Jean-Marc Natel News

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, December 23, 2012 - Sunday, December 23, 2012.

Christmas Day 2012 marks the biggest and best day of the year for many Broadway babies around the world, but the anticipatory fervor has little to do with the man with the beard in red and white from the North Pole - you see, the guy in question in this equation is more apt to be seen in red and black and his origins are decidedly a bit more Gallic than Jolly Old St. Nick. The man whom I speak of is, of course, Jean Valjean, the protagonist of Victor Hugo's spellbinding 1862 historical epic LES MISERABLES, a novel which was subsequently adapted into a 1980 concert spectacular and ultimately a 1985 full-fledged stage musical, painstakingly developed through the shepherding of uber producer Cameron Mackintosh, alongside the talents responsible for breathing song into the story - original French composer/lyricist team Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (along with Jean-Marc Natel), to whom Mackintosh added English lyricist Herbert Kretzmer (and also contributor James Fenton). Through a special partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, LES MISERABLES: THE MUSICAL premiered at the Barbican Theatre in the West End soon thereafter under the direction of Trevor Nunn and John Caird and opened to largely negative reviews, albeit ecstatic, ebullient audiences. Broadway was next, where it went on to win Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Featured Actress & Actor and even more (eight total). LES MISERABLES onstage was a hit like few others from then on and the rest, ze say, is history - or, in this case, l'histoire. Yet, on Christmas Day, the next step in the evolution of the worldwide phenomenon commonly and colloquially known as LES MIZ will occur - just days after the Mayan-predicted end of days, no less - and the movie musical adaptation of the stage show will finally become a reality, featuring an all-star cast comprised of Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, among others. The time has come to hear the people sing onscreen at long, long last. But, first, how is the film?

While many MIZ-heads may have assumed the film adaptation of their beloved musical would never actually come to fruition, here it really is, all too soon available for all to see - lo, more than twenty years after it was first announced byway of an official promo ad in a tour souvenir going as far back as the late-1980s. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening during the dawning days of December and many small moments, full musical sequences and my first impressions themselves have filled me with a certain kind of inexpressible enrapturing ecstasy heretofore inexperienced, coming as a direct result, no doubt, of the sheer force of power the film exacts in its relentless, barreling, blazingly bravado-bedecked style - a style, I can firmly say, is completely unique in movie history. LES MISERABLES is a lot of things, but, first and foremost, it is that which it is unlike that makes it most remarkable of all; that is: it is unlike any movie musical ever made. And, it is a masterpiece.

Making its tenth visit to Washington, DC, LES MISERABLES is still impressive, boasting a revised look and sound and a dynamic duo Jean Valjean and Javert, Peter Lockyer and Andrew Varela. The national tour makes a holiday season stop at the National Theatre through December 30.

For the first time ever, the full-length version of LES MISÉRABLES is available to license, for a limited time, for performances starting in June 2013 announced theatrical licensor Music Theatre International today.

In April 2011, over 42,000 people experienced a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schonberg's legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES. Now, due to overwhelming demand, LES MISÉRABLES returns to Cleveland for one week only as a part of the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare.

Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables will go on sale Dec. 3, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. for the Sacramento engagement at Community Center Theater, which runs from May 29 - June 9, 2013. The all new production of Les Miserables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. Tickets for Les Miserables are currently available only by purchasing a Broadway Sacramento season ticket.

Casting for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of LES MISERABLES has been announced for the back-by-popular-demand Washington engagement at The National Theatre, beginning December 13 for three weeks only. The all-new production of LES MISERABLES features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

East Jefferson General Hospital Broadway in New Orleans announced the premiere New Orleans engagement of Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables, playing at the Mahalia Jackson Theater tonight, October 30 - November 4, 2012. Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, August 24, at 11 a.m.

Apparently, if you've seen LES MISERABLES in its current incarnation, you're missing 15 minutes (approximately), and a revolving stage that makes the action come alive. Well, I hadn't seen the production in any form-I even missed the Muny's presentation, so this was a fresh experience for me. I can't imagine what was cut, since it's about 3 hours even with the intermission, but the revolving stage might have been nice to have. In any event, this is still an epic musical that stirs the heart and soul, and it left the audience enthralled as it told its sprawling tale. Having read Victor Hugo's unedited text some years ago, and written a paper on how it compared to the Frederic March and Charles Laughton film, I come at this from a different perspective. For me, this modern opera currently playing the Fox Theatre (through October 28, 2012), is generally more impressive due to it's fine performances and expert staging than its reputation.

The West End production of LES MISERABLES welcomed some new cast members last month, including Broadway veteran Sierra Boggess as 'Fantine', as well as 'Over the Rainbow' winner Danielle Hope as 'Eponine.' Additional current cast members include: Geronimo Rauch, Tam Mutu, Cameron Blakely, Linzi Hateley, Samantha Dorsey, Liam Tamne, and Craig Mather. Watch a video interview with Boggess, Hope, Mutu and Rauch below!

Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables are on sale for the premiere Fort Worth engagement at Bass Performance Hall. The all new production of Les Miserables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables are on sale now for the back-by-popular-demand Washington engagement at The National Theatre, beginning December 12 for three weeks only. The all new production of Les Miserables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

Casting for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables has been announced for the premiere St. Louis engagement at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. The all new production of Les Miserables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

The West End production of LES MISERABLES just welcomed some new cast members, including Broadway veteran Sierra Boggess as 'Fantine', as well as 'Over the Rainbow' winner Danielle Hope as 'Eponine.' Additional current cast members include: Geronimo Rauch, Tam Mutu, Cameron Blakely, Linzi Hateley, Samantha Dorsey, Liam Tamne, and Craig Mather. Check out just-released shots of the cast in action below!

Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, 'Les Misérables' is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of 'Les Misérables' includes the classic songs 'I Dreamed a Dream,' 'On My Own,' 'Stars,' 'Bring Him Home,' 'Do You Hear The People Sing?,' 'One Day More,' 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,' 'Master of The House' and many more. Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Boublil and Schönberg's 'Les Misérables' has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer from the original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel and additional material by James Fenton. The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre celebrates its 40th Season with three fabulous new shows to its stage and several popular favorites from its richly entertaining repertoire.

Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of the 'World's Longest-Running Musical,' Les Misérables, is now in North America visiting many cities on a multi-year tour. The production features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo and you can catch it at the San Diego Civic Theatre tonight, August 28-September 2, 2012.