Singer Franc D’Ambrosio held the title for the world’s longest-running Phantom for more than a decade thanks to his 2,200-plus performances in “Phantom of the Opera,” causing Andrew Lloyd Webber himself to nickname him the “Iron Man of the Mask.”
D’Ambrosio performs his one-man show, “Back to Broadway,” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at The Lyric Theater in Blue Island.
In addition to his long-running titular role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical, “The Phantom of the Opera,” D’Ambrosio is also known for playing the role of Anthony Corleone in “The Godfather Part III.” He performed the Academy Award-winning theme song, “Speak Softly Love,” in both the film and the original soundtrack.
He lived and studied with Pavarotti in Italy, won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 71st Cannes Film Festival and performed with Andrea Bocelli at his private estate in Italy in 2022.
He was knighted by the president of Italy in 2020 (his official title is Cavaliere dell’ Ordine della Stella d’Italia) and each summer the vocal academy he founded in Lucca, Italy, brings 25 opera students from the U.S. to study.
He currently tours with the show he created, “The Four Phantoms in Concert,” starring himself and three other men who also played the role. A PBS special will be filmed in March to air this summer, he said.
“Even though we all sing the same role, we all have very different interpretations of the Phantom and we have very different voices,” he said.
Lyric Theater audiences will be treated to his songs and stories when he appears onstage.
“I’ll tell you what it’s not – it’s not a park and bark,” he said. “It’s not me coming out with a piano and saying, ‘For my next song, I’d like to sing for you, blah blah blah.’ It’s a one-man Broadway show that was written and directed and produced by a team and there’s a storyline that weaves through the entire show.”
Audiences will hear songs from “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Misérables,” “Oklahoma,” “West Side Story” and “Hamilton;” as well as songs from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Carole King.
“The audience will spend a lot of time laughing as well,” he said. “It’s a very fun show. Once the show starts, we take right off and have a good evening.”
The writers of the show asked him all about his life and career, from growing up in The Bronx – the seventh generation of an Italian bakers – from the bakery to Broadway, getting into “The Godfather III,” making his way back to Broadway in “Sweeney Todd” and beyond.
“I poke a lot of fun at myself, I poke a lot of fun at my Italian-American heritage in the best sense,” he said. “What it was like to grow up in a big Italian family and sing music all the time. I say I made the people in my neighborhood know more about the Corleones than they do about the Kardashians. There’s a lot of that kind of humor.”
Although he grew up in the family bakery and was in line to take over – he knew that wasn’t the right path for him.
“I had a desire to be an actor and I realized I could sing after that,” he said. “I realized I could sing at 16 years old. I knew that if I could sing, there would be more options to be onstage.”
He attended college for a couple of years but his first professional acting opportunity in New York – coupled with severe dyslexia – kept him from finishing.
“I talk very openly about it. I’m highly dyslexic,” he said. “I have the second half of a third-grade reading level. I’m not a victim; I’ve used it to my advantage. It helped me have a very good memory. It helped me be very creative.”
He’s an advocate for the disability and in October, which is dyslexia awareness month, he visits schools to speak with and inspire kids with similar learning differences.
“I tell them, my reading levels are lower than yours, I didn’t have any of your resources and yet I’ve done pretty well,” he said. “I let them know that if I could do it when they didn’t even know the word for dyslexia, you guys can do it because you have all the resources and there’s no more stigma talking about it now.”
‘Godfather’ role
To get the role of Anthony Corleone, talent scouts went on an international and two national searches because director Francis Ford Coppola insisted that the actor be able to sing as well.
“I say that’s the only role I will ever beat Tom Cruise out of,” he joked.
He was 27 at the time.
“I had been on Broadway; I knew what to do,” he said. “But there are different subtleties and acting techniques that are necessary for movies. It was literally like a master’s degree in film acting while I was on that set.”
While “The Godfather” is part of cinematic history, “Phantom of the Opera” is part of theatrical history, he said.
“I was very blessed to be a contributor to these iconic shows,” he said.
He said he never tired of playing the role of The Phantom, even after more than 2,000 performances.
“I always loved singing that music. I always loved my cast and I always had a huge respect for my audience because I knew that many, many of them were there for the first time,” he said.
“The thing that I did get tired of was living the lifestyle that was necessary in order to perform eight shows in six days for almost seven years. In life, actions follow intentions and my intention was to always give an opening-night performance every night and so I did whatever I had to do to give that.”
Blue Island audiences will hear a medley of “Phantom” songs; including the iconic “Music of the Night.”
“I’m doing all the songs the Phantom can sing without having a soprano to sing with,” he said.
“They’re going to enjoy it because once it starts, it just takes off. It’s fun, it’s funny, self-deprecating in the best sense, great songs – my pianist is unbelievable. He plays like he’s got 15 fingers on each hand,” he said. “Of course, I sing ‘The Godfather’ theme. Both in English and Sicilian like I did in the movie. It’s just a fun, fun evening out.”
Franc D’Ambrosio – Back to Broadway
When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17
Where: The Lyric Theater, 12952 Western Ave., Blue Island
Tickets: $49.95-$54.95
Information: 708-972-0700; lyrictheater.com
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.