BWW TV Exclusive: Meet the Company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Tour- Craig Bennett, Linda Balgord & Edward Staudenmayer

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Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group present their spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera launching a major North American Tour in Providence, R.I. at the Providence Performing Arts Center. With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, the most successful musical of all-time, will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this one of the largest productions on tour in North America.

BroadwayWorld just met the cast and you can check out an exclusive interview with Craig Bennett, Linda Balgord and Edward Staudenmayer, who play Monsieur Firmin, Madame Giry and Monsieur Andre respectively, below!

Craig has appeared on Broadway as Jerry Cruncher in A Tale of Two Cities, Thomas Hassenger in the Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific and Sgt. Schultz in Miss Saigon. He has toured in Billy Elliot as Big Davey, The Light in the Piazza as Signor Naccarelli, Mamma Mia! as Bill Austin,Ragtime (Chicago Co.) as Willie Conklin, LES MISERABLES as Combeferre and Thénardier. His regional credits include the Goodman Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo Repertory, North Shore Music Theatre and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

Linda starred as Norma Desmond in the first national tour of Sunset Boulevard (Jeff Award Nomination) and as Rose Vibert in the US and Canadian tour of Aspects of Love (Helen Hayes Award Nomination). She was the final Grizabella in Cats on Broadway, singing "Memory" for the last time at the Winter Garden Theatre, when the show ended its record-breaking run. On Broadway, Linda also created the role of Queen Elizabeth I in The Pirate Queen for which she received a Drama Desk Award Nomination. Her other Broadway credits include Mamma Rose in Gypsy (Stand-by for Patti LuPone), Marie Dindon in the 2005 revival of La Cage Aux Folles and the original company of Passion.

Edward most recently starred as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in the National Tour of the Roundabout Theatre Company's Tony winning revival ofAnything Goes. On Broadway, he has starred as the White Rabbit inWonderland and played opposite Martin Short for many performances inMartin Short: Fame Becomes Me. He has also starred in Monty Python's Spamalot (Sir Galahad, et. al.) at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Ed has had an over 19 year association with the Tony Award-winning, Forbidden Broadway taking him Off-Broadway, around the world, onto three cast recordings and recently a stint as director of the Tampa Production.

For more information on the production, please visit www.ThePhantomOfTheOpera.com