The wait will soon be over. On March 5, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical The Phantom Of The Opera will premiere in Mumbai. Considered one of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular stage productions, it will be staged at the Grand Theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) till March 30.
The show, which has played to 160 million people in 195 cities in 21 languages, premiered at London’s West End in 1986 and New York’s Broadway in 1988. Originally directed by Hal Prince and
featuring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the lead roles of Phantom and Christine Daae, The Phantom Of The Opera went on to win over 70 major theatre awards, and become the longest-running show on Broadway. In Mumbai, it comes as part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals international tour, which also covers Singapore and Bangkok later this year.
Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de L’Opéra, The Phantom of The Opera tells the story of a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, and falls madly in love with young soprano Christine. In the Mumbai production, the Phantom is being played by South African stage actor Jonathan Roxmouth, whereas Christine is enacted by Grace Roberts, who studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Excerpts from the interview:
How long have you been playing Phantom and what were the previous actors and productions you had seen?
I have been playing this role on and off since 2011 when I was 24 which made me the youngest English-speaking Phantom in the history of the show. I had seen André Schwartz in the original South African premiere in 2004 and then John Owen-Jones in the West End version in 2011.
What were the biggest challenges of playing the role? Many people instantly talk of Michael Crawford, who played the role in the original productions. How did you try to make your own performance unique?
I had to put my admiration for his performance aside and find my own truth in playing the role which is that of a wounded child seeking love and acceptance.
How long has Grace Roberts been your co-star, and could you describe your stage equation?
Grace has been my Christine since July 2024 and our equation is that of a tandem skydiving team. In every performance we jump into the open abyss knowing we have each other’s backs, wanting the other to shine. The team also consists of Matt Leisy, who is playing Raoul (Christine’s childhood friend who she loves). The associate director for the Mumbai production is Rainer Fried, who continues to maintain Hal Prince’s original direction from 1986 and has done so for over 25 years now. Audiences are in for an authentic experience.
What attracted you to musical theatre in the first place?
It provided an escape and offered a chance for me to discover things about myself by taking on other personas and characters.
You played Vince Fontaine of Grease earlier in your career. Later you even played Danny Zuko, the protagonist of Grease famously played by John Travolta in the film version. Could you describe your experiences?
Both productions were wildly fun and took me to amazing places like New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. They broadened my horizon and helped me grow up into an adult in the business.
Your other roles have included Tony of West Side Story, Judas of Jesus Christ Superstar and Che of Evita. All these have been important and challenging parts. How have you approached each role?
My approach to any role remains the same. What does my character want and what do the other characters say about him? Between those two questions you will get everything you need if the score and script are well-written.
You’ve done a lot of Webber’s productions. Besides Phantom, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, there have been Cats and Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. What do you admire most about his work?
His work is owned by the audiences. They have memories attached to the songs and his shows are handed down through families as time goes by and new audiences discover the music constantly.
How do you practise your singing and dancing? Do you have a specific regimen?
It depends on the role but always involves plenty of sleep and drinking water. A vocal warm-down after singing is also very important.
Haven’t you been tempted to do films or TV, or do you love musical theatre so much you never felt the need?
No, I haven’t because there is no audience present when performing in television and film. That element is alive in the theatre and I love feeding off that energy that the audience gives you. It’s immediate and live and there is nothing like it.
