In conjunction with its 34th anniversary, Broadway has welcomed the first Black Christine to its full time cast of Phantom of the Opera. This week, actor Emilie Kouatchou took over the role of Christine Daaé in Iconic production, becoming the first Black actor in history to do so on Broadway.
More on Emilie Kouatchou joining 'Phantom Of The Opera'
Kouatchou is a Chicago native and she joined the cast of the iconic musical last fall as an alternate for the lead actor Meghan Piecerno. Now Kouatchou will join the production officially as a full-time cast member becoming the first Black women to do so.
Watch the trailer for the momentous occasion here:
How she almost switched careers
Last month, Kouatchou told People Magazine that she considered switching careers during the pandemic when Broadway was shut down and performers futures were up in the air.
Though happy with the opportunity, she also voiced her frustration on why it took so long for this achievement to happen saying, “I just think that Black women, especially in theater, have to be — and it shouldn’t be this way — 10 times better and work 10 times harder…It took this long for any Black woman to play Christine, but there have been so many talented Black women who could have.”
Her casting follows the news of Brittney Johnson’s announcement as the first Black Glenda for Wicked.
Best of luck and congratulations to Emilie Kouatchou and we hope to see more diversity come to the Broadway stage!
