''Les Misérables'' ( , ), colloquially known as ''Les Mis'' or ''Les Miz'' ( ), is a

sung-through A sung-through (also through-sung) musical, musical film, opera, or other work of performance art is one in which songs entirely or almost entirely replace any spoken dialogue. Conversations, speeches, and musings are communicated musically, for e ...

musical and an adaptation of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's 1862 novel of the same name, by

Claude-Michel Schönberg Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 6 July 1944, in Vannes) is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with lyricist Alain Boublil. Major works include '' La Révolution Fran ...

(music),

Alain Boublil Alain Boublil (born 5 March 1941) is a French musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End. These include ''La Révolution ...

, Jean-Marc Natel (original French lyrics) and

Herbert Kretzmer Herbert Kretzmer (5 October 192514 October 2020) was a South African-born English journalist and lyricist. He was best known as the lyricist for the English-language musical adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and for his long-time collaboration ...

(English lyrics). The original French musical premiered in Paris in 1980 with direction by

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in '' Vice and Virtue'', '' Le Casse'', '' Les Uns et les Autres'' and '' ...

. Its English-language adaptation by producer

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...

has been running in London since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of ''

The Fantasticks ''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neigh ...

''. Set in early 19th-century France, ''Les Misérables'' is the story of

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

, a French peasant, and his desire for redemption, released in 1815 after serving nineteen years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a bishop inspires him with a tremendous act of mercy, but a police inspector named

Javert Javert (), no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables.'' He was presumably born in 1780 and died on June 7, 1832. First a prison guard, and then a polic ...

refuses to let him escape justice and pursues him for most of the play. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists attempt to overthrow the government at a street barricade in Paris.

Background

''Les Misérables'' was originally released as a French-language

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, and the first musical-stage adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' was presented at the Palais des Sports in 1980. In 1983, about six months after producer

had opened '' Cats'' on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, he received a copy of the French concept album from director Peter Farago. Farago had been impressed by the work and asked Mackintosh to produce an English-language version of the show. Initially reluctant, Mackintosh eventually agreed. Mackintosh, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, assembled a production team to adapt the French musical for a British audience. After two years in development, the English-language version opened in London on 8 October 1985, by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Centre, then the London home of the RSC. The success of the West End musical led to a Broadway production.

Critical reception and milestones

Critical reviews for ''Les Misérables'' were initially negative. At the opening of the London production, ''

The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...

''s Francis King described the musical as "a lurid Victorian melodrama produced with Victorian lavishness" and Michael Ratcliffe of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' considered the show "a witless and synthetic entertainment", while literary scholars condemned the project for converting classic literature into a musical. Public opinion differed: the box office received record orders. The three-month engagement sold out, and reviews improved. The original London production ran from October 1985 to July 2019, playing over 13,000 performances and making it the second longest-running musical in the world after ''

'', the second longest-running West End show after ''

The Mousetrap ''The Mousetrap'' is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. ''The Mousetrap'' opened in London's West End in 1952 and ran continuously until 16 March 2020, when the stage performances had to be temporarily discontinued during the COVID-1 ...

'', and the longest-running musical in the West End. On 3 October 2010, the show celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in London: the original production at the Queen's Theatre; the 25th Anniversary touring production at the Barbican Centre; and the 25th Anniversary concert at London's

O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decem ...

. The Broadway production opened 12 March 1987 and ran until 18 May 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. At the time of its closing, it was the second-longest-running musical in Broadway history. As of 2022, it remains the sixth longest-running Broadway show. The show was nominated for 12

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

s, of which it won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Subsequently, numerous tours and international and regional productions have been staged, as well as concert and broadcast productions. Several recordings have also been made. A Broadway revival opened in 2006 at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Bro ...

and closed in 2008, and a second Broadway revival opened in 2014 at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed ...

and closed in September 2016. The show was placed first in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of Britain's "Number One Essential Musicals" in 2005, receiving more than forty percent of the votes. A

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

directed by

Tom Hooper Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ...

was released at the end of 2012 to generally positive reviews as well as numerous awards.

Emblem

The musical's emblem is a picture of the

waif A waif (from the Old French ''guaif'', "stray beast")Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/waif (accessed: June 02, 2008) is a person removed, by hardship, loss or other helpless circumstance ...

Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an u ...

sweeping the Thénardiers' inn (which occurs in the musical during "Castle on a Cloud"). It is usually cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait, superimposed on the French flag. The image is based on an etching by

Gustave Brion Gustave Brion (1824–1877) was a French painter and illustrator. He was born at Rothau in the department of Bas-Rhin on 24 October 1824. In 1841, in Strasbourg, he entered the studio of Gabriel Guérin, with whom he remained three years; ...

, which in turn was based on the drawing by

Émile Bayard Émile-Antoine Bayard (2 November 1837 – 6 December 1891) was a French illustrator born in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne. A student of Léon Cogniet, he is known for his illustration of Cosette from ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hug ...

. Bayard's drawing appeared in several of the novel's earliest French-language editions.

Synopsis

Prologue

In 1815 in France, a chain gang of prisoners work at hard labor ("Prologue: Work Song"). After 19 years in prison,

, "Prisoner 24601," is released on parole by the prison guard

. By law, Valjean must display a yellow

ticket of leave A ticket of leave was a document of parole issued to convicts who had shown they could now be trusted with some freedoms. Originally the ticket was issued in Britain and later adapted by the United States, Canada, and Ireland. Jurisdictions ...

, which identifies him as an ex-convict ("On Parole"). As a convict, Valjean is shunned wherever he goes and cannot find regular work with decent wages or lodging. Only the Bishop of

Digne Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Cô ...

offers him food and shelter. Discontented, Valjean steals the Bishop's silver. He is captured by the police, but rather than turn him in, the Bishop tells the police that the silver was a gift, also giving Valjean a pair of silver candlesticks. The Bishop tells Valjean that he must use silver to become an honest man. ("Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven"). Humbled by the Bishop's kindness, Valjean resolves to redeem himself ("Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?)") and tears up his yellow ticket, breaking his parole.

Act I

Eight years later, in 1823, Jean Valjean assumed a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine, a wealthy factory owner and mayor of

Montreuil-sur-Mer Montreuil (; also nl, Monsterole), also known as Montreuil-sur-Mer (; pcd, Montreu-su-Mér or , literally ''Montreuil on Sea''), is a sub-prefecture in the Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. It is located on the Canche river, not far fr ...

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...

is a single mother working in his factory, trying to support her daughter

, who is being raised by an innkeeper and his wife while Fantine labors in the city. The factory foreman lusts after Fantine, and when she rejects his advances, he takes it out on the other workers, who resent her for it. One day, a coworker steals a letter about Cosette from Fantine, revealing to the other workers that Fantine has a child. A fight breaks out, and the foreman and other workers use the incident as a pretense to fire Fantine ("At the End of the Day"). Fantine reflects on her broken dreams and about Cosette's father, who abandoned them both ("

I Dreamed a Dream "I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the 1980 musical ''Les Misérables''. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron. The English lyric ...

"). Desperate for money, she sells her locket and hair, finally becoming a prostitute ("Lovely Ladies") and attracting local sailors. When she fights back against an abusive customer named Bamatabois; Javert, now a police inspector stationed in Montreuil-sur-Mer, arrives to arrest her. Valjean passes by the scene and pities Fantine when he realizes she once worked for him. He orders Javert to release her, and Valjean takes her to a hospital ("Fantine's Arrest"). Soon afterward, Valjean rescues a man who is pinned by a runaway cart ("The Runaway Cart"). Javert, who has pursued the fugitive Valjean all these years, witnesses the incident. He becomes suspicious, remembering the incredible strength Valjean displayed in the work camp. However, it turns out a man who looks like Valjean has been arrested and is about to go to trial for breaking parole. The real Valjean realizes that this case of mistaken identity could free him forever, but he is not willing to see an innocent man go to prison in his place. He confesses his identity to the court ("Who Am I? (The Trial)"). At the hospital, a delirious Fantine dreams of Cosette. Valjean promises to find Cosette and protect her ("Come to Me (Fantine's Death)"). Relieved, Fantine succumbs to her illness and dies. Javert arrives to take Valjean back into custody, but Valjean asks Javert for time to fetch Cosette. Javert refuses, insisting that a criminal like Valjean can never change for the better. They struggle, but Valjean overpowers Javert and escapes ("The Confrontation"). In

Montfermeil Montfermeil () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Montfermeil is famous as the location of Thénardiers' inn in ''Les Misérables''. It has made the headlines due to troubles in its so ...

, the duplicitous innkeepers, the

Thénardiers The Thénardiers, commonly known as (; ) and , are fictional characters, and the secondary antagonists in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel and in many adaptations of the novel into other media. They are ordinary working-class people who blame society f ...

, use Cosette as a servant and treat her cruelly while extorting money from Fantine to indulge their own daughter

Éponine Éponine Thénardier (; ), also referred to as the "Jondrette girl", is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. The character is introduced as a spoiled and pampered child, but appears later in the novel as a r ...

. Cosette dreams of a life with a mother where she is not forced to work and is treated lovingly ("Castle on a Cloud"). The Thénardiers cheat on their customers, stealing their possessions and setting high prices for low-quality services while living a life of criminal depravity ("Master of the House"). Valjean meets Cosette while she's on an errand drawing water, and offers the Thénardiers payment to adopt her ("The Bargain"). The Thénardiers feign concern for Cosette, claiming that they love her like a daughter and that she is in fragile health. Valjean negotiates with the Thénadiers, for whom he pays 1,500 francs in the end. Valjean and Cosette leave for Paris ("The Waltz of Treachery"). Julie Lund Eponine

Nine years later, in 1832, Paris is in upheaval because of the impending death of

General Lamarque Jean Maximilien Lamarque (22 July 17701 June 1832) was a French commander during the Napoleonic Wars who later became a member of the French Parliament. Lamarque served with distinction in many of Napoleon's campaigns. He was particularly noted f ...

, the only man in the government who shows mercy to the poor. Among those mingling in the streets are the student revolutionaries

Marius Pontmercy Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revoluti ...

and

Enjolras Enjolras () is a fictional character who acts as the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. In both the novel and the musical that it inspired, Enjolras is a revolutionary who fights fo ...

, who contemplate the effect Lamarque's death will have on the poor and desperate in Paris. The Thénardiers have since lost their inn and now run a street gang that consists of thugs Brujon, Babet, Claquesous, and Montparnasse. The Thénardiers' daughter Éponine is also now grown and has fallen in love with her oblivious friend Marius, as well as the streetwise young urchin

Gavroche Gavroche () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. He is a boy who lives on the streets of Paris. His name has become a synonym for an urchin or street child. Gavroche plays a short yet significant role i ...

who knows everything that happens in the slums ("Look Down"). The Thénardiers prepare to con some charitable visitors, who turn out to be Valjean and a fully-grown Cosette. While the gang confounds her father, Cosette runs into Marius, and the pair fall in love. Thénardier recognizes Valjean, but Javert intervenes before they can finish the robbery ("The Robbery"). Valjean and Cosette escape, and only later does Javert suspect who they were. Javert makes a vow that he will find Valjean and recapture him ("Stars"). Meanwhile, Marius persuades Éponine to help him find Cosette ("Éponine's Errand"). At a small café, Enjolras exhorts a group of idealistic students to prepare for revolution. Marius interrupts the serious atmosphere by fantasizing about his new-found love, much to the amusement of his compatriots ("The ABC Café/Red and Black"). When Gavroche brings the news of General Lamarque's death, the students realize that they can use the public's dismay to incite their revolution and that their time has come ("

Do You Hear the People Sing? "Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("french: À la Volonté du Peuple", literally ''To the Will of the People'', in the original French version) is one of the principal and most recognisable songs from the 1980 musical ''Les Misérables''. It is sung ...

"). At Valjean's house, Cosette thinks about her meeting with Marius. She confronts Valjean about the secrets he keeps about his and her own past ("Rue Plumet/In My Life"). Éponine leads Marius to Cosette's garden. He and Cosette meet again and confess their mutual love, while a heartbroken Éponine watches them through the garden gate and laments that Marius has fallen in love with another ("A Heart Full of Love"). Thénardier and his gang arrive, intending to rob Valjean's house, but Éponine stops them by screaming a warning ("The Attack on Rue Plumet"). The scream alerts Valjean, who believes that the intruder was Javert. He tells Cosette that it's time once again for them to go on the run, and starts planning for them to flee France altogether. On the eve of the 1832 Paris Uprising, Valjean prepares to go into exile. Cosette and Marius part in despair, while Enjolras encourages all of Paris to join the revolution. Éponine acknowledges despairingly that Marius will never love her, and Marius is conflicted about whether to follow Cosette or join the uprising. Meanwhile, Javert reveals his plans to spy on the students and the Thénardiers scheme to profit off the coming violence. Marius decides to stand with his friends, and all anticipate what the dawn will bring (" One Day More").

Act II

The students build a barricade to serve as their rally point. Javert, who is disguised as a rebel, volunteers to "spy" on the government troops. Marius discovers that Éponine has disguised herself as a boy to join the rebels. Wanting to keep his best friend safe from the impending violence, he sends her to deliver a farewell letter to Cosette. ("Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones)") Valjean intercepts the letter and learns about Marius and Cosette's romance. Éponine walks the streets of Paris alone, imagining that Marius is there with her, but laments that her love for Marius will never be reciprocated (" On My Own"). The French army arrives at the barricade and demands that the students surrender ("At the Barricade"). However, Javert tells the students that the government will not attack that night ("Javert's Arrival"). Gavroche recognizes him and quickly exposes him as a spy, and the students detain him ("Little People"). The students plan to spark a general uprising with their act of defiance, hoping that all the people of Paris will side with them and overwhelm the army. Éponine returns to find Marius but is shot by the soldiers who were crossing the barricade. As Marius holds her, she assures him that she feels no pain and reveals her love for him before dying in his arms ("A Little Fall of Rain (Eponine's Death)"). The students mourn this first loss of life at the barricades and resolve to fight in her name. Enjolras attempts to comfort Marius, who is devastated and heartbroken over the death of his best friend. Valjean arrives at the barricade, crossing the government lines disguised as a soldier ("Night of Anguish"). He hopes that he can protect Marius in the coming battle for Cosette's sake. The rebels are suspicious of him at first, but accept him after he saves Enjolras from a soldier. Valjean asks Enjolras to allow him to be the executioner of the imprisoned Javert, which Enjolras grants. But as soon as Valjean and Javert are alone, Valjean frees him. Javert warns Valjean that he will not give up his pursuit and rejects what he perceives as a bargain for Valjean's freedom. Valjean says there are no conditions to his release, and holds no grudges toward Javert for doing his duty ("The First Attack"). The students settle down for the night and express anxiety about the battle to come. Enjolras tells the other students to stay awake for a surprise attack, but he tells Marius to get some sleep because of the latter's devastation over losing Éponine. Grantaire gets angry and asks the students if they fear dying, and Marius wonders if Cosette will remember him if he does ("Drink with Me"). Valjean prays to God to protect Marius, even if the cost for his safety requires Valjean's own life ("Bring Him Home"). As dawn approaches, Enjolras realizes that the people of Paris have not risen up with them, but resolves to fight on in spite of the impossible odds ("Dawn of Anguish"). Their resolve is further increased when the army kills Gavroche, who snuck out to collect ammunition from bodies on the other side of the barricade ("The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche)"). The army gives a final warning, but the rebels fight to the last man. Everyone at the barricade is killed except Valjean and a gravely wounded Marius, who both escape into the sewers ("The Final Battle"). Javert returns to the barricade to search for Valjean, and he finds the open sewer grating. Valjean carries Marius through the sewers but collapses from exhaustion. Thénardier, who has been looting bodies, comes upon them and extracts a ring from the unconscious Marius. He flees when Valjean regains consciousness ("Dog Eats Dog"). When Valjean carries Marius to the sewer's exit, he finds Javert waiting for him. Valjean begs Javert for one hour to bring Marius to a doctor, and Javert reluctantly agrees. Javert finds himself unable to reconcile Valjean's merciful acts with his perception of Valjean as an irredeemable criminal. Finding himself torn between his beliefs about God and his desire to adhere to the law, Javert commits suicide by throwing himself into the

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("Javert's Suicide"). In the wake of the failed revolution, many women mourn the deaths of the students ("Turning"). Marius, wounded but alive, despair at the deaths of his friends and perceives that their sacrifice was for nothing ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"). As he wonders who saved his own life, Cosette confronts him and they reaffirm their blossoming romance. Valjean realizes that Cosette will not need him as a caretaker once she is married and gives them his blessing ("Every Day"). Valjean confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict and must go away because his presence endangers Cosette ("Valjean's Confession"). He makes Marius promise never to tell Cosette. A few months later, Marius and Cosette marry ("Wedding Chorale"). The Thénardiers gatecrash the reception disguised as nobility and attempt to blackmail Marius, telling him that Valjean is a murderer and that Thénardier saw him carrying a corpse in the sewers. When Thénardier shows him the ring he stole as proof, Marius realizes that it was Valjean who saved his life. The newlyweds leave to find Valjean (in some productions, Marius pauses to give Thénardier a punch in the face). The Thénardiers are not discouraged, instead gloating that their craven practicality has saved their lives time and time again ("Beggars at the Feast"). At a convent, Valjean awaits his death, having nothing left to live for. The spirit of Fantine appears to him and tells him that he has been forgiven and will soon be with God. Cosette and Marius arrive to find Valjean near death. Valjean thanks God for letting him live long enough to see Cosette again, and Marius thanks him for saving his life ("Valjean's Death"). Valjean gives Cosette a letter confessing his troubled past and the truth about her mother. As he dies, the spirits of Fantine and Éponine guide him to Heaven reminding him that "to love another person is to see the face of God". They are joined by the spirits of those who died at the barricades, all of whom sing of the coming of a better world ("Do You Hear The People Sing? (Reprise)").

Musical numbers

Instrumentation

The standard orchestration for the 2009 U.K. tour of ''Les Misérables'' consisted of: * Bass * Cello * Horn 1 * Horn 2 * Keyboard 1 * Keyboard 2 * Percussion * Reed 1 (Alto Flute, Alto Recorder, Flute, Piccolo) * Reed 2 (Cor Anglais, Oboe) * Reed 3 (B♭ Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, E♭ Clarinet, Tenor Recorder) * Trombone/ Tuba * Trumpet/ Flugelhorn * Viola * Violin

Characters

Casts

Original casts

Notable replacements

=West End (1985– )

= *Jean Valjean:

Dave Willetts Dave Willetts (born 24 June 1952) is an English singer and actor known for having leading roles in West End musicals. Early life Born in Marston Green, Birmingham, in 1952 and then brought up in Acocks Green. He first went to Cottesbrooke ...

Peter Karrie Peter Karrie (originally Peter Karagianis), born 10 August 1946, is a Welsh singer and an honorary fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He played the lead role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in Lo ...

Dudu Fisher David "Dudu" Fisher (born 18 November 1951; he, דודו פישר) is an Israeli cantor and performer, best known for his Broadway performance as Jean Valjean in the musical ''Les Misérables''. Biography The son of a Holocaust survivor, Fish ...

Martin Smith Martin Smith may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Martin Seymour-Smith (1928–1998), British poet, literary critic, biographer and astrologer *Martin Cruz Smith (born 1942), American writer * Martin Smith (drummer) (1946–1997), British drummer ...

John Owen-Jones John Owen-Jones (born 5 May 1971) is a Welsh musical theatre actor and singer, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's ''Les Misérables'' and of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''The ...

Simon Bowman Simon Bowman (born 16 February 1961) is a British actor and singer, born in Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for originating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of ''Miss Sa ...

Drew Sarich Drew Sarich (born August 24, 1975) is an American stage actor and singer songwriter from St. Louis, who performes in the English and German languages. Biography Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Bost ...

, Alfie Boe,

Ramin Karimloo Ramin Karimloo ( fa, رامین کریملو; ; born September 19, 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and Broadway theatre. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End's ...

Peter Lockyer Peter Lockyer is an American actor and tenor. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. As a child, he split his time between Toronto and Connecticut, and went to the same high school as the actress Gretchen Mol. Lockyer has appeared in numerous prod ...

Simon Gleeson Simon Gleeson (born 13 January 1977) is an Australian actor and singer who is best known for playing Jean Valjean in the 2014 Australian revival and in the 2016/17 cast of the West End production of ''Les Misérables''. He performed in Noël Co ...

Killian Donnelly Killian Donnelly (born 25 June 1984) is an Irish tenor. He has appeared in musicals and plays, such as ''Les Misérables'', '' The Phantom of the Opera'', '' The Commitments'', '' Memphis'' and '' Kinky Boots''. Background Donnelly is from Ki ...

Jon Robyns Jon Robyns (born 8 December 1982) is a British stage actor, who is best known for playing the roles of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q the musical and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables in London's West End. Early life Robyns was born in Manchester ...

, Glyn Kerslake (u/s),

Antony Hansen Antony Stuart Hansen Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom) is an English actor, singer and songwriter who is best known for his roles in London's West End. Career Antony Hansen trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, and wa ...

(u/s) *Javert:

Clive Carter Clive Carter is a British actor and singer, best known for his role of "Claude Elliott and others" in the original London cast of ''Come From Away'', for which he received an Olivier Award nomination. He studied at London Academy of Music and Dra ...

Philip Quast Philip Mark Quast (born 30 July 1957) is an Australian actor and singer. He has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical three times, making him the first actor to have three wins in that category. He is perhaps best known f ...

David Burt David Burt (1953) is a British actor, known primarily for his many and wide-ranging West End performances. David Burt is the son of Pip Hinton, better known for her role in '' Crackerjack'' alongside Eamonn Andrews and later Leslie Crowther. ...

Peter Corry Peter Corry is a Northern Irish singer, director, producer and actor. As a performer Corry has been cast in productions of ''Così fan tutte'', ''The Marriage of Figaro,'' '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', ''On Eagle's Wing' ...

, Michael McCarthy, Jérôme Pradon,

Earl Carpenter Earl Carpenter (born 9 May 1970) is an English musical theatre actor, recognised chiefly for his work in London's West End. He is known for his performances as Javert in the stage musical ''Les Misérables'' and as The Phantom in the London pro ...

Norm Lewis Norm Lewis (born June 2, 1963) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in Europe, on Broadway, in film, television, recordings and regional theatre. Productions that he has been involved in include ''Dessa Rose'', ''Miss Saigon'', '' T ...

Hadley Fraser Robert Hugh "Hadley" Fraser (born 21 April 1980) is an English actor and singer. He made his West End debut as Marius in ''Les Misérables''. He also originated the role of Tiernan in the Broadway show '' The Pirate Queen''. Life and career ...

Tam Mutu Tam Mutu (born April 30, 1978) is an English stage and screen actor. He began his career on the West End in the early 2000s. He was part of the original West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''Love Never Dies'' (2010–2011) before sta ...

Hayden Tee Hayden Tee is a New Zealand actor, singer, and makeup artist. He has played varied roles in musical theatre, concert and cabaret. He is based in the United States but has also performed in New Zealand, the UK, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia. ...

, David Thaxton,

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...

*Fantine:

Rebecca Storm Rebecca Storm is a British singer and musical theatre actress. Her 1985 hit single "The Show" was the theme to the ITV television series ''Connie''. Early career Rebecca Storm found her passion for singing when she was 11, although she began s ...

Kathleen Rowe McAllen Kathleen Rowe McAllen (born c. 1960) is an American actress, best known for appearing in stage musicals and soap operas. Biography Kathleen Rowe McAllen was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended UC Berkeley and UCLA as a pre-med major. ...

Siobhán McCarthy Siobhán Mary Ann McCarthy (born 6 November 1957 in Dublin) is an Irish television and stage actress. Career McCarthy portrays Roisin Connor in ITV1's Prison drama Bad Girls. Her other television credits include '' Lovejoy'', ''The Big Battal ...

Jenna Russell Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She performed the role of Dot in ''Sunday in the ...

Ruthie Henshall Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...

, Claire Moore,

Silvie Paladino Silvie Paladino (born 18 August 1971) is an Australian singer. She began singing at the age of nine, learning at an inner-Melbourne music school, and from an early age won several major singing competitions, including the Italian Song Festival and ...

Gunilla Backman Gunilla Katarina Backman (born 18 June 1965) is a Swedes, Swedish singer, actress, and Musical theatre, musical-artist. Early life and career Backman comes from a musical family and studied classical ballet from 1972 until 1982 at Kungliga Teate ...

Carola Häggkvist Carola Maria Häggkvist (; born 8 September 1966), commonly known simply as Carola, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s and has released albums ranging from pop and disco ...

, Carmen Cusack,

Joanna Ampil Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom. Career Joanna is a stage actress. She played Kim in ''Miss Saigon'' (London, original Australian production, original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour a ...

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

, Allyson Brown,

Madalena Alberto Madalena Alberto is a Portuguese actress, singer and composer who has developed her career in the West End. Alberto received rave reviews for her role as Eva Perón in '' Evita'' in the West End (16 September - 1 November 2014), where the show ar ...

Caroline Sheen Caroline Sheen is a Welsh actress who has played leading roles on stage in the West End alongside TV and film appearances. She won a Helen Hayes award for playing the role of Mary Poppins on the National Tour of America. Background Born and ...

, Sierra Boggess,

Celinde Schoenmaker Celinde Schoenmaker (born 15 January 1989) is a Dutch actress and singer. She is known for appearing as Renate Blauel in '' Rocketman'', Fantine in the West End production of the musical ''Les Misérables'', and Christine Daae in the West En ...

Na-Young Jeon Na-Young Jeon is a Dutch-South Korean actress and singer, best known for her musical theatre work. Background Born and raised in The Netherlands, she studied piano from the age of four and was involved in many productions of AlbA Theaterhuis in ...

Rachelle Ann Go Rachelle Ann Villalobos Go-Spies (born August 31, 1986) is a Filipina singer and actress. She began her career by participating in and winning several singing competitions, the first of which was in the long-running Philippine variety show ''E ...

Carley Stenson Carley Stenson (born 22 September 1982) is an English actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Steph Cunningham in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and Harriet Shelton in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. For her role as Steph, s ...

Carrie Hope Fletcher Carrie Hope Fletcher (born 22 October 1992) is an English actress, singer-songwriter, author and internet personality, having played the role of Éponine and Fantine in ''Les Misérables.'' She starred in the original production of ''Cinderell ...

Lucie Jones Lucie Bethan Jones (born 20 March 1991) is a Welsh singer, musical theatre actress, and model. Jones first came to prominence while competing on series 6 of ''The X Factor UK'' in 2009, where she finished eighth. She represented the United Ki ...

, Caroline Quentin (u/s),

Dianne Pilkington Dianne Lesley Pilkington (born 7 June 1975) is an English theatre actress and singer. Personal life Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award. Pilkington marrie ...

(u/s) *Thénardier: Barry James,

Peter Polycarpou Peter Polycarpou is an English-Cypriot actor, best known for playing Chris Theodopolopodous in the television comedy series '' Birds of a Feather'' and Louis Charalambos in ''The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies''. Early life Polycarpou w ...

Hilton McRae Hilton McRae (born 28 December 1949) is a Scottish actor, working in theatre, television and film. Career McRae was part of the radical theatre group 7:84 before graduating from the University of Edinburgh, and by 1977 he had joined the Royal ...

Chris Langham Christopher Langham (born 14 April 1949) is an English writer, actor, and comedian. He is known for playing the cabinet minister Hugh Abbot in the BBC sitcom '' The Thick of It'', and as presenter Roy Mallard in '' People Like Us'', first on B ...

Martin Ball Martin Ball (born October 10, 1964) is an English theatre and television actor. He was born and grew up in Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. He trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and graduated in 1992. Career His various theatre ...

Stephen Tate Stephen Tate is a British actor and musical theatre artist. Career Television He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama '' Survivors'' and as Dick Meyer in the 1980s comedy drama '' Big Deal'' along ...

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...

*Madame Thénardier:

Rosemary Ashe Rosemary Ashe (born 28 March 1953) is an English stage actress and singer. Early life and training She was born to Philip Stephen Ashe and Dorothy May (née Watts). She attended Lowestoft Grammar School before studying at the Royal Academy of ...

Jenny Galloway Jenny Galloway is a British actress, and singer best known for her stage career which includes Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables. She has received numerous awards and nominations, winning the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress ...

Gay Soper Gay Soper is an English actress and singer. Her career includes singing ''Turn Back, O Man'' in the original 1971 London production of ''Godspell''. She sang the role of Madam Thenardier on the complete symphonic recording of ''Les Misérables ...

Harriet Thorpe Harriet Amelia Thorpe (born 8 June 1957) is an English actress. Thorpe trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She is known for her roles in the British sitcoms, '' The Brittas Empire'' (1991–97) and '' Absolutely Fabulous'' ...

Louise Plowright Louise Plowright (1 June 1956 – 1 March 2016) was a British actress who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She first came to prominence playing abrasive hairdresser Julie Cooper in the television soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1 ...

, Claire Moore,

Tracie Bennett Tracie Bennett (born 17 June 1961) is an English singer and stage and television actress. She trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in Clapham, London. She played the role of Sharon Gaskell in ''Coronation Street'' from 1982 to 1 ...

Vicky Entwistle Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagen ...

Linzi Hateley Linzi Hateley (born 23 October 1970) is an English stage actress. At the age of 21, in 1992, she became one of the youngest nominees for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Narrator in the West End ...

Jodie Prenger Jodie Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known as the winner of BBC television series '' I'd Do Anything'' on 31 May 2008 and the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006. In 2022, she began portraying the ...

Josefina Gabrielle Josefina Gabrielle (born October 1963) is a British stage and television actress, and a former ballet dancer, best known for her performances in West End musicals and plays. Theatrical career Gabrielle was born in London in October 1963 to ...

*Cosette:

Myrra Malmberg Anna Myrra Malmberg (born 20 December 1966) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, actress and photographer. Early life Anna Myrra Malmberg was born in the Stockholm suburb of Farsta,Sveriges befolkning 1980: ''Malmberg, Anna Margareta'' and spent ...

Gina Beck Gina or GINA or ''variation'' may refer to: Gina Gina may refer to: * Gina (given name), multiple individuals * Gina (Canaan), a town in ancient Canaan * Arihant (Jainism), also called gina, a term for a human who has conquered his or her inner p ...

, Celia Graham,

Camilla Kerslake Camilla Kerslake is an English classical crossover singer from London who was the first signing to Gary Barlow's record label.

, Katie Hall,

(u/s) *Marius:

Graham Bickley Graham John Bickley (born 18 May 1958) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for playing the role of Joey Boswell in '' Bread'' from 1989 until 1991, taking over from Peter Howitt, who played him from 1986 until 1989. Early life Bi ...

Glenn Carter Glenn Carter (born 27 March 1964) is an English stage actor and singer-songwriter performing leading roles in musicals staged in London's West End. Early life Carter was born in Staffordshire, England. He trained at the Arts Educational Schoo ...

Martin Crewes Martin Crewes is an Australian stage, television and movie actor. Early life Crewes was born in London. He moved to Australia when he was 10 years of age, and attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, in Perth, Western Austra ...

, Adrian Lewis Morgan, Tom Lowe, Jon Lee,

Alistair Brammer Alistair Daniel Brammer (born 12 November 1988) is an English actor best known for playing Jean Prouvaire in both the 2010 special '' Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert'' and the 2012 musical film ''Les Misérables''. Brammer performed as ...

Gareth Gates Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show ''Pop Idol'' in 2002. As of 2008, Gates had sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He is ...

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

Steve Balsamo Steve Balsamo is a Welsh singer and songwriter, best known for playing the lead role in the London production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' during the mid-1990s. He performs as a member of several bands and is also a successful songwriter. He is ...

(u/s),

Fra Fee Francis Martin "Fra" Fee (born 20 May 1987) is an Irish actor and singer. He is known for portraying Courfeyrac in Tom Hooper's film adaptation of ''Les Misérables''. He portrayed the role of Michael Carney in Jez Butterworth's ''The Ferryman ...

(u/s) *Éponine:

Siân Reeves Siân Reeves is an English actress, known for her roles as Sydney Henshall in the BBC drama ''Cutting It'', Sally Spode in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' and Charlie Wood in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Life and career Reeves w ...

Meredith Braun Meredith Braun (born 1973) began her career as a child actor in her native New Zealand before relocating to the UK and starring in a number of West End musicals and touring productions. Early life As a child in Remuera, Auckland, Braun appeare ...

, Lea Salonga,

Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and S ...

Shonagh Daly Shonagh Daly (born 1980 in Castletroy, Co. Limerick) is an Irish singer and musical performer Performances 'Discovered' by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Shonagh sang at the inaugural gala for George W. Bush on 18 January 2001 which was also attended by ...

Sabrina Aloueche Sabrina Aloueche is an English musical theatre actress. She trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School and furthered her training at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Mountview academy She is best known for her role as Scaramouche in the musical ...

, Nancy Sullivan,

Samantha Barks Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a Manx actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Your ...

, Alexia Khadime,

Danielle Hope Danielle Hope (born 26 April 1992) is an English actress and singer. She was the winner of the BBC talent contest '' Over The Rainbow'' and as a result played the part of Dorothy in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of '' The Wizard of Oz'', w ...

Eva Noblezada Eva Maria Noblezada (; born March 18, 1996) is an American actress and singer. Noblezada made her Broadway debut as Kim in a revival of ''Miss Saigon'', a performance for which she received a nomination for a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actress ...

(u/s),

Helen Owen Helen Owen (born 1 May 1980) is an English theatre actor known for her roles in ''Les Misérables'', '' Mamma Mia'' and '' The Wizard of Oz''. She is married to actor Thomas Aldridge. Early life Born in Rochdale, England, Owen went to school at ...

(u/s) *Enjolras:

, Glyn Kerslake,

Oliver Thornton Oliver Rhoe Thornton (born 10 September 1979) is a stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End theatre, West End. Life and career Early life Thornton was born on 10 September 1979 ...

, David Thaxton,

(u/s),

(u/s) *Gavroche:

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

, Adam Searles,

James Byng James Byng (born 1985) is an English actor and vocalist. Acting since the age of ten, James made his West End debut in the title role of '' Oliver!'' at the London Palladium. He played the same role in the national tour of ''Oliver!'' and ...

Chris Fountain Christopher Ryan "Chris" Fountain (born 3 September 1987) is an English actor and DJ. He is known for his roles as Damien Jones in Emmerdale, Justin Burton in ''Hollyoaks'' and as Tommy Duckworth in ''Coronation Street''. Early life Fount ...

, James Buckley,

Jonathan Bailey Jonathan Stuart Bailey (born 25 April 1988) is an English actor. Known for his comedic, dramatic, and musical roles on stage and screen, he is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award and a nomination for a Evening Standard Theatre Award. Ba ...

Perry Millward Perry Millward (born 24 October 1992) is an English actor primarily known for his work on theatre, stage (especially in London, London's West End theatre, West End), and with a number of film and television credits. Millward was born in Sidcup, ...

, Robert Madge,

Daniel Huttlestone Daniel Richard Huttlestone (born 17 September 1999) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Gavroche in Tom Hooper's ''Les Misérables'' and Jack in the musical film ''Into the Woods'', which both earned him a 2013 and 2015 Young ...

=Broadway (1987–2003)

= *Jean Valjean: Gary Morris,

, Robert Marien, Rob Evan,

John Cudia John Cudia is a classical singer and a musical theatre actor who has played many of the biggest roles in musical theatre on Broadway. Born on September 21, 1970, Cudia was raised in Toms River, New Jersey. He graduated from Monsignor Donovan High ...

(u/s),

Mike Eldred Mike Eldred may refer to: * Mike Eldred (guitarist) (born 1961), American guitarist and luthier * Mike Eldred (singer) Mike Eldred (born June 12, 1965) is an American tenor, known for his work in musical theater. He has performed on Broadway and ...

(u/s) *Javert:

Anthony Crivello Anthony Crivello (born August 2, 1955) is an American actor who has appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including ''Les Misérables'', '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'', '' Golden Boy'', '' Marie Christine'', and '' The News''. ...

, Robert Westenberg,

Chuck Wagner Chuck Wagner is an American actor, director, musical theater historian and teacher. He has had an extensive career in theater, but is perhaps best known for co-starring in the short-lived science fiction TV series ''Automan'' (1983–84). Notabl ...

Robert Cuccioli Robert Cuccioli (born May 3, 1958) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for originating the lead dual title roles in the musical ''Jekyll and Hyde'', for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the Joseph Jefferson Award, th ...

Gregg Edelman Gregg Edelman (born September 12, 1958) is an American movie, television and theatre actor. Biography Edelman was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended Niles North High School, where he starred as Li'l Abner opposite future soap star Nancy Lee G ...

Shuler Hensley Shuler Paul Hensley (born March 6, 1967) is an American singer and actor. Early life Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley Jr., is a former Georgia T ...

, Michael McCarthy, Stephen Bogardus (u/s), David Benoit (u/s), Robert Hunt (u/s) *Fantine:

Maureen Moore Maureen Moore (born August 12, 1951 in Wallingford, Connecticut) is an American actress.Berkvist, RobertNew Face: Maureen Moore"''The New York Times'', July 1, 1977 She attended Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in theater and worked at the G ...

Laurie Beechman Laurie Hope Beechman (April 4, 1953 – March 8, 1998) was an American actress and singer, known for her work in Broadway musicals. She also had a career as a cabaret performer and recording artist. After her death, the West Bank Cafe Downstairs T ...

Rachel York Rachel York (born August 7, 1971) is an American actress and singer. She is known for stage roles in '' City of Angels'', ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Victor/Victoria'', ''Kiss Me, Kate'', ''Sly Fox'', '' Dirty Rotten Scound ...

, Donna Kane,

Andrea McArdle Andrea McArdle is an American singer and actress best known for originating the role of Annie in the Broadway musical '' Annie''. Career McArdle was born in Philadelphia. While studying dance as a child, she was spotted by a talent agent who got ...

Debbie Gravitte Debbie Shapiro Gravitte is an American actress and singer. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Career Gravitte made her Broadway debut in the chorus of '' They're Playing Our Song'' in 1979. She performed on Broadway in '' Blues in the Nig ...

Catherine Hickland Catherine Hickland (born February 11, 1956) Note: Aged 51 on Feb.11, 2007 implies that she was born on Feb.11, 1956. is an American film, stage, and television actress, as well as a singer, author and cosmetics-company CEO and hypnotist. She ...

Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara (born Donna Paige Helmintoller; May 10, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and painter. O'Hara began her career as a Broadway actress in 1983 when she portrayed Ellie May Chipley in the musical ''Showboat''. In 1991, she made her m ...

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

, Christy Baron,

Alice Ripley Alice Ripley (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning ''Next to Normal'' (2009 To ...

Lauren Kennedy Lauren Kennedy (born September 3, 1973) is an American actress and singer who has performed numerous times on Broadway. She is now the producing artistic director of Theatre Raleigh in her home state of North Carolina. Education Kennedy was bor ...

, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan,

Ann Crumb Elizabeth Ann Crumb (May 25, 1950 – October 31, 2019)

(u/s),

Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of ''Jane Eyre''. Personal life Schaffel was raised in Miami, Florida,

(u/s) *Thénardier: Ed Dixon,

Nick Wyman Nick Wyman (born May 18, 1950) is an American stage, television, and film actor, and is a former president of the Actors' Equity Association. Early life and education Wyman was born in Portland, Maine and raised in Summit, New Jersey and atten ...

, David Benoit (u/s) *Madame Thénardier:

Betsy Joslyn Betsy Joslyn (born April 19, 1954 in Staten Island, New York) is a Broadway musical and dramatic actress and soprano. Joslyn is best known for her Broadway work, including the original 1979 production of ''Sweeney Todd''. She appeared in the e ...

Olga Merediz Olga Merediz (born February 15, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Merediz originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical ''In the Heights'', for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured ...

(u/s),

Jessica Molaskey Jessica Molaskey (born January 9, 1962) is an American professional actor and singer of torch songs and show tunes. She has appeared in a dozen Broadway shows, including '' Sunday in the Park with George'', ''Tommy'', '' Crazy for You'', ''Chess' ...

(u/s) *Cosette: Jacquelyn Piro Donovan,

Sarah Litzsinger Sarah Elizabeth Litzsinger is an American actress and singer, best known for her career in musical theatre. Life and career Litzsinger's family is from Carmel, Indiana. She made her Broadway debut in 1983 at age eleven, as the understudy for You ...

(u/s),

Megan Lawrence Megan Lawrence (born 1972) is an American actress best known for her roles on Broadway. Among other honors, she has been nominated for a Tony Award. She has also appeared Off-Broadway, in regional theatre and on television. Life and career Lawre ...

(u/s),

Elena Shaddow Elena Shaddow is an American singer and actress. She is originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio.Jennifer Paz Jennifer Paz-Fedorov (born April 23, 1974) is a Filipina-born American actress. She is mostly known for her recurring role as Lapis Lazuli in ''Steven Universe'' and '' Steven Universe Future''. Career The youngest of four children, Paz moved w ...

(u/s) *Marius:

Hugh Panaro Hugh Panaro (born February 19, 1964) is an American actor and singer known for his work on Broadway. Early life Panaro was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resided in the East Oak Lane section of the city with his family. As a schoolchild, ...

, Eric Kunze,

Matthew Porretta Matthew Charles Porretta (born May 29, 1965) is an American television-, voice-, and film-actor, known for his appearances in ''Wings'', ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights''. He has also appeared on Broadway and in video ...

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

Chris Diamantopoulos Chris Diamantopoulos (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian actor. He played Russ Hanneman in the HBO series '' Silicon Valley'' and starred in the film '' The Three Stooges'', and the TV series ''Good Girls Revolt''. He currently voices Mickey Mouse ...

Kevin Kern Kevin Kern (born Kevin Lark Gibbs on December 22, 1958) is an American pianist, composer and recording artist. He is generally recognized as a representative of new-age music. Born legally blind, Kern is aided in studio by SONAR's accessibilit ...

Marcus Lovett Marcus Lovett is an American singer and actor who was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He is known for his roles in musical theatre. His credits include leading roles in ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Aspects of Love'', ''Carousel'' and ''King D ...

(u/s),

Hunter Foster Hunter Foster (born June 25, 1969) is an American musical theatre actor, singer, librettist, playwright and director. Career After touring in several shows and playing on Broadway, in 2001 he was cast in his breakthrough role of Bobby Strong i ...

(u/s),

Max von Essen Max von Essen (born January 11, 1974) is an American stage and screen actor, and vocalist. Life and career Raised on Long Island, von Essen is a graduate of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, New York. He attended the University o ...

(u/s) *Éponine:

Natalie Toro Natalie Toro is an American singer and actress for stage, television, and film. Early life and education Toro was born in Bronx, NY, where her parents both immigrated to from Puerto Rico. She debuted at the Apollo Theater at the age of five. Lat ...

Debbie Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...

, Lea Salonga,

Sarah Uriarte Berry Sarah Uriarte Berry is an American actress and singer. Career Berry is a native of California and graduated from UCLA in 1992. She made her Broadway debut as Eponine in ''Les Misérables'' in 1993.Shanice Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the ''Billboard'' hit singles " I Love Your Smile" and " Silent Prayer" in 1991 and " Saving Forever for You" in 19 ...

Jessica Boevers Jessica Boevers (born August 25, 1972) is an American actress who has appeared in a number of Broadway productions, Off-Broadway productions, films, and television. Early life Boevers attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservator ...

Catherine Brunell Catherine Brunell is an American actress from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She married actor Christopher Mark Peterson on October 20, 2002. Acting roles Broadway Television Education * Shrewsbury High School - Shrewsbury, Massachusetts *No ...

Kerry Butler Kerry Butler is an American actress and singer known primarily for her work in theatre. She is best known for originating the roles of Barbara Maitland in ''Beetlejuice'', Penny Pingleton in ''Hairspray'', and Clio/Kira in '' Xanadu'', the latt ...

Diana Kaarina Diana Kaarina (born March 17, 1975) is a Canadian voice and stage actress based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Career Kaarina was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Richmond, British Columbia. She got her start with Theatre Under ...

(u/s),

Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Di ...

(u/s),

Jennifer Paz Jennifer Paz-Fedorov (born April 23, 1974) is a Filipina-born American actress. She is mostly known for her recurring role as Lapis Lazuli in ''Steven Universe'' and '' Steven Universe Future''. Career The youngest of four children, Paz moved w ...

(u/s) *Enjolras:

Ron Bohmer Ron Bohmer is an American actor and singer best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway and as a recording artist and singer-songwriter. He has starred in numerous Broadway productions, including ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'',Ben Brantley"T ...

Gary Mauer Gary Mauer is an American theatre actor who most recently starred in the third national tour of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' playing the role of the Phantom. On Broadway, Gary starred as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny in ''Phantom'' and played the rol ...

Kevin Earley Kevin Earley is an American actor and singer. Biography Earley was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of four brothers, and attended Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois. He trained at the Webster Conservatory of Webster University in the ...

(u/s),

Darren Ritchie Darren Ritchie (born 1975) is a Scottish former long jumper. He was born in Edinburgh. He was a six-time Scottish long jump champion, and also won the triple jump in 2004. He also added two Scottish indoor titles in long jump. He was a three-ti ...

(u/s) *Gavroche: Michael Shulman,

Jarrod Spector Jarrod Spector (born April 16, 1981) is an American actor and singer. Early life and education Spector was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He made his Broadway theatre, Broadway debut in ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérables'', pla ...

Jason Tam Jason Tam (born June 28, 1982) is an actor and dancer, born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from Punahou School for high school and went to CAP 21 in New York City for musical theatre. His most notable roles include Markko Rivera on the dayt ...

, Michael Zeidman,

Grant Rosenmeyer Grant Mandel Rosenmeyer (born July 3, 1991) is an American actor and screenwriter best known for his roles in ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' and on the FOX television sitcom '' Oliver Beene''. Early life and education Rosenmeyer was born in Manhas ...

Harrison Chad Harrison Chad is an American actor known for his roles in Broadway musicals, television, and film. Early life and education Chad was born in New York City and started performing when he was six years old. He has performed in four Broadway show ...

*Young Cosette:

Donna Vivino Donna Marie Vivino is an American theatre, television, film actress and singer. She is well known for playing Elphaba in the Broadway production of ''Wicked'' and as the original Young Cosette in ''Les Misérables'' on Broadway. She was seen on ...

Daisy Eagan Daisy Eagan is an American actress. Early life Eagan was born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family. Her mother, Andrea Boroff Eagan, was a medical writer; she died when Eagan was 13. Her father, Richard Eagan, is a visual and performing artist. Dai ...

Eden Riegel Eden Sonja Jane Riegel (born January 1, 1981) is an American actress. She portrayed Bianca Montgomery in the daytime drama ''All My Children'', and propelled the character into a gay icon, as well as a popular figure within the medium. Nominated ...

Savannah Wise Savannah Wise (born April 25, 1984) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She played Jessica on the NBC American musical theatre dramedy television series '' Smash''. She is also known for her work on Broadway as Evelyn Nesbit in the 2009 r ...

Lacey Chabert Lacey Nicole Chabert ( ; born September 30, 1982) is an American actress. One of her first roles was playing Erica Kane's daughter on ''All My Children''. She was the third actress to play Bianca Montgomery, playing the part from 1992 until 1993. ...

Nathalie Paulding Nathalie Nicole Paulding is an actress; she has performed in American theatre, film, and television. Early life Living in Hollywood, Florida, in 1994, Paulding was enrolled in the Little Flower Montessori School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at ...

, Lea Michele,

Alicia Morton Alicia Morton (born April 29, 1987) is an American former actress, singer, dancer, drama teacher, and veterinarian technician. She starred as Annie Bennett Warbucks in the 1999 Wonderful World of Disney production of '' Annie'', which was based ...

Andrea Bowen Andrea Bowen is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on Broadway musicals, including ''Les Misérables'' and ''The Sound of Music''. In 2004, she began playing the role of Julie Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series ''Des ...

Janel Parrish Janel Meilani Parrish Long (born October 30, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She starred as Mona Vanderwaal in the mystery-drama television series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017) and its spinoff '' Pretty Little Liars: The Perfecti ...

=Australia (1987–1990)

= *Jean Valjean:

Normie Rowe Norman John Rowe (born 1 February 1947) is an Australian singer and songwriter of pop music and an actor of theatre and soap opera for which he remains best known as Douglas Fletcher in 1980s serial '' Sons and Daughters''. As a singer he was ...

, Rob Guest *Javert:

John Diedrich John Edwin Diedrich (born 25 February 1953 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian actor, director, producer and singer, known for stage and television roles in Australia and the UK. He played the lead role of Curly in the 1980 West End revi ...

*Fantine:

Debra Byrne Debra Anne Byrne (born 30 March 1957), formerly billed as Debbie Byrne, is an Australian pop singer, variety entertainer, theatre and TV actress and writer, director and choreographer of cabaret. From April 1971 to March 1975 she was a founding ...

Peta Toppano Peita Margaret Toppano (born 1951)GRO Birth Index EnglandLawson, Valerie. , ''Sydney Morning Herald'' (13 December 2003): "They fell in love and married in 1950 in a church at Golders Green, London. Their daughter, Peta, was born a year later." ...

*Cosette:

Marina Prior Marina Prior (born 18 October 1963) is an Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly in musical theatre. From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original Christine Daaé in the Australian premiere of ''The Phantom of the Opera'', opposit ...

Anita Louise Combe Anita Louise Combe is an Australian actress, singer, dancer who has worked extensively in the entertainment industry all around the world. Combe attended the Gwen Mackay School of Dancing and trained in the Cechetti method of ballet with Jenni ...

*Marius:

Peter Cousens Peter Cousens (born 2 November 1955) is an Australian actor and singer born in Tamworth, New South Wales. He is the Artistic Director of the Talent Development Project. He attended The Armidale School in Armidale from 1969 to 1973 and then Go ...

Simon Burke Simon Gareth Burke (born 8 October 1961) is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre. Biography Simon Burke began his career at the age of 12, starring in Michael Cove's ''Kookaburra''; a painful look at a dysfunctional wo ...

*Éponine:

*Enjolras: Anthony Warlow

=1st, 2nd & 3rd US national tours (1987–2006)

= *Jean Valjean: Gary Morris, Jordan Bennett, Rob Evan,

Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson (born 5 June 1944), also known as C. T. Wilkinson, is an Irish tenor and actor who is best known for originating the lead role of Jean Valjean in ''Les Misérables'' (in the West End and Broadway) and for taking the title role i ...

*Javert:

Jeff McCarthy Jeffrey Charles McCarthy (born October 16, 1954) is an American actor and director. Early life McCarthy was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Santa Maria, California - growing up blocks away from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, ...

Paul Schoeffler Paul Schoeffler (born November 21, 1958) is a Canadian stage, film, television, and voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice a ...

, Robert Hunt, William Michals (u/s) *Fantine:

Ann Crumb Elizabeth Ann Crumb (May 25, 1950 – October 31, 2019)

Hollis Resnik Hollis Resnik (1955 – April 17, 2022) was an American singer and actress, especially in stage musicals. Biography Raised in Euclid, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland), as a young girl she studied piano and took voice lessons and performed with the Cl ...

, Donna Kane, Christy Baron,

, Lisa Vroman,

, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan,

Joan Almedilla Joan Richelle C. Almedilla (born September 19, 1973) is a film and theater actress, composer, and singer who has starred as Kim in the Broadway musical ''Miss Saigon''. Life and career Almedilla was born to Agapito and Rosario, whose roots are ...

Carolee Carmello Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time ...

(u/s) *Thénardier:

Gary Beach Gary Beach (October 10, 1947 – July 17, 2018) was an American actor of stage, film and television. His roles included Roger De Bris in both the stage and film productions of ''The Producers'', which won him a Tony Award, and Lumiere in the st ...

, David Benoit,

Michael Kostroff Michael Kostroff (born May 22, 1961) is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program ''The Wire'' as defense attorney Maurice Levy. Kostroff starred in the fifth season of the series and appeared in all four earlier seasons as a guest star ...

*Madame Thénardier:

Sharron Matthews Sharron Matthews is a Canadian actress.Daniel Nolan ''Hamilton Spectator'', February 25, 2021. She is most noted for her regular role as Flo Chakowitz in the television series ''Frankie Drake Mysteries'', for which she received Canadian Screen Aw ...

(u/s),

Anne L. Nathan Anne L. Nathan is an American actress and singer. Career Anne L. Nathan made her Broadway debut in 1998 as Brigit in ''Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its car ...

(u/s), Lisa Howard (u/s) *Cosette:

Melissa Errico Melissa Errico (born March 23, 1970)"Melissa Errico"
profile,

, Lisa Vroman, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan,

(u/s),

Barbara Walsh Barbara Walsh (born June 3, 1955) is an American musical theatre actress who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions. Walsh is known for her Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominated role as Trina in the original Broadway product ...

(u/s),

Lisa Michelson Lisa Paulette Michelson (March 31, 1958 – September 14, 1991) was an American voice actress. She was best known for providing the voices of Satsuki Kusakabe in the Streamline Pictures dub of ''My Neighbor Totoro'' and Kiki in the Streamline d ...

(u/s),

Sarah Uriarte Berry Sarah Uriarte Berry is an American actress and singer. Career Berry is a native of California and graduated from UCLA in 1992. She made her Broadway debut as Eponine in ''Les Misérables'' in 1993.Catherine Brunell Catherine Brunell is an American actress from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She married actor Christopher Mark Peterson on October 20, 2002. Acting roles Broadway Television Education * Shrewsbury High School - Shrewsbury, Massachusetts *No ...

(u/s),

Jill Paice Jill Paice is an American actress best known for her musical theatre roles. She originated the roles of Laura Fairlie in the musical ''The Woman in White'' in the West End (2004) and on Broadway (2005); Niki in '' Curtains'' on Broadway (2006) ...

(u/s), Sierra Boggess (u/s) *Marius:

, Gilles Chiasson,

Tim Howar Timothy Howar (born 24 November 1969) is a Canadian-born English actor and singer who is currently with the pop-rock band Mike + The Mechanics. Career Howar was born in Spirit River, Alberta, Canada.Mandel, Lyssa"Tim Howar"broadway.com, Febr ...

Josh Young Josh Young is an American actor best known for appearing on Broadway in the revival of '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' as Judas and ''Amazing Grace'', originating the role of John Newton. Early life and education Young was raised in Wallingford, Pen ...

Adam Jacobs Adam Jacobs (born circa 1979) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for originating the title role of Aladdin in ''Disney's ''Aladdin (2011 musical), Aladdin'' on Broadway.'' He also starred as Marius in the Les Miserables 2006 Broad ...

*Éponine: Michelle Nicastro,

, Ma-Anne Dionisio,

, Caren Lyn Tackett,

Sally Dworsky Sally Dworsky is an American singer-songwriter and playback singer in animated films. In addition to her solo work and co-fronting the alt-rock band Uma, Dworsky served as the singing voice for lead characters in iconic animated films including ...

(u/s),

(u/s) *Enjolras:

, Michael Maguire,

, Amick Byram (u/s),

Jarrod Emick Jarrod Emick (born July 2, 1969) is an American actor who primarily acts in musicals. He received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the 1994 revival of ''Damn Yankees''. Biography Emick grew u ...

(u/s), Rob Evan (u/s) *Gavroche:

Phillip Glasser Phillip Alexander Glasser (born October 4, 1978) is an American producer and a former actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Fievel Mousekewitz in ''An American Tail ''An American Tail'' is a 1986 American animated musical adventur ...

Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series ''Girl ...

Aaron Michael Metchik Aaron Michael Metchik (born April 22, 1980), also credited as Aaron Metchik, is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his role as Steven Floyd Torkelson on ''The Torkelsons'' and as Jeremy in '' Trading Mom''. Biography Metchik's a ...

Sam Riegel Samuel Brent Oscar Riegel, sometimes credited as Jack Lingo, is an American voice actor, director, and writer. He is a regular cast member of the web series ''Critical Role'', in which he and other fellow voice actors play ''Dungeons & Dragons' ...

, Andrew Leeds,

Noah Galvin Noah Egidi Galvin (born May 6, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for playing Dr. Asher Wolke in the TV series '' The Good Doctor'', Kenny O'Neal in the ABC sitcom ''The Real O'Neals'' and later taking over the titular ro ...

*Young Cosette:

Kimberly McCullough Kimberly Anne McCullough (born March 5, 1978) is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera ''General Hospital'', a role which she originated at age seven, playing the characte ...

Larisa Oleynik Larisa Romanovna Oleynik (; born June 7, 1981) is an American actress who became a teen idol in the 1990s. Born in Santa Clara and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Oleynik began her career as a child actor, first appearing ...

Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...

Madeleine Martin Madeleine Elizabeth Martin (born April 15, 1993) is an American actress, known for her role as the character Rebecca "Becca" Moody on Showtime comedy-drama ''Californication''. Early life Martin grew up in New York City, United States. As her ...

=Broadway revival (2006–08)

= *Jean Valjean:

Jeff Kready Jeff Kready (born in Parsons, Kansas, United States) is an American stage performer and has been featured in Broadway musicals. Raised in Topeka, Kansas, Kready made his Broadway debut in the 2006 revival of ''Les Misérables'' in the role of ...

(u/s) *Javert:

, Robert Hunt *Fantine: Lea Salonga,

Judy Kuhn Judy Kuhn (born May 20, 1958) is an American actress and singer, known for her work in musical theatre. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums and sang the title role in the 1995 film '' Pocahontas'', including her r ...

*Thénardier:

Chip Zien Jerome Herbert "Chip" Zien (born March 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of the Baker in the original Broadway production of ''Into the Woods'' by Stephen Sondheim. He has appeared in all of the "Marvin ...

*Madame Thénardier:

Ann Harada Ann Harada (born February 3, 1964) is an American actress and singer who was first known for the musical ''Avenue Q'', in which she originated the role of Christmas Eve, the heavily accented Japanese therapist. Early life Harada was born in Ho ...

*Éponine:

Megan McGinnis Megan McGinnis (born December 5, 1979) is an American Broadway Actress, who performed in the role of Éponine, in the revival of Les Misérables. She created the role of Jerusha Abbott in the Off-Broadway production of Daddy Long Legs. She played ...

*Enjolras:

=Broadway revival (2014–16)

= *Jean Valjean: Alfie Boe,

, Kyle Jean-Baptiste (u/s) *Javert:

*Fantine: Erika Henningsen,

Montego Glover Montego Glover (born February 9, 1974) is an American stage actress and singer. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical ''Memphis'' and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress i ...

Alison Luff Alison Nicole Luff (born December 20, 1988) is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her extensive work in musical theatre, notably for her roles as Elphaba in the First National Tour of ''Wicked'' and Jenna in the Broadw ...

Melissa O'Neil Melissa Crystal O'Neil (born July 12, 1988) is a Canadian actress and singer. In 2005, O'Neil won the third season of '' Canadian Idol'', the first Canadian female to have won. As an actress, she is known for her roles as Two / Rebecca / Portia ...

(u/s), Desi Oakley (u/s) *Thénardier:

Gavin Lee Gavin Lee (born 15 October 1971) is an English actor who has appeared on the stage in musical theatre, notably as Bert in the musical '' Mary Poppins'', in both the West End and on Broadway, and as Squidward Tentacles in the original Broadway c ...

*Marius:

Chris McCarrell Chris McCarrell (born January 9, 1991) is an American theater and television actor and singer. He is best known for portraying Marius Pontmercy in the Broadway revival of ''Les Misérables,'' and for originating the titular character in '' The Li ...

*Éponine:

(u/s)

=US National Tour (2017– )

= *Javert:

*Thénardier: Jimmy Smagula

Filmed Concert casts

Additional Performers

*Jean Valjean:

James Barbour James Barbour (June 10, 1775 – June 7, 1842) was an American slave owner, lawyer, politician and planter. He served as a delegate from Orange County, Virginia in the Virginia General Assembly, and as speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates ...

*Javert:

Davis Gaines Davis Gaines (born January 21, 1954, Orlando, Florida) is an American stage actor. He has performed as the Phantom in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'' over 2,000 times, on Broadway, on tour, in Los Angeles, and in S ...

Brian Stokes Mitchell Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000 for ...

*Fantine: Katie Hall,

Melora Hardin Melora Hardin (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress, known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's ''The Office'' and Trudy Monk on USA Network's ''Monk'', and Tammy Cashman on Amazon Prime Video's '' Transparent'', for which she received ...

*Thénardier:

Ken Page Ken Page (born January 20, 1954) is an American actor and singer. Page created the role of "Ken" in the original Broadway production of '' Ain't Misbehavin, and played the role of " Old Deuteronomy" in both the original Broadway and filmed st ...

*Mme. Thénardier:

Sophie-Louise Dann Sophie-Louise Dann (born 1969) is a British actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Career Dann trained at Arts Educational Schools, London. She appeared in minor roles in the films ''My Summer with Des'' (1998) and ''The Phantom ...

*Cosette:

*Marius:

John Lloyd Young John Lloyd Mills Young (born July 4, 1975) is an American actor and singer. In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli in Broadway's ''Jersey Boys''. He is the only American actor to date to ...

*Éponine: Ariana DeBose, Lea Michele *Enjolras:

Productions

Sit-down productions

Original French production

Alain Boublil's initial idea to adapt Victor Hugo's novel into a musical came while at a performance of the musical '' Oliver!'' in London:

As soon as the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminal ...
came onstage, Gavroche came to mind. It was like a blow to the solar plexus. I started seeing all the characters of Victor Hugo's ''Les Misérables''—Valjean, Javert, Gavroche, Cosette, Marius, and Éponine—in my mind's eye, laughing, crying, and singing onstage.

He shared the idea with French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, and the two developed a rough synopsis and analysis of each character's mental and emotional state, as well as that of an audience. Schönberg then began work on the music, while Boublil the text. According to Boublil, "I could begin work on the words. This I did—after myself deciding on the subject and title of every song—in collaboration with my friend, poet Jean-Marc Natel." Two years later, a two-hour demo tape of Schönberg accompanying himself on the piano and singing every role was completed. An album of this collaboration was recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley and was released in 1980, selling 260,000 copies. The concept album includes Maurice Barrier as Jean Valjean, Jacques Mercier as Javert,

Rose Laurens Rose Laurens, previously billed as Rose Merryl (born Rose Podwojny; 4 March 1951 – 29 April 2018), was a French singer-songwriter, known for her 1982 single "Africa", a top-three hit in several European countries."Africa", in various singles ...

as Fantine, Yvan Dautin as Thénardier, Marie-France Roussel as Mme. Thénardier, Richard Dewitte as Marius, Fabienne Guyon as Cosette,

Marie-France Dufour Marie-France Dufour or Marie (8 August 1949 – 18 October 1990) was a French singer. She made her hit ''Soleil'' in 1971, but she is probably best known for representing Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973 in Luxembourg by song " Un t ...

as Éponine,

Michel Sardou Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 January 1947) is a French singer and occasional actor. He is known not only for his love songs ("La maladie d'amour", "Je vais t'aimer"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, su ...

as Enjolras, Fabrice Bernard as Gavroche, Maryse Cédolin as Young Cosette, Claude-Michel Schönberg as Courfeyrac,

Salvatore Adamo Salvatore Adamo (born November 1, 1943) is a Belgian-Italian musician, singer and composer, who is known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Comiso, Sicily, Italy, and has lived in Belgium since the age of three, which is why he has dual ...

as Combeferre, Michel Delpech as Feuilly, Dominique Tirmont as M. Gillenormand, and

Mireille Mireille () is a French given name, derived from the Provençal Occitan name ''Mirèio'' (or ''Mirèlha'' in the classical norm of Occitan, ). It could be related to the Occitan verb ''mirar'' "to look, to admire" or to the given names ''Miriam'' ...

as the hair buyer. That year, in September 1980, a stage version directed by veteran French film director

was produced at the Palais des Sports in Paris. The show was a success, with 100 performances seen by over 500,000 people. Most of the cast from the concept album performed in the production. The cast included Maurice Barrier as Valjean,

Jean Vallée Jean Vallée (born Paul Goeders in Verviers on 2 October 1941 – 12 March 2014, Clermont-sur-Berwinne) was a Belgian songwriter and performer. Vallée was appointed Knight of the Order of the Crown by HM Albert II in 1999. Career In 1967 Va ...

as Javert,

as Fantine, Maryse Cédolin and Sylvie Camacho and Priscilla Patron as Young Cosette, Marie-France Roussel as Mme. Thénardier, Yvan Dautin as M. Thénardier, Florence Davis and Fabrice Ploquin and Cyrille Dupont as Gavroche, Marianne Mille as Éponine, Gilles Buhlmann as Marius, Christian Ratellin as Enjolras, Fabienne Guyon as Cosette, René-Louis Baron as Combeferre, Dominique Tirmont as M. Gillenormand, Anne Forrez as Mlle. Gillenormand, and Claude Reva as the storyteller.

Original London production

The English-language version, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and additional material by

James Fenton James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, was substantially expanded and reworked from a literal translation by Siobhan Bracke of the original Paris version, in particular adding a prologue to tell Jean Valjean's background story. Kretzmer's lyrics are not a direct translation of the French, a term that Kretzmer refused to use. A third of the English lyrics were a rough translation, another third were adapted from the French lyrics and the final third consisted of new material. The majority is performed in recitative style; the vocalists use natural speech, not musical metrics. The first production in English, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and adapted and directed by

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas ...

and John Caird, played to preview performances beginning on 28 September 1985 and formally opened on 8 October 1985 at the Barbican Centre, London. It was billed in the programme as "The Royal Shakespeare Company presentation of the RSC/Cameron Mackintosh production". The set was designed by

John Napier John Napier of Merchiston (; 1 February 1550 – 4 April 1617), nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish landowner known as a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He was the 8th Laird of Merchiston. His Latinized name was Ioann ...

, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and lighting by

David Hersey David Hersey (born November 30, 1939) is a lighting designer who has designed the lighting for over 250 plays, musicals, operas, and ballets. His work has been seen in most corners of the globe and his awards include the Tony Award for Best Lightin ...

. Musical supervision and orchestrations were by John Cameron, who had been involved with the show since Boublil and Schönberg hired him to orchestrate the original French concept album. Musical staging was by Kate Flatt with musical direction by Martin Koch. The original London cast included

as Jean Valjean,

Roger Allam Roger William Allam (born 26 October 1953) is a British actor, who has performed on stage, in film, on television and radio. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical '' Les Misérables'', First Officer ...

as Javert, Ken Caswell as the Bishop of Digne,

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...

as Fantine, Zoë Hart, Justine McIntyre, Jayne O'Mahony and Joanne Woodcock as Young Cosette, Danielle Akers, Gillian Brander and Juliette Caton as Young Éponine, Susan Jane Tanner as Madame Thénardier,

Alun Armstrong Alan Armstrong, known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began ...

as Thénardier,

Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle (born 29 August 1965) is an English musical theatre actress and singer. She won a Tony Award in 1987, and represented the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free)", ...

as Éponine, Rebecca Caine as Cosette,

as Marius,

as Enjolras, with Ian Tucker, Oliver Spencer and Liza Hayden sharing the role of Gavroche. On 4 December 1985, the show transferred to the Palace Theatre, London and moved again on 3 April 2004, to the smaller Queen's Theatre, now called the

Sondheim Theatre The Sondheim Theatre (formerly the Queen's Theatre) is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Wardour Street in the City of Westminster, London. It opened as the Queen's Theatre on 8 October 1907, as a twin to the n ...

, with some revisions of staging. The show celebrated its ten-thousandth performance on 5 January 2010, and its 30th anniversary in October 2015. The co-production has generated valuable income for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The original show closed at the Queen's Theatre on 13 July 2019 to allow for theatre refurbishments, while a staged concert was performed at the adjacent

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

for a four-month run.

2019 updated staging

The updated staging developed for the 25th anniversary opened at the newly renamed

on 18 December 2019 in previews with opening night set for 16 January 2020. The new production is co-directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor with set and image design by Matt Kinley, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowlands. The first cast for this new version included

(Valjean), Bradley Jaden (Javert),

(Fantine), Shan Ako (Éponine), Lily Kerhoas (Cosette), Harry Apps (Marius), Gerard Carey (Thénardier),

(Madame Thénardier) and Ashley Gilmour (Enjolras). The show was forced to close temporarily from March 16, 2020, as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. It was announced in June 2020 that it would not reopen until 2021. It reopened on 25 September 2021.

Original Broadway production

The musical opened as a pre-Broadway tryout at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

's Opera House in Washington, D.C. on 27 December 1986. It ran for eight weeks through 14 February 1987. The musical then premiered on Broadway on 12 March 1987 at

The Broadway Theatre The Broadway Theatre (formerly Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre, and Ciné Roma) is a Broadway theater at 1681 Broadway (near 53rd Street) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan i ...

. Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle reprised their roles from the London production. The $4.5 million production had a more than $4 million advance sale prior to its New York opening. The show underwent further tightening, namely with improved sewer lighting and the incorporation of the Javert suicide scene effect. A New York Times report consisted of the following: "The transfer from London to the United States has prompted further modifications. 'We are taking this opportunity to rethink and perfect, to rewrite some details which probably no one else will see, but which for us are still long nights of work,' Mr. Boublil says. 'There are things that nobody had time to do in London, and here we have a wonderful opportunity to fix a few things. No one will notice, perhaps, but for us, it will make us so happy if we can better this show. We would like this to be the final version. Two songs were deleted—the complete version of Gavroche's song "Little People" and the adult Cosette's "I Saw Him Once". A short section at the beginning of "In My Life" replaced "I Saw Him Once". The lyrics in Javert's "Stars" were changed. It now ended with the line, "This I swear by the stars!", while the London production and cast recording ended with the repeated line, "Keeping watch in the night". The original Broadway cast included

as Jean Valjean, David Bryant as Marius,

as Cosette, Michael Maguire as Enjolras,

as Éponine, Braden Danner as Gavroche,

as Young Cosette, Jennifer Butt as Madame Thénardier,

Leo Burmester Bernard Leo Burmester (February 1, 1945 – June 28, 2007) was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and '' Lone Star'' (1996), and also for directors such as John Schl ...

as Thénardier,

Randy Graff Randy Lynn Graff (born May 23, 1955) is an American actress and singer. Career Graff was born in Brooklyn, New York City and is a graduate of Wagner College. She is a cousin of actors Todd Graff and Ilene Graff. Graff has been in feature films ...

as Fantine,

Terrence Mann Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in '' Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in ''Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...

as Javert, and Chrissie McDonald as Young Éponine. Other members of the original Broadway cast included Kevin Marcum (Brujon), Paul Harman (Combeferre/Foreman),

(Grantaire/Bamatabois), John Dewar (Joly), Joseph Kolinski (Feuilly), Alex Santoriello (Montparnasse/Labourer),

Jesse Corti Jesse Corti (born July 3, 1955) is an American actor and theater director best known for playing Courfeyrac in the original Broadway show ''Les Misérables'' and for voicing LeFou in ''Beauty and the Beast''. Career Corti also voiced the Span ...

(Courfeyrac/Farmer), Susan Goodman (Old Woman/Innkeeper's Wife), John Norman (Prouvaire/Pimp), Norman Large (Bishop/Lesgles),

(Babet/Constable), Steve Shocket (Claquesous/Fauchevelant/Constable/Pimp), Cindy Benson (Old Woman), Marcie Shaw, Jane Bodle, Joanna Glushak,

Ann Crumb Elizabeth Ann Crumb (May 25, 1950 – October 31, 2019)

(Factory Girl), Kelli James, and Gretchen Kingsley-Weihe. Michael Hinton was the original drummer and credited on the cast album. The musical ran at

the Broadway Theatre The Broadway Theatre (formerly Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre, and Ciné Roma) is a Broadway theater at 1681 Broadway (near 53rd Street) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan i ...

through 10 October 1990, when it moved to the

. It was scheduled to close on 15 March 2003, but the closing was postponed by a surge in public interest. According to an article in ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'', "Sales picked up last October, when Sir Cameron made the announcement that the show would be closing on March 15th... its closure postponed to May 18th because of an unexpected increase in business." After 6,680 performances in sixteen years, when it closed on 18 May 2003, it was the second- longest-running Broadway musical after ''Cats''. It was surpassed by ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'' in 2006. This Broadway production of ''Les Misérables'' and its advertising in New York City is a recurring theme in '' American Psycho''. The reviewer for the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' wrote that ''Les Misérables'' is "the book's hilarious main cultural compass-point".

2006 Broadway revival

Only three years after the original run closed, ''Les Misérables'' began a return to Broadway on 9 November 2006 at the

for a limited run that was subsequently made open-ended. Using the set, costumes, performers, and other resources from the recently finished third US national touring production, the production was only slightly altered. Minor changes included colourful projections blended into its existing lighting design, and a proscenium that extended out into the first two boxes on either side of the stage. Some cuts made to the show's prologue during its original Broadway run were restored, lyrics for Gavroche's death scene (known in the revival as "Ten Little Bullets") cut during the development of the original London production were restored, and much of the show was re-orchestrated by Christopher Jahnke, introducing a snare and timpani-heavy sound played by a 14-member band, a reduction of about 8 musicians from the original production's 22 musician orchestration. The original 2006 Broadway revival cast included Alexander Gemignani as Jean Valjean,

as Javert,

Daphne Rubin-Vega Daphne Rubin-Vega ( Vega; born November 18, 1969) is a Panamanian-American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is best known for originating the roles of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical ''Rent'' and Lucy in the Off-Broadway play ''J ...

as Fantine,

Celia Keenan-Bolger Celia Keenan-Bolger (born January 26, 1978) is an American actress and singer. She is known for portraying Scout Finch in the play ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (2018), which earned her a Tony Award. She has also won three Drama Desk Awards and an ...

as Éponine,

Aaron Lazar Aaron Scott Lazar is an American actor, artist and entrepreneur. Early life and education Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Lazar is of Jewish descent. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West where he first started singing and per ...

as Enjolras, Adam Jacobs as Marius,

Ali Ewoldt Ali Ewoldt (born October 6, 1982) is a Filipino-American theatre actress, who made her Broadway debut in the ''Les Misérables'' revival in 2006, playing Cosette. She has also performed on national and international tours and in U.S. regional th ...

as Cosette,

as Thénardier,

as Madame Thénardier, Brian D'Addario, Jacob Levine, Skye Rainforth and Austyn Myers as Gavroche, and Tess Adams, Kylie Liya Goldstein and

Carly Rose Sonenclar Carly Rose Sonenclar (born April 20, 1999), who performs under the name Carly Rose, is an American singer, songwriter and an actress. In December 2012, she became the runner-up on the second season of ''The X Factor''. Early and personal life ...

as Young Cosette/Young Éponine. Lea Salonga, who previously played the role of Éponine in the 10th Anniversary concert, replaced Rubin-Vega as Fantine beginning on 2 March 2007. Zach Rand replaced Jacob Levine as Gavroche on 15 March 2007.

replaced Jenny Galloway as Mme. Thénardier on 24 April 2007. Ben Davis joined playing Javert, and

playing Enjolras. Ben Crawford and Mandy Bruno joined the cast that day too, playing Brujon and Éponine respectively. On 23 July 2007, Sarich took over the role of Valjean, following Gemignani's departure. On 5 September 2007, it was announced that

(who was playing Valjean in London) was to join the Broadway cast. In return, Sarich would join the London cast in Owen-Jones' place. Judy Kuhn, who originated the role of Cosette, returned to the show after twenty years as Fantine, succeeding Salonga. The revival closed on 6 January 2008 after 17 previews and 463 performances.

2013 Toronto revival

A sit down production played at the

Princess of Wales Theatre The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2,000-seat live theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on King Street West, in Toronto's downtown Entertainment District. The theatre's name has a triple meaning: it honours Diana, Princess of Wales, ...

in Toronto, Canada based on the 25th Anniversary touring production. Previews began on 27 September 2013 with the opening night on 9 October. The production closed on 2 February 2014. Co-directed by Lawrence Connor and James Powell, Laurence Olivier Award nominee

starred as Jean Valjean; Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role, portrayed the Bishop of Digne in a one-day performance symbolic handing of the torch to Karimloo. He was joined by fellow West End star,

, who reprised the role of Inspector Javert. Other cast members included Genevieve Leclerc as Fantine, Samantha Hill as Cosette,

as Éponine, Perry Sherman as Marius, Cliff Saunders as Monsieur Thénardier, Lisa Horner as Madame Thénardier, and Mark Uhre as Enjolras. The roles of young Cosette and young Éponine were shared by Ella Ballentine, Saara Chaudry and Madison Oldroyd. Gavroche was shared by David Gregory Black and Aiden GlennRead.

2014 Broadway revival

The show returned to Broadway in March 2014 at the

with previews beginning 1 March 2014 and had an official opening on 23 March 2014. The creative team included the direction of Laurence Connor and James Powell, set design by Matt Kinley, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections by Fifty-Nine Productions. Cameron Mackintosh once again produced the show. On 22 October 2013, it was announced that

, Will Swenson,

Caissie Levy Caissie Levy (born April 15, 1981) is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in '' Hairspray'' and Sheila in ''Hai ...

, and

Nikki M. James Nikki Michelle James (born June 3, 1981) is an American actress and singer. James has performed in the popular stage musicals ''The Book of Mormon'' and ''Les Misérables'', her role in the former having earned her a Tony Award. Life and caree ...

would be headlining the revival cast as Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Éponine respectively.

Andy Mientus Andrew Michael Mientus (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for starring in the Broadway musicals '' Spring Awakening'', ''Les Misérables'', and '' Wicked'', and on television in the NBC musical drama '' Smash'' and as ...

and Samantha Hill also starred as Marius and Cosette respectively. Angeli Negron and McKayla Twiggs share the role of Young Cosette. On 30 August 2015, Karimloo ended his run of the show and was replaced by Alfie Boe. After Boe's final performance on 28 February, the role of Valjean was played by

beginning 1 March 2016 until the production closed on 4 September 2016, after 1,026 performances over two-and-a-half years. The revival recouped its entire initial investment and grossed $109 million. The 2014 Broadway revival was nominated for 3 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Karimloo, and Best Sound Design for Potter.

Touring productions

US national tours

The show had three national touring companies of the original Broadway production in the US, all of which shared the Broadway producer and manager, creative teams, as well nearly identical sets, costumes, and lighting. While the touring production and the New York production were running simultaneously, the staff, cast members, crew, and musicians of the two productions interchanged often, which contributed to keeping both companies of the show in form. When the New York production closed in 2003, the Third National Tour continued for another three years, and enjoyed the influx of many members from the original and subsequent New York companies. The First National Tour opened at Boston's Shubert Theatre on 12 December 1987, and continued to play major cities until late 1991. The Second National Tour (called "The Fantine Company") opened at Los Angeles' Shubert Theatre on 1 June 1988. The production played for fourteen months then transferred to San Francisco's Curran Theatre where it enjoyed a similar run. The Third National Tour of ''Les Misérables'' (called "The Marius Company") was one of the longest running American touring musical productions. Opening on 28 November 1988, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida, and closing on 23 July 2006, at the Fox Theatre in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, the tour ran for seventeen years and 7,061 performances. The tour played in 145 cities in 43 states. The same touring company also frequently performed in Canada, made a 1994 diversion to Singapore, and another diversion in 2002 to be the first Western musical production to visit China, opening in Shanghai's Grand Theatre for a three-week engagement. All US productions (including Broadway and its revival) were visually identical in scale and design but the third national tour was notable for its portability without sacrificing the Broadway-caliber experience. Thanks to innovative touring techniques borrowed from the pop/rock concert industry, the 4.5 million dollar production was adaptable to smaller and larger venues and traveled complete in all of 8 semi tractor trailers. It was set up and ready to go in less than 24 hours and broken down and packed up in about 16 hours. This allowed it to reach many cities and venues in its acclaimed, original Broadway form. A new national tour began on 21 September 2017 at the Providence Performing Arts Centre (PPAC). It starred Nick Cartell as Valjean, Josh Davis as Javert, Melissa Mitchell as Fantine, J. Anthony Crane as Thénardier, Allison Guinn as Madame Thénardier, Joshua Grosso as Marius, Phoenix Best as Éponine, Matt Shingledecker as Enjolras and Jillian Butler as Cosette. The roles of young Cosette and Éponine were shared by Zoe Glick and Sophie Knapp, while the role of Gavroche was shared by Jordan Cole and Julian Lerner. It uses much of the staging and technical work of the 2014 Broadway revival. Another tour launched on 7 October 2022 at the State Theatre,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, with Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean, Preston Truman Boyd as Javert, Haley Dortch as Fantine, Matt Crowle as Thénardier, Christina Rose Hall as Madame Thénardier, Addie Morales as Cosette, Gregory Lee Rodriguez as Marius, Christine Heesun Hwang as Eponine, Devin Archer as Enjolras, and Randy Jeter as Bishop of Digne.

UK and Ireland tours

=1992–1993 tour

= The first tour of the UK and Ireland opened at the Palace Theatre, Manchester 14 April 1992 with Jeff Leyton (Jean Valjean),

(Javert, later replaced by Michael McCarthy)Archived a
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and th
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Ria Jones (Fantine),

(Éponine), Mike Sterling (Marius, later replaced by Richard Burman), Tony Timberlake (Thénardier), Louise Plowright (Mdme Thénardier), Sarah Ryan (Cosette) and Daniel Coll (Enjolras). The production then moved on to the

Point Theatre The Point Theatre (sometimes referred to as the Point Depot or simply as the Point) was a concert and events venue in Dublin, Ireland, that operated from 1988 to 2007, visited by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Q ...

, Dublin, Ireland, opening 30 June 1993, and then to Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, opening 23 September 1993.

=1997–2000 tour

= In 1997 a second tour began at the

Theatre Royal, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Plymouth, is a theatre venue in Plymouth, Devon. It consists of a 1,300-seat main auditorium, The Lyric, which regularly hosts large-scale musicals, opera and ballet; a 200-seat studio, The Drum; and a 50-seat studio, The Lab. O ...

, running from 6 May until 14 June, the cast featured: Stig Rossen (Jean Valjean), Michael McCarthy (Javert), Julia Worsley (Fantine), Gemma Sandy (Éponine), Norman Bowman (Marius), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Cathy Breeze (Mdme Thénardier), Rebecca Vere (Cosette) and Mark O'Malley (Enjolras). The tour then continued as detailed in the table below:

=25th anniversary tour

= A tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show began performances on 12 December 2009, at the

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...

in Cardiff. Differences from the original production included a new set, new costumes, new direction and alterations to the original orchestrations. The tour also did not use a revolving stage and the scenery was inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. Locations have included

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, and

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. The tour also played a special engagement in Paris. From September through October, the show returned to the Barbican Centre, London, site of the original 1985 production. The tour cast featured

as Valjean,

as Javert,

as Marius, Ashley Artus as Thénardier, Lynne Wilmot as Madame Thénardier,

as Fantine, Rosalind James as Éponine,

as Enjolras, Katie Hall as Cosette (with Samara Clarke as Young Cosette), and David Lawrence as the Bishop of Digne. The tour ended on 2 October 2010, at the Barbican Theatre. In the fall of 2010, the tour moved to the US with a new company presented by

Broadway Across America Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization (formerly Key Brand Entertainment), which purchased it from Live ...

to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show opening on Broadway. The tour had its opening on 19 November 2010 at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 20,149, reflecting an increase of 384 (+1.9%) from the 19,765 counted in the 2000 Census, which had ...

, running until 19 December 2010. This tour originally starred Lawrence Clayton as Valjean, Andrew Varela as Javert, Betsy Morgan as Fantine, Jenny Latimer as Cosette, Justin Scott Brown as Marius, Chasten Harmon as Éponine, Michael Kostroff as Thénardier, Shawna Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Jeremy Hays as Enjolras, Josh Caggiano and Ethan Paul Khusidman as Gavroche, Maya Jade Frank, Faith Perez and Juliana Simone alternating as Young Cosette and Young Éponine. J. Mark McVey's daughter, Kylie McVey was the understudy for Young Cosette and Young Éponine. Clayton left the tour in April 2011. Ron Sharpe later took over as Valjean until June 2011. J. Mark McVey was then Valjean (McVey previously played the role on Broadway), but McVey and his daughter left the tour on 1 April 2012. Peter Lockyer replaces him as Valjean. Betsy Morgan left the tour on 2 December 2012. She was replaced by Genevieve Leclerc. The tour ran until 11 August 2013, closing at the

Smith Center for the Performing Arts The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is located in Downtown Las Vegas's 61-acre Symphony Park and is a five-acre performing arts center consisting of three theaters in two buildings; groundbreaking for the $470 million project was May 26, 20 ...

in Las Vegas. The tour's final cast included Peter Lockyer as Valjean, Andrew Varela as Javert, Genevieve Leclerc as Fantine, Lauren Wiley as Cosette, Devin Ilaw as Marius, Briana Carlson-Goodman as Éponine, Timothy Gulan as Thénardier, Shawna Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Jason Forbach as Enjolras, Ava Della Pietra and Erin Cearlock alternating as Little Cosette and Young Eponine, with Mia Sinclair Jenness as Little Girl, In 2011 it was reported that the tour is one of six US national Broadway tours that are grossing over $1,000,000 per week.

=2018–present tour

= A new UK and Ireland tour similar to the 25th anniversary production began at the

Curve, Leicester The Curve Theatre is a theatre in Leicester, England, based in the cultural quarter in Leicester City Centre. Before being named ''Curve'', it was referred to as ''Leicester Performing Arts Centre''. It is adjacent to the Leicester Athena confer ...

on 3 November 2018, starring

(Jean Valjean), Nic Greenshields (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Tegan Bannister (Éponine), Bronwen Hanson (Cosette), Harry Apps (Marius),

(Thénardier),

(Madame Thénardier) and Will Richardson (Enjolras). After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour resumed performances on 23 November 2021 at the

Theatre Royal, Glasgow The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow and the longest running in Scotland. Located at 282 Hope Street, its front door was originally round the corner in Cowcaddens Street. It currently accommodates 1,541 people and is owned by Scott ...

2014 Australian tour

In mid 2013, a brand new Australian tour was announced, with

as Valjean,

as Javert,

Patrice Tipoki Girlband was an Australian pop band that was formed in 2006. It was put together by Sony BMG together with Peppermintblue Management and Mark Byrne from Rogue Traders. There were four members: Renee Armstrong, Renee Bargh, Jess Smith and Patri ...

as Fantine,

Trevor Ashley Trevor Ashley (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian musical theatre actor, cabaret and drag artist based in Sydney. He also has appeared on television in "The Very Trevor Ashley Show" Early life Ashley grew up in the south of Sydney and stud ...

and Lara Mulcahy as the Thénardiers, Kerrie Anne Greenland as Éponine, Emily Langridge as Cosette, Euan Doidge as Marius and Chris Durling as Enjolras and Nicholas Cradock as Gavroche. The production premiered on 4 July at

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Vict ...

. Additional stops for the Australian tour included the Crown Theatre in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, the Capitol Theatre in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, and the Lyric Theatre QPAC in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. The Australian revival production transferred to

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

in March 2016, becoming an international tour.

2016 International tour

On 16 September 2015, it was announced that the Australian tour would launch its international tour in

at the Theatre at Solaire from March 2016 until 1 May 2016, and proceeded to the

Esplanade Theatre An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

in Singapore from May 2016. It then had its GCC premiere at the

Dubai Opera Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format, performing arts centre, which is located within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai. It was developed by Emaar Properties to host a variety of performances and events including theatre, opera, ballet, c ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

from November 2016. The Manila and Singapore productions featured

as Valjean,

as Javert, Helen Walsh as Madame Thénardier, Cameron Blakely as Thénardier, Kerrie Anne Greenland as Éponine, Emily Langridge as Cosette, Chris Durling as Enjolras, and Paul Wilkins as Marius.

played the role of Fantine in the Manila production, and

returned the role in the Singapore production after her stint in the original London production. The Dubai production features

as Valjean,

as Javert, Patrice Tipoki as Fantine,

as Thénardier,

as Madame Thénardier,

as Éponine,

as Enjolras, Emily Langridge as Cosette, and Paul Wilkins as Marius.

Concert productions

10th Anniversary Concert

On 8 October 1995, the show celebrated the tenth anniversary of the West End production with a concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. This 10th Anniversary Concert was nearly "complete", missing only a handful of scenes, including "The Death of Gavroche", "The Robbery" and the confrontation between Marius and the Thénardiers at the wedding feast. Sir Cameron Mackintosh hand-selected the cast, which became known as the ''Les Misérables Dream Cast'', assembled from around the world, and engaged the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

. The concert concluded with seventeen Valjeans from various international productions singing, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" in their native languages. The concert cast included

as Jean Valjean,

as Javert, Paul Monaghan as the Bishop of Digne,

as Fantine, Hannah Chick as Young Cosette,

as Madame Thénardier,

as Thénardier, Adam Searles as Gavroche, Michael Maguire as Enjolras,

as Marius,

as Cosette, Lea Salonga as Éponine, and

as Grantaire. The concert was staged by Ken Caswell and conducted by David Charles Abell.

25th Anniversary Concert

The 25th Anniversary Concert of the West End production was held at

The O2 The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, and restaurants. It was built largely withi ...

in North Greenwich, South East London, United Kingdom, on Sunday, 3 October 2010 at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm. It featured Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean,

as Javert, Lea Salonga as Fantine,

as Marius, Katie Hall as Cosette,

as Madame Thénardier,

as Enjolras,

as Éponine,

as Thénardier, Mia Jenkins as Young Cosette, Rob Madge as Gavroche and

as the

Bishop of Digne The Diocese of Digne (Latin: ''Dioecesis Diniensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Digne'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in the 4th century as the Diocese of Digne, the diocese has bee ...

. Casts of the current London, international tour, original 1985 London, and several school productions took part, comprising an ensemble of three hundred performers and musicians. The concert was directed by Laurence Connor & James Powell and conducted by David Charles Abell.

The All-Star Staged Concert

From 10 August to 2 December 2019, the musical was performed as a staged concert version at the

in the West End during the refurbishment of the adjacent

, where the original London production had been running and would be home to the new production from December 2019 onwards. Featuring a cast and orchestra of over 65, the 16-week concert run starred

as Javert, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean,

as Fantine and

as Thénardier. Katy Secombe also starred as Madame Thénardier, and

played Jean Valjean for some performances during the run. Further leads included Rob Houchen (Marius), Bradley Jaden (Enjolras), Shan Ako (Éponine) and Lily Kerhoas (Cosette).

also played the dual role of The Bishop/Bamatabois, while understudying Javert. The final concert was filmed and broadcast live to cinemas on 2 December and has since been released on home video and album, with a tour planned. In October 2020, on the final of ''

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...

'', it was confirmed that the stage concert would return for a limited six-week run at the Sondheim Theatre from 5 December 2020 to 17 January 2021. It was subsequently extended twice and was due to play until 28 February 2021. Due to the

, the audience were

socially distanced In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...

and capacity was limited to 50%. Due to local COVID restrictions, the show was suspended from 16 December 2020 after just 10 performances, in which Boe had performed as Jean Valjean on eight occasions and Owen-Jones on two occasions. It reopened on 20 May 2021 and ran until 5 September. Ball, Boe, Fletcher, Lucas and Owen-Jones did not reprise their roles at reopening.

Other concert performances

The musical has also been performed in concert at Cardiff Castle and several venues in southern England, produced by Earl Carpenter Concerts. A concert version starring Jeff Leyton, Carmen Cusack, Annalene Beechey and

was also performed at the

Odyssey Arena The Odyssey Complex, formerly Odyssey Centre, is a sports and entertainment complex located within the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The complex originated in 1992 and came into fruition in June 1998. It opened in December 2 ...

, Belfast in 2001. In 1989, a one-night concert performance was performed at SkyDome, Toronto, and the largest concert production attracted an audience of approximately 125,000 as part of the

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...

celebrations in Sydney's Domain Park. The Scandinavian concert tour, produced by Cameron Mackintosh in association with Noble Art, starred Danish musical icon Stig Rossen in the leading role and commemorated author Victor Hugo's 200th birthday. Venues on the tour included the

Stockholm Globe Arena Avicii Arena, originally known as Stockholm Globe Arena and previously as Ericsson Globe, but commonly referred to in Swedish simply as Globen (; "the Globe"), is an indoor arena located in Stockholm Globe City, Johanneshov district of Stockhol ...

, Oslo Spektrum, the Helsinki Hartwell Areena, and the Gothenburg Scandinavium, with audiences totalling over 150,000 for the complete tour. In November 2004, to celebrate the centennial of the

Entente Cordiale The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial de ...

, the Queen invited the cast of ''Les Misérables'' in the West End to perform for French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

at Windsor Castle. It was the first time the cast of a West End musical had performed at a Royal residence. The part of Jean Valjean was played by

– the original 1985 London and 1995 Dream Cast Marius – and the part of Javert was played by Michael McCarthy,

as Fantine, Gemma Wardle as Eponine, Julia Möller as Cosette, Gary Tushaw as Marius and

as Enjolras. The rest of the cast was the same as in the West End, supplemented by several guest singers and a choir of former performers. In February 2008, ''Les Misérables'' was performed at the Bournemouth International Centre, England with a cast of West End stars accompanied by the

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

. In August 2008, a concert version, directed by

Richard Jay-Alexander Richard Jay-Alexander (born May 24, 1953) is an American Broadway producer and director. He served as Executive Director of the New York City office of producer Cameron Mackintosh for twelve years, known for productions including ''Les Misérable ...

, was performed at the Hollywood Bowl. The cast included veteran ''Les Misérables'' star J. Mark McVey as Valjean, ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series o ...

'' star

as Fantine, Broadway star and Bowl veteran

as Javert, '' Spring Awakening'' and ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' star Lea Michele as Éponine, Tony-winning ''

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...

'' star

as Marius, West End star Tom Lowe as Enjolras, Michael McCormick as Thénardier, Ruth Williamson as Madame Thénardier, Michele Maika as Cosette, Maddie Levy as Young Cosette, and Sage Ryan as Gavroche. In September 2008, it was performed at the St John Loveridge Hall in Guernsey with a cast of West End performers—the first time that it had been professionally performed on the Island where

wrote the novel. Former London Valjean Phil Cavill reprised his role alongside veteran Michael McCarthy as Javert. In March 2009, the Guernsey production was remounted at

Fort Regent Fort Regent is a 19th-century fortification and leisure centre on Mont de la Ville (Town Hill), in St. Helier, Jersey. The fort is in close proximity to the fortified South Hill Engineers Barracks at La Collette and overlooks the 16th-century E ...

in Jersey; and in July 2009, the musical was performed in concert at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

International productions

The show has been produced in forty-two countries and translated into twenty-one languages: English, French (re-translated from the English version), German (Austria and Germany), Spanish (six versions: two from Spain, two from Mexico, one from Argentina, and one from Venezuela), Japanese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), Polish, Swedish (in Sweden and in Finland), Dutch (Netherlands and Belgium), Danish, Finnish, Brazilian Portuguese, Estonian, Czech, Mauritian Creole, Basque, Catalan and Korean. Including singles and promos, there have been over seventy official recordings from worldwide productions. The first full West End / Broadway production in Europe (mainland) was set up in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, Norway at

Det Norske Teatret Det Norske Teatret ( en, Norwegian Theater)Moe, Jens. 2011. ''My America: The Culture of Giving''. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, p. 133. is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabl ...

and opened on 17 March 1988. The production was in Norwegian and starred Norwegian singer/actor

Øystein Wiik Øystein Wiik (born 7 July 1956) is a Norwegian actor, singer, songwriter and novelist. He was born in Oslo. He has worked for Den Nationale Scene, Oslo Nye Teater and Det Norske Teatret, and played leading roles in several musicals. Among his album ...

as Jean Valjean, Paul Åge Johannessen as Javert,

Øivind Blunck Øivind Blunck (28 December 1950) is a Norwegian comedian and actor.Øivind Blunck
in Kari Gjærum Kari Gjærum (born November 23, 1952 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian singer. She was educated at the ''Østlandets Musikk-konservatorium'' and ''Statens Operaskole'' and has been a professional artist since 1979. She has worked as a singer and backi ...

as Fantine, Amund Enger as Enjolras and

Guri Schanke Guri Annika Schanke (; born 14 December 1961) is a Norwegian actress and singer. She is known in Norway for her acting career, and was part of the 2005 round of the Norwegian version of '' Dancing with the Stars'', where she came in second. Care ...

as Éponine. The first Oslo production was hugely successful and some 10% of Norway's entire population saw the show in the first 6 months.

went on to also star as Jean Valjean in the productions in Vienna and London in 1989–1990. The stage show, which had changed so significantly since its Parisian conception as a stadium concert in 1980, was translated back into the language of Victor Hugo for its French world première in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1991. This production had a cast that presented five shows a week in French and three a week in English. In 1998, a concert version in English was produced in Malta, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. This production was staged by a company called Act React and featured talents like Ray Mangion as Valjean, Roger Tirazona as Javert, Julie James as Fantine and Leila Ben Harris as Eponine.

North American productions

In September 2008, a mini-tour produced by Atlanta's Theater of the Stars played Eisenhower Hall at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

, in

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, New York; the Filene Center at the

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (originally known as the Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts and simply known as Wolf Trap) is a performing arts center located on of national park land in unincorporated Fairfax Count ...

in Vienna, Virginia; Kansas City Starlight Theatre; and the

Fox Theater Fox Theatre or Fox Theater or Fox Theater Building may refer to: U.S. * Fox Tucson Theatre (Tucson, Arizona) *Fox Theater (Bakersfield, California) * Fox Theatre (Fullerton, California) * Fox Theater, Westwood Village (Los Angeles, California) * Fo ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. The show featured a new set of original pictures painted by Victor Hugo himself. Robert Evan played Valjean, returning to the role he played in the mid-nineties on Broadway. Also featured were Nikki Rene Daniels as Fantine and Robert Hunt as Javert, both reprising their roles from the Broadway revival. Fred Hanson directed the production. The creative team included Matt Kinley as Scenic Designer,

Ken Billington Ken Billington (born October 29, 1946) is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser. He was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Kenneth Arthur (an automobile dealer) and ...

as Lighting Designer, Peter Fitzgerald and Erich Bechtel as Sound Designers, Zachary Borovay as Projection Designer, and Dan Riddle as musical director and Conductor. In 2008, the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia staged a small venue "black box" version of the play. Signature received Mackintosh's special permission for the production: "One of the great pleasures of being involved with the creation of ''Les Misérables'' is seeing this marvelous musical being done in a completely different and original way. Having seen many shows brilliantly reimagined at Signature I have no doubt that Eric and his team will come up with a revolutionary new take on ''Les Miz'' unlike anything anyone has seen before. Viva la différence!" The production officially opened on 14 December 2008 (after previews from 2 December), and ran through 22 February 2009 (extended from 25 January 2009). A 2014 production at the Dallas Theater Center modernized the staging in a way rarely attempted in productions of this play, set visually in the modern-day United States rather than 1830s France. The concept was thought to be refreshing as a change from typical production styles and effective as a commentary on modern inequality. Though, much controversy surrounded their unauthorized depart from the authors' libretto and score. In Panama, ''Les Misérables'' was staged in 2014 in Spanish at the famed

National Theatre of Panama The National Theatre of Panama (Spanish: ''Teatro Nacional de Panamá'') is located in the old city of Panama, next to the church of San Francisco and the Plaza Bolívar. Its construction was ordered by Act 52 of 1904. The National Theatre is p ...

for a short, sold-out run, directed by

Aaron Zebede Aaron Zebede is a Panamanian stage actor, director, and producer. As a stage actor his work includes the roles of 'Alfred P. Doolitle' in My Fair Lady (2003), 'Perón' in "Evita" (2004), 'Tevye' in ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (a role he played in two ...

School edition

The school edition cuts a considerable amount of material from the original show. It is divided into thirty scenes and, although no critical scenes or songs have been removed, it runs 25–30 minutes shorter than the official version making the total running time about hours. A few subtle changes of vocal pitch have been made: "What Have I Done?", Valjean's Soliloquy, "Stars" by Javert, "A Little Fall of Rain" by Éponine and Marius, "Turning", and "Castle on a Cloud" lose a verse each. During "Fantine's Arrest" Bamatabois loses two verses. The song "Fantine's Death/Confrontation" is edited, and the counterpoint duel between Javert and Valjean is lost, as well as a verse by Fantine. "Dog Eats Dog" by Thénardier is heavily truncated. "Beggars at the Feast", is shortened, with Thénardier losing a verse, and the song before it, "Wedding Chorale", is excluded entirely although the rest of the wedding remains in place. Also, the drinker's introduction to "Master of the House" is cut completely.

Film adaptation

Cast recordings

English

The following recordings of ''Les Misérables'' are available in English: the Original London Cast, the Original Broadway Cast, the Complete Symphonic Recording, the 10th Anniversary London Concert, The 25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast and The 25th Anniversary London Concert.

Original London Cast recording

The Original London Cast recording was the first English language album of the musical. Recorded in 1985, when the show premiered, it is closest to the original French concept album. For example, "Stars" appears before "Look Down" and shortly after, the original version of "Little People" plays, which was later incorporated into the revealing of Javert. It also features a song titled "I Saw Him Once", sung by Cosette, which was later incorporated into the first part of "In My Life". The album has sold 887,000 copies in the US.

Original Broadway Cast recording

The Original Broadway Cast recording was produced in 1987. It included several changes to the songs that are still evident in today's performances. As with its predecessor, it is incomplete, and leaves out songs or parts that are more important narratively than musically (e.g., "Fantine's Arrest", "The Runaway Cart", "The Final Battle"). The album has sold 1,596,000 copies in the US.

Complete Symphonic Recording

Recorded in 1988 and released in 1989, the Complete Symphonic Recording features the entire score. (The Czech Revival Recording is the only other album, in any language, to feature the entire score; on the other hand, the four 2003 Japanese recordings feature the entire score after the cuts first made on Broadway at the end of 2000.) Cameron Mackintosh's original plan was to use the Australian cast, but the scope was expanded to create an international cast featuring performers from the major performances of the musical. The cast was recorded in three different places. The album, produced by David Caddick and conducted by Martin Koch, won the Best Musical Cast Show Album Grammy Award in 1990. The cast includes Gary Morris as Valjean,

as Javert,

as Fantine,

as Mme. Thénardier, Barry James as Thénardier,

Kaho Shimada Kaho Shimada (島田歌穂, ''Shimada Kaho'', born September 19, 1963) is a Japanese singer and musical theater actress. Born and raised in Minato, Tokyo, she attended Tokyo Municipal Jonan High School. She is an assistant professor of drama at ...

as Éponine, Ross McCall as Gavroche,

as Marius, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras, Tracy Shayne as Cosette and Marissa Dunlop as Young Cosette." "les Miserable' Complete Symphonic Recording"
castalbums.org, retrieved 15 June 2019

10th Anniversary Concert

The 10th Anniversary recording was of a concert version of ''Les Misérables'', performed at the Royal Albert Hall in October 1995, featuring full orchestra and choir. All parts were sung live, giving the performance a different mood from other recordings. The score was recorded consecutively without pauses or multiple recordings. The concert's encores are also included. As with the original recordings, however, they differed from the stage versions by excluding some songs (e.g., those vital to plot such as "Fantine's Arrest" and "The Runaway Cart" were kept, while unnecessary or complex songs, such as "At the Barricade", were left out).

25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast

Recorded live at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, this recording was released to commemorate 25 years of ''Les Misérables'' and features new arrangements and reinspired orchestrations.

25th Anniversary Concert

The 25th Anniversary Concert was recorded live at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...

on 3 October 2010 and is available on DVD in the UK while the Blu-ray was released worldwide. It was shown in select US theaters via NCM Fathom Events. The release for the DVD and Blu-ray in the United States was 22 February 2011 to promote the film adaptation.

Awards and nominations

Original West End production

Original Broadway production

2013 Toronto revival

2014 Broadway revival

2014 Australian revival

Notes

References

Les Miserables Reviews
Box Office Theatre Ltd. Retrieved 12 July 2016

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* * *
An Archive of Performers from the Original Broadway Run of ''Les Misérables''

An Archive of Performers from the London Run of ''Les Misérables''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miserables, Les Musicals by Claude-Michel Schönberg 1980 musicals French musicals Works based on Les Misérables Plays set in the 19th century Plays set in France Broadway musicals West End musicals Musicals based on novels Laurence Olivier Award-winning musicals Sung-through musicals Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award-winning musicals

Background

Critical reception and milestones

Emblem

Synopsis

Prologue

Act I

Act II

Musical numbers

Instrumentation

Characters

Casts

Original casts

Notable replacements

=West End (1985– )

=Broadway (1987–2003)

=Australia (1987–1990)

=1st, 2nd & 3rd US national tours (1987–2006)

=Broadway revival (2006–08)

=Broadway revival (2014–16)

=US National Tour (2017– )

Filmed Concert casts

Additional Performers

Productions

Sit-down productions

Original French production

Original London production

2019 updated staging

Original Broadway production

2006 Broadway revival

2013 Toronto revival

2014 Broadway revival

Touring productions

US national tours

UK and Ireland tours

=1992–1993 tour

=1997–2000 tour

=25th anniversary tour

=2018–present tour

2014 Australian tour

2016 International tour

Concert productions

10th Anniversary Concert

25th Anniversary Concert

The All-Star Staged Concert

Other concert performances

International productions

North American productions

School edition

Film adaptation

Cast recordings

English

Original London Cast recording

Original Broadway Cast recording

Complete Symphonic Recording

10th Anniversary Concert

25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast

25th Anniversary Concert

Awards and nominations

Original West End production

Original Broadway production

2013 Toronto revival

2014 Broadway revival

2014 Australian revival

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links