Cooper Grodin News

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, currently on sale for the premiere Fort Lauderdale, FL, engagement at Broward Center for the Performing Arts. With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, one of the most successful musicals 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. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast onstage!

Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group announced today that Chris Mann, Katie Travis, Storm Lineberger and Anne Kanengeiser will join the cast of the spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA currently on national tour.

Actor Cooper Grodin, who plays the Phantom, on the 25th Anniversary U.S. tour of The Phantom of the Opera, once played Elvis in a regional theatre production of Those Fabulous 50s and 60s. During the iconic musical's recent stop in Memphis, the home of Graceland and Elvis, Cooper, still a big fan of The King, was invited to tour his home.

Kim H. Kowalke, President of The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, announced today the launch of the 2015 Lotte Lenya Competition, a program of the Foundation. The Lotte Lenya Competition seeks exceptionally talented young singer/actors who excel in a wide range of musical theater styles for the 2015 contest. Contestants will compete for top prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500; total prizes awarded will exceed $50,000.

When Gaston Leroux published THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA back in 1911, little did he realize the numerous chandeliers that would come crashing down through the decades, and I've witnessed a good number of them. First, in 1925, there was 'the Man of a Thousand Faces,' Lon Chaney, Sr., who frightened poor Mary Philbin (a well-done version, even IF the film was silent); then, for Universal in 1941, Claude Rains (Bette Davis' favorite co-star) was a more subdued vocal coach for soprano Susanna Foster (a wooden Nelson Eddy, alas, is a greater impending horror as 'Raoul'). I could go on - even Herbert Lom, the actor who was the harried police superior to Peter Sellers' 'Inspector Clousseau,' took a swing on the old light fixture. (And let us not forget diminutive Paul Williams in the slightly askew PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE.) All of these pale, of course, in comparison to the legendary interpretation by Michael Crawford in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which first brought the audience to its feet in 1986.

In celebration of The Orpheum Theatre's upcoming engagement of Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, the Orpheum, in partnership with Carriage Crossing and the Phantom North American Tour, is hosting a special limited-time free exhibit of selected Phantom costumes by the late Tony Award-winning designer Maria Björnson. Björnson's sketches as well as costumes from the production will be on display in Suite 555 at Carriage Crossing (4675 Merchants Park Cir., Collierville, TN) September 12-21, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm and Sun 1pm-5pm. These exquisite original designs will be featured in the spectacular new touring production playing at The Orpheum Theatre September 24 – October 5.

Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the most successful musical of all time, will go on sale September 12, 2014 at 10a.m. for the Fort Lauderdale engagement at Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

Option Up!, the acclaimed musical theater cabaret and talk-show, returns Sunday, August 10, 2014 in The Cab at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago. Featuring Aaron Benham and Christopher Pazdernik, Option Up! runs the second Sunday of each month through November 9 at 7:30 PM.

In celebration of its 25 years on Broadway, Cameron Mackintosh brought forth a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for a North American Tour, now in its Boston premiere at the ornate Boston Opera House. Directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography by Scott Ambler, impressive set design by Paul Brown, Maria Bjornson's Tony Award-winning original costume design, and evocative lighting design by Paule Constable, the show is a visual spectacle that has enough magical effects to transport the audience to the Paris Opera House in the late 19th century.

Following an acclaimed sold-out tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenal musical success, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, sets out on a brand new North American Tour. Critics are raving that this breathtaking production is 'bigger and better than ever before.'

The national tour of 'Phantom of the Opera' is dynamic and captivating, not better than the original, just different.

Phantom is consistent and apparently is a show that parents or grandparents want to experience with their children. My second question was am I going to enjoy the show after having already seen it once on stage and the movie (which has to be the most literal stage to screen translation ever) multiple times? I did enjoy it. As much as I did the first time I saw it, no but this tour added new and interesting elements that kept this reviewer's attention.

Ben Edquist, of Houston, won the $15,000 First Prize in the finals of the 2014 Lotte Lenya Competition, sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and held on April 12, 2014, in Kilbourn Hall of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Arlo Hill, of New York, won the Second Prize of $10,000, and the Third Prize of $7,500 was awarded to Natalie Ballenger, also of New York.

Philadelphia theatergoers will have one final week to get their tickets to Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's spectacular new production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. PHANTOM plays at the Academy of Music through Saturday, April 12 only.

The producers of the spectacular new national touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA announced today that Tony Award nominee Brad Oscar will assume the role of 'Monsieur Firmin' when he joins the production in Philadelphia at the Academy of Music, beginning Monday, April 7. He joins Cooper Grodin as 'The Phantom,' Julia Udine as 'Christine Daae,' Ben Jacoby as 'Raoul,' Jacquelynne Fontaine as 'Carlotta Giudicelli,' Edward Staudenmayer as 'Monsieur Andre,'Linda Balgord as 'Madame Giry,' Frank Viveros as 'Ubaldo Piangi' and Hannah Florence as 'Meg Giry'. Mr. Oscar succeeds original cast member Craig Bennett in the role.

Phantom Phans, "Make your choice!" The story and characters are the same; the staging, sets and choreography is significantly changed in this "newly refreshed" version of one of the arguably most popular musicals in history.

Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group has announced the casting and initial tour schedule for 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.

Fourteen exceptionally talented young singer-actors have been selected as finalists in the 2014 Lotte Lenya Competition. They will compete for top prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 on Saturday, April 12, 2014, in Rochester, New York. Broadway conductor and Encores! music director Rob Berman, 2-time Tony Award winner Judy Kaye, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Artistic Director James Robinson will judge.

In the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, a white mask adds intrigue and mystery to the identity of the Phantom. In real life, the 'newly reimagined' PHANTOM, with its multimillion dollar facelift by set designer Paul Brown, is hiding behind a similar mask.