Nearly a decade ago, Julia Rose Udine, of Voorhees, was chosen as one of several local children to perform in "Evita" when the national tour made a stop at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

Today, she's gearing up to perform on that very stage again, this time as the star of the show. At just 20 years old, Udine snagged the coveted role of Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera."

“Christine has been a role I’ve wanted to do in a long time,” Udine said.

This is the first national tour for the South Jersey native who starred in a regional production of “West Side Story” as Maria and appeared on TV in episodes of “Law and Order SVU” and “All My Children.”

And this new touring production of “Phantom” — coming to the Academy of Music on March 19 — features updated staging and stunning new scenic designs and choreography, Udine said.

“We approach the characters in a new way ... we make the lyrics and story the most important thing,” she said. “You get to see the characters going through a lot of difficult things.”

A 2011 graduate of Eastern High School, Udine went to Penn State for a semester, but decided that moving to New York City was the best move for her career. While there, she continued her studies, taking acting and dance classes all while appearing in an “off-off Broadway show.”

She began auditioning in the city and eventually she heard about the new national tour of “Phantom.” Thrilled after her first callback — there were about seven or eight in all, “it was a long audition process” — she finally got the call she was cast as Christine while driving to the shore with her mom.

If you go

The Phantom of the Opera

Academy of Music



When: March 19 through April 12.Where: Academy of Music, Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia.Tickets: Start at $30.50. Visit kimmelcenter.org/broadway or call 215-731-3333.

“I was ecstatic. We were on our way to Margate,” she said.

Based on the classic novel, “Le Fantome de L’Opéra,” by Gaston Leroux, “The Phantom of the Opera” tells the story of a masked figure who hides beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with young soprano Christine.

Taking on the role of Christine was a perfect fit for Udine who, like her character, both sings and dances. Growing up, she took dance at the South Jersey Ballet School in West Berlin and took voice lessons in Cherry Hill.

“It was nice to bring all of my training together for this role,” she said.

During her stop in Philadelphia, her family, who still lives in Voorhees, will definitely be in the audience cheering her on, as well as many of her friends.

“Everyone’s so excited,” she said.

“The Phantom of the Opera” has been extremely popular show since its opening in 1986. This new, revamped production by Cameron Mackintosh of “Les Miserables” fame, is the first tour of the musical in three years. And Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh have both praised this new show saying “audiences will fall in love” with it all over again.

Udine, who called this production “fresh,” said that if you’ve never seen the show before, that could be a good thing.

But if you have, it’s definitely worth seeing again.

“I think it’s a gorgeous production.”

And Udine, who has an open mind when it comes to performing — she’d love to do more television and films as well — said being in a live show is a special experience.

“Musicals are definitely my main focus,” she said.

And she had this advice for young people looking to break into the entertainment business.

“Never give up and never stop training,” she said. “Keep cultivating your talents and be yourself, be humble.”

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Contact Features Editor Kristie Rearick at 856-686-3638 or krearick@southjerseymedia.com