|
The legendary production of Les Miserables is celebrating its 30th birthday this week and as part of the celebrations, check out the interview video of Peter Lockyer, who plays Jean Valjean, and Rachelle Ann Go who plays Fantine!
Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Claude-Michel Schönberg &Alain Boublil's Les Miserables celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the show's original and still going strong London production with a special Fan Day on Broadway on Tuesday, October 6 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street).
LES MISERABLES originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on October 8, 1985. It transferred to the Palace Theatre on 4 December 1985 where it ran for 19 years before moving to its current home at the Queen's Theatre on 3 April 2004 where it has already played for 11 years and looks set to at least equal the run at the Palace Theatre as it is still playing to standing room only. When Les Miserables celebrated its 21st London birthday on 8 October 2006, it became the World's Longest Running Musical, surpassing the record previously held by Cats in London's West End.
Now in its second year on Broadway, this newly-reimagined production of Les Miserables opened on Broadway March 23, 2014 to critical acclaim. The Associated Press raved, "A glorious Les Miserables! This terrific new production is beautifully sung and acted." NY 1 said, "LES MISERABLES is born again. This is as close to perfection as we'll ever get in the theater." And The Huffington Post proclaimed, "This is a Les Miserables for the 21st century! It stirs the audience and rocks the rafters." The new Broadway production of Les Miserables is now exclusively the only place in North America where the shown can be seen.
Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Miserables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score includes the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "One Day More," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," "Master Of The House" and many more.
Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Miserables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, original adaption by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and additional material by James Fenton. The original Les Miserables orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.
The cast of Les Miserables features internationally-acclaimed tenor Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, acclaimed British actor Earl Carpenter as Javert, Tony Award nominee Montego Glover as Fantine, Tony Award and Olivier Award nominee Gavin Lee as Thenardier, Alexandra Finke as Cosette, Rachel Izen as Madame Thenardier, Brennyn Lark as Eponine, Chris McCarrell as Marius and Wallace Smith as Enjolras.
The new production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, with set and image design by Matt Kinleyinspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections realized by Fifty-Nine Productions. Musical staging is by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt. Musical supervision is by Stephen Brooker and musical direction by James Lowe.
While the original London production of Les Miserables prepares to celebrate its record-breaking 30th Anniversary, the new version of the show is making history playing to packed houses on Broadway, and in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Spain. In 2015, all four of Mackintosh's 'mega-hits' were back in London's West End: the original productions of Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera, the smash hit new production of Miss Saigon, now in its second year, and the limited return engagement of Cats.
The original New York production of Les Miserables premiered first at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987, later moving to the Imperial on October 17, 1990, where it played until May 18, 2003, for a total Broadway run of 6680 performances. Les Miserables is the 5th longest-running Broadway production of all time.
Seen by 70 million people worldwide in 43 countries and in 22 languages, Les Miserables is undisputedly one of the world's most popular musicals ever written, with new productions continually opening around the globe. The worldwide gross for Les Miserables is $2.5 billion. The 2012 Universal film version of Les Miserables co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Working Title Films, is one of the most successful musical films ever, grossing more than $450 million. The film received the Golden Globe Award as Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won three Academy Awards. The film's soundtrack debuted at #1 on Billboard's Album chart and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
There have been 47 cast recordings of Les Miserables, including the multi-platinum London cast recording, the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums and live recording of the New 25th Anniversary Production.
Tickets to Les Miserables are available at www.telecharge.com or by phone at (212) 239-6200 or (800) 447-7400. Ticket prices range from $37 - $147.
Videos