Features

Les Miserables Is Back In South Florida

February 27, 2013

Les Miserables has been in the news more in the last few months than ever before due to the enormous movie production led by director Tom Hooper with spectacular performances including Anne Hathaway’s Academy Award winning Fantine and my personal favorite Samantha Barks Eponine.

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However, my romance with the show affectionately known as Les Miz started 23 years ago in New York City. The first guy I ever dated, Marc, loved the music of Les Miz and listened to it constantly. Having not seen the show, the music didn’t resonate with me. One day, he surprised me and bought us tickets to see it. Being very poor and in college we got the student tickets and literally sat in the very last row in the largest Theater on Broadway (known as the Broadway Theatre…really). I was immediately smitten by this show, and when I woke up the next morning, Marc, had left a cassette tape (yes it was that long ago) copy of the musical under my pillow for me to find when I awoke with a note that said “enjoy.” To this day, after seeing the production many times, it has remained my all time favorite Broadway show.

We are lucky enough to live in Florida which has many theaters that feature the Broadway touring company of almost every major show. Yesterday the Adrienne Arsht center started its week long presentation of Cameron Mackintosh brand new 25^th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, Les Miserables, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans, and new audiences alike and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Miserables is an epic story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of Les Miserables includes the classic 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.

The New York Times calls this production of Les Miserables “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful.” The Star-Ledger says “a dynamically re-imagined hit. This Les Miserables’ has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: ‘Les Miz’ is born again.”

After seeing the production, I could not believe how the show has evolved technologically since last I saw it. In particular the barricades combined with the special affects make it seem almost 3 dimensional. Another stand out is Inspector Javert’s death scene, but there were so many standout moments in this production. The company as a whole, just really delivers.

A couple rows in front of us were this very young gay couple, Jason and Jimmy, who were clearly in love and loving the show. During intermission we spoke with them and asked them their thoughts: “We love the show and the powerful singers. In particular, the song ‘One Day More’.” I highly recommend that you see this show, as I promise you will not regret it.

Les Miserables is playing at the Ziff Ballert Opera House in the Adrienne Arsht Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd) until March 3. For tickets visit www.arshtcenter.org, or call the Box Office at (305) 949-6722.