadway cast will run through Saturday, May 17.
Ms. Stengel joins the New York production direct from the National Tour, and follows another touring cast member who recently joined the Broadway cast. Rebecca Judd, who originated the role of 'Madame Giry' when the Third National Tour premiered in December 1992, assumed the role in New York on February 20, 2008. She's also played the role in the San Francisco Company and previously played it on Broadway last summer (from June 25 to July 28, 2007), filling in for longtime Broadway 'Madame Giry'
Marilyn Caskey, while she played the role of 'Electra' in the City Center production of
Gypsy. Ms. Judd's return to the Broadway cast again enables Ms. Caksey to play in
Gypsy, this time as a Broadway revival across the street from The Majestic Theatre at The St. James. Ms. Caskey will return to the New York Company at a later date to be determined.
A native Texan, Kim Stengel has played the role of 'Carlotta' more than any other actress worldwide, with over 4,500 performances across the U.S., Canada and Asia. She comes direct from the current National Tour. Her credits include London productions of The Gondoliers and Princess Ida. In New York, she's appeared in productions of Carousel, Kismet, The Most Happy Fella, The New Moon, The Creation, Mass in C, War Requiem and Carmen. Nationally, she's been seen in The Sound of Music,
My Fair Lady, Sweeny Todd, Camelot, The Music Man, Uncle Vanya, Agnes of God, Pygmalion, Death of a Salesman and The Elephant Man.
Originally from California, Rebecca Judd created the role of 'Madame Giry' on the Third National Tour and also played the role in the San Francisco and New York companies. She recently joined the New York cast direct from the current National Tour. Other Broadway credits include the role of Claire in The Secret Garden and Sweeney Todd, where she was a standby for Mrs. Lovett. Internationally, she toured as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls and Rizzo in
Grease. Regionally, Rebecca has played Lizzie in 110 in the Shade, Charlotte in A Little Night Music, the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Aunt Nettie in Carousel, and the title role in Evita.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
The Phantom of the Opera, directed by theater legend
Harold Prince and produced by
Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Company, Inc., is the most successful stage musical of all time, with worldwide ticket sales exceeding $3.2 billion (far surpassing the highest-grossing film of all time, Titanic, which has grossed $1.2 billion worldwide). Phantom is also the longest-running show in Broadway history. On January 9, 2006, it played performance #7,486, surpassing the then-record run of Cats. It has since surpassed that milestone by over two years.
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.
Continuing in their roles in the Broadway cast are
Howard McGillin (The Phantom),
Jennifer Hope Wills (Christine),
Tim Martin Gleason (Raoul),
George Lee Andrews (Monsieur André),
David Cryer (Monsieur Firmin), Rebecca Judd (Madame Giry),
David Gaschen (Piangi),
Heather McFadden (Meg Giry) and
Elizabeth Loyacano (Christine at certain performances).
The performance schedule for
The Phantom of the Opera is Monday evenings at 8 PM, Tuesday evenings at 7PM, Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 PM. Ticket prices range from $26.50 - $111.50. To order tickets visit telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200.
For complete information on the Broadway and worldwide productions, visit the official website at
www.thephantomoftheopera.com.
