David Thaxton and Celia Graham are to join the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies to play Raoul and Christine.
The duo replaces Joseph Millson and Sierra Boggess – who has been Laurence Olivier Award-nominated for her portrayal of Christine – in Lloyd Webber’s continuation of The Phantom Of The Opera story, which opened at the Adelphi theatre last March.
Thaxton was a long-standing member of the cast of Les Misérables before he won the role of Giorgio in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Passion last year. The performance earned him a nomination for this year’s Best Actor in a Musical Laurence Olivier Award, which sees him go up against Ramin Karimloo, Thaxton’s new co-star in Love Never Dies.
Graham is a current ensemble member of Love Never Dies. As well as understudying Boggess in the role of Christine, Graham previously played the character in The Phantom Of The Opera at Her Majesty’s theatre. Her stage credits also include Les Misérables and West Side Story in the West End.
Karimloo remains in the principal role of the Phantom, along with Liz Robertson as Madame Giry. Haley Flaherty joins the cast as Meg Giry, replacing Laurence Olivier Award-nominee Summer Strallen.
Continuing the story of the Phantom a decade on, Love Never Dies is set in Coney Island where the mysterious figure from the Paris Opera House has established himself a carnival empire. Then he summons his old flame, Christine, to perform for him.
Love Never Dies has received seven nominations in this year’s Laurence Olivier Awards, which are announced on 13 March in a star-studded ceremony at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
For all the latest news about the awards, visit www.olivierawards.com
CB