“Rejected”: Phantom’s longest-running cast member on not being asked back
The Phantom of the Opera’s longest serving cast member Philip Griffiths – who enjoyed a record-breaking 30-year stint in the show – has revealed his “rejection” at not being asked back when the show reopens this summer.
Griffiths, who joined the show in 1990, also criticised producer Cameron Mackintosh for not personally delivering news last year that the cast who were in the production when theatres closed in March were being made redundant. Instead, he said this was done over Zoom by another of Mackintosh’s team.
Griffiths had been hoping to return to the show when the production reopens later this year, but said, despite making it known he was keen to be in it, he was told by the casting team he would not be needed. It follows news that the show’s orchestra will be cut from 27 to 14.
Casting has since been announced for the show, which features a predominantly new line-up of performers.
“I did let them know I was interested, but they didn’t want me, and you feel rejected,” he told The Stage. “Next year would be my 50th year in the business and I was hoping I would have celebrated that working, but you don’t know where the work will come in and if there will be something to go up for that you’re right for.”
He added: “I had 30 years in that theatre and I can’t complain, but it would have been nice to go back.” Griffiths also said he will turn 75 next year and wanted to be working in the show to mark that.
When the 2020 cast from the production were told they were being released from their contracts last year, Griffiths said a Zoom meeting was held to inform everybody. But he said Mackintosh did not appear and described this as “very sad”.
“I really didn’t think it was handled very well. We had a Zoom call but Cameron didn’t show his face. It was all done by one of Cameron’s representatives,” he said, adding: “He didn’t come on to say: ‘Sorry, we are having to close.’ It was somebody else and I felt really sad about that. It’s all very well being there for all the accolades, but you have to be there for the down things as well. I am sure he was hard hit, as all his shows had to be cancelled, but I think you should find time as a producer, and especially one with his experience, to face us.”
Griffiths also spoke about plans to cut the orchestra from 27 to 14, a move that has been heavily criticised by musicians and audiences alike.
“That I really do think is a terrible shame. The thing about Phantom is it had 27 people in that pit… and at the playout each night, people would come to watch them play, as there is nothing more lovely to hear it played and see the players playing it.”
He added: “Now it’s going to be synthesiser and keyboards and they can never replicate the actual live instruments. You can’t replicate that on a keyboard in my opinion. It never sounds the same as a live orchestra.”
Griffiths joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical on October 9, 1990, originally as a swing, before moving into a character role as Monsieur Reyer and understudy Piangi. He became a resident director from 1998 to 2000, remaining as an understudy for two roles during this time, before moving back into the show as a performer.
Griffiths was playing the role of Monsieur Reyer and the auctioneer in the production when it closed last year, as well as understudying Monsieur André.
He entered the Guinness World Records in 2016 for the longest time in the same production, having clocked up 25 years and 185 days.
He said when people asked why he had stayed so long, he told them he did it for the original creative team of director Hal Prince, choreographer Gillian Lynne and designer Maria Björnson.
“At the end of the day that is who I did the show for. They created something absolutely unique and whether it [the new production] will be their direction, choreography and set remains to be seen,” he said, adding that he would not be going to see the new production.
“I don’t want to go down that road – it’s a new show as far as I am concerned,” he said.
Remembering Maria Björnson on what would’ve been her 72nd Birthday. Thank you for everything Maria.
A rare pic of Maria on stage. Only saw this one a few months ago when checking in on topfoto’s collection which they seem to update regularly. Rare to see Maria photographed on stage. Here she is here at The Majestic with Michael Crawford. Christine is labelled as Sarah Brightman but I really can’t tell. It could be her but it also could be Patti Cohenour/Dale Kristien.
But, here is (finally) a studio recording of the rare Irén Bartók singing for Christine Daaé. This was recording sometime in the early 1990s, possibly around 1993.
People have been searching for recordings of Irén singing Christine for years, but theres so little of her online, and she seems to have never been recorded onstage in the role. However, these studio recordings were recently discovered to actually be Irén Bartók. So, we now finally have a glimpse of her Christine. Here is her beautiful rendition of “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, using the alternate lyrics for the second verse.
Please enjoy :)
Funny as the original artist listed on the album is Kira Bronte which is clearly an anagram of Iren Bartok. We’ve had this under our noses for years haha.
