Fordham Grad Scores the Lead in Phantom

Since the remodeling of the bookstore last year, students have had the opportunity to gaze at the faces of Fordham "success stories" while they wait in line to purchase their books. Among the featured names are Denzel Washington, Alan Alda and William Casey, but missing from the wall of fame is John Cudia. A 1992 graduate from the Lincoln Center campus, Cudia recently spent 10 weeks performing as the Phantom in the longest running show on Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera. Prior to this opportunity, Cudia toured with Broadway's National Touring Company, performing as the Phantom and also as Raoul, another lead character in the show. In addition to his roles in Phantom, he has played a variety of roles in touring productions of Les Miserables. He is the only actor to have played the lead role in both legendary shows on Broadway.

Cudia grew up in Toms River, NJ and was able to secure a role in Les Miserables on Broadway only a year and a half after his graduation from Fordham. He is also happily married to actress Kathy Voytko, whom he met on the set of Phantom. Fans leave comments under Cudia's behind-the-scenes clips of Phantom videos on YouTube, hailing him as an "incredible actor" and "the best Phantom!" After having the privilege of speaking with Cudia about his experiences, it is clear that because of his dedication and hard work, the praise is well deserved.

It is easy to understand why Cudia is meant for the stage. The energy and enthusiasm in his voice when he speaks about his work mirror his genuine passion for performance. Cudia recounted that his love of music and performance started at an early age while growing up in New Jersey. He notes, however, that it was not until he was 18 or 19 years old that he considered performance as a career. After realizing that acting was his calling, he decided that he needed formal training and moved to New York to attend Fordham. Cudia credits his theater and voice teachers at Fordham as being an inspiration to him.

"I loved the teachers who didn't necessarily tell you what to do, but taught me how to ask the right questions," he said.

He also spoke about how he thinks he was able to get where he is today despite the harships that come with breaking into the business.

"There is really not a tremendous mystery around it., Cudia said. "It is literally just applying your energy and being committed to it, and in a way almost not giving yourself the choice not to be successful."

This theory has certainly worked for him thus far, although he is still amazed at the opportunities he has had.

The technical aspects of a show on Broadway compared to a touring show are very similar. Great efforts are taken to uphold the quality of production while on the road because the goal is to bring the audience the same show that they would see on Broadway. According to Cudia, the biggest difference between performing on tour and on Broadway is the audience. He says that Broadway caters to a largely tourist-based audience, whereas touring companies see fans who have long awaited the arrival of their favorite show.

Thinking back to his favorite times at Fordham, Cudia recalled the 150th anniversary of the University. In celebration of the event, the two campuses joined together in a production of West Side Story. Auditions were open to students at both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill, and the cast and crew ultimately performed their joint project on both campuses.

"It was a privilege to take part in the production because of the rarity of the collaboration," he said.

Cudia was enthusiastic about the resources that were made available to him as a student at Fordham.

"Utilize all of the assets that you have right at your disposal at school," he said. "That was what I loved about the Fordham program. There was so much to be involved in if you chose to. Get involved as much as you can."

Cudia is set to perform as the Phantom with the National Touring Company primarily on the west coast this fall.