Yeston and Kopit's PHANTOM to be Presented at The Gateway

Experience Yeston and Kopit’s opulent PHANTOM, on stage at The Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, NY,  from August 1 to August 31, 2025.

PHANTOM is a musical melodrama about the frightening, caped, and masked 'phantom' living in the depths of the Paris Opera House. The Phantom lives for beautiful music and is mesmerized by a young and beautiful soprano, Christine. The Tony Award-winning authors of Nine, Maury Yestin and Arthur Kopit, have constructed this rousing musical around characters that are more richly developed than in any other version, including the original novel.           

The Gateway’s Creative Leads for PHANTOM include Director and choreographer Larry Raben, who has directed over 13 productions at The Gateway, including this past season’s Disney’s Frozen, as well as Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jersey Boys, CLUE starring Sally Struthers, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Disney’s Newsies The Musical, Murder On The Orient Express, Kinky Boots, Cabaret, Mamma Mia!, Nice Work If You Can Get It (IRNE nomination), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Producers, Sunset Boulevard and as an actor, Sugar (Jerry/Daphne). He directed Tony winner Joe DiPietro’s Falling For Eve Off Broadway (York Theatre). Other regional credits include School of Rock (Tuacahn Amphitheatre), Jersey Boys (Phoenix Theatre Company), Buyer & Cellar (Laguna Playhouse), Catch Me If You Can (Musical Theatre West), Tru (CSW), and Titanic (Moonlight).

Working alongside Larry Raben will be Associate Choreographer Louis Williams. Williams has previously worked with Raben as dance captain, as well as performed in numerous shows at The Gateway. Williams trained with The Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Krupinski Academy of Dance. He has performed with many notable musical talents, including Kelly Rowland, Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Fergie, Idina Menzel, Billy Porter, Ariana Grande, Neon Trees, and Ben Vereen. He has performed on Good Morning America, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and the Billboard Awards.

Musical Director Anthony Brindisi is returning to The Gateway for his fourth production, having previously worked on this summer’s Regional Premiere of Pretty Woman: The Musical, as well as Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and Evita from previous seasons. Brindisi has worked as the Associate Conductor on the national tours of Jersey Boys and A Christmas Story, as well as the Off-Broadway and Las Vegas productions of FRIENDS! The Musical Parody (Music Supervisor, Conductor, and Ableton Programmer). He also recently worked on the development and musical arrangements of a show for MSC’s Seascape.

The cast of PHANTOM will feature Matthew Malecki Martinez (Regional: Evita, West Side Story, Fidder on the Roof) as Erik (The Phantom), Cassie Austin (Tours: Hello, Dolly! (1st National), A Sign of the Times, According to Howard; Regional: Mary Poppins, A Gentlem's Guide...) as Christine Daaé, ALEXANDER RÍOS (Tours: Company; Off Broadway: Pip's Island; Regional: The Addams Family, The Cher Show, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Philippe, Count de Chandon, Gail Bennett (Broadway: Mary Poppins, Mel Brooks' The Producers; Regional: My Fair Lady (with Jefferson Mays), The Drowsy Chaperone, Sunset Boulevard, Mary Poppins) as Carlotta, Aaron De Jesus (Off-Broadway: Jersey Boys; Broadway National Tour Jersey Boys, Disney’s The Lion King, Monty Python's Spamalot; Regional: The Addams Family, Oliver! (starring Christopher Lloyd)) as Alain Cholet, Charles West (Broadway: The Scarlet Pimpernel; Regional: The Scalet Pimpernel, Can-Can) as Gérard Carrière, and Bruce Blanchard (Broadway: City of Angels, Hello, Dolly! (with Carol Channing); Off Broadway: Forever Plaid, Forbidden Broadway;  Tour: Les Misérables; Regional: Sweeney Todd, Camelot) as Inspector Ledoux.