FSPA Alum Nadine Malouf Performs with LES MISERABLES at 2013 Academy Awards

Cameron Mackintosh and Tom Hooper's film adaptation of LES MISERABLES has achieved extraordinary success, racking up more than $400 million in worldwide ticket sales and garnering eight Academy Award Nominations and three Oscar wins, including a nod for Anne Hathaway as best supporting actress.

Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) alumna Nadine Malouf was caught up in the fanfare surrounding the film when she received the invitation of a lifetime to perform alongside Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and other principals from the film at the 85^th annual Academy Awards on February 24 in Los Angeles.

Malouf performed "One Day More" from LES MISERABLES, joining an ensemble of 25 that included alumni hand picked from the US 25^th Anniversary national tour, the 2006 Broadway revival, the Hollywood Bowl company (a 2008 staged concert adaptation), and the UK and film. The performance was part of a star-studded tribute to movie musicals of the last decade that also featured Catherine Zeta-Jones of Chicago and Jennifer Hudson of Dreamgirls.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine performing on the Oscars, in front of so many actors I've long admired," Nadine said. "Les Mis has taken me on such a journey, from crossing the country and watching audiences rise to their feet with tears in their eyes, to singing 'On My Own' in front of thousands of people, to chatting with the stars of the film during the Oscar dress rehearsal."

Nadine's Oscar week began with rehearsals in Burbank, California. A recording session at Capital Records, with full Oscar orchestra, followed to lay down a safety track. (Though the broadcast is performed live, a safety track is recorded in the event of technical problems during the show.) The movie's principal actors joined in rehearsals on Friday, at the Dolby Theatre. Following the Sunday telecast, Cameron Mackintosh hosted the LES MISERABLES ensemble at a post-Oscars party.

With music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and book by Alain Boublil, LES MISERABLES has enjoyed a storied presence on the world stage for 28 years and has earned the distinction of being the world's longest-running musical. Performers in the Oscars ensemble represented the more recent chapters in that record-breaking history. Malouf was part of Mackintosh's 25th anniversary national tour, performing a seven-month run in the ensemble and as the understudy for Eponine.

Of the show's enduring appeal, Nadine noted, "LES MISERABLES is a very special musical, one that continues to move anyone who goes to the theatre, listens to the music, sings its songs, or now, watches the film. I feel honored to have been a part of this incredible show."

An Australian native, Malouf moved to the United States with her mother at age 11 and began her musical theater studies at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts. At FSPA, Nadine studied voice with Hallie Wetzell and acting with Nick Paone, along with tap, jazz, ballet and piano. She performed with musical theater troupes at Walt Disney World and toured Europe with Electric Youth. She had lead roles in FSPA SummerStage productions of Grease (Rizzo), The Wiz (Eveline) and Babes in Arms (Bunny), along with Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) productions of West Side Story (Anita), Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal) and The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch).

A 2005 FSPA graduate, Nadine said of that experience: "Everything that I learned at FSPA I see and use everyday in my professional life. I attribute my discipline, my drive, my work ethic, my knowledge and my talent to the Franklin School for the Performing Arts. It was my foundation. It was the beginning of my understanding and my growth as a performer."

Nadine continued her education and training at Syracuse University's Drama Department, earning her BFA. She spent this past summer in Jordan on location for her feature film debut as Yasmine in Cherien Dabis' "May in the Summer," which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2013 as an opening day pick. Prior to that, Nadine appeared in the British drama film "Shame," with Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, and in the 2011 indie short film, "Static Shock Blackout." Theater credits include Les Enfants de Paris at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Sunset Boulevard at the Ogunquit Playhouse and Rent with the Weston Playhouse Company. Nadine is currently performing in the new play Exile at New York's Cherry Lane Theatre.

For more information about Nadine Malouf, visit www.nadinemalouf.com. To learn more about the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, call (508) 528-8668 or visit www.fspaonline.com.

Pictured: FSPA alumna Nadine Malouf is pictured on the red carpet prior to her performance with the stars of the film Les Miserables at the 85th annual Academy Awards.

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