Hugh Panaro to Headline Phantom's 25th Anniversary Celebration on Broadway; New Stars Announced

The Phantom of the Opera star Hugh Panaro will stay on as the "Man Behind the Mask" during the musical's upcoming celebration of its 25th anniversary on Broadway. A special gala performance will be held on January 26, 2013 at the Majestic Theatre to honor the occasion. Panaro will be joined by international Phantom star Marni Raab, who will resume performances as the principal Christine Daae on November 13, before Sierra Boggess returns for her limited engagement in January.

Tony Award nominee Tim Jerome (Me and My Girl, Tarzan) will also return to the production as Monsieur Firmin on November 12, alongside Jim Weitzer (Little Women) as Monsieur André. That same night Ellen Harvey (How to Succeed, Into the Woods) will make her Phantom debut as Madame Giry. Samantha Hill will take over as the Christine alternate as well.

In addition to Panaro, the production also currently stars Kyle Barisich as Raoul, Michele McConnell as Carlotta, Christian Sêbek as Piangi and Kara Klein as Meg. Current cast members Trista Moldovan, Kevin Ligon, Aaron Galligan-Stierle and Cristin J. Hubbard will all play thier final performances on November 10. Further cast changes will be announced in the coming weeks.

Panaro has played the Phantom over 1,800 times in three different engagements, including his most recent run that began in September 2010. Combined he has performed as both the Phantom and Raoul in over 2,800 performances of the Broadway production. His other Broadway credits include Lestat, Children And Art, Martin Guerre, Side Show, Show Boat, The Red Shoes and Les Miserables.