STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Scandal 's Norm Lewis to Star in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

Will be the first Black actor to ever play the Phantom.

Scandal star Norm Lewis is about to make history on Broadway. The actor has been cast as the first-ever Black lead in Phantom of the Opera. Lewis will be the first actor of color to play the Phantom in Andew Lloyd Webber's show, the longest-running in Broadway history. 
Phantom of the Opera is a turn-of-the-century tale of a deformed composer haunting the Paris Opera House, where he lures in a young singer. Thirteen men have played the role of Phantom on Broadway, with Lewis being the 14th. “I’m just so excited to be a part of this history,” said Lewis.

“People have a certain vision of a particular character and, a lot of times, we as minorities don’t fit that particular vision,” said Lewis. “And now, I think that people are a little more open to that.”

Webber, the Broadway icon and creator of the show, said the Broadway world is becoming more colorblind. “I think everyone’s moved on to the point that you really don’t think that way,” he says. “Michael Jackson really wanted to play it at one point,” said Webber. “The other person who wanted to play it and never did, because I’m afraid his illness overtook him, was Sammy Davis.” 

Ultimately, the honor went to Lewis, who, until now, is best-known for playing Senator Edison Davis on Scandal.

“I remember being so nervous and wanting it so badly,” says Lewis. “Right before I stepped on stage to do the audition, I really took a deep breath and, all of a sudden, I felt Paul Robeson, Ben Vereen, Andre DeShields. I stand on their shoulders. I felt them saying, ‘Just go do it. Just go prove to these people that you can do this.’”

Phantom of the Opera with Lewis in the lead begins on Monday, May 12 at the Majestic Theater.
Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Mary J. BligeMaxwellJill ScottA$AP RockyRick Ross and many more. Click here for more details and info on how to purchase tickets.
BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

 (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.