Hugh Jackman Talks New LES MIS Song - 'Suddenly'

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the highly anticipated film adaptation of LES MISERABLES was to feature new music from original composer/lyricist team Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. 

There has been much speculation about what the new song might be, and the film's leading man Hugh Jackman sat down yesterday with The Telegraph to talk details on the addition of the new solo for Jean Valjean.

The song, which is to take place when Valjean first meets young Cosette (a role being taken on by newcomer Isabelle Allen), includes the line "two hearts can beat as one."

"He says he never knew the love of a mother, a father, of brothers or sisters and vice versa, never loved anyone," Jackman says. "So he meets this little girl who's in his care, he experiences this flood of emotion that for a 50-year-old man has never occurred. It's a pretty amazing invention of Victor Hugo and it's never really been dealt with in the stage musical."

The song wasn't just written as an addition to the movie, however - it was written specifically to suit Jackman's voice after Schonberg and Boulil saw the actor's one man show, Hugh Jackman, BACK ON BROADWAY last year. "It's kind of an amazing honour they came to see the show and I was singing for 2 1/2 hours so they saw every possible colour of my voice and they said 'right, now we're going to write it for you,'" Jackman says. "I'll do my best not to screw it up."

Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Read the full interview here, and stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for all the latest news LES MISERABLES, due in theaters Christmas Day!