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Too soon, a musical theater star passes away. Australian-born Ben Lewis, who played the title role in the 2017–2018 West End production of Phantom of the Opera, passed away following a fight with colon cancer, according to his friend Todd Woodbridge. His age was forty-six.
Todd posted on Instagram on October 6th, saying, "Today we lost Ben Lewis, one of my family's [sic] dearest friends, way too young, and the Australian Musical Theatre family additionally lost one of the greats!"
Todd expressed his condolences to Ben's family and continued, saying, "More importantly, he was one of the great humans, funny, caring, and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he worked with. countless happy memories of spending time together on vacation in Scotland, going to the dressing rooms of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, and times spent at Wimbledon.”
According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, Ben, who also starred in Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies (2012), discovered in February 2024 that he had bowel cancer that had spread to his liver and lymph nodes, even though he had no symptoms. Following several operations and chemotherapy, the actor found that his cancer was "incurable" and that tumors had spread to his pelvis and lungs.
According to the fundraiser, Ben "dedicated himself completely to her rehabilitation, despite his own declining health," while battling cancer. He also cared for his wife, Melle Stewart, who had a stroke in 2021.
“Melle and I have been completely and utterly overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from so many people,” Ben wrote in a July update shared to the GoFundMe page. “The sheer strength and determination that my incredible wife has shown throughout this period has taught me the importance of putting one foot in front of the other, staying as present as you possibly can, and being grateful for all the amazing family and friends that we have in our lives.”
He added, “To our families, in whatever part of the world you are, you are our guiding lights, our peace, and our joy. Thank you for everything you do for us. We couldn't do any of it without you all!”
