> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# REVIEW: Hugh Panaro – ‘Man Without a Mask’ at Crazy Coqs
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-hugh-panaro-man-without-a-mask-at-crazy-coqs/
- Published: 2024-09-09T11:00:44.000Z
- Updated: 2024-09-09T10:47:37.000Z
- Description: Broadway star Hugh Panaro has an accolade no-one else will achieve for sure: he played the Phantom more than 2,300 times – a staggering achievement. So this huge voice and matching personality could feel constrained in the intimacy of London’s Crazy Coqs cabaret room. Not a bit of it. From the momen
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Arts, Music, Crazy Coqs, LGBT, LGBTQ

Broadway star **Hugh Panaro** has an accolade no-one else will achieve for sure: he played the Phantom more than 2,300 times – a staggering achievement.

So this huge voice and matching personality could feel constrained in the intimacy of London’s **Crazy Coqs** cabaret room. Not a bit of it.

From the moment he walks though the audience singing *Something’s Coming* – you know that it certainly is.

His anecdotes are interesting, darkly humorous, and bring out the undoubted charm of the man. The little small-town boy who wanted to be a vet was bitten with the theatre bug when aged 12 he was taken to see new musical *Annie*, starring **Andrea McArdle** – also from his Pennsylvania home town. “I didn’t wanna be a vet anymore,“ he tells us.

A story about seeing *Peter Pan* links in to his rendition of *Neverland* – a rich, luscious voice that soars magnificently to the ceiling and back – mesmerising. He seems to hang on the highest notes like a trapeze artist – and boy are there lots of high notes.

A **Sondheim** anecdote leads to *Ah Miss* and *Johanna*, from *Sweeney Todd* – brilliantly raw and full of emotion. He played Anthony but always craved Tobias’ song, *Not While I’m Around,* so we get it, beautiful yes but there’s something scary going on behind the eyes of this mad youth.

**Elton John**’s *Lestat* – a vampire musical, in which he appeared – lasted 39 performances, but he gives us a truly gripping song written for him for the show by Elton – a crazy love song, *Right Before My Eyes*. So the star has had some flops – he was in *Martin Guerre* when it closed in LA, failing to reach Broadway.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/christina-bianco-jpg-e1725878778775.webp)

He was joined on the night I saw him by guest star **Christina Bianco** – a big voice and personality and certainly in her soaring pure voice his match in *All I Ask Of You* and *A Little Fall Of Rain*, and she followed up in *Forbidden Broadway* style with a montage of impersonations to *The Sun’ll Come Out*, from Bernadette Peters to Julie Andrews and many more. Captivatingly funny.

Back with Hugh, there’s the story of how *Miss Saigon* creator **Claude-Michel Schonberg** asked him to try out a few songs from the show, which he did – but he wasn’t then offered the lead role of Chris. “At 25 my heart was pretty broken,” he half-jokes.

A year later he was asked to audition for the first national tour of the show – and didn’t get it again: “but I’m not bitter”. Then he sings *Why God, Why?* with drama, gusto and bitterness and I don’t know why he didn’t get it.

And on we go with too many on his song list for me to recount – through *Showboat*, a show with Streisand; *Les Mis,* with a stunningly electric *Empty Chairs*; and inevitably to *Music Of The Night* – which I truly believe I will never hear better sung.

Accompanied brilliantly throughout by **Joseph Thalken** on piano and **Nick Laughlin** on bass, this is truly a night and a performer to remember.