Phantom's McGillin Critiques "American Idol" Lloyd Webber Performance
By Andrew Gans
23 Apr 2008
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Howard McGillin as The Phantom of the Opera.
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| photo by Joan Marcus | The April 22 broadcast of the FOX singing competition "American Idol" offered the show's final six contestants the chance to perform songs by Tony and Olivier Award-winning composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The songs performed included "Think of Me" (sung by David Archuleta), "Memory" (Jason Castro), "One Rock & Roll Too Many" (Syesha Mercado), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Carly Smithson), "You Must Love Me" (Brooke White) and "The Music of the Night," the Phantom of the Opera anthem, which was sung by David Cook.
Howard McGillin, the Broadway actor who currently plays the title role in Lloyd Webber's Phantom at Broadway's Majestic Theatre, spoke with TV's "Extra" about Cook's rendition of "Music of the Night." Said McGillin, "He nailed it . . . It's such a difficult song to sing . . . He sings with such purity and such a beautiful sound, but he did great." McGillin also told the TV program, "I love ['American Idol' but] I don't get to watch it much."
The April 23 "Idol" results show will feature Lloyd Webber performing live with the contestants. The results show airs at 9 PM ET; check local listings.
Howard McGillin holds the record for the longest-running Phantom in the show's history. A Tony Award nominee for his performances in Anything Goes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, McGillin has also appeared on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden and Sunday in the Park with George. On the London stage he starred in Mack and Mabel, and his solo recording is titled "Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still." McGillin also starred in the Chicago and D.C. productions of Sondheim and John Weidman's Bounce.
McGillin's "American Idol" critique will air on the April 23 broadcast of "Extra." For more information visit www.extratv.com.
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