"There will never be a day when I won't think of you."
Paige Blankson as Christine Daaé in Phantom of the Opera, West End Revival, 2023 (also feat, James Gant lurking in the mirror) , @lasagnatrades, master.
Farewell, Paige. It seems like this year's Christine alternate, Paige Blankson, has quietly left the London cast. There have been no social media posts about her departure, and she's been removed from the website. It's not clear why--she has only done a handful of shows since October after otherwise nearly perfect attendance. Wishing her happy trails and the best in everything.
I tried, but never got to see her live. Fortunately, there are several videos of her portrayal of the Swedish soprano. She seemed to be like a sweet Disney princess lost in the Paris Opera, ready to sing amongst the birds, and who genuinely cared for the Phantom because her Christine was compassionate and kind. I loved how she smiled when the Phantom appeared--if you look at my Gantom gifset, you also see her smiling during First Lair a bunch.
She was a pleasure to watch and a difference amongst other 2023 anglophone Christines in how she approached the character. She was one of only a handful of Black Christines ever, and for a time we had Christines of color in both New York and London (Emilie Kouatchou, Kanisha Marie Feliciano in New York, Lucy St. Louis in London, and then Paige as alt after Holly-Anne Hull became principal). (Also--Phans correct me/add here if I'm missing anyone)
There should be a new Alternate announcement soon, and Colleen Curran will likely be going on Tuesdays and Fridays for a bit as Eve Shanu-Wilson announced she's going on vacation. Paige had a lot of promise and whatever reason she needed to step back, the Phans are supportive. Cheers, Paige!