playbill vip

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people for

their support in creating this production

Karen Elisio

Gary Mason

Miles Mason

Glen Turney

Cheyenne Owens

Annette Korn

Jeff & Kathryn Wood

Paul Cambra

Beth Hickman

Traci Owens

Renee Silvera Berg

Anna Poganski

Michael Kent Murphy

Jerry Sellers

Tom Dwelle

Bart Ruud

Nan Shaw

Synopsis

          Les Miserables began life in a very popular French version mounted in 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris.  Producer Cameron Mackintosh, Lyricist Herbert Kretzmer and directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird joined book writer-lyricist Alain Boublil and composer Claude-Michel Schonberg to create the English version of the show, which opened in 1985 at the Barbican Theatre under the auspices of Mackintosh and the Royal Shakespeare Company (Among the show's original London cast members was Patti LuPone as the ill-fated Fantine.)  Les Miserables went on to conquer the world, transferring to London's Palace Theatre and opening in New York at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987.

          After a short run in Washington D.C. Les Miserables opened to an advance sale of $11 million (then a record), heralding eh so-called "British Invasion" of West End Musicals on Broadway.  Its original cast included Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Judy Kuhn (the singing voice of Disney's Pocahontas) as Cosette, Randy Graff as Fantine.  Terence Mann as Javert, and Frances Ruffelle as Eponine.

          Victor Hugo's original novel, which came out in magazine installments and was a favorite of American soldiers during the Civil War, was the basis for several films and the inspiration for the popular TV show (and hit movie) "The Fugitive".  Les Miserables spawned four North American touring companies and dozens of international productions in a variety of languages.  Les Miserables celebrated its tenth anniversary in October 1996 with a gala presentation at the Royal Albert Hall in London.