9 9 0 s . ▁Later , ▁the ▁non - Equ ity ▁tour ▁started ▁its ▁run . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁Canadian ▁tour ▁( o ften ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" Coll ins ▁Tour "). ▁ ▁The ▁Angel ▁tour ▁began ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁in ▁Boston . ▁Anthony ▁R app ▁joined ▁the ▁cast ▁for ▁the ▁Chicago ▁run , ▁and ▁D aph ne ▁Rub in - V ega ▁joined ▁for ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁run . ▁The ▁tour ▁finished ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Other ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Angel ▁cast ▁included ▁Car rie ▁Hamilton , ▁Amy ▁Sp anger , ▁Luther ▁Creek , ▁Krist of fer ▁C us ick , ▁and ▁Tony ▁Vincent . ▁ ▁The ▁Ben ny ▁Tour ▁began ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁in ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California , ▁at ▁the ▁La J ol la ▁Play house . ▁Michael ▁Gr ief , ▁the ▁original ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Broadway ▁show ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁art istic ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁La J ol la ▁Play house ▁and ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁arr anging ▁for ▁the ▁Ben ny ▁tour ▁to ▁begin ▁in ▁the ▁smaller ▁city ▁of ▁San ▁Diego ▁rather ▁than ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California . ▁It ▁originally ▁featured ▁Neil ▁Patrick ▁Harris ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Mark ▁C ohen . ▁The ▁Ben ny ▁tour ▁generally ▁played ▁shorter ▁stops ▁and ▁often - small er ▁mark ets ▁than ▁the ▁Angel ▁Tour ▁did . ▁Other ▁cast ▁members ▁included ▁Wilson ▁Cruz ▁and ▁d ' Mon roe . ▁ ▁T ours ▁ran ▁each