Broadway Experience:  Beauty and the Beast/Phantom of the Opera

    I recently went to go see Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, and during intermission, I was sitting in my seat, having just returned from my customary exploration of the orchestra pit and the ceiling of the theatre, and I accidentally began listening in on the conversation two of the people in the row in front of me were having, which involved the current Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. Since that's my favorite show of all time, it naturally caught my attention. And suddenly the man who was talking turned around and I just stared at him. I think he even caught me staring at him - he smiled at me, I smiled back, and he sat back down. But I kept thinking "he looks so familiar, I've seen him before... oh my God, that's Andre!" George Lee Andrews was sitting right in front of me! I spent the entire second act (well, watching the show, of course!) and also trying to decide whether I was going to get up the nerve to talk to him or not.

Turns out I did - quite a step for shy little me! But after the show I said to him "Hello... er... I'm sorry, you just look so familiar!" And he said "Me? Well, I'm in Phantom." And I think my face actually lit up, because I was right, and it was George Lee Andrews, the guy who's rendition of "Notes" has cracked me up all three times I've seen the show, the guy who's played Andre for the past 18 years, which meant I wasn't going mad. He asked me how I'd liked the show, and if I was a fan of Phantom, and his wife asked me my name and then said "George, this is Caitlin," and he shook my hand and we all left. Later, as I was waiting at the stage door, he and his family came out - they were visiting some friends in the cast - and he saw me at the gate and smiled and waved at me.

Not to sound phangirly, but I think that was one of the most exciting afternoons I can remember.

Submitted by:  Caitlin, age 16.