David Thaxton, an Olivier Award winner for his performance as Giorgio in the Donmar Warehouse revival of Passion, will step into the starring role of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera December 10 at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Thaxton, whose West End credits include Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Love Never Dies, will play a limited run through Howar’s return to the role on May 13, 2019. Howar makes a temporary departure to play his contracted dates with Mike and the Mechanics.
The principal cast of Phantom also includes Kelly Mathieson as Christine Daaé, Jeremy Taylor as Raoul, Amy Manford as the alternate Christine Daaé, Kimberly Blake as Carlotta Giudicelli, Ross Dawes as Monsieur Firmin, Mark Oxtoby as Monsieur André, Jacinta Mulcahy as Madame Giry, Paul Ettore Tabone as Ubaldo Piangi, Georgia Ware as Meg Giry, and Scott Davies as the standby Phantom.
The cast is completed by Matthew Barrow, Matt Bateman, James Bisp, James Butcher, Bridget Costello, Sophie Cottrill, Hadrian Delacey, Morven Douglas, Paul Erbs, Hannah Grace, Philip Griffiths, Katy Hanna, Hettie Hobbs, Grace Horne, Lily Howes, Ellen Jackson, Adam Robert Lewis, Kris Manuel, Tim Morgan, Danielle Pullum, Rebecca Ridout, Anna Shircliff, Emily Smith, Rachel Spurrell, John Stacey, Andrei Teodor Iliescu, Claire Tilling, Victoria Ward andDanny Whitehead.
Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group, features music by Lloyd Webber, direction by Harold Prince, lyrics by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe), and a book by Stilgoe and Lloyd Webber. The musical also features design by the late Maria Björnson, lighting by Andrew Bridge, and sound design by Mick Potter with original sound by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography are by the late Gillian Lynne. Musical supervision and direction are by David Caddick, and orchestrations are by David Cullen and Lloyd Webber.
