Davis Gaines, who has performed as the lead in “Phantom of the Opera” more than 2,000 times on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco, takes the stage at the California Club in Downtown Los Angeles.
By GWEN MURANAKA
For one night only, The Phantom was in the house. Davis Gaines, who has performed the lead role in “The Phantom of the Opera” more than 2,000 times on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco, sang at an intimate gathering on Oct. 17 at the California Club in Downtown L.A.
Gaines sang Broadway standards including “Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha,” “Ol’ Man River” from “Showboat,” and “It Only Takes a Moment” from “Hello Dolly.”
“To become a knight errant and sally forth into the world to right wrongs,” Gaines dramatically intoned as he introduced songs from “Man of La Mancha.” He received an Ovation Award in 2012 for his portrayal of Don Quixote.
The finale was devoted to “Phantom of the Opera.” The musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber premiered on Broadway in 1988 and was the longest-running show in Broadway history.
Before becoming The Phantom on the L.A. stage, he performed the role of Raoul on Broadway and he shared that he was there when the curtain finally fell in April 2023. For the gathering at the California Club, he performed the musical’s most iconic songs, “All I Ask of You” and “Music of the Night.”
“I was fortunate enough to go back to New York and see the final performance. It was bittersweet,” Gaines said.
Gaines is joined by Irene Matsubara, who has seen him perform in “Phantom” more than a dozen times.
He performed at the invitation of Darlene Kuba, who has been a close friend for years. The concert was attended by many members of the Little Tokyo and Japanese American communities. Among them was Irene Matsubara, a long-time chief of staff to the late Councilmember Gilbert Lindsay. She was thrilled at the chance to once again hear Gaines.
“It was fantastic. I went so many times to see him in ‘Phantom’ from way back,” she said, noting that she has seen the charismatic performer at venues in L.A. and the Bay Area.
He will be performing at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts on March 15, 2025 for an evening of Broadway hits.
After the show, Gaines recalled performing when Bill Fujioka retired in 2014 as the chief executive officer for Los Angeles County.
Kuba said, “There were 1,400 people at his retirement. When Davis got up and sang, you could hear a pin drop.”
“Well I think tonight was even better!” Gaines said in response.