WE'RE BRINGING HIM HOME!
COLM WILKINSON IS TO STAR IN THE RETURN OF
LES MISÉRABLES TO DUBLIN
In his legendary performance as 'Jean Valjean' Opening 26th February 1999, at the Point Theatre For an exclusive limited engagement
Producer Cameron Mackintosh announced today that Colm Wilkinson will, for the first time ever in Dublin, reprise his legendary performance as 'Jean Valjean' in an exclusive Dublin return engagement of Boublil and Schonberg's landmark musical Les Misérables, opening Thursday, 26th February 1999 at the Point Theatre.
Les Misérable was embraced by Dublin audiences in 1993 when it was seen by over 150,000 people becoming the most successful musical ever to be staged at the Point Theatre and instantly won rave reviews. Les Misérables played for 9 weeks and grossed more than IR*3m.
Wilkinson created the role of 'Jean Valjean' in the original London and Broadway productions of Les Misérables in a performance that is widely considered to be one of the greatest in the history of musical theatre.
Apart from the historic one-night only 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall in 1995, Wilkinson has not played 'Valjean' since leaving the original Broadway company in 1987.
Wilkinson will join the acclaimed UK National Company of Les Misérables along with other Irish Principal actors for this special limited engagement at The Point. Dublin will be the only European city in which Wilkinson will perform 'Valjean'.
Colm Wilkinson was born in Dublin and his association with Les Misérables began when he was cast by Cameron Mackintosh and co-directors, Trevor Nunn and John Caird to play 'Valjean' in the original production of the show at the Royal Shakespeare's Barbican Theatre in 1985. Due to the overwhelming popular demand, Les Misérables soon transferred to the Palace Theatre in London's West End where it continues into its 13th sell out year. Wilkinson's performance in London won him wide acclaim as well as a Laurence Oliver Award nomination as Best Actor.
In 1987 Les Misérables opened on Broadway with Wilkinson as 'Valjean' and again both the musical and the performers triumphed. Les Misérables went on to win 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Wilkinson received a Tony nomination as Best Actor, and he received the Outer Critics' Circle Award, The Helen Hayes Award and The Theatre World Award.
Wilkinson went on to another of Cameron Mackintosh's international successes, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, a part he played for nearly five years in Toronto. Mackintosh first invited Wilkinson to play 'The Phantom' at the very first try-out of the musical in 1985. It was not until 1989 when Wilkinson played the role winning the Dora Mavor Award as Best Actor in a Musical.
Wilkinson has been featured on numerous theatrical recordings, including his own acclaimed "Stage Heroes" album. He has also toured extensively through North America in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the Night concerts.
Les Misérables has been seen by over 40 million people world-wide. Les Misérables is the world's most popular musical with world-wide box office receipts exceeding the highest grossing film of all time, Star Wars.
Cameron Mackintosh now presents a brand new Touring Production which began in Plymouth in May 1997. Since then it has sold out in every city it has visited including Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol and looks set to repeat this pheonomium in its future dates at The Southampton Mayflower, Bradford Alhambra, The Edinburgh Playhouse and The Liverpool Empire before it reaches Dublin.
The entire season of Les Misérables in Plymouth sold out within 3 weeks and then became the most successful theatre production in the Midlands playing a staggering 15 weeks at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The touring production, the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, is equal in majesty to the London and Broadway productions but has cost *3m to produce as it has been specifically designed to close in one venue and open in the next in a matter of days rather than weeks.
Now in its 13th year, Les Misérables continues to sell out its record breaking run at the Palace Theatre, London and celebrated its 10th Annversary at the Royal Albert Hall three years ago by featuring performers from around the world. The video of this already legendary event has sold over one million copies world-wide making it the 2nd largest selling musical video in the UK. There has been 29 cast recordings of Les Misérables including the multi-platinum London cast album and the Grammy Award winning Broadway cast and complete Symphonic Albums. In its 13 year history, Les Misérables audiences around the world have been captivated by many Irish Artists and to celebrate this enormous contribution, Cameron Mackintosh will bring many of the talented Irish Principals from previous companies to the Dublin production to join Colm Wilkinson.
