From his days as principal Raoul and u/s Phantom in Toronto (two first photos) to principal André and u/s + principal Phantom on Broadway - and then doing the very last performance of the original Broadway production... That is one for the books.
No words. I joke and act silly and do my whole Sondheim thing and all real life friends lovingly put up with my brain rot, but I literally don’t know who I would be without this show. Thinking about middle school me coming off of my dad’s death and finding Phantom back in 2000–how it got me through the worst thing in my life and how it has also taken me so many legitimately wonderful places over the last 20 some years and, more over, made me some of the most incredible friends I could ever have. I feel so lucky to have been able to attend the last public show and to have witnessed one of the most genuinely, insanely, and upsettingly good performances I have ever seen on Broadway. The entire cast, pit, and crew was at 400%. It was like being that thirteen-year-old all over again, hearing that overture the first time and being knocked on my ass. Am I crying in my hotel bed writing this? Yes. Do I give a solitary fuck? No. Thank you so much, Phantom.
Also, the Laird/Emilie/John combo was fucking POWERFUL. AND EMILIE WHISPERED “I LOVE YOU, TOO” BACK TO LAIRD AFTER HIS “CHRISTINE I LOVE YOU” AND MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY.
Personally hurt by them. I’ve never seen a trio combo where Christine seemed to genuinely love them both to such an earnest extent. Ugly tears.
It's been almost a year since Phantom closed on Broadway, and I miss these folks.
Ben Crawford | Kanisha Marie Feliciano | Ted Keegan
Emilie Kouatchou | Laird Mackintosh | Greg Mills
Bronson Norris Murphy | John Riddle | Paul A. Schaefer
Jeremy Stolle | Julia Udine | Elizabeth Welch