"As I remember it, Webber was not there and Patti asked her husband if they (the original cast) were that boring."
Actually it was the music director.
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
Yeah, it doesn't really look like him in the face. Not that I'm an expert on Ramin Karmiloo, but I feel like I've seen him enough to know what he looks like.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
It is really him. It was a photoshoot for Cosmo magazine, I believe. Ben James-Ellis from Hairspray and Daniel Boys from Avenue Q posed with him. You can see them in the uncropped pic.
It really wasn't necessary to put the mask down there as his leg was covering all his bits-it would have been sexier if he has posed like that and worn the mask.
I actually froze my butt off and rush the show on 3/6. Much to my surprise, Karimloo was performing, even though it was a Thursday night. There was NO booing. Quite the opposite. He got a standing ovation from a handful of people after Bring him Home (only a handful). The curtain call was thunderous. Someone is messing with you....
I have tix to see Ramin on July 16th, at the Wednesday "Les Miz" matinee.
His voice is incredible. Nevertheless, I can't decide how I feel about him as the Phantom. For one thing, he doesn't look the part -- he's too small. Both JVJ and the Phantom, in my view, should be played by taller men. More importantly, I didn't like his Phantom interpretation; I thought he played the Phantom as too out of control. I definitely prefer cold fury in that part. I'm waiting with interest to see him in Les Miz, where an out-of-control interpretation in the beginning would be perfect.
Audrey, the Phantom Phanatic, who nonetheless would rather be Jean Valjean, who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons.