The Broadway production + US tour

Callie Daae wrote:
I hate to say it but I'm excited to have a new Christine on Broadway. I feel that Jennifer is getting to old to play Christine. I mean since Christine is supposed to be 20.

Strongly disagree.

Raphael wrote:

Callie Daae wrote:
I hate to say it but I'm excited to have a new Christine on Broadway. I feel that Jennifer is getting to old to play Christine. I mean since Christine is supposed to be 20. Please don't hate me Jennifer fans!

Just out of curiosity, how many Christines have been 20, give or take a couple years? All the good ones (my opinion) that I recall have been no younger than 30.

R.

Agreed.

Callie Daae wrote:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Hope-Wills/16065924466

She put an announcement on her Facebook fan page

I hate to say it but I'm excited to have a new Christine on Broadway. I feel that Jennifer is getting to old to play Christine. I mean since Christine is supposed to be 20. Please don't hate me Jennifer fans!

Thank you. He found it himself, I guess, because he just made a comment about it "being official" or whatever.

She will be missed. And on her age-she's a great actress who convincingly played 20.

I have said elsewhere how brilliant I think she is in this role. A real ACTRESS.

I don't believe an actor HAS to be a particular age to play a certain age, but they have to be able to convincingly act that age. There aren't too many 20-something Christines that are among my favorites, but they all sound and act young enough to play the part well. The Phantom is a little different--it's rare I've liked a Phantom who isn't at least 40 if not 45. I think it's easier to play younger than it is older, probably because we can all remember what it's like to be younger, but we don't know yet what it's like to be older. But I'm also pickier about Phantoms being aged than I am about Christines being young.

Yes, I agree. I prefer Christines to in their 20s or early 30s. I guess it's just because I'm SIXTEEN so I prefer younger actresses to look up to. Yes, I think the Phantom should be in his late 40s or 50s also.

Sara Jean Ford is going to be the new principal Christine!

source: I asked Kimilee Bryant

While not completely new, she wasn't in the tour very long, and she's pretty young and fresh. Haven't seen her myself, though.

Callie Daae wrote:Sara Jean Ford is going to be the new principal Christine!

source: I asked Kimilee Bryant

Cool, and major congrats to her!

While I was hoping to see Jennifer again on two occasion this winter, I am grateful that I got to see her at least that one time. The news that Sara Jean Ford is taking over excites me, though! Heard many wonderful things about her, so looking forward to seeing her twice!

John Cudia is leaving the Broadway production as stated on his Facebook page.

That's too bad, I was hoping to see him this coming year. Best of luck to him in whatever he does next.

Callie Daae wrote:That's too bad, I was hoping to see him this coming year. Best of luck to him in whatever he does next.

I was hoping to see him in April. Good luck to him and let us begin the endless speculation of a replacement. My bets are on Brad Little or Richard Todd Adams.

Both Cudia and Wills end their runs on Sept 4th? Wow, that's going to be the most turnover in principal talent at once The Majestic's seen in years, I would think.

R.

I'd love Richard Todd Adams to get it, he had an incredible voice.

If they were leaving later I would have assumed that Tim Martin Gleason might get it, unless they do like London and run some understudies untill the tour ends so TMG can take over.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if Crivello got bumped to Broadway and Barrett returned to the Vegas production.

R.

Or why not Brent Barrett for Broadway? Though, as always, I would love seeing someone new in the mask.

Brent would be great too.

I have doubts for Anthony, Im sure he is nice and settled with his house and everything out in Vegas, unless it was for a limited 6 month stint. But who knows.

It would be something else if someone totally new came along.

Gary Mauer? Not my favorite, but the thought when he left the tour and settled back in to his NJ home with his family was that he'd one day return to the role on Broadway.

I'd prefer someone completely new, but that's unlikely. I definitely wouldn't want TMG to transfer.

How about Michael Lackey, David Gaschen, or James Romick? The dudes have done enough understudying of the role, and are better than most of the principals they have shadowed in their long stints in the various productions.

I wouldn't mind if Tony got moved to NY and Michael or Ian got moved up.

Ooh, I would just adore it if it was James Romick that was promoted, unlikely as it is, the man seriously deserves it.

I've never been a huge fan of Gary Mauer.

Gary Mauer may have a beautiful voice, but I never felt that his performance was truthful. Very fake. I never felt him DISCOVERING on stage. One of those Phantoms that chews the scenery with a quality, rather than acting.

Obviously we'd all love to see someone new. This is one of those times that I really can't think of who it could be.

I would love to see James Romick move up--I saw him and JHW back at the end of June and they were seriously awesome. It's a shame JHW is leaving--and I don't think she looked a day over 21 onstage. There have been plenty of older actresses who have played Christine and pulled it off beautifully. Alas. Still sad she and John Cudia are leaving.

(btw photos are up from my NYC trip)

Christine's Shadow wrote:(btw photos are up from my NYC trip)

Where? I'd love to see them.

I thought of Ian Jon Bourg too, but forgot to mention him. Didn't used to be a fan, but I am now. Not as much so as I am of Lackey and Romick, but he's a quality Phantom.

Deep down, I'm still rooting for the man in my avatar to return after 14 years. He is 56 now, but Howard McGillin's a few months older.

operafantomet wrote:Or why not Brent Barrett for Broadway? Though, as always, I would love seeing someone new in the mask.

Because I'm selfish and want to be able to fly over for a weekend to see him without costing me an arm and a leg?

As for Lackey, Gaschen, and Romick, I fear that they be so highly valued for the other parts they play that the higher-ups don't want to bump them up into the role of the masked one. It's a shame if that's the case, because they're all really great Phantoms.

R.

Raphael wrote:

operafantomet wrote:Or why not Brent Barrett for Broadway? Though, as always, I would love seeing someone new in the mask.

Because I'm selfish and want to be able to fly over for a weekend to see him without costing me an arm and a leg?

As for Lackey, Gaschen, and Romick, I fear that they be so highly valued for the other parts they play that the higher-ups don't want to bump them up into the role of the masked one. It's a shame if that's the case, because they're all really great Phantoms.

R.

Yeah, I'm sure that's the case if they haven't been promoted long-term by now.

SenorSwanky wrote:Yeah, I'm sure that's the case if they haven't been promoted long-term by now.

But on the bright side, they're liked enough to be kept around for all these years so there's always a chance of catching them in the lead role

R.

Raphael wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:Yeah, I'm sure that's the case if they haven't been promoted long-term by now.

But on the bright side, they're liked enough to be kept around for all these years so there's always a chance of catching them in the lead role

R.

Yeah, a chance, but it's less than flipping a coin. If you've only seen the show once on Broadway and three times on tour over the course of 15 years, it's a snowball's chance in hell. I've seen one Phantom understudy, the one time I saw it on Broadway, and it was Stephen Buntrock, who's pretty good but no Romick or Gaschen or Lackey. I did see Gaschen as Piangi that day, though, and he was awesome. Met him at the stage door too, and he's a hilarious guy.

SenorSwanky wrote: I've seen one Phantom understudy, the one time I saw it on Broadway, and it was Stephen Buntrock, who's pretty good but no Romick or Gaschen or Lackey. I did see Gaschen as Piangi that day, though, and he was awesome. Met him at the stage door too, and he's a hilarious guy.

I saw Buntrock back in 2005. He was good, but not amazing and it just felt very obvious that he was indeed an understudy. I think, even if I had been a complete newbie who'd never seen the show before, he would have stood out as being an understudy.

David Gaschen was my first Piangi and one of the first couple of cast members I met at the stage door. I've never quite liked him as the Phantom, but did love him as Piangi.

So far, of the names that have been tossed around as a possible replacement, I like James Romick best. I've only seen him in the role once (plus as Andre a couple of times), but really liked him.

Well, I was at the time much more impressed with Buntrock than I am now, but a lot of that was probably the awesomeness of seeing the show for the first time at the Majestic, and in the third row. I saw it with two people who'd never seen the show at all before, and they loved him and the show in general, and he was also very nice to us at the stage door. This was also in 2005--October, not long after Hugh left and Howard came back. Buntrock was very obviously influenced by Hugh's portrayal, but I don't think he was that obviously an understudy, even now. He definitely was a little less good in terms of talent than some principals, but Broadway's understudies are generally the cream of the crop, so the dropoff wasn't as much as in other productions and other shows.