Actor Laird Mackintosh first joined the Broadway company of The Phantom of the Opera in 2013, but it wasn’t his first Phantom. Having started his career as a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, Mackintosh transitioned to musical theatre with the Toronto-based production of Phantom.
“I really felt like I didn’t want to make that my entire career, and I knew that I wanted to sing,� says Mackintosh. “I had seen Phantom of the Opera in the Toronto production, and I took my photo and resume to the office of the casting director and they called me in.�
After playing Raoul outside the U.S., Mackintosh made his Broadway debut with Phantom in New York—this time in a different role. “I got older and I basically aged up into the role of Andre,� he says. “Andre is a wonderful character to play—you can really feel the audience responding to the managers.�
Check out Mackintosh offering a sneak peek into his dressing room as he gets into character—wig, faux mustache, opera garb, and all—above. Below, John Easterlin discusses becoming Ubaldo Piangi.