Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Roam) - INTERVIEW

Summary

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MickeyJoTheatre — Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Roam) - INTERVIEW

Date: October 19, 2025
Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Guest: Ramin Karimloo

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Episode Overview

In this insightful interview, theatre critic and host Mickey Jo speaks with acclaimed West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo. The conversation covers Ramin’s international career, his deep engagement with iconic roles in shows like Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, and his excitement for the new musical Rome. The episode offers a blend of personal reflection, behind-the-scenes stories, and Ramin's philosophy on theatre and artistry.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Life as a Transatlantic Performer

• Ramin’s sense of presence and gratitude:
  • He now makes a conscious effort to “really take in and be present” (01:41), appreciating the unique opportunities and frequent travel, balancing gratitude with finding peace at home.
  • "I love being home... It's so nice to be in my own music room prepping things as opposed to a hotel room..." (01:41)
• Upcoming plans include travel to Japan and New York, highlighting his ongoing international career.

2. Reflecting on Recent and Iconic Roles

• Notable shows discussed:
  • Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre (02:24)
    • Host’s personal memory of seeing Ramin, referencing the “black shirt/white shirt” costume changes.
  • Pirates! The Penzance Musical:
    • Ramin describes it as "so much fun... one of my favorite times yet." (03:05)
    • Acting with joy, regardless of whether the story is heavy or comical, is central for him.
    • "I feel like my best is yet to come." (03:09)

3. Spotlight on Rome: The New Musical Concert

• What is Rome about?
  • "It’s about a nomadic clan’s caravan that breaks down in a hostile territory... on the way to a sacred festival." (04:06)
  • The music: "Romani infused, folk rock driven, very energetic, fun" (04:06)
• Themes:
  • Community, family, generational relatability, seeking connection rather than division.
  • "You always look for that redemption... what it asks of me as an artist and as a singer pushes my boundaries. It takes me to a place I don't think I've been." (05:49)
• Playing Yoshka:
  • Ramin’s character is "magnetic, charming, flawed... as a father, there's a lot I could relate to him." (05:49)
• Sociopolitical Parallels:
  • Drawing on the Romani experience and broader themes of marginalization—but as a universal story.
  • “I like the idea of searching for what brings us together rather than what separates us... That's what we used to do: celebrate what made us different.” (07:24)

4. Building New Works vs. Iconic Shows

• Comparison of creative processes:
  • "It's more similar than dissimilar... we still go through the same process." (08:29)
  • In new work, “every day is a discovery. Every day will be hit and miss.” (08:29)
  • Shows like Les Misérables have a roadmap, but new works provide continuous, fresh exploration.

5. Pivotal Career Moments

• Breakout Roles:
  • Love Never Dies: “To have music written around your voice, that was quite an extraordinary experience.” (10:34)
  • Les Mis 25th Anniversary: “This stuff is not about us. We're not important. We're all just coming together to tell a story...” (10:51)
• “When you’re having fun, you’ll do your best work. And regardless, you’re having fun.” (11:30)
• Funny Girl: Significance in getting to speak more—each show pivotal in different ways. (12:02)

6. Vocal and Emotional Challenges

• Most vocally challenging roles:
  • Ramin doesn’t designate specifics: "It's not that they're difficult or easy... when I'm in a good place, things just come out." (13:04)
  • Playing Jean Valjean: initially reluctant, but found his conduit to the character, which unlocked the vocal performance.
  • Smoking for Facing the Crowd presented unique vocal challenges. (14:01)

7. Les Misérables — Personal Memories and Fan Moments

• Ramin’s time as Valjean at the Queen’s (now Sondheim) Theatre and in Toronto with Colm Wilkinson (15:02–18:12)
  • “I used to stage door him and ask him for his autograph. And then... he goes, ‘Ramin, it's so good to see your career blossom. I'm proud of you.’” (15:54)
  • Touching stories from the 25th Anniversary concert and working with original cast members.
  • Anecdotes about backstage jam sessions with Colm Wilkinson (16:46; 17:29)

8. Unexpected Artistic Journeys

• Roles that surprised him:
  • Lonesome Rhodes in Facing the Crowd, The Pirate King in Pirates! “See what happens... the fact that there was so much joy and playfulness. You are not your body, you're your spirit.” (21:12)
  • Taking on roles out of fear, and finding growth in the unknown.
• On the Phantom:
  • “Even... if I was to ever play Phantom again, I don't know what I would do with that.” (22:18)
  • Maintaining his fan appreciation, preferring Hal Prince's original version. "The next time I see Phantom... I want Hal's version, the original version." (22:35–23:05)

9. Hopes and Aspirations for Rome

• Universal messages:
  • "What I want us to represent is this universal story, this story of, like, everyone's trying to search for a way to shine their light in darkness." (23:50)
  • Encouraging audiences to find their own meaning: "I want them to take what they see from... not what I want them to." (23:50)
  • Advocates for celebrating differences and creating unity: “Our differences are celebrated, and not feared.” (25:33)
• Bringing it full circle:
  • Despite heavy themes, the show has “a lot of energy... great music... something that stems from something quite dark and heavy that can lead to light, that can lead to unity rather than division, love, you know, family, community.” (26:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being present:

  • "Now I'm really enjoying it... I'm very grateful to be able to hear you say that and also to hear myself say that and be present with it." —Ramin (01:41)

• On building new work:

  • "Every day is a discovery. Every day will be hit and miss... we're trying to honor where it stems from, but also bringing it back to being a universal story." —Ramin (08:29)

• Advice on performance and purpose:

  • "When you’re having fun, you’ll do your best work. And regardless, you’re having fun. And that's what I think we have to ultimately tap into." —Ramin (11:30)

• On unity and differences:

  • "If we stop looking at things that separate us and look for the things that actually unite us, we can celebrate those differences because that’s what we used to do." —Ramin (07:24)

• Fanboy moment with Colm Wilkinson:

  • “I used to stage door him and ask him... for his autograph. And then for the 25th, I remember... ‘Ramin, it's so good to see your career blossom. I’m proud of you.’” (15:54)

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Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:05–01:41 — Ramin’s reflections on travel, being present, and finding home
• 02:24–03:09 — Host recalls Love Never Dies, Ramin on Pirates!
• 04:06–05:49 — Ramin explains Rome and his role as Yoshka
• 08:29–09:39 — The creative process: blocking new versus established shows
• 10:12–12:02 — Breakout roles, pivotal career moments
• 13:04–14:08 — On vocal challenges and finding the conduit to character
• 15:02–18:12 — Les Misérables stories, working with Colm Wilkinson
• 21:12–22:18 — Artistic surprises and philosophy on risk
• 22:35–23:05 — Phantom, fandom, and production perspectives
• 23:50–26:07 — Aspirations for Rome, universal messages and hopes
• 27:13–27:47 — About concert-style productions and The Addams Family anecdote

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Closing Thoughts

Ramin Karimloo’s interview is a vibrant reflection on an artist’s ongoing journey—balancing the gratification of legacy roles with the thrill and challenge of new work. With Rome, Ramin seeks not only to entertain but to foster unity and celebrate diversity, themes that resonate deeply in today’s world. His humility, humor, and reverence for the theatre craft shine throughout this conversation, offering both inspiration and anticipation for his next stage appearance.

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Transcript

[Ramin Karimloo]

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[Ramin Karimloo]

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[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

So I am honored and privileged to be joined today by one of the West End and Broadway's most acclaimed leading men. He is known for thrilling performances of some of musical theatre's most iconic characters. And now he is using his star power to shine a light on brand new musical theatre. Please welcome me in. In saying oh my God. Hey. To Ramin Karimlou. Hello.

[Ramin Karimloo]

Hello. How are you, my friend?

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

I am doing very well. How are you? Which continent are you joining me from?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Today I am back home in England, which is great. Nice.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Now I only ask because you have this career that has truly been transatlantic and international of late.

[Ramin Karimloo]

You know, it's something that I've learned to really take in and be present with as opposed to just I'm going somewhere and you just being busy with. And next thing you know, the years are over, like, oh yeah, I went here. Now I'm really enjoying it. And like, I love being home. I was just saying to my friend, well, the writer of Rome today, I'm like, it's so nice to be in my own music room prepping things as opposed to a hotel room or usually I'm, you know, dressing and prepping the next thing. But at the same time, I look forward to the things that are, you know, I'm going to Japan in a couple weeks and then back here and back to New York and then back here. So I'm very grateful to be able to hear you say that and also to hear myself say that and be present with it.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Uh huh, uh huh. First time I ever saw you on stage. Adelphi Theatre, January 2011. I think love never dies.

[Ramin Karimloo]

Well, started in 2010.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah, yeah. You were wearing a black shirt while you were singing. Till I hear you Sing as a barometer of when abouts in the run. It was that. That was after a little bit of changes.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I totally forgot about that shirt. I don't know what came first, the white shirt or the black shirt.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

I think the white shirt opened it and then the black shirt was for some reason one of a handful of changes that was gonna change everything about the show. But yeah, and then most recently, I saw you this summer in Pirates, the Penzance musical. The joy that. That was at the Todd Haymes, My.

[Ramin Karimloo]

Lord, that was so much fun. One of my favorite times yet. And that was for me, like a signpost of. I don't know. I feel like my best is yet to come. And just to just put joy in whatever you do, whether it's something heavy, whether something obviously comical, it's an easier pathway to that. But it's just in this day and age and seeing the world around us, to be able to still do what I feel my purpose is. I'm so grateful for that. And that's why, again, like something new like Rome, with what that entails and what that represents. I'm like, I feel like things are starting to line up in a. In a. In a different way, but in a way that perhaps meant to.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah, yeah. So let's talk a little bit about this then. You are back in London next month in this concert of this brand new musical called Rome at the Shaftesbury Theatre, joined by a really fantastic company. I know a little bit about the show, but I would love to hear from you what your perspective is on it and what you can tell us about Rome.

[Ramin Karimloo]

The music is phenomenal. It's got this Romani infused, folk rock driven, very energetic, fun music. It's about a nomadic clan's caravan that breaks down in a. In a hostile territory and you know, they're on the way to a sacred festival. And it sort of thinks like the whole situation unfolds from there. But what, you know, it's. It'd be so easy to relate it to so many things that are happening nowadays. But that's what so great about Rome. It relates to anyone who relates, everyone. And there's is generational, there's things that will be relatable for all generations in this show. And yeah, I find this is going to be very exciting. It's an exciting show, it's fun, it's got a lot of energy and the book and music, you know, it's a great marriage and I'm excited. You know, we've been working on it for a while. From demos to workshops. And I'm intrigued to see it on its feet now and really spend time within a room with, as you say, this amazing cast that's diverse and full of talent. And so it's. It's a journey for me still as well, you know?

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah. No, whenever you're talking about those themes of community and family, it's always very universal, very accessible and relatable. You are playing, I think, a sort of patriarchal figure to two sons played by some very talented young men.

[Ramin Karimloo]

You know, these boys, I. I feel like they're colleagues, but I'm like, oh, my days. How old am I to play their father now?

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Is it Diego and Jordan? Are they playing your sons in the show?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Yeah, yeah. That's the latest I've heard. Yeah. And, you know, they're both great, great talents, great voices, and I love being in a room with them both because I've worked with Jordan, and I met Diego after Evita, and all I kept thinking is, like, I'm at that age now. I'm at that age. But I play Yoshka, and, you know, this character, he's magnetic, he's charming, he's flawed. And also trying to figure out, like, as a father, there's a lot I could relate to him. And you always look for that redemption. And, you know, what it asks of me as an artist and as a singer, you know, is. Pushes my boundaries. It takes me to a place I don't think I've been. I don't think it's very raw, very spiritual, and there's a lot of parallels that I could, you know, at times, sadly bring to it. But also, at the same time, it's good that you can draw on your experiences. And again, it's, you know, I. I'm answering like this because it's still a work in progress, and it's something that I'm very intrigued to see how it unfolds in the room, because it is very raw, and I think. And it sounds like I'm making it very heavy, but there's a lot. Again, it's very light, and there's a lot of humor and a lot of pace to the book as well as the music, which I like, you know, because sometimes when you're dealing with quite a heavy moment, like, you know, the Romanis who have been marginalized, we know the devastation that they experienced with the Holocaust, and. But while it's sort of inspired by that cultural reference, it's, again, a story for everyone that we will be able to see and relate And I like the idea of searching for what brings us together rather than what separates us. Because I think if we stop looking at things that separate us and look for the things that actually unite us, we can celebrate those differences because that's what we used to do. We used to celebrate what made us different. And that's what I love about traveling. Everywhere I go, I love seeing different cultures and I want people to embrace those cultures and keep their culture alive because that's what I want to see when I go. I don't want us to all be necessarily universal.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Now much of your career has been spent in some of the most iconic, most long running shows of all time, joining those productions. How different is it as an actor to build something anew and be part of that development phase for something that is still coming together and is still shifting and evolving?

[Ramin Karimloo]

It's more similar than dissimilar. Do you know what I mean? We still go through the same process. Things like Les Miserables, beautiful attire you got on today. Mr. 24601 there obviously there's different references, but there was a novel is based on. But you know, there's history that we can dive into with Rome and you just take it one step at a time, one scene at a time. Every day you'll have discussions. So while even with something that's been long running, there's still things you find in the moments that you're like, oh, I've not seen it like that before or felt it like that before or heard it like that. But the benefit of something that is completely new every day is a discovery. Every day will be hit and miss. And you because you're we're trying to honor where it stems from, but also again, bringing it back to it being a universal story because this is for everyone. It's not about others, it's about us. And it's connecting that.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Now I want to talk a little bit more about Rome and this exciting new musical in concert. But before we do, I want to touch on some of the moments in your career that have brought you to this point. And there are so many shows and so many roles that I could ask you about. You've had such an exciting career. So instead I will ask the questions and you can tell me what which role or show is the answer. So first of all, I'm curious which production, which role felt to you like a breakthrough, like a breakout opportunity?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Well, I guess a breakout opportunity. Are we taking on board sort of effect it had in the platform and the reach?

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

I mean, how it made you feel, I suppose, the moment that empowered you to feel like I have arrived as a leading man in the world of musical theater.

[Ramin Karimloo]

It's weird. My. My instinct is like, well, have I arrived? You know, I still feel as green as ever.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Uhhuh.

[Ramin Karimloo]

But I, you know, I'm not discounting. I know I bring something to the table through the experience, even if it's raw and even if I can't fully explain it at times, you know, Love Never Dies is a big deal because I started to create something I. And, you know, to have music written around your voice, that was quite a extraordinary experience. To work so closely and daily with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, you know, like, being in his cab daily, going to him back from the studio, heading out for lunch together. Yeah, that was a real big turning point. Les Mis, 25th. I remember being such a. What was great about that was I remember showing up at the O2 and you're looking out and I'm thinking, this is not about you. This is the first time I realized this stuff is not about us. We're not important. We're all just coming together to tell a story, play, dress up, honor the piece. And it's up to the audience to decide whether it's important, whether it's good, bad, whatever. It's not up to us to tell them that we're just there to be a conduit. And the moment I surrendered to that and just had fun, I looked around in the ensemble. I'm seeing people in the ensemble that I look up to on the choir, and we were all there as fans. And the moment I tapped into that, I was like, you had so much Fun at the lamest 25th. Keep doing that, because when you're having fun, you'll do your best work. And regardless, you're having fun. And that's what I think we have to ultimately tap into. So that was a pivotal moment for me and a realization. Love Never dies. Funny Girl was great because that finally I was like, oh, I get to talk more. I can go through every show now, and all of them have been just as important, so I'll just stop there.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Well, tell me this then. Which of the roles you've played? Because some sensational vocals, some fantastic things. Which has been the most vocally challenging of the roles that you've had to play?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Oh, man, I don't know.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

You can tell me that they've all been very easy for you, if you like, but it'll be very upsetting news.

[Ramin Karimloo]

It's not that they're difficult or easy. I don't want to get too personal, but it's like when I'm. When I'm in a good place, things just come out. And, you know, I was thinking like Judas, but that once you live in that world, that was. It was there. I was surprised myself. I thought, I'm not gonna be able to do this, so let's try it and see what happens. As long as I'm healthy. Everything is hard to start with. That's the thing. I didn't want to play Jean Valjean, so I had nothing to say to the role originally. So I had no voice for it. And then when I found the conduit to the character, I was like, oh, that speaks to me. Maybe I'll give that. I'll go down that road and see what happens. Then the voice would come facing the crowd. That got a bit tough for a while because of where my voice landed as lonesome roads, how he spoke, the physicality for that, and then the smoking, that ripped it up a bit.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

That's interesting to hear your sort of emotional journey with Valjean and certainly the pipeline that you had through Les Mis. I think Cillian Donnelly is another one who sort of went from an Enjolras to a Valjean. But it's not necessarily the route that everyone takes through the show. They've, of course, just celebrated 40th anniversary in London. It feels like the 25th was fairly recent. I remember seeing that concert, and yet somehow it's 15 years later. Do you have any enduring memories of your times spent on the barricade?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Yeah, I always look at my time, especially as Jean Valjean. The first iteration I did in London and Hadley being Val. Inspector Javert. And just again, it was a great time. I really enjoyed. Obviously, it was the Queen's theater at the time. Now the Sondheim Theater, Right.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I loved going to work then, and it's like, oh, could I revisit that? But I'm. I'm romanticizing a moment. I don't know if it'll be as good as that time. I really enjoyed. Yeah. In Toronto, the one night when Cole Wilkinson came into the cast and played the bishop. And just that whole week of working with my. One of my idols, you know, like, I've known come for so many years now, because I used to stage door him and ask him. Ask him for his autograph. And then for the 25th, I remember we were on stage, and I was with Hadley, and I can see calm way at the other end. Of the O2. I'm like, that's calm. And I had to go up to him. I felt like the 12 year old kid again. I said, Mr. Wilkinson, my name is Remy. Goes remain. It's so good to see your career blossom. I was like. He goes, yeah, I've been reading about you in the papers back home. I'm proud of you.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

I was like, oh my gosh.

[Ramin Karimloo]

When we were doing the rehearsal for the finale and all the original cast were coming, I kept going, where's David? Where's the Andres?

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

No one here.

[Ramin Karimloo]

What's going on? And I'm still beside again, that's grand Terre. And they go, okay, Ramin, you come up for Andres for enjoying the originals and sing the Andre a bit. Come stand next to calm. Started elbowing me. I was like, oh my God. Because he knew how great it'd be for me. Yeah. I remember I put my hand on Colm and I was like, one more day before the storm. And I was like, wasn't even choreographed. They were like, don't touch comb. I'm like, I don't care, I'm touching. And I remember when he hit that one day, the vibrations coming off his back as he hit those notes. I was like, whoa, he still got it. Oh, yeah.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Oh, yeah. One of the greatest male musical theater voices of all time. Yeah.

[Ramin Karimloo]

And then we, you know, like we had a. Every time he came to New York, I wish I still had the voice messages. And he'd be like, ramin, it's calm. I'm in New York. Do you want a jam open flat? Picked up a guitar. I remember Love Never Dies. I was getting my makeup off and stage door goes, kyle Milkinson wants to come up. I was like, yeah, send him up. I went, susie, watch this. I just opened the guitar and left it out. Just over in the corner, making known. I said, watch this. Like a moth to a flame, he comes in, Ramin, I just, is that a guitar? And he went over there. 45 minutes later, I just had a 45 minute concert with Colm in my room.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Amazing.

[Ramin Karimloo]

It was like, watch this. Just leave it out. Don't say nothing. Literally right to the guitar starts playing. Yeah. And then Les Mis on Broadway. What an extraordinary experience that was for my Broadway debut. You know, I, I, when it comes to awards and stuff, I'd never know what to make of them. But it was cool to be, to be nominated and to be part of that craziness. But just to do that with such amazing artists throughout those 18 months. What a Great time. Like, what a fortunate story to tell because there's so many. I'm trying to. Which story do I want to tell because there's so many.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

No, you've had, you've had a lot of history with the show.

[Ramin Karimloo]

Yeah, yeah. And again, it's, I remember it's not even a role I ever envisioned doing or wanted to do. I kept turning it down. I'm like, I'm not playing balls, John Balls. I don't want to do that.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

And then you became, I think, one of certainly the most compelling ones because you brought so many different qualities to it. You brought a different vocal quality to it. And then, I mean, the audience response spoke for itself. You were fantastic in that role.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I appreciate that. And one of them, I really, I remember I was like, I don't know where to start with this character. So I got. Because I'm. Although this year I've been better at reading, hitting a new milestone with my, the amount of novels I've read this year, I can't for my birthday. So I'm like, oh, I can keep track of it all, but I am slow reader. So I got Les Mis on audiobook and I would listen to it, which was so helpful because then I can create images or images would be created, so I would make notes even if they didn't make sense. And then that helped me see something that I would have never got if had I read it myself. And then I went through every lyric and the whole script or score of lameness with my pastor and we connected everything. And I was like, wow, these parallels, I totally understand. And then also the physical transformation I went through for it because of something I heard in the book that was, I owe a lot to my pastor for that because he really helped me find my conduit and solidify that.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah, yeah. Are there any other roles that you've played that have taken you by surprise where you weren't necessarily sure what your version of that character was going to be and then something emerged or shifted and kind of revealed itself to you during the process?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Yeah, again, Lonesome Rose. You know, I never, you know, nowadays people want to talk about it. I was like, I, I, I just want to be a hard working actor. I just happen to be born in Iran and I'm very proud of that. But I'm an actor. But at the same time, back of my head, I was like, you know, running. Playing an Arkansas cowboy. This is good. Let's see what we can find here. You know, you find what was it so out of fear of doing that out of Pirate King nowadays. I was like, I don't know what I'll do with it. But I knew I wanted to be part of it. And physically, again, what that asked of me, I remember thinking, I don't think I can last these six months, but I'll give it a go. And then again, the fact that there was so much joy and playfulness. You are not your body, you're your spirit. And I think I found a lot of that with just the way the whole experience of Pirates was the way it was run from top down. There was never a bad day. And I. I can't explain it. It was, again, a great cast. David Jenks. We all had a great time together and it was so much fun. And right up to the final time, like seeing David High Pierce corpse, that's something I did. And at first I got nervous, but then there was a sense of pride, too. I was like, because he's so funny and so stoic, like, yes. I didn't try to get him, but something got him. How amazing. It was such a good experience. Yeah. I'm not good at explaining this because everything is. I go into it not thinking necessarily I can do it. It's. See what happens. And now more than ever, like Rome. And I'm not just trying to bring it back to that. I'm just saying roles like that. There is, I want to say, a fear of failure, but I'm not worried about that. You either win or learn, but it's that thing of, like, I don't know how I'm going to pull this off. So let's do it. And there's so many roles now that I. When I talk to the team, I'm like, yeah, let's go for that. Because that's that. I don't know how I'm gonna do it. Even. Like, the idea if I was to ever play Phantom again, I don't know what I would do with that.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Have you had any interest in going to see Masquerade off Broadway? As someone who spent a lot of time in the Phantom Mask?

[Ramin Karimloo]

Look, I don't think it's. For me, it's great. So may it long continue as a fan of the brand of Phantom. Awesome. But yeah, the next time I see Phantom or. Or whatever, I. I want to go, I want Hal's version, the original version. Sure, sure. You know that.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

I understand. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I'm enough removed from that to start remembering my own fanhood fandom about it, where I can experience the music like When I was just in China, and we hear. When I was doing Music of the Night, it felt fresh again. And you hear the swells of that orchestration. I'm like, yeah, this is a great show. And it's a great orchestration and beautiful music, and it swells. And they're like, there is nothing like it. Yeah. So I just want to stay in that memory of it now. Yeah.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Taking us back to Rome, then. What are you most excited about in terms of putting this in front of an audience? And what is your greatest aspiration for what audiences are going to take away from this show and this story?

[Ramin Karimloo]

I want them to. Well, I never say I want them to. I want them to take what they. They see from. So what I want us to represent is this universal story, this story of, like, everyone's trying to search for a way to shine their light in darkness. And that's something that I've been thinking about recently, where I've changed my mindset for my own personal life, where when we come up against trials and tribulations, I take that as like a compliment, a privilege that for me, God, but like, for anyone can decide what they think of that. But it's. I'm trusted to go through this, not, oh, woe is me. It's like, oh, I get to go through this to grow and figure out what's on the other side for me and for whatever the product is. And I think we need more of that now more than ever. And this show is about finding your light and also shining light in a darkness. And again, on the heavy side, there's a lot of communities, people, individuals, groups that are marginalized, are being suppressed, are having their. Seemingly their voices shut down. And again, in this world we live in where it's about dividing us and keeping us emotionally divided, because at the end, the reason a lot of people act like this, I do think, because we're all good humans at heart and we think we all. I. I'd like to think 95 of us, nobody wants anyone harmed. Nobody wants to have more than you. Just they. They have a belief.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah.

[Ramin Karimloo]

And I like to think, okay.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

But how.

[Ramin Karimloo]

How can we at least still be good to each other? How can we both have a voice in this situation? How can we both be seen and heard and celebrated? And again, I think we have to get back to world where are celebrate. Our differences are celebrated and not feared and not. My. My is bigger than yours. Mine's better than yours. Mine should be. It should be this way. It's like, come on, now, like, again, I'm digressing. Now, let's go back to this being a lot of fun. There's a lot of energy in this. There's great music. And that's what I truly love about this, is putting all that together. Something that stems from something quite dark and heavy that can lead to light, that can lead to unity rather than division, love, you know, family, community. And so there's a lot to be taken away from this.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you've given us an awful lot to look forward to for next month. I can't wait to come and see it and hear your fantastic voice back in the West End. And I'm sure plenty of audience members will be very excited when this all gets announced. Currently, it's still under embargo, but in the next few days, people are going to find out all about Rome and this exciting concert.

[Ramin Karimloo]

Yeah, I can't wait. And it's again, we. Especially in London, well, England, when we say concert, we know it's not just stand and delivered. Oh, yeah. Sort of concert production. You know, I remember that with Adam's family. Oh, that's another one. See, I forgot these. My brain. I can't remember anything. Is why.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

You've done an awful lot. You have every excuse to forget half the stuff you've done.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I get scrambled in interviews. Especially now with, with Rome. Like I said, we're. The puzzle pieces are on the table and I got put them together. But Hannah's family was one I thought, no way. That one I thought I was gonna stink at or not know how to connect to it. And that was great. But the point of why I'm bringing that up is concert. No, it was Adam's family. I did the four and a half minute tango. You did put it on. I'm like, what? Yeah, that was great. That was fun too.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

Yeah. Well, you and a dynamite cast are heading back to the West End next month in Rome. There will be a link to get tickets somewhere in the description of this video. But thank you so much for taking the time to tell me and everyone else about it. Thanks for talking to me.

[Ramin Karimloo]

I appreciate you. Thank you so much.

[Interviewer / Mickey Jo Theatre]

For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh, my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day.

[Ramin Karimloo]

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[Ramin Karimloo]

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