Brad Little will be on a vacation of sorts when he takes the stage in Orlando beginning tonight to
play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera.
Many wouldn't consider performing in a 2 1/2 hour show eight times a week for a month a respite
of any kind. But it's a well-deserved break for Little, who has put in 17-hour days daily for the
past month.

Not only has Little been donning the famed Phantom's mask for the Nashville run of the
world-renowned musical, but he has been squeezing in time in the studio recording a CD featuring
of Broadway tunes such as "Music of the Night,"  "This Is the Moment" and "Forever From
Here."

"Fans kept asking me, 'When are you going to have a record?" It was like peer pressure, " the
actor said, laughing.  "So finally I said , 'You know what, I guess I've got to do this.'"
So, he teamed up with his longtime friend from high school, country music songwriter and
producer Skip Ewing.

"We had so much fun in the studio, but I was completely exhausted," Little said. "I would be in
the studio from 10 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. , then head to the theater at 7:30 p.m. then head back to the
studio until 3 a.m. and come right home and sleep for six hours."

Even the month long run of Phantom here in Orlando won't allow for a complete break from the
recording project.  Little said he will make the hour-and-a-half flight to and from Nashville every
Monday to tie up loose ends.

As a former "swing," theatrical term for someone who fills in for sick cast members, Little has
grown accustomed to tying up loose ends over the years.
Before joining the national touring company of Phantom , the California native spent time in the
tours  of Cyrano the Musical (playing the role of Capt. De Castel Jaloux) and Fiddler on the Roof.
He also gained recognition for his portrayal of Jesus in the European tour of Jesus Christ
Superstar and Tony in West Side Story.

He got his start with Phantom covering for the show's male chorus parts on Broadway before
being promoted to the part of the Phantom's adversary Raoul. He then spent a year and a half as
an understudy for the role of Phantom.

"The emotion and intensity of the Phantom has to have been the biggest learning process," he
said of making the transition. "To give that kind of emotion, anger and passion is a physical
strain."

On the other hand, playing a masked character does offer a rare opportunity for anonymity.
"After a show people will be at the stage door waiting for autographs and I can head right out to
my car," he said.  "I can even say hello and nobody will even notice.  One of my favorite things is
to be in a restaurant with people who are about to go see the show and they don't know who I am."

"I'd love to do a study in different cities to see why some will have fun, why some are so quiet and
buzz loudest towards the end, while others are laughing throughout," he said. "When we went to
New Orleans we thought the crowd would really be fun and let loose, but they were one of out
tougher audiences.  So many of the cast members just left there thinking we must be absolutely
horrible.  But then once we got to Austin, Texas, it was right back to normal and we were like
'Whew! We're not all going to be fired!'"

Little said he considers the Phantom ensemble one of the strongest among those who are touring.
"We go into press opening every five weeks, so we have to be fresh," he said.
Sometimes, though, it's not necessarily the performance that gains a reaction from certain
audience members as much as what the show represents, especially when it comes to the heart
wrenching plight of it's disfigured lead character.

Little said he once got a "freaky"  letter from a woman who said that he could never really know
what somebody like the Phantom went through.
"It was almost a threat letter," Little recalled.  "So I wrote her back and told her that she was
absolutely right.  I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be alone and to be a person that
other people can't even stand to look at."

A more uplifting letter came from a man who had been dragged kicking and screaming to the
show by his wife, and he wrote to Little to thank him for changing his outlook on live theater.
Whatever the response, Little said hardly anyone leaves a production of the Phantom without
being affected in some way.

The Phantom of the Opera is probably the most recognizable modern musical, containing the
most coveted of leading male roles.  One would assume certain pressure comes with playing the
Phantom, but not so with Brad. He admits that he doesn't read reviews, but focuses on brining the
"best of Brad Little to this role". Brad's best comes from a five-year relationship with the
production, playing most male roles as a swing in the Broadway production, and then playing
"Raoul" opposite Davis Gaines' Phantom before taking over the lead in the touring production.
"Watching Gaines' performance for years definitely fed into my soul" says Brad who used this
performance as the basis for his own interpretation.  Interestingly, Brad claims that all Phantoms
are essentially doing Michael Crawford's version.  "He created it, he went through the whole
process,  so in a way, we are all doing Michael's show."

But having seen Phantom from every angle, Brad has a unique and educated insight into the
musical and the Phantom himself which allows him to make the role his own.  An extraordinary
voice, captivating acting skills and special touches (a mesmerizing flurry of his cape, a flashing
toss of his hat - which Brad confesses is a legitimate Southern Californian Frisbee toss) all
trademark his performance. But it is his Phantom's emotions and motivations which display the
depth of his portrayal.

Brad's Phantom appears confident, yet borders on insanity. These are two intriguing
characteristics which Brad likes to bring to his interpretation. "I like think of my Phantom not so
much as confident as calculated. My Phantom has practiced and practiced 'The  Music of the
Night' scene with that mannequin in the mirror, and his lair is where he is the most comfortable".
To enhance this effect, Brad never takes his eyes off Christine.  My attention is always focused on
her and I have staged everything so that Christine will fall in love with me.  This is my calculated
plan".

But the insanity surfaces when the Phantom's plan goes haywire.  "When he loses control, the
monster side of him comes out - an irrational, dangerous side". This leads to the murders the
Phantom commits.  Surprisingly, Brad claims that the Phantom is not entirely to blame for his
heinous acts.  "It's all very innocent, not malicious.  In the Phantom's mind, all those killings are
rational because all he sees and knows in life is opera where murders are a means to an end - in his
case, Christine."

In fact, Chrisitne is one of the reasons that his performance is constantly changing and growing.
"It changes drastically based on what Christine I am playing opposite.  She can be hard, pitiful
understanding, and even teacher-like to the Phantom. Ultimately, she dictates what the Phantom
does in a performance."

Though Brad says that creatively he would never tire of playing the Phantom, it can be difficult
physically.  "My body hurts from doing the show, doing the same physical moves night after
night." This especially true after the final lair scene .  "I come off of that last scene and I'm
completely drained. It's also quite emotional and can take you for a real spin.  But it's also a lot
of fun and that's why I'm in theatre - to get to the height of those places."

I saw Brad Little's Phantom four times last month and he was spectacular.  But try to tell Brad
that, and he's quite humble.  He explains, "When I first took over this role, I wanted to be the
BEST Phantom.  But you come to realize that's impossible with this role. " No matter how much
any performer puts into the Phantom, Brad claims "It has nothing to do with us.  It's the role.
People love this role. It has nothing to do with how talented you are - as long as you have the
generic goods, the role is going to sell.  So I've given that up now I basically say 'this is what I
have to offer, I hope you enjoy it.'"

Indeed we do. And as for Brad's modesty, I would argue that that it is HIS stunning performance
as the Phantom that makes all the difference in the world.
Brad's CD, "Brad Little UnMasked" is available exclusively through his website at
www.bradlittle.com.

Kristine Kulage is a freelance writer for Intermission Magazine in St Louis. She is also the
webmaster for Broadway performer Ron Bohmer. You can visit Ron's site at
www.ronbohmer.com