Former “Phantom of the Opera” company member Laird Mackintosh will play the role of the Phantom for the show’s final performance on April 16. Mackintosh steps in for Ben Crawford, who has been playing the role since the musical reopened after the COVID-19 shutdown in 2021 but has been out during the past several weeks due to illness.
“Due to a bacterial infection, Ben Crawford has been on vocal rest, per doctor’s orders,” a representative for the production told Broadway News. “As a full recovery is expected in the coming days, Ben and the ‘Phantom’ company had hoped he’d be able to return for the closing performance. To our regret, he’s required to take a little more time.”
Mackintosh has a long history with the show. Beginning in 1993, he was a member of the Toronto company of the musical for five years (playing the role of Raoul and covering the role of the Phantom for three). He spent six years with the Broadway cast, beginning in 2013, as Monsieur André and also covering as the Phantom. Mackintosh has been seen in the role of the opera ghost more than 200 times.
The rest of the ‘Phantom’ company is set to perform as planned on April 16.
That includes Emilie Kouatchou as Christine Daae, John Riddle as Raol, Nehal Joshi as Monsieur André, Craig Bennett as Monsieur Firmin, Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta Giudicelli, Marree Johnson as Madame Giry, Carlton Moe as Ubaldo Piangi and Sara Esty as Meg Giry, along with Giselle O. Alvarez, Polly Baird, Janinah Burnett, Xioxiao Cao, Kanisha Marie Feliciano, David Michael Garry, Chris Georgetti, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Satomi Hofmann, Ayaka Kamei, Ted Keegan, Kfir, Kelly Loughran, Richard Poole, Scott Mikita, Greg Mills, Trista Moldovan, Justin Peck, Marni Raab, Lindsay Roberts, Janet Saia, Paul Adam Schaefer, Carly Blake Sebouhian, Jeremy Stolle, Carrington Vilmont, Tug Watson, Jim Weitzer, Elizabeth Welch and Erica Wong.
At closing, “The Phantom of the Opera” will have played 13,981 performances at the Majestic Theatre, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history.
