Thursday, September 01, 2011
George Lee Andrews to Leave ‘Phantom’ After 23 Years
NYTimes.com: As the Guinness World Record holder for the most performances in the same Broadway show, George Lee Andrews thought he had seen it all during his 23 years in “The Phantom of the Opera,” including 12 different actors in the title role and the stunning metamorphosis of a once-seedy Times Square. Yet he was shocked in May when the powers that be at “Phantom” revealed that they were not extending his six-month contract, which had been renewed more than 40 times before.
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3 comments:
This was a really enjoyable story about an actor with a long successful career in one show. I always find these stories interesting. Being used to the regional world, a long run is a few months. I can't imagine all of these decade plus shows. It sounds like this actor worked to keep it fresh for him, but sometimes I wonder if it's really still enjoyable for these people. At what point are they just cashing in for a job? Not that that is bad at all, I'm just curious.
I find this so interesting because part of what I love about working in theatre is that nothing really has time to get old. Even on long-running shows such as Phantom, I am pretty sure that with the exception of Mr. Andrews, people have come and gone for periods of weeks, months, and years. I am sure the original SMs have long since handed the binder over to someone else. Theatre, especially commercial runs, have no set time limit usually, so you could expect to be working a few weeks, or 2-3 years, but in the back of your mind you are always gearing up to start something new, and Mr. Andrews and Phantom sort of defy that logic. again, just musing.
I think it's remarkable that George Lee Andrews stayed with Phantom for 23 years. Runs of shows always seem to end, and it's astonishing not only that Phantom has survived for as long as it has, but that Mr. Andrews has been with it as long as he has. As the article says he has seen a lot of history throughout his time at the show. The changes in the Times Square area are one of many that are incredible. I am so impressed and inspired by his commitment.
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