The longest-running show in Broadway history is produced by Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. and directed by Harold Prince. The musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is now in its 23rd year at New York City's Majestic Theatre.
McCartney first played the role of the opera diva over ten years ago, for nearly two years and over 600 performances from June 1999 to April 2001. She initially joined the Broadway company in March 1999 as a member of the ensemble, prior to taking over the role of Carlotta that June.
MacLaughlin, to be Broadway's new Raoul, played the romantic figure (the Phantom's rival) in the final cast of the long-running national tour of Phantom, which recently ended its record-breaking 18-year run in Los Angeles. He first joined the tour in June 2007 as a member of the ensemble. He assumed the role of Raoul in February 2009, playing it for a year and a half up until the tour's final performance this past Oct. 31.
Both performers join the show one week after the New York production's 9,500th performance (the milestone was Nov. 29). The original London production recently celebrated its 10,000th performance on Oct. 23.
McLaughlin succeeds Ryan Silverman. Having taken over the role of Raoul in April 2009, Silverman performed it on Broadway nearly 600 times. He also previously played the role in the Vegas production. McCartney succeeds Patricia Phillips. Since first taking over the role of Carlotta in June 2003, Phillips has played four engagements with the Broadway cast with a total of more than 1,600 performances. She was the first person of African-American descent to play the role on Broadway and also previously performed the role as part of both the Toronto company and on the Canadian tour.
Silverman and Phillips together played their final performance on Dec. 4.
McCartney was most recently part of the award-winning Broadway revival of South Pacific and its PBS live broadcast. She also originated the role of Sue Tilly in the Boy George musical Taboo and created the role of Rebecca in Dance of the Vampires. Other Broadway credits include Mamma Mia! (Rosie), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Flannery), The Phantom of the Opera (Carlotta) and Les Misérables.
MacLaughlin appeared on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White and performed the roles of Vikram in Bombay Dreams and Armand in Elton John's Lestat.
Continuing in their roles with the New York Company are Hugh Panaro (The Phantom), Sara Jean Ford (Christine), George Lee Andrews (Monsieur André), David Cryer (Monsieur Firmin), Cristin J. Hubbard (Madame Giry), Evan Harrington (Piangi) and Heather McFadden (Meg Giry). At certain performances, Marni Raab plays Christine.
To order tickets, visit telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200. For more about The Phantom of the Opera, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com or www.phantombroadway.com.