By Kenneth Jones
17 Apr 2006

John Cudia slipped into the famed white mask in the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera April 7 in Dallas.

Cudia succeeded Gary Mauer in the role of The Phantom. The smash tour of the Harold Prince production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical just keeps rolling along: Following Dallas, The Phantom of the Opera moves to Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo (April 19-May 14); Times-Union Center in Jacksonville, FL (May 17-June 4) and the Fox Theatre in St. Louis (June 7-July 2).

The Broadway production continues at the Majestic Theater, where, Jan. 9, it became the longest-running production in Broadway history.

For more than 10 years, Cudia was associated with the two longest-running shows in Broadway history, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera, both produced by Cameron Mackintosh. He made his Broadway debut in Les Miz, going on to perform nearly every role in the show including the lead, Jean Valjean. Cudia began with Phantom as the Raoul understudy then later took over the role with both the touring and Broadway companies while also understudying and performing the role of the Phantom.

Cudia is the first and only actor to have performed both roles, Jean Valjean and the Phantom, on Broadway, according to production notes.

Cudia's regional credits include Tony in West Side Story, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Lt. Cable in South Pacific and tenor Tony Candolino in Master Class at such theatres as The Paper Mill Playhouse, St. Louis Rep., North Shore Music Theatre and Portland Stage. Most recently, Cudia appeared in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford. Also in concert, Cudia was a featured tenor soloist with the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea in his home state of New Jersey.

Cudia is married to Broadway actress Kathy Voytko.