Broadway.com: Phantom of the Opera's John Riddle played Carlotta in his bedroom, now he's Raoul on Broadway

The UC alum has been singing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs of love and loss for 25 years

University of Cincinnati alumnus John Riddle, who currently stars as Raoul in Broadway's "The Phantom of the Opera," has been singing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs of love and loss for 25 years. "Phantom" was the first show he ever saw, he told Broadway.com.

Riddle knew nothing about musicals until his father brought him to see "The Phantom of the Opera" in Toronto when he was five years old.

“I sat there the whole entire time at the edge of my seat, didn’t say a word,” he said. “I was wearing a tuxedo, too, 'cause that was back in the day when you would dress up to the theater. And I sat there, and I turned to [my father] after the show, and I said ‘I want to be an actor.’ ”

Riddle studied musical theater at UC's College-Conservatory of Music. He then joined the 2013 national tour of "Evita," was cast in the 2014 Kennedy Center production of "Little Dancer "and made his Broadway debut as Young Anton in the 2015 Broadway production of Kander and Ebb’s "The Visit." Riddle also originated the role of Hans in "Frozen" and joined "The Phantom of the Opera" in September. 

Read more and watch Riddle's #LiveatFive interview.

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