Highly Acclaimed Musical of the Year – Les Misérables

The Queen’s Theatre production of Les Misérables is a thrilling musical experience that has been shared by thousands of theatre-goers over the course of many years. Indeed, the show has seen over 10,000 performances in London, over 3000 of them at the Queen’s Theatre.

Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, the musical stage production of Les Misérables has been delighting audiences all over the world for over 25 years. Written by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer, the play follows the story of convict 24601, Jean Valjean, over the course of two decades. Over the years, Valjean attempts to redeem himself for his past crimes by becoming a respectable pillar of the community, a fair-minded employer and a loving father, all while being persistently followed by Javert, a man of the law whose strict beliefs allow no room for mercy or compassion.

The show explores themes of punishment, forgiveness and atonement against a backdrop of political upheaval and class disparity. Through it all runs the concept of love in all its forms: familial, romantic and fraternal. The show resonates with audience members of all ages because of its universal themes and the way those themes are expressed in song.

Les Misérables is the world’s longest running musical, with productions in 42 countries and 21 languages. It is also the second-longest-running play in London. The show features hit songs such as “One Day More,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home” and “I Dreamed a Dream:” the song that catapulted Susan Boyle to fame on Britain’s Got Talent. Though originally met with lacklustre reviews in London, it eventually won over the critics after rave reviews from audiences and months of sold-out performances. The Broadway production went on to win eight Tony Awards. It has since been nominated for, and awarded, hundreds of other awards for its productions around the world.

Les Misérables debuted at the Barbican Theatre in London with its English version in 1985. Later that same year, the Palace Theatre took over production where it remained for nearly 20 years. Les Misérables moved to the Queen’s Theatre in 2004. It has been running there ever since and looks to remain a staple of the London theatre scene for many years to come. A major motion picture adaptation of the stage musical is set for release in December 2012.

-Angelina Lawson