Cuccioli played the title role for the New York premiere at Westchester Broadway Theatre in 1992, where the production ran for nine months and spawned the RCA cast recording.
Cuccioli succeeds Aaron Ramey (who opened the current Westchester Broadway Theatre production) in the role of the Phantom, starring opposite Kate Rockwell as Christine Daae. The cast also includes Sandy Rosenberg as opera diva Carlotta with Michael Padgett as Count Philippe de Chandon, Steven Rich as Jean-Claude, Gary Marachek as Alaine Cholet, James Van Treuren as Gerard Carriere, Josh Fingerhut as Joseph Buquet, Duane McDevitt as the Minister of Culture and Dale Radunz as Inspector Ledoux. The ensemble features Julie Bell, Lauren Blackman, Chris Carter, Ellen Condon, Nicolas Davila, Tom Del Bello, Jacyn Fain, Michelle McConnell and Travis Nesbitt.
Robert Cuccioli currently stars as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha for the White Plains Performing Arts Center through Dec. 16. He was recently seen Off-Broadway in the revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. A Tony nominee for Jekyll & Hyde, Cuccioli's Broadway credits also include Les Misérables.
Phantom began performances Oct. 4, and is currently on hiatus so that Westchester Broadway Theatre can offer its patrons holiday programming. The musical resumes performances Dec. 27.
Tom Polum directs the Westchester Phantom revival with Leo Carusone as musical director and musical staging by Jonathan Stahl. Completing the creative team are George Puello (set design), Gail Baldoni (costume design), Andrew Gmoser (lighting design), John Hatton (sound design) and Gererd Kelly (wig/hair design). For tickets call (914) 592-2222 or visit www.broadwaytheatre.com.
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The Kopit/Yeston Phantom — based on the Gaston Leroux novel, "The Phantom of the Opera" — predates the Andrew Lloyd Webber version, delving further into the characters' past as well as providing several plot twists not in the original novel. Preceding the musical's premiere, Kopit's original book was made into a 1990 NBC television miniseries starring Burt Lancaster.
