Who's your favorite Phantom?

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:22am

Mine is Ted Keegan.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:33am

Hugh Panaro. His handling of the role is so emotional and his voice is phenomenal as well.

[AnotherDay46]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:35am

Ah! I love so many! Probably Michael Crawford is my fav. though...

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:43am

My all time favorite is Michael Crawford

but LIVE...I'm going to have to go with Gary Mauer

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 2:34am

Hugh Panaro, but he's the only one I've ever seen live...

[kec]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 3:16am

John Owen Jones...

[Sant]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 5:23am

Peter Karrie. He was amazing.

[Gingersnap]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 8:58am

Count me as another vote for Hugh Panaro. He totally surpassed my expectations for the role each time I saw him.

[tthomas76]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 9:40am

Hands down goes to: Hugh Panaro He's perfect in the role.

[Mamie]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 9:49am

Michael Crawford. Some others very very, very good but Michael was great.

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 11:31am

Ethan Freeman and Earl Carpenter and Hugh panaro

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:43pm

The first time I ever saw the show I was only 7 (man, it really has been running a long time, huh?), and I'm not sure who I saw. But since then I've seen Davis Gaines, Thomas James O'Leary, and Howard McGillin. I'd have to go with McGillin, who's my favorite tenor of all time, although I did feel that he was kind of "walking through" the performance (sorry Howard--you still rock).

[Nydiva]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:48pm

I KNOW that no one else will pick Timothy Nolen (who succeeded Michael Crawford), but...there you have it. I LOVE this man's voice and he's my favorite Phantom. Just saw Mr. Nolen in Patience at City Opera (he was Colonel Calvary). His voice STILL turns me into a very warm, happy puddle. Just gorgeous.

Sigh...

Nydiva

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:20pm

He's the only baritone to play the role on Broadway, isn't he? He must have a HUGE range...

[MikeH]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:25pm

Speaking of Timothy Nolen, here's an interesting interview I found awhile ago where he talks about singing the Phantom. The Phantom bit is near the middle....

http://www.usoperaweb.com/2003/spring/nolen.htm

[Scott3]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:44pm

Updated On: 11/11/16 at 01:44 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:44pm

Wow, Mike--that's a great article! Thanks!

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 1:58pm

I was originally planning to see Howard McGillan, whose voice is great, especially in "Anything Goes! 1987 Revival." He was out the day I saw the show, 3 years ago, so I saw John Cudia, who was the phantom understudy at the time, not Raoul. He was really great! So, he goes as my favorite.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 2:02pm

Davis Gaines! Great physicality and the perfect dark sound.

[Nydiva]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 3:34pm

Thanks so much, Mike H, for that great article. I shall savor it on my commute home. I knew Mr. Nolen didn't have a great time during his Phantom run, but I'm grateful that it introduced me to his talents.

He's one of the two reasons (the other is another friend who has happily worked with Mr. Nolen as well) I occasionally hike up to City Opera at Lincoln Center. I'd go more often, but I spend enough $$$ on Broadway as it is!

He'll be doing Mines of Sulpher later this season. No idea if I'll like the opera, but I know I'll love hearing that voice.

Nydiva

Posted: 10/7/05 at 3:35pm

Hugh Panaro

hands down

[broadwaybound882]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 4:48pm

It's a tie between Hugh Panaro and the vastly underrated Gerard Butler

[Phantom2]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 4:49pm

Phantom2. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 4:51pm

(to the tune of "Oh my darlin' Clementine")

Hugh Panaro
Hugh Panaro
Hugh Panaro all the way.

[It totally makes sense to me.]

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 4:53pm

really hard to say!
I guess at the moment- Howard McGillin