Theatre News

Ramin Karimloo Tours Night with Phantom in Oct

Whatsonstage.com Award-winning musical theatre star and Love Never Dies Phantom Ramin Karimloo has announced details for an autumn tour of A Night with the Phantom which will play three one-night dates in October.

Karimloo will perform hits from the West End and Broadway in three special concerts in Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham on 13, 22 and 29 October respectively.

The Iranian-born Canadian actor is best known for portraying both Raoul and the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre from 2007 to 2009, originating the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s long-awaited sequel Love Never Dies – for which he won the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Actor in a Muscial.

Karimloo has also been seen as Enjolras in the West End production of Les Miserables, a role he played in the long-running musical’s 25th anniversary concert at The O2 last year.

He is also expected to play the masked-man in the upcoming celebrations for the 25th anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera, stating in an interview with The Stage newspaper and since on Twitter that the event will take place at the Royal Albert Hall.

It could be one of the last times Karimloo dons the famous white half-mask, with Phantom sequel Love Never Dies having recently announced it will end its West End run at the Adelphi Theatre on 27 August 2011.

Karimloo will be accompanied for his A Night with the Phantom concerts by special guests Scarlett Strallen (Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!), Olivia Archbold and a full live orchestra conducted by David Shrubsole.

Among the featured numbers will be “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “Last Night of the World” and “Why God?” from Miss Saigon, “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “Too Much in Love to Care?” from Sunset Boulevard, “Love Never Dies” from Love Never Dies, “Stars” and “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables and “Phantom of the Opera” and “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera.

A Night with the Phantom is produced by Raymond Gubbay, who has collaborated previously with such well-known names as Luciano Pavarotti, Ray Charles, Henry Mancini and all four London symphony orchestras.

Karimloo’s concert will play Colston Hall in Bristol on 13 October 2011, accompanied by the Welsh Concert Orchestra, and Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 22 October and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on 29 October, both accompanied by the Manchester Concert Orchestra.

Tickets for A Night with the Phantom will go on sale from Friday 1 July 2011.

– Matt Hannigan