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| Hadley Fraser Plays Raoul in the Phantom 25 Concert |
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Fraser & Duffy Join Phantom 25, Broadcast to CinemasDate: 23 September 2011
Further casting has today (23 September 2011) been announced for the 25th anniversary celebrations of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera with three performances at the Royal Albert Hall on the weekend of 1 and 2 October 2011.
Hadley Fraser, currently playing Javert in the West End production of Les Miserables will take the role of Raoul; American operatic soprano Kiera Duffy plays Carlotta; Royal Ballet Principal Sergei Polunin plays the Slave Master; and Daisy Maywood, most recently seen covering Eponine in Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre, plays Meg Giry.
The newly announced cast join previously reported principals including Whatsonstage.com Award winner Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Barry James as Monsieur Firmin, Gareth Snook as Monsieur André, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Wynne Evans as Piangi.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh promises a cast and orchestra of over 200 will take part in the concerts as well as appearances from "special guests".
In addition to playing Javert, Hadley Fraser's credits include the 25th Anniversary Concert for Les Miserables where he played Grantaire. He has also played Marius in the musical at the Palace Theatre. Fraser's other stage appearances have include The Far Pavillions and The Fantasticks as well as The Pirate Queen on Broadway.
American soprano Kiera Duffy made her London Symphony Orchestra debut early this year singing Cunegonde in a concert performance of Candide conducted by Kristjan Järvi. Her other roles include Venus in György Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre for New York Philharmonic, Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mozart’s Requiem and Feldman’s Rothko Chapel under Michael Tilson Thomas at the San Francisco Symphony, after having debuted as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah in December 2010. A high soprano, her repertoire include Handel, Praetorius, Bach, Mozart, and Verdi as well as Alban Berg, Elliott Carter and John Zorn.
Ukrainian Sergei Polunin joined the Royal Ballet School aged 13. He joined the Royal Ballet in 2007, becoming Principal in 2010. Winner of an Outstanding Performance Award from the Critics’ Circle, Polunin's repertory includes Albrecht, Lensky, Solor and Bronze Idol, Hans-Peter/Nutcracker and The Prince in The Nutcracker, Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty. As well as leading roles in Dances at a Gathering, L’Invitation au Voyage, Volunataries, DGV: Danse a grande vitesse, The Judas Tree, Symphony in C and Theme and Variations, he created the role of Jack and the Knave of Hearts in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Daisy Maywood most recently covered and played the role of Eponine in the West End production of Les Miserables. She also performed in the company of the Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2. Her forthcoming roles include 42nd Street at Leicester Curve.
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall is directed by Laurence Connor with the show's original choreographer Gillian Lynne. The concert staging is designed by Matt Kinley, inspired by the late Maria Björnson’s original design.
Drawings of Kinley's set designs have also recently been released, giving theatregoers an idea of what the concert production will look like.
CLICK ON THE PHOTOS BELOW TO ENLARGE 
Producer Cameron Mackintosh has also announced that the Sunday 2 October performance of the The Phantom of the Opera celebrations will be broadcast live to 250 cinemas across the UK. The 7pm broadcast will also be screened live at 500 screens in North America with additional screenings worldwide on 6 October timed to compensate for the time difference.
Following the Phantom of the Opera cast recording, one of the biggest selling music titles of all time, the 25th anniversary production will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, CD and for download on 14 November 2011.
The Phantom of the Opera, which is directed by Harold Prince, has now been seen in 124 cities in 25 countries and played to over 100 million people. The musical is based on Gaston Leroux's gothic novel about a disfigured masked man who falls in love with an ingénue singer at the Paris Opera House.
- by Andrew Girvan
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