Surprisingly, her background in opera sets her apart from the status quo of Broadway Christines, whose repertoires are often rooted in musical theatre. The feisty, confident Christine to usher in this new era for Phantom is “phan”-favorite Meghan Picerno, whose life has been a full-circle whirlwind of Phantom since 2017, when she took on the role of Christine in the Love Never Dies National Tour, before joining the Phantom of the Opera World Tour as Christine in 2019.Ī dazzling coloratura soprano, Picerno first appeared onstage in operas such as Die Zauberflöte (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall) but eventually made the transition into theatre when she was cast in the Hal Prince-directed Candide at New York City Opera. Not only had Phantom returned, it had reawakened with a fresh air of rejuvenation in its 33rd year. When the curtain of the Majestic Theatre finally rose again on October 22nd, 2021, Senator Chuck Schumer, onstage with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh, declared that “Broadway isn’t back until Phantom is back.” Those words were met with a roaring response from the packed-house, and a vital part of our world was alive once again. As Broadway’s longest running show, many would argue that Phantom of the Opera is intrinsic to New York City theatre culture.

Phantom of the opera cast 2017