The high level of singing by the leads was matched by the masterfully executed dancing of the ensemble. All of the lead actors are asked to sing in their upper registers and delivered, most notably Travis, who beautifully hit Christine’s famous high E in the show’s title song, “The Phantom of the Opera.”

I had high expectations for the Broadway tour, as The Phantom of the Opera is a difficult show that requires demanding vocals, dancing, and set changes. I saw Travis, Davis, and the rest of the cast perform the show on January 12th. A huge responsibility, but a joy to be able to bring this character to life for a live audience eight times a week.” He says to Laban, “It’s a huge responsibility to be an actor of color playing this role. And then to come back here to Detroit is very special thing as well.” Another standout is Derrick Davis, the first African-American to play the iconic role of The Phantom in a national tour of the musical. My brother was actually in a show here at the Michigan Opera Theatre. In an interview with Katie Laban from, Travis says, “I just fell in love with doing theatre. Residents were particularly excited for this tour because the leading lady, Christine Daaé, is being played by Katie Travis, a Bay City, Michigan, resident.

This fact is odd when one considers that other distinguished musicals such as The Lion King, Wicked, and The Book of Mormon have appeared in consecutive years in Detroit. The show nearly sold out within the first few days of ticket sales, which according to Broadway In Detroit, may be due to the fact that the musical has not been to the Motor City since 2009. The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway musical in history, with more revenue generated than any other stage play or movie in history, toured in Detroit from January 11-22.

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