Iranian-Canadian musical theater actor Ramin Karimloo is best known for his work in London's West End, performing in some of its most enduring productions, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, as well as debuting the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera sequel, Love Never Dies. Karimloo's career began in his hometown of Toronto, where he sang in rock bands, including a Tragically Hip cover outfit. He soon transitioned to the musical stage, performing in Lost in Yonkers and Columbia House at the Annex Theatre. After a stint with cruise-based theater companies, Karimloo relocated to the U.K., where in 2000 he played the title role of Aladdin in a pantomime production staged by the Chatham Theatre. Over the next two years he joined the U.K. tours of The Pirates of Penzance and Sunset Boulevard, respectively, and made his West End debut soon after, playing Feuilly in Les Misérables and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. Karimloo returned to the national tour circuit in 2005 for Miss Saigon but two years later returned to Phantom, this time taking on the title role, which he continued until fall 2009. The following year he joined the original cast of Love Never Dies, where he reprised his role as the Phantom until the show closed in summer 2011, making time in fall 2010 to play Enjolras in the 25th anniversary concert of Les Misérables. He also performed on the Love Never Dies cast recording, which was released in early 2010 and landed on the Billboard 200 and Cast Album charts. By fall 2011 Karimloo rejoined the Les Misérables cast once more, stepping into the shoes of lead role Jean Valjean. Outside of the musical theater realm, Karimloo offered the solo recording Within the Six Square Inch for the Dress Circle label, with sophomore album Ramin arriving in February 2012 on Sony. ~ Chrysta Cherrie