Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!- Page 2
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#25
Posted: 3/20/14 at 3:56pmI really have never had any particular interest in seeing this show, but now Mr. Lewis has made it a must see. Well played, producers, well played.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#26
Posted: 3/20/14 at 3:57pmSeriously, I've been wanting these two to do this show together for many years. The fact that it is happening is absolutely blowing my mind right now. My hat goes off to the producers and casting directors who imagined this.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#27
Posted: 3/20/14 at 4:10pmI think Sierra's ok, but she manipulates her voice in some weird way which makes her sound really odd. Norm Lewis? He's good but is he right for Phantom? Maybe he'll be great. It seems Phantom is going through casting rather quickly these days. Used to be actors had years with the show...now only a few months to a year. Anyway, it's an interesting casting choice and a welcome change in a show that's been running so long. Interested to see/hear how he is.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#28
Posted: 3/20/14 at 4:13pmTake my money not now....RIGHT NOW!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#29
Posted: 3/20/14 at 4:22pmThis is incredible! I think he should be playing Javert over at the Imperial, but anytime he is on Broadway is wonderful. Sierra? Meh.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#30
Posted: 3/20/14 at 4:43pm
Ah! This is the PERFECT marriage of boring actor with boring role!
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#31
Posted: 3/20/14 at 4:49pmas awesome as this news is, I think it's a shame that it took this long for a person of color to play the Phantom on Broadway... wait... was Kevin Gray white or just ambiguous (since he played The Engineer in Miss Saigon)
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#32
Posted: 3/20/14 at 5:22pmHalf white, half Chinese. http://articles.courant.com/2013-02-12/entertainment/hc-kevin-gray-dis-hartt-theater-professor-broadway-star-20130212_1_musical-theater-tab-hunter-performances/2
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#33
Posted: 3/20/14 at 5:33pmRobert Guillame was the first replacement Phantom. This is not a first.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#34
Posted: 3/20/14 at 5:43pm
I think it's a shame that it took this long for a person of color to play the Phantom on Broadway
Well come on, there have only been 12 people who have played the Phantom on Broadway. (Not counting understudies or limited engagement/vacation covers.)
Broadway Star Joined: 5/17/07
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#35
Posted: 3/20/14 at 6:29pmSomeone get me to New York, stat!
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#36
Posted: 3/20/14 at 7:05pm
Robert Guillaume was never a Broadway Phantom though - he was the first replacement in Los Angeles. Nicholas Nkuna also understudied the Phantom in South Africa. This is a Broadway and West End first. A very damn exciting one. 
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#37
Posted: 3/20/14 at 8:04pm
Robert Guillame was the first replacement Phantom. This is not a first.
Guillaume was the first replacement in Los Angeles, but not on Broadway. There has never been a black Phantom on Broadway.
Timothy Nolen was the first replacement Phantom on Broadway.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#38
Posted: 3/20/14 at 8:31pmWell, I guess I can add Phantom to my constantly growing list of shows to see this spring!
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#39
Posted: 3/20/14 at 9:03pmI think Norm Lewis is a brilliant actor and cannot fathom how he hasn't got himself a Tony so far. So with this news I should be ecstatic right? Wrong, I always regarded the role of Phantom should be sang by someone in the range of a Tenor, however I have always regarded Norm as a baritone.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#40
Posted: 3/20/14 at 10:14pm
If someone is great in a role, what the hell is the problem if they keep coming back- that just means that more people who may have missed them before can get to see them- and they will see someone who is good in the role. If they like playing the role, who are you to say they need to move on. And I never understood why people frown when actors become replacements, has it never occurred to anyone that maybe they always wanted to play the part, and just haven’t gotten the chance, been able to make it work with their schedule. (Not saying that’s the case with Norm).
Note: this rant isn't directed at anybody personally, just has bothered me that through reading this threads over the years, I hear the same thing- and it bothers me.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#41
Posted: 3/20/14 at 11:25pm
Wrong, I always regarded the role of Phantom should be sang by someone in the range of a Tenor, however I have always regarded Norm as a baritone.
You've heard of Brad Little, right?
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#42
Posted: 3/20/14 at 11:34pm...or Anthony Warlow
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#43
Posted: 3/21/14 at 12:27am
They both need to move on.
Norm Lewis has never (to my knowledge) played the role before. Why would he need to "move on"?
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#44
Posted: 3/21/14 at 1:02amI think Norm is certainly capable of singing the role...he's definitely a baritone but has a very strong higher register. I can't wait to see what he does with it.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#45
Posted: 3/21/14 at 5:17amDoes the actor playing the Phantom typically have an alternate?
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#46
Posted: 3/21/14 at 7:52amNope.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#47
Posted: 3/21/14 at 9:45amThe Phantom is indeed best sung by a tenor, but a baritone with a big range can pull it off. It's just a high tessa tura, but I think his top note is only an A flat.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#48
Posted: 3/21/14 at 12:08pmVery happy that Norm will have a chance to do this, as are many of his fans and friends. It is indeed a dream role for him. He IS one of the nicest persons in the industry to work with and to know.
Breaking News: Broadway Stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to Take Over in PHANTOM This May!#49
Posted: 3/21/14 at 12:15pm
Does the actor playing the Phantom typically have an alternate?
From what I've been given to understand, the role of the Phantom is not a particularly vocally strenuous role, and since the character actually only has roughly about a half hour of stage time (and all of the Phantom's voiceovers are pre recorded), the role doesn't warrant having an alternate.
I believe the Vegas production double cast the roles of the Phantom and Christine, but that was probably more because that version played more than 8 shows a week.
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