NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Broadway's longest-running show will mark a milestone on Wednesday, along with another historic first.
"Phantom of the Opera," which will celebrate its 34th anniversary on the Great White Way on Wednesday night, will have the first Black actress to play the lead female role of Christine Daaé full-time on Broadway.
Emilie Kouatchou made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and made history in October as Christine's first Black alternate lead.
Kouatchou told People in December that her milestone was a long time coming.
"I just think that Black women, especially in theater, have to be — and it shouldn't be this way — ten times better and work ten times harder. It took this long for any Black woman to play Christine, but there have been so many talented Black women who could have."
"Phantom of the Opera" premiered at The Majestic Theatre on Jan. 26, 1988.
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