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Norm Lewis Remembers Fellow Phantom- the Late Robert Guillaume
By: Nicole Rosky Oct. 25, 2017
As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, Robert Guillaume, the stage's first African American 'Phantom', passed away on October 24, 2017, due to complications of prostate cancer. He was 89.
Guillaume made his Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow, followed by roles in Kwamina and Tambourines to Glory before taking the title role in Purlie.
He starred as 'Nathan Detroit' in an all-black revival of Guys and Dolls, which earned him both a Tony and a Drama Desk nomination in 1977. He also played the title role in Broadway's Cyrano - The Musical.
The actor starred as 'The Phantom' in the 1990 Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera, replacing Michael Crawford opposite Dale Kristien as 'Christine.'
Below, Norm Lewis, who was the first African American to play the Phantom on Broadway, remembers the stage legend:
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