Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A tale of two LES MIZ’s: The popular mega-musical gets makeovers courtesy of a world arena tour and a regional Shakespeare festival

• By drediman
• September 11, 2026
• No Comments

This summer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s 1980s British mega-musical Les Misérables — based on Victor Hugo’s sprawling French novel of the same name — proved its continued immense popularity amongst the masses. Indeed, this was evident by the fanfare surrounding a pair of productions that marched into the New York area, courtesy of a world arena tour and a local Shakespeare festival. As always, read on for my thoughts.

LES MISÉRABLES: THE ARENA CONCERT SPECTACULAR
Radio City Music Hall
Closed

Earlier this summer at the iconic Radio City Music Hall, I had the great opportunity to catch Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular (RECOMMENDED), a tour of the beloved musical that’s been traveling around the globe (thus far, the massive production has already visited 17 different countries). This version of the show is probably the most spectacular form you can experience the musical, featuring a cast and orchestra of over 65 people and a dazzling lighting and sound package. The production utilizes an efficient yet eye-popping semi-staged approach — based on the Les Misérables: The Staged Concert that played the West End, as well as the 25th Anniversary performance at The O2 — that works both as a concert and storytelling vehicle. Although purists may be somewhat upset that the score has been slightly trimmed, it allows for the requisite applause between the big numbers. That being said, the modifications should go unnoticed to most attendees, and the music by and large sounds full and magnificent. At the performance I attended, Killian Donnelly made for a rock solid, vocally reliable Valjean (Donnelly rotated in the coveted lead role with Alfie Boe and Gerónimo Rauch). However, in my book, the real star of the show was Jeremy Secomb as Javert (Secomb shared the role with Bradley Jaden) — a staunch yet passionate performance that culminated in a gut-wrenching suicide soliloquy. Also quite effective as Fantine was the luxuriously-voiced Samantha Barks, whose performance thankfully eschewed histrionics in favor of a more grounded portrayal of the tragic role. The rest of the cast and diverse ensemble were more than up to the task, although I did find the unbridled ad libbing by Matt Lucas and Marina Prior as the Thénardiers a too tad much.

LES MISÉRABLES
Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Through September 27

Then there’s Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s production of Les Misérables (RECOMMENDED), which is a part of the inaugural season at the Samuel H. Scripps Center, the repertory company’s stunning new permanent home located in Garrison, NY. This is the first full scale production I’ve seen that takes a look at the material through a fresh new lens, one that’s not heavily influenced by the Broadway or West End productions. In short, the musical benefits from the human scale of director Jenn Thompson’s fluid, ensemble-driven staging, which brings intimacy and inventive kinetic energy to the proceedings. That being said, HVS’s production is by no means a downsized affair, utilizing a company of 24 performers and an excellent 14-piece orchestra (the orchestrations are a tantalizing mixture of the more symphonic current version being used and the synth-tinged original). Although the semi-outdoor production admittedly at times doesn’t fully align with the narrative (especially during matinee performances) — e.g., much of the story transpires on the grimy, bustling streets of Paris — there’s something downright magical about experiencing Boublil and Schönberg’s emotionally resonant songs performed against the stunning backdrop of the Hudson Valley, especially during sunset. By and large, the performances are strong, particularly Tony-nominee Josh Young as a vocally splendid and emotionally invested Valjean, the silver-voiced Haley Dortch as a tremendously moving Fantine (Dortch also doubles as Enjolras, not as successfully), and David Beach as a wonderfully nuanced Thénardier. Also worth highlighting are Ana Paola Garcia and Haley Rose Ciaramella as, respectively, Cosette and Eponine; they bring interesting new color and personality to the roles, making them fully their own. Unfortunately, Denis Lambert doesn’t have quite the gravitas to fully chart Javert’s captivating character arc.