LES MISÉRABLES BEGINS ITS 10th YEAR ON BROADWAY
March 4, 1996- Cameron Mackintosh's production of the Alain Boublil / Claude-Michel Schonberg musical Les Misérables begins its 10th record-breaking year on Broadway Tuesday, March 12 at the Imperial Theatre. Les Misérables, one of the most successful theatrical productions of all-time, will have played 3,694 performances on Broadway as of March 12, making it the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history. The musical is also the longest-running show ever to play the landmark 73 year-old Imperial Theatre, exceeding the runs of such hits as Fiddler on the Roof, Pippin, Dreamgirls and Annie Get Your Gun.
On Broadway alone, Les Misérables has been seen by over 5.3 million people since it opened in 1987. Its Broadway box-office gross now exceeds $231 million. Internationally, there have been 27 productions of Les Misérables, in 23 countries, in 14 different languages. Worldwide, the musical has been seen by over 38 million people for a box-office gross of over $1.5 billion. Throughout the United States, more than 19 million people have seen Les Misérables in 112 cities. The national touring company of the show, which is currently playing to full houses at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. (its 4th engagement in the nation's capital), has already played more than 3,000 performances, with no end in sight.
Les Misérables has won more than 40 major theater awards throughout the world, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Recording. There have been 26 cast recordings of the musical, including the multi-platinum original London cast recording.
The original London production of Les Misérables celebrated its 10th Anniversary this past October with a special concert version of the show produced by Cameron Mackintosh at the legendary Royal Albert Hall. The concert, which was videotaped for international television airings, is being broadcast this month on PBS stations across the country as part of their
acclaimed "Great Performances" series. Additionally, a videotape and the album of the concert will be released shortly.
The Broadway cast of Les Misérables currently features Craig Schulman (Valjean), David Masenheimer (Javert), Tamra Hayden (Cosette), Tom Donoghue (Marius), Jessica-Snow Wilson (Eponine), Drew Esheman (Thenardier), Gina Ferrall (Madame Thenardier), Ron Bohmer (Enjolras), and Tony Award winner Melba Moore (Fantine), who will play the role through March 31.
Les Misérables plays Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM; with matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM. For tickets and information, please call Telecharge at(212) 239-6200.
