STAGE

A Raoul to the Rescue: Steve Barton, who created the role of Raoul in the Broadway and London productions of “The Phantom of the Opera,” will be playing the part at the Ahmanson Theatre here for a brief time starting Sept. 6. He will be taking over for Michael Piontek, who injured his knee and is expected to require six weeks to recover from surgery. In addition to being the original Raoul, Barton later played the role of the Phantom on Broadway. He has worked extensively in Europe, performing lead roles in such shows as “Cats” and “Evita.”