Tony Award-nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger, who currently appears in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, has been cast as tragic waif Eponine in the upcoming Broadway return of Les Miserables.
Lea Michele was originally announced to play Eponine, but withdrew from the show in order to move with
Spring Awakening to Broadway.
Les Miserables will play a special limited six-month engagement, beginning this coming fall at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). Previews will begin Saturday, October 24th, with an official opening slated for Thursday, November 9th.The show will star the previously-announced Alexander Gemignani (Sweeney Todd, Assassins) as noble on-the-run convict Jean Valjean, Norm Lewis (Chicago, The Wild Party, Side Show) as his persistent adversary Javert, with Tony Award-winner Gary Beach (La Cage aux Folles, The Producers) as Thenardier, Tony-nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega (Bernarda Alba, Anna in the Tropics, Rent) as Fantine, Jenny Galloway as Madame Thenardier, Aaron Lazar (The Light in the Piazza) as Enjolras, Adam Jacobs as Marius, and Ali Ewoldt as Cosette.The cast will also feature Drew Sarich (Lestat) as Grantaire, Doug Kreeger (Thrill Me) as Jean Prouvaire, Justin Bohon (All Shook Up) as Joly, Victor Hawks as Brujon, Kylie Liya Goldstein as Young Cosette/Eponine, Jacob Levine and Brian D'Addario as Gavroche, J.D. Goldblatt as Montparnasse, James Chip Leonard as Claquesous, Jeff Kready as Babet, Nehal Joshi as Lesgles, Blake Ginther as Feuilly, Daniel Bogart as Combeferre, Robert Hunt as Courfeyrac, Tess Adams, and Gabrielle Piacentile. The ensemble will comprise Karen Elliot, Farah Alvin (I Love You Because), Haviland Stillwell, Nikki Renee Daniels (Lestat), Becca Ayres (Avenue Q), Megan McGinnis (Little Women), Marya Grandy (The Great American Trailer Park Musical), Idara Victor, with Matt Clemens, Stephen Trafton, Marissa McGowan and Q. Smith as swings.
Keenan-Bolger earned a Tony nomination for her turn as Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in Little Fish and Summer of '42. Regionally, she has been seen in Sweeney Todd and in the world premiere of The Light in the Piazza.
With music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, with original French text by
Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel and additional material by James Fenton,
Les Miserables is based on the sprawling novel by Victor Hugo.
Les Miserables is the third longest-running show in Broadway history and will, on October 9, pass the 21 year old record of Cats in London to become the longest-running musical ever on the West End or Broadway with 8,372 performances; a run nearly three years longer than Broadway's record-holder The Phantom of the Opera, all three shows having been produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Les Miserables has been seen by over 53 million people in 38 countries and 21 languages since its first London performance in October 1985. The original Broadway production opened on March 12, 1987, at the Broadway Theatre, winning seven Tony Awards that season, including Best Musical. The show went on to play a total of 6,680 performances. It originally starred Colm Wilkinson, Terrence Mann, Judy Kuhn, Randy Graff, Frances Ruffelle and more.
Directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, the musical is designed by John Napier with lighting by David Hersey, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and sound by Andrew Bruce.
Les Miserables was first presented by Cameron Mackintosh and The Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theatre in October, 1985. The musical transferred to the West End's Palace Theatre later that year, where it played for 19 years. Les Miserables transferred to the Queen's Theatre in April, 2004, where it continues today.
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