From left: Alfie Boe, Colm Wilkinson, Ramin Karimloo, and Nick Jonas
No one could have guessed on October 8, 1985, when Les Misérables opened in London at the Barbican Theatre that it would become a worldwide phenomenon, but audiences embraced it from the start, creating a “people’s musical” that has played in 42 countries and has been seen by nearly 60 million people. In 2010, the legendary musical celebrated its 25th birthday, and to mark the occasion, producer Cameron Mackintosh staged an extraordinary concert at the O2 Arena in London.
With more than 500 actors and musicians — including Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Katie Hall (Cosette), Nick Jonas (Marius), Norm Lewis (Javert), Matt Lucas (Thénardier), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Samantha Barks (Eponine), and Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras) — Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 includes the October 2010 cast of the long-running Original Production at London’s Queen’s Theatre and members of the original 1985 London cast, including Colm Wilkinson. This concert was also shown in cinemas worldwide.
Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name and set in early 19th-century France, Les Misérables features the stories of individuals struggling for redemption and revolution. The magnificent score includes the 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.