He'll hand his mask over to the very talented John Cudia, no stranger to the role himself having starred in the National Tour production for years.

The 8-show a week grind is notoriously difficult for most actors to sustain for months let alone years...and especially the role of Phantom!  I asked Howard to keep a diary of one of his last performances for PLAYBILL's "Day in the Life" feature which will be in the August issue.  He chose one of his last matinee performances (which consists of a morning trip to the gym, 1+ hours of makeup, a 2+hour show, a quick refueling and nap, another 1+hours of makeup and another 2+hour show).  Yeesh.  I'm tired just typing that!

Here is a sneak peek of the feature with some exclusive pics from the man himself.  You can read all about Howard's life as the Phantom and see more photos in August's PLAYBILL.

Congrats to Howard on this wonderful feat...we can't wait to see what's next for you!