The July 28 official opening night of the Radio City Music Hall engagement of the international touring production of Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular was a starry affair that included current and former stars joining forces at the conclusion of the musical. Check out photos for rehearsals for the surprise post-show performances in the gallery below.
Attendees included producer Cameron Mackintosh, co-creators Alain
Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, three-time Tony honoree Bernadette
Peters, director Richard Jay-Alexander, Tony nominee Christopher
Sieber, and more. The mix of former,
current, and possibly future Fantines, Eponines, Javerts, and Jean
Valjeans performed several Les Miz classics: Patti LuPone and Deborah Gibson were part
of a group rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”https://playbill.com/”On My Own.” Philip Quast and Jordan Donica, among others, sang “Stars.” Prospective Valjean (and former Enjolras) Aaron Tveit and Alfie Boe were joined by two former Valjeans for “Bring Him Home.” A large group reprise of “One Day More” concluded the evening.
The New York run marks the
end of the two-year tour and the 40th anniversary celebrations of the
international hit musical. The limited engagement, which began July 23, continues through August 9.
READ: After 16 Years, Les Misérables Still Makes Samantha Barks Weep
The company is led by Alfie Boe (La Bohème), Killian Donnelly (Kinky Boots), and Gerónimo Rauch (Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary), who alternate in the role of Jean Valjean, with Bradley Jaden (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends) and Jeremy Secomb (Evita) sharing the role of Javert. They are joined by Samantha Barks (Pretty Woman: The Musical, Les Misérables film adaptation) as Fantine, Matt Lucas (Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary) as Thénardier, Marina Prior (The Phantom of the Opera) as Madame Thénardier, Jac Yarrow (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré (The Book of Mormon) as Cosette, Shan Ako (Les Misérables 40th anniversary West End) as Éponine, Christian Mark Gibbs (Camelot) as Enjolras, three-time Olivier
winner Philip Quast as Bishop of Digne, and Rob Madge (My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) as Bamatabois.
READ: Killian Donnelly, Bradley Jaden, Katie Hall, More Featured on Les Misérables: The 40th Anniversary All-Star Cast
The ensemble includes Kelly
Agbowu, Amelia Broadway, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Harry Chandler, Rosy
Church, Gabrielle Cummins, Beth Curnock, Jade Davies, Jordan Lee Davies,
Jonathan David Dudley, Bryony Duncan, Harry Dunnett, Thiago Phillip
Felizardo, Charlie Geoghegan, Nic Greenshields, Christopher Key, Michael
Kholwadia, Andrew Maxwell, Jill Nalder, Lisa Peace, Emma Ralston,
Ciaran Rodger, James Sillman, Geddy Stringer, Helen Walsh, Raymond
Walsh, Danny Whitehead, and Owain Williams. Cian Bhalla, Alfie Buck, and
Mateo Casado alternate in the role of Gavroche. Sharing the role of Little Cosette are Lillian Alice Castner, Olive Ross-Kline, and Ella Tokita.
These artists lead an onstage company of cast and orchestra members of over 65.
The Cameron Mackintosh production is written by Alain Boublil and
Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music
by Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, original French text by
Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton, and
adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.
Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke, and
Stephen Brooker, with original orchestrations by John Cameron. The
production is directed by James Powell and Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy,
designed by Matt Kinley, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou, Christine
Rowland, and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable and Warren Letton,
sound by Mick Potter, projections realized by Finn Ross, and music
supervision by Stephen Brooker and Alfonso Casado Trigo.
The Radio City engagement features Sphere Immersive Sound, comprised
of 7,000 speakers and next-generation 3D audio beamforming and wave
field synthesis technology to transform how audio is delivered.
Sound designer Potter stated, “It’s been a great opportunity to recreate the sound design for Les
Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular using the new Sphere
Immersive Sound System at Radio City Music Hall. Working with the team
allowed us to easily interface with the system and, once set up, to be
able to translate the performances of over 65 supremely talented cast
and orchestra into a fully immersive sonic experience—with both the
music and sound effects coming alive with spatialization, and
crystal-clear vocal intelligibility for every seat in the house.”
Josephine Vaccarello, executive vice president, Live for MSG Entertainment, added, “Everyone knows the iconic music of Les Misérables,
and Radio City’s groundbreaking immersive audio system—Sphere
Immersive Sound—brings this classic score to life in an entirely new
way. Sphere Immersive Sound has powered the live taps of the Rockettes
kickline and the orchestrations of 100 New York Philharmonic musicians,
and now amplifies the largest cast of ensemble singers for the Radio
City system to date—proving once again that there’s nothing this system
can’t do.”
The Arena Concert Spectacular was developed from the successful Les Misérables The Staged Concert,
which played over 200 record-breaking performances in the West End and
the 25th Anniversary performance at The O2. It features a new design
created for larger venues.
Mackintosh’s production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables
also continues its record-breaking run at the Sondheim Theatre in
London’s
West End. The musical last played Broadway in 2016, and the London
production recently entered its 41st year at the Sondheim Theatre.
The Arena Concert Spectacular is
produced by Mackintosh and Nick Grace Management. The Radio
City Music Hall engagement is presented locally by The Bowery Presents.
Visit NYC.LesMis.com for a full performance schedule, including Valjean and Javert casting at each showing.
