Teri Bibb, Karen Culliver and Mary D’Arcy have something in common: Each has taken the Broadway stage to play the lead female role of Christine in the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Culliver, who spoke on the phone from her home in Los Angeles, said she actually did not ever see “Phantom” until she was close to getting the part.
“I was a struggling actress in New York,” she said. “Those tickets were too expensive.”
She describes the role as a “huge highlight” in both her career and life.
To tell the story of how the three came together to form their performing trio, The Phantom’s Leading Ladies, would be long and convoluted, Culliver said, but at least part came from the desire to be their own bosses.
“We thought that together we could put together a really nice concert, and people really loved the idea,” she said.
IF YOU GO* What: Phantom’s Leading Ladies.* When: 8 p.m. Saturday.* Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.* Admission: $19-$78.* Phone: 267-8583.* Website: www.chattanoogasymphony.org.
Bibb, Culliver and D’Arcy will join the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera this Saturday for a one-night-only performance.
They do perform an arrangement of numbers from “Phantom,” but the show also includes songs from various Broadway classics, including “A Little Night Music,” “West Side Story” and “Wicked.” They also do a section of songs typically performed by men, including a medley from “Jersey Boys” and a Beatles song or two.
Culliver said they average 12 concerts a year. This will be their first time in Chattanooga.
In their time away from the trio, each of the women performs in other shows, has a family and helps run the business side of the effort.
“It feels like we’re doing it all the time,” she said. “There’s always something we’re doing for our little company.”
Despite the association with “Phantom,” Culliver said she doesn’t feel like she’s a “Christine.” And despite the hard work, she doesn’t see an end in sight.
“I don’t know when we’ll get tired of doing this. We have so much fun and we call the shots. And people love the music. We only sing stuff that we love to sing. As long as we’re having fun, we’ll just keep going.”
Contact Holly Leber at hleber@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6391. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/hollyleber.