'Phantom of the Opera' Stars Help Louisville Students 'Play the Lead' in Life

    LOUISVILLE, KY, September 03, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer, who starred in "The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway, will visit Louisville Sept. 7-8 to teach and perform with students from Sacred Heart Academy.

The pair will perform with students Joseph had previously met only on Zoom on Sept. 7 in a private event at The Brown Theatre, and teach a master class Sept. 8 at the school. Both events are sponsored by Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Joseph wrote her book, "Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons From 10 Years on Broadway," based upon her decade-long experience playing Christine Daaé, female lead in "The Phantom of the Opera." Bohmer played The Phantom. The two married and continue to perform together, including during their special visit to Louisville.

During COVID, Sacred Heart Academy teachers Lauren Hitron and Jill Schurman decided to have their performing arts students use Joseph's book as a lesson plan because the students couldn't perform and sing together at the time. Hitron is Director of Sacred Heart Schools' Jean Frazier Leadership Institute; Schurman teaches choir.

"I was so moved and excited about this that I reached out to the teachers and I did a Zoom call with the girls," Joseph said.

After studying the book and implementing the tools within it, students reported feeling less alone and more confident. They realized that everyone struggles with self-doubt and learned ways to overcome negative thoughts, perfectionism, and limiting beliefs. One teen girl said, "It helped me realize I don't have to be perfect to be good enough."

"I wrote the book with adults in mind, to share the best of what I've learned about overcoming fear and living an authentic life of meaning and purpose," Joseph said. "It took these two amazing teachers to show me how relevant the book was for teens. Lauren Hitron and Jill Schurman helped me recognize that my book lays out a step-by-step lesson plan that can help young people prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow — and the 'Play the Lead Project' was born."

The results of the program were so impactful that Sacred Heart has continued it into the new school year and hopes other schools will follow suit. When the opportunity arose for Joseph and Bohmer to visit in person, they jumped at the chance.

"It is a way to give back to the community, and for us to hopefully make an impact in the lives of teens, young people," she says. "I feel like if I had some of the tools that I share in my book when I was that age, it would have saved me years and years of suffering."

Sacred Heart students will sing with the couple at the end of their Brown Theatre performance. Raymond James is hosting the private, invitation-only event to thank its clients. The next day, Joseph and Bohmer will teach a master class at the school. They hope this will be the start of an ongoing collaboration with Raymond James to provide learning and performance opportunities for students at other schools.

"Lauren Hitron discovered my book when she attended a previous event I did with Tom Hirsch (Louisville Complex Manager and Senior Vice President, Investments) at Raymond James," Joseph says. "So it's full circle to be doing this event with Raymond James and Sacred Heart."

About Sandra Joseph:
Sandra Joseph is a history-making Broadway star turned inspirational keynote speaker and author of "Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway." Her legendary run as Christine Daaé in "The Phantom of the Opera" spanned 10 years, more than 1,300 performances, and earned her the record as the longest-running leading lady in the longest-running Broadway show of all time. Today, Sandra is on a mission to empower other people's voices through her work as an author, speaker, and workshop facilitator. She is married to her "Phantom" costar Ron Bohmer. They currently reside in Southern California. For more information, visit SandraJoseph.com.

About Ron Bohmer:
Ron Bohmer most recently starred as the Prophet Joseph Smith in the mega-hit "The Book of Mormon." On stage, he has starred as the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera," Joe Gillis in "Sunset Boulevard" (Jefferson Award nomination), Alex in "Aspects of Love" (LA Robby award), Enjolras in "Les Misérables," Coach Bolton in the cultural phenomenon "Disney's High School Musical," Sir Percival Glyde in "The Woman in White," and as the title role in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (National Broadway Theatre Award nomination). His most recent Broadway roles include Father in the Tony-nominated revival of "Ragtime" and Frid in the Tony-nominated revival of "A Little Night Music" with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. For more information, visit RonBohmer.com.

Joseph and Bohmer are available for interviews along with Hirsch, Hitron, and Schurman. For interview requests, contact International Publicist Michelle Tennant Nicholson: [email protected] or 828-749-3200.

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