Watch: Jeremy Stolle Discusses His 15 Years with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT Podcast

Actor and singer Jeremy Stolle has had a singular Broadway career compared with other leading men in New York. While most go from show to show every year or two (or sometimes just a few months), Stolle has remained in the musical that gave him his Broadway debut 15 years ago. When that show happens to be the longest-running Broadway show in history, one can understand such a decision. Professional and financial stability for actors is very rare in the theater, even on Broadway, and Phantom of the Opera has afforded many actors such security throughout its 35-year run.

Well, that run will finally be coming to an end in April 2023. And so Stolle joins Why I'll Never Make It to share three of his most memorable experiences with the show. He and the host of the podcast, Patrick Oliver Jones, have known each other for twenty years, both performing the role of Gaston in Disney World's production of Beauty and the Beast. So their interview is both comfortable and conversational as they reminisce on their time together in Florida. Stolle is also very open and candid about the struggles he faced when he first moved to New York in addition to his journey with Phantom.

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Stolle has performed four roles throughout his years with the show: the featured ensemble role of Passarino, the operatic leading man Piangi, Christine's love interest Raoul as well as the Phantom himself. His first story recounts an unlikely and surprising turn as the Phantom during the iconic scene with the gondola and singing "Music of the Night" to Christine. "I went into the office after the scene, and the stage manager looked at me in absolute awe and said, 'I know I'm supposed to say something, but let's just bookmark this as an isolated incident and move on.'"

For his next story, Stolle describes the infamous 15-foot jump Raoul makes from a bridge into a narrow trap door. "It's a little unnerving because things can happen." And on Stolle's first night in the role it was all he could think about. "We have to jump through a cut in the stage about the size of a coffin, which you'll be in if you miss." Thankfully he doesn't injure himself on this particular occasion, but instead suffers an embarrassing and revealing incident with the whole cast.

After an insightful exchange about the differences between those two leading roles and how he prepares for each, Stolle goes into his third story and talks about press events where he has played the Phantom. These often involve meeting celebrities like Denzel Washington or Bryan Cranston as well as a thrilling encounter with his theater idol Anthony Warlow. They both took part in two-week rehearsal process for a unique performance with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Just to be at that moment, to especially be the Phantom in front of Anthony-fricking-Warlow was surreal. But it was awesome, I mean, I got to know who he is."

Jeremy Stolle

is a recording artist and concert singer currently in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera. He has also starred in the pre-Broadway production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other theater credits include the workshop production of Broadway's A Tale of Two Cities, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Thoroughly Modern Mille, Camelot and multiple national productions of Beauty and the Beast. As a concert artist, Stolle has traveled the U.S. performing his solo show "No More Talk of Darkness" as well as with his amazing Broadway Band "The Unreachable Stars" in sold-out tours. This is in addition to his symphonic concerts with Indianapolis Symphony, Springfield Symphony, The Broadway Stars concert in Taiwan, and the Modesto Symphony Pops, just to name a few. In addition to live performance, Jeremy has a solid online fanbase as a recording artist with millions of hits on Spotify His first solo album, "In the Moment," has sold in over 30 countries.

WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT

is one of Feedspot's Top 25 Theater Podcasts and received a 2022 Communicator Award of Distinction. This performing arts podcast is hosted and produced by Off-Broadway and National Touring actor Patrick Oliver Jones (The Addams Family, Evita). WINMI Podcast features fellow creatives sharing the realities of a career in the performing arts, all while challenging the notion of what it really means to "make it" in this business. Previous Broadway guests include Mykal Kilgore (Motown), Hannah Elless (Bright Star), and Bianca Marroquín (Chicago).