Photo Flash: First Look at Cooper Grodin in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA National Tour!

Cooper Grodin assumed the title role in the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera on January 9 in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. He joins Julia Udine as 'Christine Daaé,' Ben Jacoby as 'Raoul,' Jacquelynne Fontaine as 'Carlotta Giudicelli,' Craig Bennett as 'Monsieur Firmin,' Edward Staudenmayer as 'Monsieur André,' Linda Balgord as 'Madame Giry,' Frank Viveros as 'Ubaldo Piangi' and Hannah Florence as 'Meg Giry'. BroadwayWorld has a first look at him in action below!

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group, the spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is directed by Laurence Connor (the 25th Anniversary production of LES MISERABLES coming to Broadway March 2014, Jesus Christ Superstar) with choreography by Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown, Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Paule Constable, sound design by Mick Potter and musical supervision by John Rigby. The production is overseen byMatthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh. The Phantom of the Opera has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, the most successful musical of all-time, is performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this one of the largest productions on tour in North America. The Phantom of the Opera is currently playing Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph) through March 2, 2014.

The Ensemble includes Adam Bashian, Nick Cartell, Dan Debenport, Amy Decker, Mark Emerson, Michael Thomas Holmes, Celia Hottenstein, Christopher Howard, Merritt David Janes, Amy Justman, Edward Juvier, Dustin Layton,Luke Lazzaro, Jay Lusteck, Katie McCreary, Grace Morgan, Christy Morton, Quinto Ott, Eric Ruiz, Allan Snyder andMarguerite Willbanks. The Corps de Ballet includes Morgan Cowling, Anjelica Bette Fellini, Ramona Kelley, Abigail Mentzer, Lily Rose Peck, Tara Sweeney and Micki Weiner.

Grodin has recently been seen in Shakespeare in the Park's Into The Woods, the Drama Desk-nominated Best Revival of The Golden Land and across the country in the National Tour of LES MISERABLES. His debut original album "It's The Little Things" was released in 2012.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy