Yeah, it's priceless LOL. The story goes that Andrew Lloyd Webber offered him the part, with the understanding that it would be a "leading role" for Crawford. But... as rehearsals went on, Maria Friedman (the other lead, and the co-producer's sister) was being re-written into a larger character, reducing Crawford's part. Crawford's part was removed from the top of the billing and place next to (or below) Maria Friedman which infuriated him. He got into huge arguments with Friedman in rehearsals (he's famous for having these arguments... According to the Phantom 20th anniversary documentary, stage-hands could hear him exploding from the back of the theatre) and although he performed the part for some time, he mysteriously vanished from the show (he claims it was illness) and never repeated the part on Broadway.
I like his story about the "fat-suit" making him ill
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