The Phantom of the Opera alum Kevin Gray, who passed away at age 55 on February 11 will receive a memorial service at Phantom’s Broadway home, the Majestic Theatre. A Celebration of the Life of Kevin Gray will take place on May 13 beginning at 2 PM and is open, free of charge, to the public.
The memorial celebration will include appearances by Phantom’s director Hal Prince, Dodie Pettit (Gray’s widow), former Phantom co-stars including Rebecca Luker, Hugh Panaro, Cris Groenendaal, Karen Culliver, Sarah Pfisterer and Lisa Vroman, as well as Judy Blazer, Carolee Carmello, Robert Cuccioli, Elizabeth Renihan and Craig Schulman. The afternoon will also feature presentations by cast members of the Broadway and national touring companies of The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Titanic and The King & I. Motown’s Charles Randolph-Wright serves as the celebration’s director.
Gray first played Raoul in the Broadway production of Phantom before moving up to the title role in 1990, reprising his starring role on tour. He returned to the Majestic Theatre on January 26 as a guest at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Broadway production, accompanied by his wife, Phantom alum Dodie Pettit. Gray toured in the Andrew Lloyd Webber revue Music of the Night and starred in the symphony tour Three Phantoms in Concert alongside fellow alums Ted Keegan and Craig Schulman.
Gray also starred in Broadway productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, The King and I and Chu Chem, national tours of The King and I and The Lion King, as well as productions of Show Boat and Miss Saigon. His off-Broadway credits included Pacific Overtures, The Knife and The Death of Garcia Lorca.