‘Phantom’ star Doug LaBrecque joins Purdue cast 'On Broadway'

Doug LaBrecque, who’s thrilled theater audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in the Toronto and National Tour productions of the Harold Prince’s award-winning musical The Phantom of the Opera, will step into the guest spotlight at the Purdue Symphony Orchestra and Purdue Musical Organizations’ annual Indianapolis concert set for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre on Monument Circle.

The concert, On Broadway At the Circle Theatre, features tunes from Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Cabaret and The Lion King and such timeless classics as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Singers from Purdue Musical Organizations will join the 100-member Purdue Orchestra in providing a lush support for LaBrecque’s soaring baritone voice.

Proceeds from the benefit concert go to Purdue Science Bound and music programs at Purdue University. Indianapolis students enrolled in the Science Bound project, which offers opportunities to obtain full-tuition scholarships at Purdue, will be special guests at the concert funded by various Indianapolis corporations and businesses.

For this special benefit, “we are thrilled to feature someone with LaBrecque’s credentials and someone who Indianapolis residents have fallen in love with through the Yuletide Celebration shows put on by the Indianapolis Symphony,” says Purdue orchestra director Jay Gephart.

LaBrecque has performed with major symphony orchestras around Europe and South America as well as the United States. With composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch, he has performed at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, The Kennedy Center and with both the Baltimore and Pittsburgh Symphonies. LaBrecque is well known to central Indiana audiences for his performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in its Yuletide Celebration.

In addition, LaBrecque has starred on Broadway as Ravenal in Show Boat, a role he has also performed in Canada. His other Broadway credits include Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th Birthday Celebration at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. His national tours include Les Misérables and Sugar Babies. Regionally, LaBrecque has performed leading roles in Candide, Follies, A Chorus Line, Man of La Mancha and Evita among others.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, LaBrecque was also featured in the world premiere of A Wonderful Life written by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Rapso and starred in the premiere of Kurt Weil and Alan Jay Lerner's Love Life.

Tickets are now on sale, priced at $20, $15 and $10 at the Circle Theatre Box Office (317) 639-4300 or (800) 366-8457; and Purdue Box Office at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW.