Les Miserables (Touring)
Appearing in: boston
Les Misérables made its world premiere in Paris in 1980 as a concept album and French-language musical before its 1985 London debut at the Barbican Centre launched it into the theatrical stratosphere. The English-language adaptation, produced by Cameron Mackintosh with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, transferred to the West End and Broadway and ran for decades — the original Broadway production ran from 1987 to 2003, a then-record-setting run for a musical at the Imperial Theatre. In the forty-plus years since its international debut the show has been performed in over fifty countries, translated into dozens of languages, and seen by well over 130 million people worldwide.
The story follows Jean Valjean, a former prisoner pursued across decades of his life by the relentless Inspector Javert, against the backdrop of early 19th century France and the June Rebellion of 1832. The score by Claude-Michel Schönberg is among the most dramatically effective in musical theater history: "I Dreamed a Dream," "One Day More," "On My Own," "Bring Him Home," and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" are known by audiences who have never seen a musical and recognized by people who have never heard the full show. The touring production maintains the spectacular staging — including the famous barricade set piece — that makes the show a must-see theatrical event at any stage of life.