There's a small club of actors who play Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera." 3 will perform together on stage.

Craig Schulman learned the power of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” in 2004 when he expanded his symphony concert career.

Schulman is best known for more than 2,400 performances on Broadway and around the world as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables.” Years ago, he sent information to symphony orchestras throughout the country about a program he had developed — "Three Valjeans."

It would be a concert of Broadway standards sung by three actors who had portrayed Valjean on Broadway. There was little interest.

But when Schulman retooled the proposal as “Craig Schulman’s Three Phantoms in Concert” — with singers who have played the Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera" — symphony inquiries came from all over, including Taiwan. He has been performing the show ever since, and there is no end in sight.

Schulman is bringing "Three Phantoms" to the Garner Performing Arts Center April 7 for two shows as part of the Broadway Voices concert series. The evening performance is sold out, but there are tickets available for the 2 p.m. matinee.

“It is hard to overestimate the impact that the Phantom still has,” said Schulman, who is the only actor to perform Valjean, Phantom and Jekyll and Hyde. “If you mention the Phantom, it gets people’s attention.”

The Broadway production of Phantom celebrated its 30th year in January, and the Durham stop of the "Phantom" touring company recently played to near-capacity audiences throughout the entire run.

“I think the appeal is a fantastic score and a universal appeal,” Schulman said. “The Phantom seeks desperately to be loved and is rejected. Most people can relate to that happening to them at some time in their lives.”

The show usually is performed in much larger venues, like the Blumenthal Auditorium in Charlotte or the Scope in Norfolk. Just last month, the three Phantoms sang with the Atlanta Pops.

But Schulman has ties to the Garner community, having been a solo performer twice in Broadway Voices and having recommended the series to his Broadway friends.

"Three Phantoms in Concert" doesn't just have songs from the show. The concert is a collection of songs from the Broadway male repertoire presented as solos, duets and trios with songs from productions like "Miss Saigon," "Les Miserables" and other Broadway classics.

Schulman will present the famed Les Mis standard, “Bring Him Home,” which has become his second favorite song to sing.

“If I had to pick between the two, I’d have to go with ‘Music of the Night,'” Schulman said. “I love to sing them both and they both mean so much to me, but it's ‘Music of the Night’ by a hair.”

The trio varies from show to show, depending on singers' availability. Schulman will bring Cris Groenendaal and Gary Mauer with him. (They're different than those who performed "Three Phantoms" in Raleigh a few ago for a Hurricane Matthew benefit at Memorial Auditorium that netted more than $50,000.)

Groenendaal was the third Phantom on Broadway — there have been less than 25 — but he is also known for his performances in Stephen Sondheim shows such as “Passion,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Sweeney Todd.”

Mauer's past roles also include Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Enjolras in “Les Miserables.”

Mauer said the best part of the concerts for him is the brotherhood on and off the stage.

“It is a very small club of Phantoms,” he said. “It is a blast for us to share the stage with each other.”

Details

What: "Craig Schulman’s Three Phantoms in Concert"

When: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 7. The 7:30 show is sold out.

Where: Garner Performing Arts Center, 742 W. Garner Road, Garner

Tickets: $35, or $25 for groups of 10 or more, at Garner Performing Arts Center, the Garner Chamber of Commerce and garnerperformingartscenter.com

Info: 919-772-6440 or garnerperformingartscenter.com

This story was originally published April 4, 2018 at 1:05 PM with the headline "There's a small club of actors who play Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera." 3 will perform together on stage.."