Les Misérables colloquially known as
Les Mis or
Les Miz l, is a
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
by
Claude-Michel SchönbergClaude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
, based on the
novel of the same nameLes Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
by
Victor HugoVictor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
.
The music was composed by Schönberg, and the lyrics were written by
Alain BoublilAlain Boublil is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End...
and Jean-Marc Natel, with an English-language libretto by
Herbert KretzmerHerbert Kretzmer OBE is a South African-born English journalist and lyric writer. He is perhaps best known as the lyricist for the English-language musical adaptation of Les Misérables.-Journalist:...
. Set in early
19th-century FranceThe History of France from 1789 to 1914 extends from the French Revolution to World War I and includes:*French Revolution *French First Republic *First French Empire under Napoleon...
, the plot follows the stories of many characters as they struggle for redemption and revolution. An ensemble that includes prostitutes, student revolutionaries, factory workers, and others joins the lead characters.
The musical opened at the
Barbican CentreThe Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
in London, England on 8 October 1985. It is the longest-running musical in the world, the second longest-running West End show after
The MousetrapThe Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
and the third longest-running show in Broadway history. In January 2010, it played its ten-thousandth performance in London, at
Queen's TheatreThe Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
in London's
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. On 3 October 2010, the show celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in the same city. The original show was running in London's West End; the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary touring production was running at the original home of the show, London's Barbican Centre; and the third version, the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary concert at London's
O2 ArenaThe O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
.
The
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning score features the song "
I Dreamed a Dream"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
", sung as a solo by the character
FantineFantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
during the first act. Numerous artists have covered this song, including
Elaine PaigeElaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
,
Neil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
,
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
,
David EssexDavid Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
,
Michael CrawfordMichael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, and
Susan BoyleSusan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
.
Background
Originally released as a French-language
concept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, the first musical-stage adaptation of
Les Misérables was presented at a Paris sports arena, the
Palais des SportsPalais de Sports is an indoor sports arena, located at 1, place de la Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France. The closest métro station is Porte de Versailles....
, in 1980. However, the first production closed after three months when the booking contract expired.
In 1982, about six months after producer
Cameron MackintoshSir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
had opened
CatsCats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
in London, he received a copy of the French concept album from director Peter Farago. Farago had been impressed by the work and asked Mackintosh to produce an English-language version of the show. Initially reluctant, Mackintosh eventually agreed.
Mackintosh assembled a production team to adapt the French musical for a British audience. After two years in development, the English-language version opened in London on 8 October 1985, at the
Barbican CentreThe Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
. Critical reviews were negative, and literary scholars condemned the project for converting classic
literatureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
into a mere
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Public opinion differed—the box office received record orders. This three-month engagement sold out and reviews improved.
Reception
The Broadway production opened 12 March 1987, and ran until 18 May 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. It is the third longest running Broadway show in history and was the second-longest at the time. A fully re-orchestrated Broadway revival opened on 9 November 2006 at the
Broadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
.
The show was nominated for 12
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s and won eight, including
Best MusicalThis is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
and
Best Original ScoreThe Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics...
. It placed first in a
BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals" in June 2005, receiving more than forty percent of the votes.
It was one of several British musicals on Broadway in the 1980s along with
CatsCats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
,
The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, and
Miss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
.
Emblem
The musical's emblem is a picture of the waif
CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
sweeping the Thénardier's Inn, usually shown cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait with the French national flag superimposed. The picture is based on the illustration by
Émile BayardÉmile-Antoine Bayard was born November 2, 1837, in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne. A student of Léon Cogniet, he is best known by many for his illustration of Cosette from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He died in Cairo in December 1891...
that appeared in the novel's original 1862 edition.
Act I
Sung-throughSung-through refers to a musical or opera with no spoken dialogue, except perhaps for some occasional lines included in some part of a song, but never as stand-alone dialogue...
,
Les Misérables opens in
Bagne prison in ToulonThe Bagne of Toulon was the notorious prison in Toulon, France, made famous as the place of imprisonment of Jean Valjean, the hero of Les Misérables, the novel by Victor Hugo...
, France, in 1815, where the prisoners work at hard labour ("Work Song"). After 19 years of imprisonment (five for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family, and the rest for trying to escape),
Jean ValjeanJean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
—"prisoner 24601"—is released on
paroleParole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
by the policeman
JavertJavert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
. By law, Valjean must display a yellow ticket-of-leave, which condemns him as an outcast ("On Parole"). He then meets the Bishop of
DigneDigne-les-Bains or simply and historically Digne is a commune of France, capital of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department.-History:...
, who offers him food and shelter. Valjean steals silver from the bishop and the police catch him shortly afterwards. The bishop, however, lies to save Valjean and helps him begin a new life ("Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven"). Humbled by the bishop's mercy and kindness, Valjean decides to follow the bishop's advice and breaks his parole. ("Valjean’s Soliloquy" / "What Have I Done?").
Eight years later, Valjean, having assumed a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine, is a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. One of his workers,
FantineFantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
, has a fight when the other workers discover she is sending money to her secret illegitimate child. The girl is living with an innkeeper and his wife ("At the End of the Day"). The Mayor breaks up the conflict, but asks his factory foreman to resolve it. The other women demand Fantine's dismissal, and because she had previously rejected his advances, the foreman agrees and throws Fantine out.
Fantine sings about her broken dreams and about the father of her daughter who abandoned her ("
I Dreamed a Dream"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
"). Desperate for money, she sells her locket and her hair, before becoming a prostitute ("Lovely Ladies"). When she fights back against an abusive customer, Javert, now stationed in Montreuil-sur-Mer, arrests her ("Fantine's Arrest"). "Madeleine" soon arrives, and realising his part in the ruination of Fantine, orders Javert to let her go and takes her to a hospital.
Soon after, the Mayor rescues Fauchelevant, who is pinned by a runaway cart ("The Runaway Cart"), reminding Javert of Jean Valjean (who was abnormally strong), whom he has sought for years for breaking parole. However, Javert assures the mayor that Valjean has been arrested recently and will be in court later in the day. Unwilling to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, Valjean confesses his identity to the court—that he is the prisoner 24601—revealing the convict's brand on his chest as proof ("Who Am I?—The Trial").
Before returning to prison, Valjean visits the dying Fantine and promises to find and look after her daughter Cosette. ("Come to Me" / "Fantine's Death"). When Javert arrives to arrest him, Valjean asks three more days to fetch Cosette, but Javert refuses to believe his honest intentions ("The Confrontation"). Valjean eventually knocks Javert out and escapes.
The next scene occurs in an inn at
MontfermeilMontfermeil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Montfermeil is famous as the location of Thénardier's inn in Les Misérables. It has made the headlines due to troubles in its social estate called "les...
run by the
ThénardiersThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
, where
CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
has been living. The Thénardiers have been abusing the little girl, while indulging their own daughter,
ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
. Cosette dreams of a better life ("Castle on a Cloud") before Madame Thénardier sends her to fetch water in the dark. As the inn fills for the evening, the Thénardiers cheat their customers in various ways ("Master of the House"). Valjean finds Cosette fetching water ("The Bargain") and pays the Thénardiers 1,500 Francs to let him take her away ("The Waltz of Treachery").
Ten years later, Paris is in upheaval because
General LamarqueJean Maximilien Lamarque was a French commander during the Napoleonic Wars who later became a member of French Parliament. As an opponent of the Ancien Régime, he is known for his active suppression of Royalist and Legitimist activity...
, the only man in the government who shows mercy to the poor, is ill and may soon die. The young street urchin
GavrocheGavroche is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.-Gavroche in the novel:Gavroche is the eldest son of M. and Mme Thénardier. He has two sisters, Éponine and Azelma, and two unnamed younger brothers. He is also technically unnamed; the reader is told he chooses the...
mingles with the prostitutes and beggars on the street, while students
Marius PontmercyMarius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
and
EnjolrasEnjolras is the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- The Friends of the ABC :...
discuss the general's imminent demise ("Look Down").
A street gang led by the Thénardiers prepares to ambush Valjean, whom Thénardier recognizes as the man who took Cosette ("The Robbery"). Éponine sees Marius, whom she secretly loves, and warns him to stay away, but Marius accidentally bumps into Cosette and immediately falls in love. Javert thwarts the Thénardiers' attempt to rob Valjean and Cosette, not recognising Valjean until after he escapes ("Javert's Intervention"). Javert gazes at the night sky, comparing his hunt of Valjean and justice to the order of the stars ("Stars"). Meanwhile, Marius, although he does not know Cosette's name, persuades a reluctant Éponine to help him find her ("Éponine's Errand").
The scene shifts to a political meeting in a small café where Enjolras leads a group of idealistic students to prepare for a revolution that they believe will materialise after General Lamarque's death, ("The ABC Café—Red and Black"). Marius arrives late and when Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students march into the streets ("Do You Hear the People Sing?").
Cosette is infatuated with Marius, and although Valjean realises that she has grown up, he refuses to tell her about his past or her mother. ("—In My Life"). In spite of her own feelings, Éponine leads Marius to Cosette ("A Heart Full of Love"), and then prevents her father's gang from robbing Valjean's house ("The Attack on "). Valjean, convinced that Javert was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette that they must prepare to flee the country.
On the eve of the
1832 Paris UprisingThe June Rebellion, or the Paris Uprising of 1832, was an unsuccessful, anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian Republicans—largely students—from June 5 to June 6, 1832...
, Valjean prepares to go into exile; Cosette and Marius part in despair; Éponine mourns the loss of Marius; Enjolras encourages all of Paris to join the revolution; Marius decides to join the other students as they prepare for the upcoming conflict; Javert briefs the soldiers under his command while he reveals his plans to spy on the students; and the Thénardiers look forward to robbing the corpses of those who will be killed during the coming battle ("One Day More").
Act II
As the students begin a barricade ("At the Barricade – Upon These Stones"), Javert, disguised as one of the rebels, volunteers to "spy" on the government troops. Marius notices that Éponine has disguised herself as a boy and has joined the revolutionaries. He sends her with a letter to Cosette, which will also carry Éponine to safety. Valjean intercepts the letter, promising Éponine he will tell Cosette about the letter. After Éponine leaves, Valjean reads the letter, learning about Marius and Cosette's relationship. While walking the streets of Paris, Éponine laments how her love for Marius will never be reciprocated and decides that despite what he had said to her, she'll rejoin Marius at the barricade ("On My Own").
"At the Barricade" the students defy an army warning them to surrender or die. Javert returns and tells the students that the government will attack ("Javert's Arrival"), but Gavroche exposes him as a spy ("Little People"). Éponine is shot as she returns to the barricades and dies in Marius's arms ("A Little Fall of Rain"). Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius as the first battle erupts, and he saves Enjolras by shooting a sniper ("The First Attack"). As a reward, he asks to be the one to kill Javert, but instead he releases him and even gives him his address. The students settle down for a night ("Drink with Me"), while Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught ("Bring Him Home").
As dawn approaches, Enjolras realises that the people have abandoned them. He sends away women and fathers of children, but resolves to fight on ("Dawn of Anguish"). With
ammunitionAmmunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
running low during the second attack, Gavroche scurries in front of the barricade to collect more cartridges. As he runs back behind the barricade, he is shot three times and dies ("The Second Attack / Death of Gavroche"). Enjolras and the students realise that they will likely die. The army gives a final warning for surrender, but the rebels refuse, and as they continue to fight, all are killed except Valjean and Marius ("The Final Battle").
Carrying a wounded Marius on his back, Valjean escapes through the sewers. Meanwhile, Thénardier is also in the sewers, stealing valuables from bodies, laughing that he is performing a "service to the town" ("Dog Eats Dog"). Thénardier takes a ring off Marius's hand as Valjean is resting, and then escapes when he sees Valjean getting up. When Valjean reaches the sewer's exit, he runs into Javert, who has been waiting for him. Valjean begs Javert to give him one more hour to bring Marius to a doctor, and Javert reluctantly agrees. After Valjean leaves, Javert finds that because Valjean saved his life, he can't bring himself to turn him in. Torn between his own morality and his duty to the law, Javert commits suicide by throwing himself into the
SeineThe Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
("Soliloquy - Javert's Suicide)".
Back on the streets, several women mourn the deaths of the young students ("Turning"). Marius also mourns for his friends ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"). As he wonders who saved him from the barricades, Cosette comforts him, declaring that she will never go away ("Every Day") and they reaffirm their love. Valjean then confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict and tells him that he must go away because his presence endangers Cosette ("Valjean's Confession"). Valjean makes Marius promise never to tell Cosette, and Marius makes only a half-hearted attempt to hold him back.
Marius and Cosette marry ("Wedding Chorale"). The Thénardiers
crashWedding crashing is the act of coming to a wedding without an invitation.-In real life:Some of the most common reasons for crashing a wedding in real life are:...
the reception in disguise as "The Baron and Baroness du Thénard". They tell Marius that Valjean is a murderer, saying that they saw him carrying a corpse in the sewers after the barricades fell. When Thénardier shows him the ring that he took from the corpse, Marius realises that he was the "corpse" and that Valjean saved his life. Marius punches Thénardier, the newlyweds leave, and the Thénardiers enjoy the party and celebrate their survival ("Beggars at the Feast").
Meanwhile, Valjean prepares for his death, having nothing left for which to live. Just as the ghost of Fantine arrives to take him to heaven, Cosette and Marius rush in, in time to bid farewell and for Marius to thank him for saving his life ("Epilogue - Valjean's Death"). Valjean gives Cosette his confession to read, and the souls of Fantine and Éponine guide him to Paradise, where everyone who died at the barricades ask once more: "Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("Finale").
Musical numbers
Act I
| | Song | Performer(s) |
| 01 |
"Prologue: Work Song" |
Chain Gang, Javert, and Valjean |
| 02 |
"Prologue: On Parole" |
Valjean, Farmer, Labourer, Innkeeper's Wife, Innkeeper, and Bishop of Digne |
| 03 |
"Prologue: Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven" |
Policemen and Bishop of Digne |
| 04 |
"Prologue: What Have I Done?" |
Valjean |
| 05 |
"At the End of the Day" |
Poor, Foreman, Workers, Factory Girls, Fantine, and Valjean |
| 06 |
"I Dreamed a Dream "I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
" |
Fantine |
| 07 |
"Lovely Ladies" |
Sailors, Old Woman, Fantine, Crone, Whores, and Pimp |
| 08 |
"Fantine's Arrest" |
Bamatabois, Fantine, Javert, and Valjean |
| 09 |
"'The Runaway Cart" |
Townspeople, Valjean, Fauchelevant, and Javert |
| 10 |
"Who Am I? / The Trial" |
Valjean |
| 11 |
"Fantine's Death: Come to Me" |
Fantine and Valjean |
| 12 |
"The Confrontation" |
Javert and Valjean |
| 13 |
"Castle on a Cloud" |
Young Cosette and Madame Thénardier |
| 14 |
"Master of the House" |
Thénardier, Madame Thénardier, and Customers |
| 15 |
"The Bargain / The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery" |
Thénardier, Valjean, Madame Thénardier, and Young Cosette |
| 16 |
"Look Down" |
Gavroche, Beggars, Old Woman, Prostitute, Pimp, Enjolras, and Marius |
| 17 |
"The Robbery" |
Thénardier, Madame Thénardier, Marius, Éponine, and Valjean |
| 18 |
"Javert's Intervention" |
Javert and Thénardier |
| 19 |
"Stars" |
Javert and Gavroche |
| 20 |
"Éponine's Errand" |
Éponine and Marius |
| 21 |
"ABC Café / Red and Black" |
Students, Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire, and Gavroche |
| 22 |
"Do You Hear the People Sing?" |
Enjolras, Grantaire, Students, and Beggars |
| 23 |
"Rue Plumet – In My Life" |
Cosette, Valjean, Marius, and Éponine |
| 24 |
"A Heart Full of Love" |
Marius, Cosette, and Éponine |
| 25 |
"The Attack on the Rue Plumet" |
Thénardier, Thieves, Éponine, Marius, Valjean, and Cosette |
| 26 |
"One Day More" |
Valjean, Marius, Cosette, Éponine, Enjolras, Javert, Thénardier, Madame Thénardier, Gavroche, and Company |
Act II
| | Song | Performer(s) |
| 27 |
"At the Barricade (Upon These Stones)" |
Enjolras, Javert, Marius, Éponine and Valjean |
| 28 |
"On My Own" |
Éponine |
| 29 |
"Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones)" |
Enjolras, Students, and Army Officer |
| 30 |
"Javert's Arrival" |
Javert and Enjolras |
| 31 |
"Little People" |
Gavroche, Students, Enjolras, and Javert |
| 32 |
"A Little Fall of Rain" |
Éponine and Marius |
| 33 |
"Night of Anguish" |
Enjolras, Marius, Valjean and Students |
| 34 |
"The First Attack" |
Enjolras, Grantaire, Students, Valjean, and Javert |
| 35 |
"Drink with Me" |
Grantaire, Students, Women, and Marius |
| 36 |
"Bring Him Home" |
Valjean |
| 37 |
"Dawn of Anguish" |
Enjolras and Students |
| 38 |
"The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche)" |
Gavroche, Enjolras, Marius, Valjean, Feuilly, and Students |
| 39 |
"The Final Battle" |
Army Officer, Enjolras, Grantaire, and Students |
| 40 |
"Dog Eats Dog (The Sewers)" |
Thénardier |
| 41 |
"Soliloquy (Javert's Suicide)" |
Javert and Valjean |
| 42 |
"Turning" |
Women of Paris |
| 43 |
"Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" |
Marius |
| 44 |
"Every Day" |
Marius, Cosette, and Valjean |
| 45 |
"Valjean's Confession" |
Marius and Valjean |
| 46 |
"Wedding Chorale" |
Guests, Thénardier, Marius, Madame Thénardier, and Cosette |
| 47 |
"Beggars at the Feast" |
Thénardier and Madame Thénardier |
| 48 |
"Valjean's Death" |
Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, and Éponine |
| 49 |
"Do You Hear The People Sing? (Reprise) [Finale]" |
Full Company |
Instrumentation
Les Misérables requires a large orchestra. The full orchestra is about 22 players. The following is the full instrumentation according to
Music Theatre InternationalMusic Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
with doubling in parentheses. Alternate instrumentation is also available.
- Reed 1 (Flute, piccolo)
- Reed 2 (English horn, oboe)
- Reed 3 (Alto sax, clarinet)
- Reed 4 (Bassoon)
- Horn 1
- Horn 2
- Trumpet 1
- Trumpet 2
- Trumpet 3
- Trombone 1
- Trombone 2
- Keyboard 1
- Keyboard 2
- Keyboard 3
- Guitar (Acoustic and electric)
- Bass guitar
- Percussion
- Drums
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
Characters
Listed in the order in which they appear.
| Character |
Voice A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
|
Description |
| Jean Valjean Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
|
dramatic tenor |
Released from imprisonment after serving 19 years (five for stealing a loaf of bread and fourteen for multiple escape attempts). He decides to break his parole and turns his life around, proving that the corrupt can make themselves virtuous once more. He changes his identity, becoming the wealthy mayor of a small town. He later adopts Cosette, the daughter of Fantine. |
Inspector JavertJavert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
|
baritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
or bass-baritoneA bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
|
Respects the law above all else and relentlessly pursues Valjean, hoping to bring the escaped convict to justice. He firmly believes that humans cannot change for the better. |
| The Bishop of Digne Bishop Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, referred to as Bishop Myriel or Monseigneur Bienvenu , is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Myriel is the Bishop of Digne...
|
baritone |
Houses Valjean after his release from jail and gives him gifts of silver and absolution. His acts of kindness inspire Valjean to improve himself and escape the label of "criminal". |
| Fantine Fantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
|
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
or altoAlto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
|
A worker who loses her job and becomes a prostitute in order to pay the Thénardiers for the welfare of her daughter. She soon dies of consumption. |
| Bamatabois |
baritone or tenor |
A young gentleman who tries to buy Fantine's services and is responsible for her arrest. |
| Fauchelevent |
baritone or tenor |
In a role reduced from the novel, Fauchelevent appears only in the Cart Crash scene, where he is trapped under the cart and rescued by Valjean. He is an elderly man who has fallen upon hard times. |
Young CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
|
treble |
The daughter of Fantine, the Thénardiers force eight-year-old Cosette to work. |
| Madame Thénardier The Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
|
contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
|
Thénardier's unscrupulous wife. |
Young ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
|
silent |
Eight-year-old Éponine is the pampered daughter of the Thénardiers. She grows up with Cosette and is unkind to her. |
| Thénardier The Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
|
baritone or tenor |
A second-rate thief, Thénardier runs a small inn. |
GavrocheGavroche is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.-Gavroche in the novel:Gavroche is the eldest son of M. and Mme Thénardier. He has two sisters, Éponine and Azelma, and two unnamed younger brothers. He is also technically unnamed; the reader is told he chooses the...
|
boy soprano A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
|
Gavroche is a streetwise urchin who dies on the barricade helping the revolutionaries. He is actually the abandoned son of the Thénardiers, though this is not mentioned in the play. |
| Enjolras Enjolras is the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- The Friends of the ABC :...
|
baritone or tenor |
Enjolras is the leader of the student revolutionaries and a friend of Marius. |
| Marius Pontmercy Marius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
|
baritone or tenor |
Marius, a student revolutionary, is friends with Éponine, but falls in love with Cosette and is later rescued from the barricades by Valjean, who ultimately gives Marius and Cosette his blessing, allowing them to be married. |
ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
|
mezzo-soprano (can be played by soprano with solid sound) |
Daughter of the Thénardiers, Éponine, now ragged and a waif, secretly loves Marius. She is killed while returning to the barricades to see Marius. |
CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
|
soprano |
Cosette, the daughter of Fantine, has become beautiful under Valjean's adoptive care. She falls in love with Marius, and he returns her love. |
| Brujon |
baritone or tenor |
The brutish and cowardly but dissatisfied member of Thénardier's Gang, Brujon's role in the musical expands to cover Gueulemer. |
| Babet |
baritone or tenor |
A foreboding member of Thénardier's Gang. |
| Claquesous |
baritone or tenor |
Quiet and masked, expert at evading the police, Claquesous might in fact be working for the law. |
| Montparnasse |
baritone or tenor |
A young member of Thénardier's Gang, Montparnasse a handsome man appears to be close to Éponine. |
| Friends of the ABC |
baritone or tenor |
Student revolutionaries who lead a revolution and die in the process, the Friends of the ABC become martyrs for the rights of citizens. (See Members listed below) |
| Combeferre |
baritone or tenor |
Combeferre is the philosopher of the ABC group. |
| Feuilly |
baritone or tenor |
Feuilly is the only member of the Friends of the ABC who is not a student; he is a workingman. An optimist who stands as a sort of ambassador for the "outside," while the rest of the men stand for France. |
| Courfeyrac |
baritone or tenor |
Friendly and open, Courfeyrac introduces Marius to the ABC society in the novel. |
| Joly |
baritone or tenor |
A medical student and a hypochondriac; best friends with Lesgles. |
| Grantaire |
baritone or tenor |
Grantaire is a member of the Friends of the ABC. He is the opposite of Enjolras and believes in nothing other than his worship of Enjolras. |
| Jean Prouvaire |
baritone or tenor |
Prouvaire is the youngest student member of the Friends. |
| Lesgles |
baritone or tenor |
Enjolras' second-in-command. Best friends with Joly. |
Original casts
| Character |
Original French Cast |
Original London Cast |
Original Broadway Cast |
| Jean Valjean |
Maurice Barrier |
Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
|
| Javert |
Jean Vallée Jean Vallée is a Belgian song writer and performer. Vallée was made Knight in the Order of the Crown by HM Albert II in 1999.-Career:...
|
Roger AllamRoger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
|
Terrence MannTerrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
|
| Fantine |
Rose Laurens Rose Laurens is a French singer-songwriter, particularly famous for her 1982 smash single "Africa", number three hit in many European countries...
|
Patti LuPonePatti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
|
Randy Graff Randy Graff is an American actress. Graff has been in feature films such as Keys to Tulsa and Rent as well as being in television shows such as NBC's Law & Order a number of times. In addition to film and television, Graff has been in several Broadway shows...
|
| Éponine |
Marianne Mille |
Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
|
| Thénardier |
Yvan Dautin |
Alun Armstrong Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
|
Leo Burmester Leo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ...
|
| Madame Thénardier |
Marie-France Roussel |
Susan Jane TannerSusan Jane Tanner is an English theatre actress, best known for playing the role of Madame Thénardier in the original London cast of Les Misérables and as Jellylorum in the original London version of Cats and reprising her role in the 1998 video version. She currently resides with her husband in...
|
Jennifer Butt |
| Marius |
Gilles Buhlmann |
Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
|
David Bryant |
| Cosette |
Fabienne Guyon |
Rebecca Caine Rebecca Caine is a Canadian opera and musical theatre performer. She was born in Toronto and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She currently resides in London. She is 50–51 years of age.-Career:...
|
Judy Kuhn -Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
|
| Enjolras |
Christian Ratellin |
David Burt David Burt is a British actor, known primarily for his many and wide-ranging West End performances.Burt recently starred as the flamboyant Count Fosco opposite Yvette Robinson in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White at the Palace Theatre and was featured as Captain Andy Hawks in Show Boat at...
|
Michael Maguire |
Character differences: novel vs. musical versions
Several discrepancies between the 1,400+ page novel and musical exist. The Bishop has a much bigger role in the novel, taking up many pages. He appears in a single scene at the start of the show. The novel also grants more time to describing Valjean's time in Toulon and what it did to his spirit.
Javert's background is well-described in the novel. Javert faced discrimination as a child; his mother was a gypsy prostitute, his father a thief. The only hints to his
back-storyA back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
in the show come during "The Confrontation" where he sings, "I was born inside a jail, I was raised with scum like you, I am from the gutter, too." In the show his lifelong devotion to justice and the law is the means by which he redeems himself in God's eyes.
Monsieur and Madame Thénardier are not the humorous, curmudgeonly husband-and-wife they appear to be in "Master of the House". In the novel, they are portrayed as vile, selfish people. Madame Thénardier is referred to as the "Thénardiess", a term more suitable for a hideous female giant. In both versions, however, the Thénardiers' complete lack of morals is obvious.
In the musical, Éponine, while still ragged, has an approachable look and personality, is more ethical, more romanticized, and has been given a more sympathetic depiction. She has a younger sister named Azelma, who is not in the musical. In the epilogue of the novel, Azelma travels with M. Thénardier to America where he becomes a slave owner/trader. His wife had long since died in prison. In the musical, both Thénardiers survive while their only mentioned daughter, Éponine, (and presumably, their legacy) dies. However, in the French Concept album and the original French musical, Azelma is present.
In the novel, Gavroche is Éponine and Azelma's much ignored younger brother and the Thénardiers' eldest son. Although Gavroche appears in the musical, he speaks about the Thénardiers as if he is not related to them at all and it can be assumed that he lives on the streets, seemingly an orphan. The Thénardiers have two other sons, whom they also abandon. Like Azelma, they are cut from the musical.
In the novel, M. Thénardier was present in the
Battle of WaterlooThe Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, picking gold and bullets off bodies after the battle. One barely conscious man believed Monsieur Thénardier had saved his life. This man was Colonel Georges Pontmercy, Marius' father. Marius always spoke of the great man Thénardier who saved his father's life. All this is omitted from the musical, although Thénardier's scavenging from the corpses at Waterloo still gets a mention.
Marius lived with his grandfather, Monsieur Gillenormand, who has a small role in the French Concept version but was later removed. Monsieur Gillenormand, in the novel, was Marius' grandfather and surrogate father.
The Friends of the ABC were an intellectual society, as in the musical. However, some of the boys had love, admiration, and attraction for each other as well as Socratic feelings for their leader Enjolras, most notably Grantaire. Grantaire only attended their meetings because of Enjolras, and ends up executed alongside his hero when the barricade falls. Bahorel, also a member of the ABC society in the novel, is cut from the musical.
Original French production
French songwriter Alain Boublil had the idea to adapt Victor Hugo's novel into a musical while at a performance of the musical
Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
in London:
As soon as the Artful Dodger came onstage, Gavroche came to mind. It was like a blow to the solar plexus. I started seeing all the characters of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables—Valjean, Javert, Gavroche, Cosette, Marius, and Éponine—in my mind's eye, laughing, crying, and singing onstage.
He pitched the idea to French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, and the two developed a rough synopsis. They worked up an analysis of each character's mental and emotional state, as well as that of an audience. Schönberg then began to write the music, while Alain Boublil began work on the text. According to Alain Boublil, "...I could begin work on the words. This I did—after myself deciding on the subject and title of every song—in collaboration with my friend, poet Jean-Marc Natel." Two years later, a two-hour demo tape with Schönberg accompanying himself on the piano and singing every role was completed. An album of this collaboration was recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley and was released in 1980, selling 260,000 copies.
The concept album includes Maurice Barrier as
Jean ValjeanJean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
, Jacques Mercier as
JavertJavert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
,
Rose LaurensRose Laurens is a French singer-songwriter, particularly famous for her 1982 smash single "Africa", number three hit in many European countries...
as
FantineFantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
, Yvan Dautin as
ThénardierThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
, Marie-France Roussel as
Mme. ThénardierThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
, Richard Dewitte as
MariusMarius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
, Fabienne Guyon as
CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
,
MarieMarie-France Dufour or Marie was a French singer. She made her hit Sun in 1971, but she is probably best known for representing Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973 in Luxembourg by song "Un train qui part". She died of leukemia at the age of 41 in 1990.-External links:*...
as
ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
,
Michel SardouMichel Sardou is a French singer.He was born in Paris, the son of Fernand Sardou and Jackie Rollin . Contrary to claims common towards the beginning of his career, he is not the grandson of the dramatist Victorien Sardou...
as
EnjolrasEnjolras is the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- The Friends of the ABC :...
, Fabrice Bernard as
GavrocheGavroche is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.-Gavroche in the novel:Gavroche is the eldest son of M. and Mme Thénardier. He has two sisters, Éponine and Azelma, and two unnamed younger brothers. He is also technically unnamed; the reader is told he chooses the...
, Maryse Cédolin as Young Cosette,
Claude-Michel SchönbergClaude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
as Courfeyrac,
Salvatore AdamoSalvatore, Knight Adamo, simply known as Adamo is a Belgian – Italian composer and singer of ballads, mainly in French, but also in other languages such as German, Italian and Spanish. He had commercial success during the 1960s and 1970s, mostly in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, but...
as Combeferre, Michel Delpech as Feuilly, Dominique Tirmont as M. Gillenormand, and
MireilleMireille Hartuch was a French singer, composer, and actress. She was generally known by the stage name "Mireille"....
as the hair buyer.
That year, in September 1980, a stage version directed by veteran French film director
Robert HosseinRobert Hossein is a French film actor of Azeri origin, director and writer. He directed the 1982 adaption of Les Misérables, and appeared in Vice and Virtue, Le Casse, Les Uns et les Autres and Venus Beauty Institute...
was produced at the
Palais des SportsPalais de Sports is an indoor sports arena, located at 1, place de la Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France. The closest métro station is Porte de Versailles....
in Paris. The show was a success, with 100 performances seen by over 500,000 people.
Most of the cast from the concept album performed in the production. The cast included Maurice Barrier as Valjean,
Jean ValléeJean Vallée is a Belgian song writer and performer. Vallée was made Knight in the Order of the Crown by HM Albert II in 1999.-Career:...
as Javert,
Rose LaurensRose Laurens is a French singer-songwriter, particularly famous for her 1982 smash single "Africa", number three hit in many European countries...
as Fantine, Maryse Cédolin and Sylvie Camacho and Priscilla Patron as Young Cosette, Marie-France Roussel as Mme. Thénardier, Yvan Dautin as M. Thénardier, Florence Davis and Fabrice Ploquin and Cyrille Dupont as Gavroche, Marianne Mille as Éponine, Gilles Buhlmann as Marius, Christian Ratellin as Enjolras, Fabienne Guyon as Cosette, René-Louis Baron as Combeferre, Dominique Tirmont as M. Gillenormand, and Anne Forrez as Mlle. Gillenormand.
Original London production
The English language version, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and additional material by
James FentonJames Martin Fenton is an English poet, journalist and literary critic. He is a former Oxford Professor of Poetry.-Life and career:...
, was substantially expanded and reworked from a literal translation by Siobhan Bracke of the original Paris version, in particular adding a prologue to tell Jean Valjean's backstory. Kretzmer's work is not a direct "translation" of the French, a term that Kretzmer refused to use. A third of the English lyrics were a "rough" translation, another third were adapted from the French lyrics and the final third consisted of new material.
The first production in English, produced by
Cameron MackintoshSir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
and adapted and directed by
Trevor NunnSir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
and
John CairdJohn Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,...
, opened on 8 October 1985 (five years after the original production) at the Barbican Arts Centre, London. It was billed in the
RSCThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
Barbican Theatre programme as "The Royal Shakespeare Company presentation of the RSC/Cameron Mackintosh production", and played to preview performances beginning on 28 September 1985.
The set was designed by John Napier, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and lighting by
David HerseyDavid Hersey is a lighting designer who has designed the lighting for over 250 plays, musicals, operas, and ballets. His work has been seen in most corners of the globe and his many awards include the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for Evita, Cats, and Les Misérables, the Drama Desk Award for...
. Musical supervision and orchestrations were by
John CameronJohn Cameron is a British composer, arranger, conductor and musician. He is well-known for his many film, TV and stage credits, and for his contributions to 'pop' recordings, notably those by Donovan, Cilla Black and the group Hot Chocolate...
, who had been involved with the show since Claude-Michel and Alain hired him to orchestrate the original French concept album. Musical staging was by Kate Flatt with musical direction by
Martin KochMartin Koch is a British music supervisor, orchestrator, conductor, and composer who won the 2009 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations and was a co-winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for Billy Elliot the Musical, sharing the honor with Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt of...
.
The original London cast included
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
as
Jean ValjeanJean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
,
Roger AllamRoger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
as the persistent
Inspector JavertJavert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
, Ken Caswell as the
Bishop of DigneBishop Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, referred to as Bishop Myriel or Monseigneur Bienvenu , is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Myriel is the Bishop of Digne...
,
Patti LuPonePatti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
as
FantineFantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
, Zoë Hart and Jayne O'Mahony and Joanne Woodcock as
Young CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
, Danielle Akers and Gillian Brander and Juliette Caton as
Young ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
,
Susan Jane TannerSusan Jane Tanner is an English theatre actress, best known for playing the role of Madame Thénardier in the original London cast of Les Misérables and as Jellylorum in the original London version of Cats and reprising her role in the 1998 video version. She currently resides with her husband in...
as
Madame ThénardierThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
,
Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as the villainous but funny rogue
ThénardierThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
,
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
as
ÉponineÉponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
,
Rebecca CaineRebecca Caine is a Canadian opera and musical theatre performer. She was born in Toronto and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She currently resides in London. She is 50–51 years of age.-Career:...
as
CosetteEuphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...
,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
as
MariusMarius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
,
David BurtDavid Burt is a British actor, known primarily for his many and wide-ranging West End performances.Burt recently starred as the flamboyant Count Fosco opposite Yvette Robinson in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White at the Palace Theatre and was featured as Captain Andy Hawks in Show Boat at...
as
EnjolrasEnjolras is the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- The Friends of the ABC :...
, and Ian Tucker and Oliver Spencer and Liza Hayden as
GavrocheGavroche is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.-Gavroche in the novel:Gavroche is the eldest son of M. and Mme Thénardier. He has two sisters, Éponine and Azelma, and two unnamed younger brothers. He is also technically unnamed; the reader is told he chooses the...
.
On 4 December 1985, the show transferred to the
Palace Theatre, LondonThe Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
and moved again on 3 April 2004, at a much more intimate
Queen's TheatreThe Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
, with some revisions of staging, where it is still playing. It celebrated its ten-thousandth performance on 5 January 2010. The drummer from the original cast album, Peter Boita, is still with the show—the only remaining original musician.
The co-production has generated valuable income for the
Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
.
Original Broadway production
The musical had its out-of-town tryout at the Kennedy Center's Opera House in Washington D.C., in December 1986 for eight weeks, through 14 February 1987.
The musical then premiered on Broadway on 12 March 1987 at
The Broadway TheatreThe Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
.
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
and
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
reprised their roles from the London production. The $4.5 million production had a more than $4 million advance sale prior to its New York opening.
The show underwent further tightening and an improved sewer lighting and Javert suicide scene effect was incorporated. Boublil explained: "The transfer from London to the United States has prompted further modifications. 'We are taking this opportunity to rethink and perfect, to rewrite some details which probably no one else will see, but which for us are still long nights of work,' Mr. Boublil says. 'There are things that nobody had time to do in London, and here we have a wonderful opportunity to fix a few things. No one will notice, perhaps, but for us, it will make us so happy if we can better this show. We would like this to be the final version.'" Two songs were deleted—the complete version of Gavroche's song "Little People" and the adult Cosette's "I Saw Him Once". A short section at the beginning of "In My Life" replaced "I Saw Him Once". The lyrics in Javert's "Stars" were changed. It now ended with the line, "This I swear by the stars!", while the London production and cast recording ended with the repeated line, "Keeping watch in the night".
The original Broadway cast included Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, David Bryant as Marius,
Judy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
as Cosette, Michael Maguire as Enjolras,
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
as Éponine, Braden Danner as Gavroche,
Donna VivinoDonna Vivino is a theatre actress and singer, who recently starred as Elphaba on the First National Tour of Wicked, and is currently the standby for the role on Broadway....
as Young Cosette, Jennifer Butt as Madame Thénardier,
Leo BurmesterLeo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ...
as Thénardier,
Randy GraffRandy Graff is an American actress. Graff has been in feature films such as Keys to Tulsa and Rent as well as being in television shows such as NBC's Law & Order a number of times. In addition to film and television, Graff has been in several Broadway shows...
as Fantine,
Terrence MannTerrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
as Javert, Chrissie McDonald as Young Éponine, and Norman Large as the Bishop of Digne.
Other members of the original Broadway cast included: Kevin Marcum, Paul Harman,
Anthony CrivelloAnthony Crivello is an American actor and singer, mostly in musicals on Broadway. He has written several scripts and more than twenty songs.-Personal life:...
, John Dewar, Joseph Kolinski, Alex Santoriello,
Jesse CortiJesse Corti is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Lefou in the 1991 Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast. He has appeared on several popular TV shows such as 24, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, West Wing, Judging Amy, Law & Order and many more...
, Susan Goodman, John Norman, Norman Large, Marcus Lovett, Steve Shocket, Cindy Benson, Marcie Shaw, Jane Bodle, Joanna Glushak,
Ann CrumbAnn Crumb is an American actress and singer.The daughter of composer George Crumb and sister of composer David Crumb, she made her Broadway debut in 1987 as a member of the original cast of Les Misérables...
, Kelli James, Gretchen Kingsley-Weihe, Chrissie McDonald. Michael Hinton was the original drummer and credited on the cast album.
The musical ran at the
Broadway TheatreThe Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
through 10 October 1990, when it moved to the Imperial Theatre. It was scheduled to close on 15 March 2003, but the closing was postponed by a surge in public interest. According to an article in
The ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, "Sales picked up last October, when Sir Cameron made the announcement that the show would be closing on 15 March...its closure postponed to 18 May because of an unexpected increase in business." After 6,680 performances in sixteen years, when it closed on 18 May 2003, it was the second-longest-running Broadway musical after
CatsCats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
. More recently, its position fell to the third after
The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
surpassed it.
This Broadway production of
Les Misérables and its advertising in New York City is a reoccurring theme in
American PsychoAmerican Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
. The reviewer for the
Financial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
wrote that
Les Misérables is "the book's hilarious main cultural compass-point".
2006 Broadway revival
Only three years after the original run closed,
Les Misérables began a limited return to Broadway on 9 November 2006 at the
Broadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
for a limited run that was subsequently made open-ended.
Using the set, costumes, performers, and other resources from the recently closed third U.S. national touring production, the production was only slightly altered. Minor changes included colourful projections blended into its existing lighting design, and a proscenium that extended out into the first two boxes on either side of the stage.
Some cuts made to the show during its original Broadway run were restored, new lyrics were penned for Gavroche's death scene (known in the revival as "Ten Little Bullets"), and much of the show was re-orchestrated by Christopher Jahnke, introducing a snare and timpani played by a 14 member band, a reduction of about 10 musicians from the original score's requirement of 23–25.
The original 2006 Broadway revival cast included
Alexander GemignaniAlexander Cesare Gemignani is a Broadway actor and tenor. Gemignani was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey and is a graduate of the University of Michigan's Musical Theater Department...
as Jean Valjean,
Norm LewisNorm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Life:Lewis was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up in Eatonville, Florida...
as Javert,
Daphne Rubin-VegaDaphne Rubin-Vega is a dancer, singer, and actress. She is best known for originating the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and the role of Lucy, in the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.-Biography:Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Vega, a...
as Fantine,
Celia Keenan-Bolger as Éponine,
Aaron Lazar-Early life and education:Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to a Jewish family. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 1994. Lazar attended Duke University where he earned a BA in music in 1998, while completing the prerequisite classes for medical school and taking the MCAT...
as Enjolras, Adam Jacobs as Marius,
Ali EwoldtAli Ewoldt is an American Broadway actress, who made her Broadway debut in the Les Misérables revival in 2006, in the role of Cosette. She is a Yale University graduate, and is partly of Filipino descent.-Theatrical career:...
as Cosette,
Gary BeachGary Beach is an American actor, primarily in Broadway musical theatre.-Biography:Beach was born in Alexandria, Virginia and later went on to graduate from the North Carolina School of the Arts, the same school as Terrence Mann, his Beauty and the Beast costar.Beach and his partner, Jeffrey...
as Thénardier,
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Madame Thénardier, Brian D’Addario and Jacob Levine and Austyn Myers as Gavroche, James Chip Leonard as The Bishop of Digne,
Drew Sarich-Biography:Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Boston Conservatory in 1997. Sarich made his Off-Broadway debut in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, followed by a tour as a backup singer for Liza Minnelli with the Cortes Alexander Trio...
as Grantaire, and Tess Adams and Kylie Liya Goldstein and Carly Rose Sonenclar as Young Cosette/Young Éponine.Zach Rand replaced Jacob Levine as Gavroche on March 15, 2007 and closed the revival on January 6, 2008.
Fantine was played by
Lea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
beginning on 2 March 2007.
Ann HaradaAnn Harada is an American New York-based actress who is best-known for the musical Avenue Q in which she originated the role of Christmas Eve, the heavily-accented Japanese therapist.-Early life:...
replaced
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Mme. Thénardier on 24 April 2007.
Ben DavisBen Davis may refer to:*Ben Davis , American entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of YummmBox, LLC.*Ben Davis , American former Major League Baseball catcher and current Atlantic League pitcher...
joined playing Javert, and
Max von EssenMax von Essen is an American musical theatre actor and vocalist.A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children.Von Essen is a 1992 graduate of South Side High School,...
playing Enjolras. Ben Crawford and
Mandy BrunoMandy Bruno is an American Emmy-nominated actress.-Career:She has been playing the role of Marina Cooper on Guiding Light from May 2004 to September 2009 and received her first nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2006 for Outstanding Younger Actress.Bruno has a BFA in Theater from Otterbein...
joined the cast that day too, playing Brujon and Éponine respectively. On 23 July 2007, Drew Sarich took over the role of Jean Valjean, following
Alexander GemignaniAlexander Cesare Gemignani is a Broadway actor and tenor. Gemignani was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey and is a graduate of the University of Michigan's Musical Theater Department...
's departure. On 5 September 2007, it was announced that
John Owen-JonesJohn Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of...
(who played Valjean in London) was to join the Broadway cast. In return, Sarich would join the London cast in Owen-Jones' place.
Judy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
, who originated the role of Cosette returned to the show after twenty years as Fantine, succeeding Lea Salonga, who previously played the role of Éponine.
On 27 September 2007, Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoGloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
attended the
Broadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
to watch Lea Salonga in her role as Fantine in
Les Misérables. Salonga's cast included Adam Jacobs as Marius and
Ali EwoldtAli Ewoldt is an American Broadway actress, who made her Broadway debut in the Les Misérables revival in 2006, in the role of Cosette. She is a Yale University graduate, and is partly of Filipino descent.-Theatrical career:...
as Cosette. Later that year, the show went temporarily dark because of the
Broadway stagehands' strike2007 Broadway Stagehands Strike was a strike action by stagehands represented by Theatrical Protective Union Number One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees against the Shubert, Jujamcyn, and Nederlander theaters...
.
The revival closed on 6 January 2008. Combined with the original production's 6,680 performances,
Les Misérables has played 7,176 performances on Broadway.
10th Anniversary Concert
On 8 October 1995, the show celebrated its tenth anniversary with a concert at the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. This 10th Anniversary Concert was nearly "complete," missing only a handful of scenes, including "The Death of Gavroche" and the confrontation between Marius and the Thénardiers at the wedding feast. Sir
Cameron MackintoshSir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
hand-selected the cast, which became known as the
Les Misérables Dream Cast, assembled from around the world. The concert concluded with seventeen Valjeans from various international productions singing, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" in their native languages. The concert cast included
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
as Jean Valjean,
Philip QuastPhilip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
as Javert, Paul Monaghan as the Bishop of Digne,
Ruthie HenshallValentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
as Fantine, Hannah Chick as Young Cosette,
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Madame Thénardier,
Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as Thénardier,
Adam SearlesAdam Searles is a British stage, film, and television actor notably known for his performances as Gavroche in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre, London and as the original Artful Dodger in Cameron Mackintosh's 1994 production of Oliver! at The London Palladium...
as Gavroche, Michael Maguire as Enjolras,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
as Marius,
Judy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
as Cosette,
Lea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
as Éponine, and
Anthony CrivelloAnthony Crivello is an American actor and singer, mostly in musicals on Broadway. He has written several scripts and more than twenty songs.-Personal life:...
as Grantaire.
25th Anniversary Concert
The 25th Anniversary Concert of
Les Misérables was held at
The O2The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
in North Greenwich on Sunday, 3 October 2010 at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm.
It featured
Alfie BoeAlfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
as Jean Valjean,
Norm LewisNorm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Life:Lewis was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up in Eatonville, Florida...
as Javert,
Lea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
as Fantine,
Nick JonasNicholas Jerry "Nick" Jonas is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor best known as one of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band he formed with his brothers Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers originally started as an attempted solo singing career for Nick, but the record producer liked the...
as Marius, Katie Hall as Cosette,
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Madame Thénardier,
Ramin KarimlooRamin Karimloo is an Iranian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London's West End. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals; the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, as of 29th...
as Enjolras,
Samantha BarksSamantha Barks is a professional singer and actress who came third in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008.-Background:Samantha was born and brought up on the Isle of Man...
as Éponine,
Matt LucasMatthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
as Thénardier, Mia Jenkins as Young Cosette and Robert Madge as Gavroche. (Originally,
Camilla KerslakeCamilla Kerslake is an English classical crossover singer from London who has become the first signing to Gary Barlow’s new record label...
had been selected to perform as Cosette, however she was unable to attend. Katie Hall was selected in her place. Hall had previously acted as Cosette at the Queen's Theatre from 2009, and was playing Cosette in the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Tour production at the Barbican.) Casts of the current London, international tour and original 1985 London productions took part, comprising an ensemble of three hundred performers and musicians.
For the encore, four Jean Valjeans sang "Bring Him Home":
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
from the original London cast,
John Owen-JonesJohn Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of...
from the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary touring production,
Simon BowmanSimon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
from the current London cast and
Alfie BoeAlfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
, who sang the role in the concert. The original 1985 cast then led the ensemble in a performance of "One Day More". After speeches from Cameron Mackintosh,
Alain BoublilAlain Boublil is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End...
and
Claude-Michel SchönbergClaude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
, the performance concluded with students from school productions of
Les Misérables entering the arena through the audience and joining the casts for the Finale song.
The evening concert was shown live in cinemas across the UK, Ireland and around the world.
A Blu-ray and DVD version of the O2 broadcast was released on 29 November 2010 in the UK (PAL DVD (Region 2) and Blu-ray). It was released in North America on DVD and Blu-ray on 22 February 2011.
Other concert performances
The musical has also been performed in concert at
Cardiff CastleCardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
and several venues in southern England, produced by Earl Carpenter Concerts. A concert version starring Jeff Leyton was also performed at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast. In 1989, a one-night concert performance was performed at
SkyDomeRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
, Toronto, and the largest concert production attracted an audience of approximately 125,000 as part of the
Australia dayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
celebrations in Sydney's Domain Park. The Scandinavian
concert tourA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, produced by Cameron Mackintosh in association with Noble Art, starred Danish musical icon Stig Rossen in the leading role and commemorated author Victor Hugo's 200th birthday. Venues on the tour included the Stockholm Globen, Oslo Spektrum, the Helsinki Hartwell Areena, and the Gothenburg Scandinavium, with audiences totalling over 150,000 for the complete tour.
In February 2008,
Les Misérables was performed at the
Bournemouth International CentreThe Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, is one of the primary venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England...
, England with a cast of West End stars accompanied by the
Bournemouth Symphony OrchestraThe Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
. In August 2008, a concert version, directed by
Richard Jay-AlexanderRichard Jay-Alexander has been part of the stage world for over 30 years. He was a dancer, singer and actor in two minor roles on Broadway and later branched into stage management. He was executive director of the New York office of producer Cameron Mackintosh...
, was performed at the
Hollywood BowlThe Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
. The cast included veteran
Les Misérables star J. Mark McVey as Valjean,
The Office star
Melora HardinMelora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
as Fantine, Broadway star and Bowl veteran
Brian Stokes MitchellBrian Stokes Mitchell is an American stage, film and television actor. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theatre since the early 1990s...
as Javert,
Spring AwakeningSpring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
and
GleeGlee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
star
Lea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
as Eponine, Tony-winning
Jersey BoysJersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
star
John Lloyd YoungJohn Lloyd Mills Young is an American actor and singer. In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli in Broadway's Jersey Boys. He is the only American actor to date to have received a Lead Actor in a Musical Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics...
as Marius, West End star
Tom LoweTom Lowe is a writer and filmmaker from Southern California. A decorated Gulf War veteran, Lowe is best known as the author of Spin , a roman à clef based on his experience working as a political operative in California...
as Enjolras, Michael McCormick as Thénardier, Ruth Williamson as Madame Thénardier, Michele Maika as Cosette, Maddie Levy as Young Cosette, and Sage Ryan as Gavroche.
In September 2008, it was performed at the St John Loveridge Hall in Guernsey with a cast of West End performers—the first time that it had been professionally performed on the Island where Victor Hugo wrote the novel. Former London Valjean Phil Cavill reprised his role alongside Les Misérables veteran Michael McCarthy as Javert. In March 2009, the Guernsey production was remounted at Fort Regent in Jersey; and in July 2009, the musical was performed in concert at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
In November 2004, to celebrate the centennial of the
Entente CordialeThe Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a millennium of intermittent...
, the Queen invited the cast of
Les Miserables in the West End to perform for French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle. It was the first time the cast of a West End musical had performed at a Royal residence. The cast was the same as in the West End, supplemented by several guest singers and a choir of former performers. Notably the part of Enjolras was played by
Ramin KarimlooRamin Karimloo is an Iranian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London's West End. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals; the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, as of 29th...
,
The Phantom of the OperaLe Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
and
Les Misérables veteran; the role of Jean Valjean was played by
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
- the original 1985 London and 1995 Dream Cast Marius.
National U.S. tours
The show had three national touring productions in the U.S., all of which shared the Broadway producer and manager, cast, creative teams, sets, costumes, and lighting. While the touring production and the New York production were running simultaneously, the staff, cast members, crew, and musicians of the two productions interchanged often, which contributed to keeping both companies of the show in form. When the New York production closed in 2003, the Third National Tour continued for another three years, and enjoyed the influx of many members from the original and subsequent New York companies.
The First National Tour opened at Boston's Shubert Theatre on 12 December 1987, and continued to play until late 1991. The Second National Tour (called "The Fantine Company") opened at Los Angeles' Shubert Theatre on 1 June 1988. The production played for fourteen months then transferred to San Francisco's Curran Theatre where it enjoyed a similar run. The Third National Tour of
Les Misérables (called "The Marius Company") was one of the longest running American touring musicals. Opening on 28 November 1988, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida, and closing on 23 July 2006, at the Fox Theatre in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the tour ran for seventeen years and seven thousand sixty-one performances. The tour played in one hundred forty-five cities in forty-three states. The same touring company also frequently performed in Canada, and made a diversion in 2002 to visit Shanghai, China for three weeks.
The final company of the Third National Broadway Tour included Randal Keith as Valjean (Keith also played Valjean in the final company of the original Broadway engagement), Robert Hunt as Javert, Joan Almedilla as Fantine, Daniel Bogart as Marius, Norman Large (from Original Broadway Cast) as Monsieur Thénardier, Jennifer Butt (from Original Broadway Cast) as Madame Thénardier, Melissa Lyons as Éponine, Ali Ewoldt as Cosette, Victor Wallace as Enjolras, Meg Guzulescu and Rachel Schier alternating as Young Cosette and Young Éponine, and Austyn Myers and Anthony Skillman alternating as Gavroche.
In the fall of 2010, a fourth US tour company embarked on a national tour presented by
Broadway Across AmericaBroadway Across America is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1984. It is currently owned by Key Brand Entertainment , who purchased it from Live Nation in 2008...
to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show. The tour had its opening on 19 November 2010 at the
Paper Mill PlayhousePaper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
in
Millburn, New JerseyMillburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
, running until 19 December 2010. The production originally starred Lawrence Clayton as Valjean, Andrew Valera as Javert, Betsy Morgan as Fantine, Jenny Latimer as Cosette, Justin Scott Brown as Marius, Chasten Harmon as Eponine, Michael Kostroff as Thénardier, Shawna Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Jeremy Hays as Enjolras, Josh Caggiano and Ethan Paul Khusidman as Gavroche, Maya Jade Frank and Juliana Simone alternating as Young Cosette and Young Eponine. J. Mark McVey's daughter, Kylie McVey is the understudy for Young Cosette and Young Eponine. Clayton left the tour in April 2011. Ron Sharpe later took over as Valjean until June 2011. J. Mark McVey is the current Valjean. The tour is scheduled to run through 2012, though it is expected to run until 2013 as more cities are added. The tour is currently one of six US national Broadway tours that are grossing over $1,000,000 per week.
25th Anniversary International Tour
A new tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show began performances on 12 December 2009, at the
Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
in Cardiff. Differences from the original production included a new set, new costumes, new direction and alterations to the original orchestrations. The new tour also did not use a revolving stage and the scenery was inspired by the paintings of
Victor HugoVictor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
. Locations have included
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
,
NorwichNorwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
,
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
,
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Bristol, Salford, and Southhampton. The tour also played a special engagement in Paris. From September through October, the show returned to the
Barbican CentreThe Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, London, where the original 1985 production commenced. The tour cast features
John Owen-JonesJohn Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of...
as Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert,
Gareth GatesGareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
as Marius, Ashley Artus as Thénardier, Lynne Wilmot as Madame Thénardier, Madalena Alberto as Fantine, Rosalind James as Éponine,
Jon RobynsJon Robyns is a British stage actor, who is perhaps best known for playing the roles of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q the musical in London's West End. He left the show in December 2007, and appeared as Marius in the London production of Les Misérables.-Early life:Robyns grew up in Liverpool,...
as Enjolras, Katie Hall as Cosette, and David Lawrence as the Bishop of Digne. The tour ended 2 October 2010, at the Barbican.
International productions
The show has been produced in thirty-eight countries and translated into 21 languages (English, French, German (one version from Austria and two from Germany), Spanish (three versions from Spain (Madrid 1992, Madrid 2010 and Barcelona 2011), one version each from Argentina and Mexico), Japanese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian (two versions in Bokmål and Nynorsk), Polish, Swedish (In Sweden and in Finland), Dutch (two from the Netherlands and Belgium), Danish, Finnish, Brazilian Portuguese, Estonian, Czech, Mauritian Creole, Basque, Catalan). Including singles and promos, there have been over sixty-five official recordings from worldwide productions.
Regional productions
In 1997, the
Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
performed at the Colonial Theatre in
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The production starred Gregory Calvin Stone (Jean Valjean), Rich Affannato (Marius), Lisa Capps (Fantine), J.P. Dougherty (Monsieur Thenardier), Rona Figueroa (Eponine), Kate Fisher (Cosette), Brian Herriott (Enjolras), Todd Alan Johnson (Javert), and Tregoney Shepherd (Madame Thenardier).
The USAREUR Roadside Theater in Heidelberg, Germany hosted the American Community Theater World Premiere of
Les Misérables. The premiere took place 11 May 2001 and closed on 10 June 2001. Beginning in 2007, a limited number of regional productions (five in the US, two in Canada) of
Les Misérables have been staged. The
California Musical Theatre (CMT) (
SacramentoSacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California) in its
Music CircusMusic circus is an American theatrical form begun in Lambertville, New Jersey, by St. John Terrell in 1949. Established as summer stock, the new theatre venues primarily housed light operas and operettas, produced in the round, under a circus-style big top....
summer series (production ran from 10 July through 22 July 2007) staged the show as
theater in the roundTheatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
. Glenn Casale, choreographed by Bob Richard, with music directed by Andrew Bryan, directed the production that featured Ivan Rutherford who gave over one thousand eight hundred performances as Jean Valjean on Broadway as well as performing in the Tenth Anniversary Company.
Other regional productions of
Les Misérables include the
Pioneer Theatre CompanyThe Pioneer Theatre Company is one of four fully professional theatre companies in Utah, formed in 1962 and performing at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City. The non-profit company produces seven plays each season, running from September to May,...
(PTC) of Salt Lake City which was the first regional production. This production ran from 27 April 2007 to 7 July 2007, making it the longest-running production in PTC's history. It was directed by PTC artistic director Charles Morey and brought both William Solo as Jean Valjean and Merwin Foard as Inspector Javert to the PTC
re-enactingHistorical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
roles both men played previously on Broadway.
The first independent regional theatre production of the musical in Canada was directed by Linda Moore at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, starring Frank Mackay as Jean Valjean in 1994.
An outdoor production played at
The MunyThe Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre, which seats 12,000 people. The theatre is located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Directed by Fred Hanson,
Les Misérables was the final production of the Muny's 89th season, playing 6–15 August 2007. Ivan Rutherford, who was a Valjean in the original Broadway production, reprised his role in the production. Kevin Kern and Diana Kaarina, who played Marius and Éponine in the closing cast of the original Broadway production, reprised their roles.
Another outdoor production was staged at
TuacahnTuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts is a nonprofit 501 arts organization nestled in the mouth of Padre Canyon below towering 1500 foot red sandstone cliffs in Ivins, Utah adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park...
Center for the Arts in Ivins, Utah, and ran June through mid-October 2008.
In September 2008, a mini-tour produced by Atlanta's Theater of the Stars played Eisenhower Hall at the
United States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, in West Point, New York; the Filene Center at the
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsWolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
in Vienna, Virginia; Kansas City
Starlight TheatreStarlight Theatre is a 7,947-seat outdoor theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, United States that stages touring Broadway shows and concerts. It is one of three remaining self-producing outdoor theatres in the U.S.-History:...
; and the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The show featured a new set of original pictures painted by Victor Hugo himself. Robert Evan played Valjean, returning to the role he played in the mid-nineties on Broadway. Also featured were Nikki Rene Daniels as Fantine and Robert Hunt as Javert, both reprising their roles from the Broadway revival. Fred Hanson directed the production. The creative team included Matt Kinley as Scenic Designer,
Ken BillingtonKen Billington is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser....
as Lighting Designer, Peter Fitzgerald and Erich Bechtel as Sound Designers,
Zachary BorovayZachary Borovay is a projection and multi-media designer working primarily in Broadway, Off Broadway, US regional and international performance venues....
as Projection Designer, and Dan Riddle as Musical Director and Conductor.
In 2008, the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia staged a small venue "black box" version of the play. Signature received Mackintosh's special permission for the production: "One of the great pleasures of being involved with the creation of Les Misérables is seeing this marvelous musical being done in a completely different and original way. Having seen many shows brilliantly reimagined at Signature I have no doubt that Eric and his team will come up with a revolutionary new take on Les Miz unlike anything anyone has seen before. Viva la différence!" This production earned Signature the 2009 Regional Theater Tony Award. The production officially opened on 14 December 2008 (after previews from 2 December), and ran through 22 February 2009 (extended from 25 January 2009).
Northern StageNorthern Stage is a non-profit, regional professional company located in White River Junction, Vermont. The company began in 1992 to offer high-quality professional theater in northern New England...
, a regional theatre company in
White River Junction, VermontWhite River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
, also staged a production on a small stage, in December 2008; in their case, it was a three-quarter-thrust stage in a 245-seat house. This production featured Timothy Shew as Jean Valjean, Mary Gutzi as Madame Thénardier and Kevin David Thomas as Marius, all of whom appeared in the Broadway production (where Shew starred as Valjean, Gutzi as Fantine and Thomas as Marius). The production also featured Broadway veterans Dan Sharkey (
The Music Man) and David DeWitt (
Phantom of the Opera). Northern Stage Artistic Director Brooke Ciardelli directed the production.
In July 2009, the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) staged
Les Misérables as part of their summer show collection.
Les Misérables school edition
The school edition cuts a considerable amount of material from the original show. It is divided into thirty scenes and, although no "critical" scenes or songs have been removed, it runs 25–30 minutes shorter than the "official" version making the total running time about 2 1/2 hours long. A few subtle changes of vocal pitch have been made: "What Have I Done?", Valjean's Soliloquy, "Stars" by Javert, "A Little Fall of Rain" by Éponine and Marius, "Turning", and "Castle on a Cloud" lose a verse each. The song "Fantine's Death/Confrontation" is edited, and the counterpoint duel between Javert and Valjean is lost, as well as a verse by Fantine. "Dog Eats Dog" by Thénardier is heavily truncated."Beggars at the Feast", is shortened, with Thénardier losing a verse, and the song before it, "Wedding Chorale", is excluded entirely although the rest of the wedding remains in place. Also, the drinker's introduction to "Master of the House" is cut completely.
After The King's Theatre, The King's School and
Tara Anglican School for GirlsTara Anglican School for Girls is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in North Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, in Sydney, Australia, gained rights for the full production in late 2000 from Cameron Mackintosh to perform the show.
Music Theatre InternationalMusic Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
developed a school version, available only to productions with an entirely amateur cast aged under 19. Hundreds of schools worldwide have purchased the rights and staged performances, and it was the best-selling production for high schools in the year 2006.
Holy Trinity Diocesan High SchoolHoly Trinity High School is a co-educational learning environment located centrally in Hicksville, Nassau County, New York on Long Island. Education is based on New York State Education Standards with a strong emphasis on Religious Studies as well...
, located in
HicksvilleHicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
, New York, marked the first presentation of the
Les Misérables school edition in the U.S.
Many famous children's theatrical companies have produced the show.
Cincinnati Young People's TheatreCincinnati Young People's Theatre is a summer youth theatre organization in Cincinnati, OH. All participants must be between 13 and 19. It is administered by the Cincinnati Landmark Productions. CYPT was organized by Tim Perrino. Performances were help at Westwood Town Hall, but in 2002...
, or CYPT, performed the School Edition in the Summer of 2010. Also a school in Ringwood, Hampshire put on the performance.
Film adaptation
Although
numerous films of the Les Misérables storyLes Misérables is a novel by Victor Hugo.Les Misérables may also refer to:* Les Misérables , a 1980 stage musical** Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert, a 1995 concert video of the musical...
have been made, no
film adaptationFilm adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the stage musical has been produced. A film adaptation has been in development several times since the late 1980s.
Alan ParkerSir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
was reported to be connected to an adaptation at an early stage. In 1992 Mackintosh announced planning for a film to be directed by
Bruce BeresfordBruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
and co-produced by Tri-Star Pictures, but the project was later abandoned.
The 2010 DVD/Blu-ray release of
Les Misérables in Concert - the 25th Anniversary included an announcement of revised plans for a film adaptation which was later confirmed by Mackintosh.
Tom HooperThomas George "Tom" Hooper is a British film and television director of English and Australian background. Hooper began making short films at the age of 13, and had his first professional short, Painted Faces, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1992. At Oxford University Hooper directed plays and...
signed on in March 2011 to direct the Mackintosh-produced film from a screenplay by
William NicholsonWilliam Nicholson FRSL is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.-Family:A native of Lewes, Sussex, William Nicholson was raised in a Catholic family in Gloucestershire. By the time he reached his tenth birthday, he had decided to become a writer. He was educated at Downside School,...
. In June 2011 Working Title and Mackintosh announced that the film is scheduled to begin principal photography in early 2012 with a tentative December release date. Principal cast members include
Hugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
as Jean Valjean,
Russell CroweRussell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
as Javert,
Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
as Madame Thénardier,
Anne HathawayAnne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
as Fantine, and
Eddie RedmayneEdward John David "Eddie" Redmayne is an English actor and model. Redmayne won the 2010 Tony Award as best featured actor in a play for his performance in Red.-Early life:...
as Marius Pontmercy. Other actors reportedly in negotiations include
Geoffrey RushGeoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
and
Emma WatsonEmma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
.
English
The following recordings of
Les Misérables are available in the English: the Original London Cast, the Original Broadway Cast, the Complete Symphonic Recording, the 10th Anniversary London Concert, The 25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast and the 25th Anniversary London Concert.
Original London Cast recording
The Original London Cast recording was the first English language album of the musical. Recorded in 1985, when the show premiered, it is closest to the original French concept album. For example, "Stars" appears before "Look Down" and shortly after, the original version of "Little People" plays, which was later incorporated into the revealing of Javert. It also features a song entitled "I Saw Him Once", sung by Cosette, which was later incorporated into the first part of "In My Life".
The cast includes
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
as Valjean,
Roger AllamRoger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
as Javert,
Patti LuPonePatti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
as Fantine,
Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as Thénardier,
Susan Jane TannerSusan Jane Tanner is an English theatre actress, best known for playing the role of Madame Thénardier in the original London cast of Les Misérables and as Jellylorum in the original London version of Cats and reprising her role in the 1998 video version. She currently resides with her husband in...
as Mme. Thénardier,
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
as Éponine, Ian Tucker as Gavroche,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
as Marius,
David BurtDavid Burt is a British actor, known primarily for his many and wide-ranging West End performances.Burt recently starred as the flamboyant Count Fosco opposite Yvette Robinson in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White at the Palace Theatre and was featured as Captain Andy Hawks in Show Boat at...
as Enjolras, and
Rebecca CaineRebecca Caine is a Canadian opera and musical theatre performer. She was born in Toronto and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She currently resides in London. She is 50–51 years of age.-Career:...
as Cosette.
Original Broadway Cast recording
The Original Broadway Cast recording was produced in 1987. It included several changes to the songs that are still evident in today's performances. As with its predecessor, it is incomplete, and leaves out songs or parts that are more important narratively than musically (e.g., "Fantine's Arrest", "The Runaway Cart", "The Final Battle").
The cast includes Colm Wilkinson as Valjean,
Terrence MannTerrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
as Javert,
Randy GraffRandy Graff is an American actress. Graff has been in feature films such as Keys to Tulsa and Rent as well as being in television shows such as NBC's Law & Order a number of times. In addition to film and television, Graff has been in several Broadway shows...
as Fantine,
Leo BurmesterLeo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ...
as Thénardier, Jennifer Butt as Madame Thénardier,
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
as Éponine, Braden Danner as Gavroche,
David BryantDavid James Bryant CBE is a former three-time World singles bowls champion in 1966, 1980 and 1988 and also a three-time World indoors singles champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He also won the Commonwealth Games singles bowls championship on 4 occasions in 1962, 1970, 1974 and 1978...
as Marius, Michael Maguire as Enjolras, and
Judy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
as Cosette.
Complete Symphonic Recording
Recorded in 1988 and released in 1989, the Complete Symphonic Recording features the entire score. (The Czech Revival Recording is the only other album, in any language, to feature the entire score.) Cameron Mackintosh's original plan was to use the Australian cast, but the scope was expanded to create an international cast featuring performers from the major performances of the musical. The cast was recorded in three different places.
The album, produced by David Caddick and conducted by
Martin KochMartin Koch is a British music supervisor, orchestrator, conductor, and composer who won the 2009 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations and was a co-winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for Billy Elliot the Musical, sharing the honor with Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt of...
, won the Best Musical Cast Show Album
Grammy Award in 1991The 33rd Grammy Awards were held on February 20, 1991. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Quincy Jones was the night's big winner winning a total of six awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
. The cast includes
Gary MorrisGary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
as Valjean,
Philip QuastPhilip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
as Javert,
Debra Byrne-Career:Byrne made her television debut on Brian and the Juniors, an early predecessor of Young Talent Time, which was hosted by a young Brian Naylor. She stayed with the show for 12 months. In 1971 she was cast as one of the original six Young Talent Time cast members...
as Fantine,
Gay SoperGay Soper is an English actress.She is perhaps best known for her performance in the musical Godspell with David Essex, Julie Covington and Jeremy Irons as well as Mme. Thenardier on the Complete Symphonic Recording of Les Misérables. She also performed all the voices for The Flumps, a famous...
as Mme. Thénardier,
Barry James-Theatre credits:He trained at the Guildford School of Acting.His stage roles include:* Seymour in the first West End production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Comedy Theatre* as Otto Kringelein in "Grand Hotel " at the Dominion Theatre' 1992...
as Thénardier,
Kaho ShimadaKaho Shimada is a Japanese singer and musical theater actress. Born and raised in Tokyo, she attended Tokyo Municipal Jonan High School...
as Éponine,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
as Marius,
Anthony WarlowAnthony Warlow is an Australian opera and musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range ....
as Enjolras, and Tracy Shayne as Cosette.
10th Anniversary Concert
The 10th Anniversary recording was of a concert version of
Les Misérables, performed at the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in October 1995, featuring full orchestra and choir. All the parts were sung live, giving the performance a different mood from other recordings. The score was recorded consecutively without pauses or multiple recordings. The concert's encores are also included. As with the original recordings, this edition omitted certain parts; however, they differed from those missing from the original (e.g., those vital to plot such as "Fantine's Arrest" and "The Runaway Cart" were kept, while unnecessary or complex songs, such as "At the Barricade", were left out).
The cast includes
Colm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
as Valjean,
Philip QuastPhilip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
as Javert,
Ruthie HenshallValentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
as Fantine,
Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as Thénardier,
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Mme. Thénardier,
Lea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
as Éponine,
Adam SearlesAdam Searles is a British stage, film, and television actor notably known for his performances as Gavroche in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre, London and as the original Artful Dodger in Cameron Mackintosh's 1994 production of Oliver! at The London Palladium...
as Gavroche, Hannah Chick as Young Cosette,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
as Marius, Michael Maguire as Enjolras,
Judy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
as Cosette and
Anthony CrivelloAnthony Crivello is an American actor and singer, mostly in musicals on Broadway. He has written several scripts and more than twenty songs.-Personal life:...
as Grantaire.
Manchester Highlights
A five-track album featuring members of the UK national tour was released in 1992 and includes "I Dreamed a Dream" (Ria Jones); "Stars" (
Philip QuastPhilip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
); "On My Own" (Meredith Braun); "Bring Him Home" (Jeff Leyton); and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" (Mike Sterling). The version of "Stars" is the same as that on the Complete Symphonic Recording.
25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast
Recorded live at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, this recording was released to commemorate 25 years of 'Les Misérables' in English. This recording featured new arrangements and reinspired orchestrations, and included
John Owen-JonesJohn Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of...
as Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert, Madelena Alberto as Fantine, Ashley Artus as M. Thenardier, Lynne Wilmot as Mme. Thenardier,
Gareth GatesGareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
as Marius, Katie Hall as Cosette, Jon Robyns as Enjolras, and Rosalind James as Eponine.
25th Anniversary Concert
The 25th Anniversary Concert concert was taped and is available on DVD in the UK while the Blu-ray was released worldwide. It was shown in select US theaters via NCM Fathom Events. The release for the DVD in the United States was 22 February 2011. A CD single of the 'Valjean Quartet' singing "Bring Him Home" was also recorded and released as a CD single with proceeds going to the charity "Tickets For Troops." The cast included
Alfie BoeAlfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
as Jean Valjean,
Norm LewisNorm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Life:Lewis was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up in Eatonville, Florida...
as Javert,
Nick JonasNicholas Jerry "Nick" Jonas is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor best known as one of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band he formed with his brothers Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers originally started as an attempted solo singing career for Nick, but the record producer liked the...
as Marius,
Samantha BarksSamantha Barks is a professional singer and actress who came third in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008.-Background:Samantha was born and brought up on the Isle of Man...
as Eponine, Katie Hall as Cosette,
Ramin KarimlooRamin Karimloo is an Iranian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London's West End. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals; the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, as of 29th...
as Enjolras,
Lea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
as Fantine,
Matt LucasMatthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
as Monsieur Thénardier and
Jenny GallowayJenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career.Theatre credits include:* Madame Thénardier - Les Misérables* Widow Corney - Oliver!...
as Madame Thénardier.
Other languages
There are also various non-English language cast albums of the musical.
- 1980 Original French Concept Album
- 1987 Original Israeli Cast
- 1988 Original Hungarian Cast
- 1988 Original Vienna Cast
- 1990 Original Swedish Cast
- 1991 Original Dutch Cast
- 1991 Paris Revival Cast
- 1992 Original Danish Cast
- 1992 Original Czech Cast
- 1993 Original Korean Cast
- 1993 Original Spanish Cast
- 1994 Japanese "Blue" Cast
- 1994 Japanese "Red" Cast
- 1996 Original Duisburg Cast
- 1996 Swedish Värmland Cast
- 1998 Original Antwerp Cast
- 2003 Japanese "Orange" Cast
- 2003 Japanese "Green" Cast
- 2003 Japanese "Light Blue" Cast
- 2003 Japanese "Violet" Cast
- 2003 Czech Revival Cast
- 2008 Dutch Revival Cast
- 2008 Le Capitole de Quebec Cast
- 2010 Original Polish Cast
- 2010 Spanish 25th Anniversary Production Cast
- 2011 Czech Cast
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award Ceremony |
Category |
Nominee |
Result |
| 1985 |
Laurence Olivier Award |
Best New Musical |
|
| Best Actor in a Musical |
Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
|
|
| Alun Armstrong Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
|
|
| Best Actress in a Musical |
Patti LuPonePatti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
|
|
| 1987 |
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
|
Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
|
|
| Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible...
|
|
| Best Original Score The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics...
|
|
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival...
|
Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
|
|
Terrence MannTerrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
|
|
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947...
|
Michael Maguire |
|
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976....
|
Judy Kuhn -Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
|
|
| Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
|
|
| Best Direction of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions...
|
Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
and John CairdJohn Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,...
|
|
| Best Scenic Design |
|
| Best Costume Design These are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals...
|
|
| Best Lighting Design This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately.-1970s:* 1970: Jo Mielziner – Child's Play...
|
|
| 2008 |
John Kraaijkamp Musical Award |
Best Featuring Actor in a Large Musical Production |
Wim van den Driessche |
|
| Best Featuring Actor in a Large Musical Production |
René van Kooten |
|
| Best Supporting Actress in a Large Musical Production |
Marjolein Algera |
|
| Best Supporting Actor in a Large Musical Production |
Jamai Loman Jamai Johannes Loman was the winner of the first series of Idols the Dutch variant on Pop Idol, pop singer and Dutch musical artist.-Biography:...
|
|
| Award for New Talent |
Freek Bartels |
|
| Best Lighting Design |
David Hersey David Hersey is a lighting designer who has designed the lighting for over 250 plays, musicals, operas, and ballets. His work has been seen in most corners of the globe and his many awards include the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for Evita, Cats, and Les Misérables, the Drama Desk Award for...
and Richard Pacholski |
|
| Best Script |
Alain Boublil Alain Boublil is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End...
and Jean-Marc Natel |
|
| 2010 |
London LifeStyle Award The London Lifestyle Awards first took place in 2010 and is now an event held annually.The awards are the first of their kind and the event attracts thousands of entrants.-Nominations and Ceremony:The awards were created by London PR man Jason Gale...
|
London Theatre Show of the Year The London Lifestyle Awards first took place in 2010 and is now an event held annually.The awards are the first of their kind and the event attracts thousands of entrants.-Nominations and Ceremony:The awards were created by London PR man Jason Gale...
|
|
| 2010 |
Musical Theater Award, Spain |
Best Musical |
|
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor |
Gerónimo Rauch |
|
| Best Performance by a Supporting Actor |
Daniel Diges |
|
| Enrique R. del Portal |
|
| Best Performance by a Supporting Actress |
Eva Diago |
|
| Talía del Val |
|
| Best Scene Direction |
Laurence Connor and James Powell |
|
| Best Musical Direction |
Alfonso Casado |
|
| Best Scenic Design |
Matt Kinley |
|
| Best Lighting Design |
Paule Constable |
|
| Best Sound Design |
Mick Potter |
|
| Best Costume Design |
Andreane Neofitu and Christine Rowland |
|
| Best Makeup and Hair |
Campbell Young |
|
External links