WBT Producer Bill Stutler recently took part in a podcast named NYTheatrecast with Jack W. Batman and Bruce Harris of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.  Hosted by Leonard Jacobs, National Theatre Editor of Backstage.  From Mr. Jacob’s Blog;

“I did another podcast for Martin and Rochelle — fabulous experience as always. I guess I should also take this opportunity to reveal that as of January I will be hosting a regular monthly podcast for them. Look for more on that in the next few weeks. This latest podcast goes north — to Westchester. The panel included Jack W. Batman and Bruce Harris of the White Plains Performing Arts Center, and Bill Stutler of Westchester Broadway Theatre. Here’s a little FYI on these two groups, courtesy of nytheatrecast’s blog:   

“White Plains Perfoming Arts Center offers a diverse array of programming aimed at many age groups, tastes, and personalities. Their Broadway Classics series will kick off on November 29th with a new production of Man of la Mancha starring Robert Cuccioli.”"Westchester Broadway Theatre is a dinner theatre offering revivals (and, occasionally) new productions of classic musicals. Their current season includes the Maury Yeston Phantom, along with A Christmas Carol, Buddy, and Beauty and the Beast.”Our guests point out that Westchester’s theatre scene is booming. The theatres are within an hour of downtown Manhattan and both companies often feature Broadway-caliber talent.  Here’s a link to the podcast.

Source: http://clydefitch.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-podcast.html 

The Man Behind Gerard Carriere
By Jon Chattman

James Van Treuren, who portrays Gerard Carriere in Westchester Broadway Theatre’s “Phantom,” says in many ways, playing the role in the current production is “like coming home again.” Afterall, the actor has starred in ten productions at WBT, including both previous WBT productions of the show in 1992 and 1996 has played the role of Carrier before in another theater and said he’s ecstatic to be playing the role here.

We recently spoke with the actor, whose appeared on Broadway in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and countless regional theatre productions, and asked him all about how it’s going at the WBT. (more…)

An interview with Phantom’s Kate Rockwell
By Jon Chattman

Kate Rockwell is arguably best known as one of the finalists on NBC’s “”Grease: You’re the One that I Want,” but she’s quickly changing that. The actress/singer is currently earning raves for her role as Christine Daee in Westchester Broadway Theatre’s (WBT) “Phantom,” the acclaimed Yeston/Kopit production, and has snagged a role in the upcoming “Sex in the City” movie. We recently spoke to the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory grad and asked her how it feels to be on the verge of stardom, and star in what many consider to be the superior “Phantom of the Opera” production at WBT.
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Phantom’s Rosenberg chats with broadwaytheatreblog.com
By Jon Chattman

Growing up, Sandy Rosenberg always loved to perform. “My earliest memories was at about five years old sitting on a piano at a hotel in the Catskills singing ‘When the red, red robin comes bob bob bobbin; along,;” she said in a recent interview with the Westchester Broadway Theatre blog. While she didn’t perform in grade school talent shows, Rosenberg performed in musicals and plays throughout camp, junior high, high school, college, and eventually, summer stock. The rest is history.

Throughout her career, Rosenberg has performed in a variety of shows regionally and on Broadway. Her credits on the Great White Way include Mama Mia!, which she starred in for over five years, and the original cast of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Her regional credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and yes, Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom. Rosenberg can currently be seen in WBT’s production of the show, playing that lovable off-key diva Carlotta. It’s not the first time the actress has played the character. Some 13 years ago, she played the part at La Miranda CLO. What made her return to the role, read on! (more…)

Continued WHUD coverage of PHANTOM!

WBT Blog chats with Maury Yeston
By Jon Chattman

Maury Yeston’s version of Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera never made it to Broadway, and the legendary composer and musicologist couldn’t be happier. For over a decade, the show, which he co-wrote with Arthur Kopit (the duo won two Tony Awards for Nine- Yeston has another two for his work on the Titanic musical) , has become an international smash, playing regional theatres across the country and abroad, earning raves everywhere it goes. “They nickname it ‘the biggest show never to play Broadway,’” Yeston said proudly in an interview with WBT last week. “It’s succeeded both critically and commercially all over the world. The public has taken this show to its heart and that’s a far greater experience than being on Broadway.”

Phantom was originally poised to hit the Broadway stage in the late 1980s, but when Andrew Lloyd Webber went public with his intentions for a show of his own (we know how that turned out), financing fell through for Kopit and Yeston’s version. While ALW’s show became a hit on Broadway, the duo explored other avenues (Yeston went on to make Grand Hotel for Broadway) - that was until 1991 when the show played to raves at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston. That success led to additional productions, notably at Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Musical Theatre and the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Chicago.
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Stay tuned for our full interview with Mr. Yeston… in the mean time, see what he’s saying about the show and WBT!

On the production:
“I think the current production is absolutely splendid. It’s the best one they’ve had yet. With the combination of their design, use of hydraulics, and use of space, there’s a fluidity and theatricality to it that’s really unparalleled. The cast is just extraordinary. Aaron Ramey and Kate Rockwell are just extraordinary. They’re top notch and both have huge careers ahead of them. This production could go into a small Broadway house tomorrow. I’m really proud…”

On Westchester Broadway Theatre:
“Westchester Broadway Theatre is one of the great jewels in the crown of American Theatre. They draw upon world class talent from New York and locally. They draw brilliant directors and have a tradition of starting brilliant young people who can say they got their start at Westchester Broadway Theatre. They’re one of the first ones, and one of the best in the world. And, I’ve traveled all over the world. They’re right up there with the top: Chicago, Boston, Houston, Silicon Valley…The Westchester community should be extremely honored to have them.”