Les Misérables Opens 3-Week Arena Concert at Radio City, Extending a 46-Year Global Run
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 21
Les Misérables Opens 3-Week Arena Concert at Radio City, Extending a 46-Year Global Run
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 21
Summary
Thursday’s opening of “Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular” at Radio City Music Hall brings the musical back to New York through Aug. 9, 10 years after its last Broadway revival ended.
Three days later, Hudson Valley Shakespeare will launch a fully staged production through Sept. 27, adding to a fresh wave of U.S. runs after a national tour stop in Boston and current productions in Arizona and Utah.
Jenn Thompson, who directs the Hudson Valley staging, said the nearly 3-hour show endures because its epic scale still centers on intimate questions of human connection and obligation.
First created in France in 1980, the musical has run in London since 1985, had three Broadway productions since 1987, and will also return to Paris this fall with a French-language revival.
Why does a tragic 19th-century tale of French rebellion still fiercely dominate modern stages from massive arenas to intimate theaters?
Can stripping away traditional scenery in a massive arena concert actually amplify the profound emotional intimacy of this legendary musical?
With simultaneous productions flooding the country, is this beloved revolutionary masterpiece risking oversaturation or proving its timeless invincibility?