Butte native Curt Olds globetrots with role in world tour of “Phantom of the Opera”
By Annie PentillaReprinted with permission from the Montana Standard, Feb. 19
Butte native Curt Olds has reached many highs in his career as a baritone singer, and now he can put a checkmark next to another long-held dream.
Olds has landed a role in the world tour of “Phantom of the Opera,” a work that continues to hold the title of Broadway’s longest running musical.
“It’s wonderful,” said Olds of the upcoming performance. “It’s so exciting to be in ‘Phantom’ after all these years.”
Olds will play the part of Monsieur Andre, one of the managers of the Paris Opera House, and it’s a role that will take him to seven cities throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Olds has performed in Europe before, but the upcoming tour will give him an opportunity to travel to countries he wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to visit – places like Malaysia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea.
The world tour premieres in Manila Feb. 28, and Olds described the newest iteration of the tour as something akin to Phantom 2.0.
A lot has happened in the way of theater technology since “Phantom” took the world by storm in the 1980s, so the upcoming show promises to bring some audience members spectacles they haven’t seen before.
Demand for the upcoming tour is high, so Olds expects each leg of the journey will last about a month, with eight performances each week.
There will be ample time to explore the local scenes, Olds said, so he’s excited about taking in all the sights and sounds each country has to offer.
Olds said he’s always wanted to perform in “Phantom of the Opera,” which during his teenage years was like the "Hamilton" of its day: wildly popular and impossible to get tickets.
“What’s really crazy is that it has never lost its momentum. It opened on Broadway in 1988 and it’s still playing. It plays two blocks away from my apartment,” said Olds, who is based in New York City. “It’s the longest-running show in Broadway history, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be leaving anytime soon.”
Olds described “Phantom” as “the Olympics of opera,” a “pastiche of styles” that incorporates elements of both opera and modern musical theater.
According to its synopsis, the musical tells the story of a “disfigured musical genius known only as ‘The Phantom’ who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerized by the talents and beauty of a young soprano Christine, the Phantom lures her as his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her.”
“Phantom” is a work that Olds says has made him feel at home, as he’s performed in both musicals and operas throughout his career.
“It’s really bridging my worlds together,” said Olds. “I have a foot in musical theater and I’m also a trained opera singer, so it’s one of those shows I’ve been dying to do for years.”
According to previous news stories, Olds first caught the performance bug as a 16-year-old when he went on a trip with a group of Butte High band students to NYC, where the group saw “Les Misérables.”
During his youth, Olds was enrolled in an honors chorus program and also took part in the Butte Community Theatre. He later graduated from the University of Montana and studied opera and musical theater at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Olds credits local educators with helping him get his classical chops, and he says you don’t have to live in a big city to sing on the big city stage.
“I’m really, really pro-Montana and what you can do there,” said Olds. “I’ve never lost my association with Butte or with Montana, and that’s extremely important to me.”
Olds has gone on to perform with the New York City Opera, the Hawaii Opera Theatre and the Central City Opera in Colorado. He was also part of a German production of the musical “Cats,” among many more career highlights.
Olds makes time to perform in Butte and other Montana locations whenever he can.
Four years ago, he directed "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for the Orphan Girl Theatre. In October, he performed in “The Pirates of Penzance” with Intermountain Opera Bozeman. He says he hopes to soon put on another performance in Butte.
When asked what he likes about performing, Olds said music can go places where the spoken word cannot.
“I think that’s the thing that drives me the most – that connection to the audience,” he said.
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