Yahoo Movies Quentin Oliver Lee, Broadway Performer and Star of ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ Dies of Cancer at 34
Quentin Oliver Lee, an actor known for stage roles such as “The Phantom of the Opera,” has died following a battle with Stage 4 colon cancer, his wife Angie Lee Graham announced Thursday. He was 34.
In an Instagram post featuring photos of herself, Lee and their young daughter Samantha, Graham described his passing as “the most beautiful moment of my life.”
“I saw his last breaths, held his hand tight, and felt his heartbeat slowly drift away. He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves,” she wrote. “It was peaceful, and perfect.”
Graham called him “an incredible man, husband, father, son, brother, friend, singer, actor, and disciple of Christ with great faith in his Father in Heaven.”
“To say “he will be dearly missed” doesn’t reflect the scope of the people and communities he has created and touched,” her post continued. “If we let him, he made us better people.”
Born Jan. 28, 1988, Lee graced the stage in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Most recently, he appeared in the Tony-nominated revival of “Caroline, or Change,” which opened last October. That same year, he was featured in the off-Broadway show “Oratorio for Living Things.”
Beginning in 2017, he starred in a national tour of “Phantom of the Opera” and was an understudy in the Broadway musical “Prince of Broadway.”
“The Phantom family is saddened to hear of the passing of Quentin Oliver Lee,” wrote the show’s official Instagram account. “Quentin brilliantly lead our North American tour in 2018. Our hearts are with Quentin’s family and friends.”
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Fans flooded the comments with tributes of their own. “His performance literally changed my life,” one user said.
His regional and national credits include “The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess” (which won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in 2021), “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Festival of the Lion King.” The Northern Arizona University grad also performed a number of opera and concert solos.
Among other accolades, Lee was a Western Regional Finalist in both the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the National Association of Teachers of Singers Artist Awards.
Lee was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2021. A group of Broadway performers held two benefit concerts on Oct. 10 to help fund his medical treatments. His family has set up a GoFundMe page, which at press time has raised $50,600.
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