Les Miserables

Les Miserables is playing at the Imperial Theatre located 244 West 45th Street. It runs two hours fifty five minutes with one intermission. It is an open ended run.

The original French production opened in September 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris.

The West End production opened in September 1985 at the Royal Shakespeare Company. On December 4, 1985 it moved to Palace Theatre, London and then moved on April 2, 2004 to Queens Theatre where it is today.

The original Broadway premiere was on March 12, 1987 at the Broadway Theatre. It ran there until March 10, 1980. The musical moved to the Imperial Theatre where it played until May 18, 2003 after 6,680 performances. It was the longest running musical after Cats and it was surpassed by The Phantom of the Opera. The show returned to Broadway from November 9, 2006 to January 6, 2008. Les Miserables return to the Imperial Theatre on March 2014

In 1987 it was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won seven. It won for Best Musical, Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Feature Actor, Best Direction, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting. The show was nominated for a Tony award for Best Costume, Best Leading Actor and Best Feature Actress.

The 2014 Tony Awards it was nominated for Best Revival, Best Actor and Best Sound Design.

Ramin Karimloo was nominated for a Tony Award in 2014 for Les Miserables. He made his Broadway debut in the show.

Gavin Lee was nominated for a Tony Award in 2007 for Mary Poppins.

The musical is set in early 19th century France. Les Miserables revolves around Jean Valjean (Ramin Karimloo) a French peasant. He served 19 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread for his sisters starving child. When he is released he breaks his parole. He steals some silver from a bishop to get money. Eight years later he has a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine.He is mayor of Montreuil-Sur-Mer and owner of a factory.

He is still being pursued by Javert (William Swenson) a policeman.

Fantine (Erika Hennngsen) works at his factory. She gets fired. Having no means of support for herself and her child she becomes a prostitute. When she fights an abusive customer she is arrested. Javert now a police commissioner comes to arrest her. Valjean intervenes for her freedom.

In Montfermeil the deceitful innkeeper Thenardier (Andrew Kober) and his wife are watching Fatines daughter Cosette (Lilyana Cornell).

Valjean vows to take care of Fantine and Cosette.

Nine years later in 1832 Paris is in an upheaval because of the death of General Lamarque the only man in government for the poor. A group of students decide on a revolution. They are led by Enjolvas (Wallace Smith). One of the students Marius (Chris McCarrell) falls for Fantine and she for him.

What happen and will happen in between, you will have to see the show.

It’s a great show but knowing something about the story before would help you understand it better.

Ramin Karimloo and Will Swenson have beautiful voices and both do an outstanding job.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.