Rachel Zatcoff and Craig Bennett join The Phantom

Broadway's longest-running show The Phantom of the Opera has welcomed two new members to its principal cast this week:

Rachel Zatcoff makes her Broadway debut and replaces Kaley Ann Voorhees as the alternate Christine and Craig Bennett succeeds Tony nominee Tim Jerome as Monsieur Firmin. Voorhees and Jerome gave their final performances on 29 August 2015.

The principal cast currently includes James Barbour (The Phantom), Julia Udine (Christine), Jeremy Hays (Raoul), Laird Mackintosh (Monsieur André), Craig Bennett (Monsieur Firmin), Michele McConnell (Carlotta), Linda Balgord (Madame Giry), Christian Šebek (Piangi), Kara Klein (Meg Giry), and Rachel Zatcoff (Christine alternate).

The Phantom of the Opera features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and a book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The most successful stage musical of all time, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, celebrated its 27th anniversary on 26 January 2015.

The Phantom of the Opera opened at the Majestic on 26 January 1988, following previews from 9 January, and went on to sweep the 1988 Tony Awards, winning seven, including Best Musical.

Synopsis: Based on the classic novel 'Le Fantôme de L'Opéra' by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells "the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

The creative team features scenic design by the late Maria Björnson, lighting design by Andrew Bridge and sound design by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

- by Tom Millward