Stage spirit Hancock native making a name on Broadway in several roles – including the lead – in ‘Phantom of the Opera’

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Last year, Jason Mills, a Hancock native, spent the year performing in the North American tour of “The Phantom of the Opera,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 megahit musical about a fiend and his obsession with a singer at the Paris Opera House. In January, Mills, a Sumner High School grad, made his Broadway debut in the New York City production, the longest running show on Broadway. Most nights, Mills, 29, plays several characters and understudies more than a dozen, including the legendary madman himself: the Phantom.

I saw Mills as the masked man a couple of weeks ago at The Majestic Theatre. The place was packed, and the audience was pumped. At intermission, a girl in the row in front of me text-messaged her boyfriend: “Phantom is amazing. How’s dinner?” She was right: Mills was amazing. After more than 7,000 performances on Broadway, the show easily could have been tired. It wasn’t. And Mills could have overdone the melodramatic role. He didn’t.

A few days later, I found Mills chowing down a majorly large hamburger between matinee and evening performances of his usual chorus roles. He was reading a book on biology, his major at Harvard and a subject he tutors for part-time work.

Of all the roles Mills plays in the show, the Phantom is the most exciting, he said, especially the recent night legendary director and producer Harold Prince was in the audience. Mills talked about his own first time on stage – he was 7 and the show was “Iolanthe” by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Hancock County in Ellsworth. He also spoke about the influence of a Maine upbringing on his adult life and about his childhood friend Chandler Williams, who was also performing that night on Broadway. (Williams’ show “Translations” closed March 11 after a successful run and good reviews.) Below are excerpts from my conversation with Mills.

Why did you go into acting?

I always considered acting to be a hobby, not something I’d actually end up doing. I wanted to be a doctor. But I spoke to my friends who were in medical school and got disillusioned.

How did your experiences with the G&S Society shape you?

You’re steeped in this group of people who love to make art together. You’re a family. I grew up with these people who were there helping me develop myself. It was a huge formative experience.

How important are your Maine roots to your work?

I’m not a religious person but I do feel the spiritual sense of my life is there. It connects me to what it is to be me. If they had a Broadway theater in Maine, I’d love to live there and be an actor.

What do you think “Phantom” is about?

The power of music and art to touch people in unexpected ways, to bring them together.

Is it your favorite musical?

It certainly wasn’t before I did it. Growing up, “Les Miserables” was my favorite. It was my first Broadway musical, and it has great roles that I wanted to do.

Which do you like playing best?

Phantom. You go out at the end and people are screaming. It’s thrilling.

The night I saw the show, the audience was cheering even before anyone was onstage.

People are very excited about this show. On tour, fans told me they had seen it 27 times. I think the show is great, but I wouldn’t see it 27 times.

How long does it take you to get into the Phantom makeup?

Almost an hour. On the road, they were faster. It took 45 minutes.

How do you create the Phantom’s pain onstage?

It’s not really the same, but I had a bad lisp when I was a kid. The social hurt from that is something I draw on.

How many times have you performed in “Phantom”?

About 500. That’s a lot of times to listen to “Phantom of the Opera.”

Were you nervous the night Hal Prince came to the show?

I was a little nervous. He has won 21 Tony Awards. He’s a pretty important person.

What do you do in your spare time?

Sunday is my only day off. I do a lot of tutoring. I go to plays and movies. I hang out with my girlfriend. I don’t live a crazy glamorous life.

How do you get the “Phantom” music out of your head at the end of the day?

You can’t. It’s not possible. I try not to think about it when I’m away from the theater. It can definitely drive you crazy. But there are worse things to have stuck in your head.

What is the next step for you?

I would really like to be originating a Broadway role. That’s the ultimate goal.

If Mainers go to New York City, what would you like them to know?

A lot of people think New York is a big, scary place. The people here have good hearts, just like in Maine.

What would you tell readers about following their dreams?

If two kids from Maine can make their Broadway debut within a week of each other, then anybody can do whatever they want.