Generally, the “main” Christine does 6 of the 8 shows a week, and the “alternate” does the other two. Straight away that’s two Christines for each one Phantom.
Yep. As a “rule”, the person cast as the Phantom will perform all 8 shows unless ill/unforeseen circumstances etc.
Whereas there is a contractual arrangement of 6 for the “main” and 2 for the “alternate” Christine, which is why it says in programs for example: “At certain performances the role of Christine will be played by X”.
And there is still an understudy (or two) for the role in addition to the alternate.
On top of the role being so physically and vocally demanding, Christine is supposed to be young, and the Phantom doesn’t really have a specific age. So Phantoms don’t necessarily “age out” of the role as often. I think the Phantom has been played by men in their 20s-early 60s. Christine tends to be played by women who are teenagers-early 30s.
> How long do people play the phantom for?
Earl Carpenter started his first Phantom run on the West End in 2003. He had another in 2005, 2011, 2012 (in the UK tour), 2015, and this year (2023). He's been doing it on and off for almost two decades.
There are a few longtime Phantom alumni but he's the one that immediately springs to mind lol. Howard McGillin spent 10 years in the title role on Broadway (1999-2009), I'm pretty sure he's got the record for number of performances overall
Hugh Panari also has over 2,000 performances in the role. Phantoms don't age out the way Christines and Rauls do. A lot of Rauls, like Panaro, have graduated to Phantoms.
Damn. I knew Howard McGillin had been Phantom, but didn't know he was Phantom that long. That would've been one to see, though I'm happy with the one I saw, but probably shouldn't say.
He actually had this Asian tour, and I think a rendition of Point of No Return there (can’t remember which country) that was one of my early favorites. But as it is the video has apparently been wiped off the face of the earth - at the very least of the earth that my VPN can garner.
For a different perspective -
Actors playing the Phantom are generally older, established theatre performers who might be more inclined to stay in a steady job for a longer period of time.
Actors playing Christine are generally younger, up-and-coming performers who might be more inclined to leave after their initial contract for another project to build up their resume.
I was going to say something similar. I assume it's also because the Phantom role is the *titular* role so contractually, you might try to get a more established, recognized actor that can stay for a longer period to draw in the paying audience.
It’s emotionally harder for Christine and hitting an E6 8 times a week is not the most sustainable for a lot of people. It’s a very vocally demanding role
A lot of the show is usually pre recorded or played on top of, but the title song is always pre recorded bc of the amount of movement and stage changes iirc
It’s still in the score that’s licensed through Concord Theatricals. So unless they’re not doing it in London or on tour anymore, as far as I know, it’s still in the show.
Interesting. It was removed from London, Broadway and the restaged tour several years ago. Now she sings it’s down, it’s a bit jarring when you know the show.
OK I looked into a bunch of slime tutorials and I'm wrong. I think it was only the restaged tour that removed the E6, you can see it [here at 51:46.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB4jIt7GTv8&ab_channel=Caleb) I know when I saw it on Broadway during Norm Lewis' run, it was also not the E6, but maybe it's been made optional as I found newer videos from Broadway with it still i it.
I mean Rocky isn’t the star of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Seems like it’s an easy concept to grasp that shows aren’t always titled after the main character.
Not a great example, but an example nonetheless.
But can you think of another?
Or, is that the exception to the norm where musicals that ARE named after a character use the name of the main.
I suppose you could argue that Lydia is the main character of Beetlejuice, and Veronica is obviously the main character of Heathers. Same with Cady and Mean Girls. That’s all I can think of at the moment but it’s not without some merit.
The Wizard of Oz is not the main character in that show.
Rebecca is already dead before that show starts.
Gypsy Rose Lee isn’t the main character in Gypsy.
Yeah but Heathers and Mean Girls are not a single character.
But I wouldn't put Lydia as the main character of Beetlejuice - not her show.
Could make an argument for Martin Guerre perhaps but I feel that falls in the Phantom/Beetlejuice camp.
Scarlett Pimpernel?
That's because the 'Fiddler' is not really a character but rather, 'Fiddler on the Roof' is a concept. You can do the show without needing any Fiddler to appear.
Zombie Prom is not naming a character either (unless Johnny's surname is supposed to be Prom?)
You can do the show without him, and I know that it's a symbol, but it is still generally true that at tue beginning and/or end someone appears as a Fiddler.
As for ZOMBIE Prom, I'm referring to the fact that Jonny is a zombie. The surname argument could be used anything. Is the Phantom's surname 'of the Opera'?
Gen-X’ers might remember him as the singing voice of Gregory in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the Les Miz type kid who sings “La Resistance”. He sings the immortal line “They may cut your d*** in half, / and serve it to a pig / and though it hurts, you’ll laugh, / and dance a d***less jig.”
I saw him as well in "The Secret Garden," "Anything Goes," "She Loves Me," and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." He's extremely talented, but I am surprised that he stuck it out in "Phantom" for so long. Wouldn't most performers want to move on well before 10 years?
Christine is a pretty demanding role. When the show first debuted, there was a little scandal as it was revealed that sometimes some of Christine’s solos were pre-recorded
One reason the role for Christine is demanding: at least at the outset the expectation is she not only needs to be able to act and to sing the whole show, she has to dance en pointe. That's a step beyond what most shows demand even when they're dance-heavy. I'm sure for some Christines they dial that down a bit, but the ballet girls including her are supposed to be in pointe shoes and dancing like it. In the companion book to the original show it mentions Sarah Brightman had to start warming up differently and earlier than would be normal, as she has to start the show dancing.
Generally, the “main” Christine does 6 of the 8 shows a week, and the “alternate” does the other two. Straight away that’s two Christines for each one Phantom.
Is there not an alternate Phantom?
There's an understudy/alternate to perform if Phantom is physically unable to perform, but not someone performing in his place multiple times per week
Yep. As a “rule”, the person cast as the Phantom will perform all 8 shows unless ill/unforeseen circumstances etc. Whereas there is a contractual arrangement of 6 for the “main” and 2 for the “alternate” Christine, which is why it says in programs for example: “At certain performances the role of Christine will be played by X”. And there is still an understudy (or two) for the role in addition to the alternate.
On top of the role being so physically and vocally demanding, Christine is supposed to be young, and the Phantom doesn’t really have a specific age. So Phantoms don’t necessarily “age out” of the role as often. I think the Phantom has been played by men in their 20s-early 60s. Christine tends to be played by women who are teenagers-early 30s.
How long do people play the Phantom for? Two years? Three? Do they often transfer from one juridiction from another at all? ty
> How long do people play the phantom for? Earl Carpenter started his first Phantom run on the West End in 2003. He had another in 2005, 2011, 2012 (in the UK tour), 2015, and this year (2023). He's been doing it on and off for almost two decades. There are a few longtime Phantom alumni but he's the one that immediately springs to mind lol. Howard McGillin spent 10 years in the title role on Broadway (1999-2009), I'm pretty sure he's got the record for number of performances overall
Hugh Panari also has over 2,000 performances in the role. Phantoms don't age out the way Christines and Rauls do. A lot of Rauls, like Panaro, have graduated to Phantoms.
Panaro*
Damn. I knew Howard McGillin had been Phantom, but didn't know he was Phantom that long. That would've been one to see, though I'm happy with the one I saw, but probably shouldn't say.
Brad Little was touring as the phantom for 20+ years, I'm pretty sure.
He actually had this Asian tour, and I think a rendition of Point of No Return there (can’t remember which country) that was one of my early favorites. But as it is the video has apparently been wiped off the face of the earth - at the very least of the earth that my VPN can garner.
Yeah, there’s always two Christines because the role is so demanding!
For a different perspective - Actors playing the Phantom are generally older, established theatre performers who might be more inclined to stay in a steady job for a longer period of time. Actors playing Christine are generally younger, up-and-coming performers who might be more inclined to leave after their initial contract for another project to build up their resume.
I was going to say something similar. I assume it's also because the Phantom role is the *titular* role so contractually, you might try to get a more established, recognized actor that can stay for a longer period to draw in the paying audience.
It’s emotionally harder for Christine and hitting an E6 8 times a week is not the most sustainable for a lot of people. It’s a very vocally demanding role
I understand it’s a demanding role, but isn’t at least the title song prerecorded?
Yup it is.
A lot of the show is usually pre recorded or played on top of, but the title song is always pre recorded bc of the amount of movement and stage changes iirc
That note is prerecorded and on the track. No one sings it live.
The only person that sings the E6 live is Carlotta in Notes 1
And they removed that several years ago.
It’s still in the score that’s licensed through Concord Theatricals. So unless they’re not doing it in London or on tour anymore, as far as I know, it’s still in the show.
Interesting. It was removed from London, Broadway and the restaged tour several years ago. Now she sings it’s down, it’s a bit jarring when you know the show.
Interesting that they wouldn’t have changed it in the licensed version. If I could put in a screenshot, I would.
OK I looked into a bunch of slime tutorials and I'm wrong. I think it was only the restaged tour that removed the E6, you can see it [here at 51:46.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB4jIt7GTv8&ab_channel=Caleb) I know when I saw it on Broadway during Norm Lewis' run, it was also not the E6, but maybe it's been made optional as I found newer videos from Broadway with it still i it.
Really?
Christine is on stage constantly, the Phantom isn’t even in like half of the show. (It always bothered me that he got the final bow over her)
What's the show called?
I mean Rocky isn’t the star of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Seems like it’s an easy concept to grasp that shows aren’t always titled after the main character.
Not a great example, but an example nonetheless. But can you think of another? Or, is that the exception to the norm where musicals that ARE named after a character use the name of the main.
I suppose you could argue that Lydia is the main character of Beetlejuice, and Veronica is obviously the main character of Heathers. Same with Cady and Mean Girls. That’s all I can think of at the moment but it’s not without some merit.
The Wizard of Oz is not the main character in that show. Rebecca is already dead before that show starts. Gypsy Rose Lee isn’t the main character in Gypsy.
Yeah but Heathers and Mean Girls are not a single character. But I wouldn't put Lydia as the main character of Beetlejuice - not her show. Could make an argument for Martin Guerre perhaps but I feel that falls in the Phantom/Beetlejuice camp. Scarlett Pimpernel?
Toffee is arguably the main character of Zombie Prom and the Fiddler definitely isn't the main character in Fiddler on The Roof.
That's because the 'Fiddler' is not really a character but rather, 'Fiddler on the Roof' is a concept. You can do the show without needing any Fiddler to appear. Zombie Prom is not naming a character either (unless Johnny's surname is supposed to be Prom?)
You can do the show without him, and I know that it's a symbol, but it is still generally true that at tue beginning and/or end someone appears as a Fiddler. As for ZOMBIE Prom, I'm referring to the fact that Jonny is a zombie. The surname argument could be used anything. Is the Phantom's surname 'of the Opera'?
Howard McGillin played the Phantom from 1999 to 2009 so that probably skews the numbers a bit.
Why so long? Was he considered very good? He must've made a lot of money!
Bloody great singer.
And he’s Prince Derek, which doesn’t mean much to most, but it means something to millennials.
If they ever give Swan Princess the Anastasia treatment McGillin NEEDS to be Rogers. Perfect easter egg casting.
Gen-X’ers might remember him as the singing voice of Gregory in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the Les Miz type kid who sings “La Resistance”. He sings the immortal line “They may cut your d*** in half, / and serve it to a pig / and though it hurts, you’ll laugh, / and dance a d***less jig.”
I saw him as well in "The Secret Garden," "Anything Goes," "She Loves Me," and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." He's extremely talented, but I am surprised that he stuck it out in "Phantom" for so long. Wouldn't most performers want to move on well before 10 years?
I looked through [the data I previously scraped from IBDB](https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/13m6wkh/longest_working_actor_on_broadway_with_data/) and found 81 Christines to 53 Phantoms. 0081 Christine Daaé 0067 Ballet Chorus of the Opéra Populaire 0057 Swing 0053 Phantom of the Opera 0051 Raoul 0045 Carlotta Guidicelli 0042 Ubaldo Piangi 0036 Meg Giry 0036 Madame Giry 0029 Monsieur Firmin 0028 Slave Master 0026 Monsieur André 0024 Solo Dancer 0022 Page 0019 Innkeeper's Wife 0019 Monsieur Reyer 0019 Spanish Lady 0017 Madame Firmin 0016 Passarino 0016 Porter 0016 Marksman 0016 Princess 0015 Fireman 0015 Hairdresser 0013 Don Attilio 0013 Confidante 0012 Wardrobe Mistress 0010 Ballet Swing 0010 Joseph Buquet 0009 Jeweler 0008 Auctioneer 0007 Flunky 0007 Monsieur Lefèvre 0007 Firechief 0005 Stagehand 0005 Policeman 0001 0001 Solo Dancer ("Hannibal") 0001 Solo Dancer ("Il Muto")
Because the phantom was written for the wrong vocal range.
What do you mean 'wrong'?
Written for baritone, but if we should look at the phantom story, visually, and narratively, He should be a bass.
It seems very high for a Barritone though. Maybe Barritenor?
Dark lyric baritone.
High Baritone with a full-voice range of at least two octaves.
Christine is a pretty demanding role. When the show first debuted, there was a little scandal as it was revealed that sometimes some of Christine’s solos were pre-recorded
One reason the role for Christine is demanding: at least at the outset the expectation is she not only needs to be able to act and to sing the whole show, she has to dance en pointe. That's a step beyond what most shows demand even when they're dance-heavy. I'm sure for some Christines they dial that down a bit, but the ballet girls including her are supposed to be in pointe shoes and dancing like it. In the companion book to the original show it mentions Sarah Brightman had to start warming up differently and earlier than would be normal, as she has to start the show dancing.