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Come see one of the greatest musicals ever created when @LesMizUS returns to Philadelphia as part of @KimmelCenter #BWYPHL season. Playing 03/17-29 at the Academy of Music. More info at kimmelcenter.org. #ArtHappensHere
Press Contacts:
Lauren Woodard
(215) 790-5835
lwoodard@kimmelcenter.org
Carole Morganti, CJM Public Relations
(609) 953-0570
CJMpr01@aol.com
CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF
BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S
LES MISÉRABLES
THE MUSICAL PHENOMENON
TO RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC
MARCH 17 – 29, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, February 11, 2020) – By popular demand, Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérableswill return to Philadelphia on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus at the Academy of Music for two weeks only on March 17 through March 29.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome this iconic Broadway musical for fans old and new to enjoy,” said Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “We know how much Philadelphians love Les Miz, as this stunning production continues to break box office records here in our city. This will mark the 12th time that Philadelphia has hosted Les Miz, and it is a true testament to the ongoing popularity and loyalty of our arts community to the ‘world’s most popular musical.’”
With its glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, this breathtaking new production has left both audiences and critics awestruck and has been hailed as the “Les Miz for the 21st Century.” (The Huffington Post)
Cameron Mackintosh said, “I’m delighted that after a four-year absence this glorious production is once again touring the major cities across North America and is more spectacular than ever.”
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Featuring one of the greatest scores of all time, with thrilling and beloved songs including “I Dreamed A Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars," “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Do You Hear the People Sing,” and many more, this epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. Along with the Oscar-winning movie version, it has now been seen by more than 120 million people in 52 countries and in 22 languages around the globe. Les Misérables is still the world’s most popular musical, breaking box office records everywhere in its 35th year.
Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer from the original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel; additional material by James Fenton; and original adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. The original Les Misérables orchestrations are by John Cameron, with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, Stephen Metcalfe, and Stephen Brooker. The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell; designed by Matt Kinley, inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland; lighting by Paule Constable; sound by Mick Potter; musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt; and projections by Fifty-Nine Productions. Music Supervision is by Stephen Brooker and James Moore, with casting by Kaitlin Shaw for Tara Rubin Casting.
“Thrilling, spectacular and unforgettable.”
-The New York Times
“**** (4 out of 4 stars). One of the greatest musicals ever created! A gorgeous touring ‘Les Misérables’ is back on the barricades, renewed and refreshed.”
-Chicago Tribune
“This ‘Les Miz’ is a winner. Standout cast shines in revamped production.”
-The Providence Journal
“You simply won’t want it to end.”
-Boston Globe
“A stirring, thumping, heart-throbbing return of a pop opera whose themes of revolution and righteousness seem particularly well suited to our current turbulent times.”
-Hartford Courant
“Visually stunning! A monumental musical packed with power voices.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
Produced on stage by Cameron Mackintosh, Les Misérables is the world’s longest-running musical now in its 35th year in London. The movie version was also produced by Mackintosh (along with Working Title and Universal) and it became the most successful movie ever of an original stage musical.
The original production of Les Misérables, co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and the RSC, opened at the Barbican Theatre, London, on October 8, 1985, and subsequently transferred to the Palace Theatre in December a few weeks later. After 18 years, the show moved to the Queen’s Theatre in 2004, where it continued to play to sell-out business. Due to urgent major rebuilding and restoration that was needed at the Queen’s Theatre (due to bomb damage from World War II), the original production closed in July 2019.
The run of Les Misérables continued its record-breaking run next door in a spectacular sellout staged concert at the Gielgud Theatre, until the new production reopened in December 2019 at the newly restored Sondheim Theatre, formerly known as the Queen’s, which has been renamed in honor of Cameron Mackintosh’s great friend, theatrical legend Stephen Sondheim, whose innovative work has transformed musical theatre around the world.
The original Broadway production of Les Misérables opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987, and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on October 17, 1990, running for 6,680 performances. The original US National Tour began in November 1987 and visited over 150 cities before closing in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2006. Broadway audiences welcomed Les Misérables back to New York on November 9, 2006 where the show played the Broadhurst Theatre until its final performance on January 6, 2008.
The new production was conceived in 2009 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary, with record-breaking productions in the U.K., Australia, Japan, Korea, France, Spain, Dubai, Manila, Singapore, Brazil, and Mexico. The North American Tour traveled across the U.S. for two years, then played a 5-month engagement in Toronto before returning to the Imperial Theatre on Broadway in March 2014 for over 1,000 performances. The new production is currently playing to sold out houses across North America and on tour in the U.K.
To date, Les Misérables remains the 6th longest-running Broadway production of all time.
LES MISÉRABLES
Part of the Kimmel Center’s Broadway Philadelphia 2019-20 Season
Academy of Music on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Friday, March 20, 2020 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Friday, March 27, 2020 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Tickets
Tickets are on sale now and start at $25.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 893-1999, visiting www.kimmelculturalcampus.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling (215) 790-5883. More information at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.
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The Shubert Organization
The Shubert Organization is America's oldest professional theatre company and the largest theatre owner on Broadway. Since the dawn of the 20th Century, Shubert has operated hundreds of theatres and produced hundreds of plays and musicals across the country. Shubert currently owns and operates seventeen Broadway theatres, six off-Broadway venues, and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. Under the leadership of Philip J. Smith, Chairman, and Robert E. Wankel, President, Shubert continues to be a leader in the theatre industry. Notable productions and co-productions include Cats, Sunday in the Park with George, Dreamgirls, The Heidi Chronicles, Jerome Robbins' Broadway,Amadeus, Children of a Lesser God, The Grapes of Wrath, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Spamalot, The Elephant Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, School of Rock, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and more. Shubert Ticketing sells millions of tickets each year through its Telecharge interface and private-label solutions—via a range of online distribution channels, box offices and call centers, and hundreds of third-party agents. Shubert’s ticketing brands offer unparalleled distribution and marketing to the theatre industry and beyond: Telecharge for retail ticket sales; Broadway Inbound for group sales and the travel industry; and Entertainment Benefits Group for corporate markets. The Shubert Foundation, sole shareholder of The Shubert Organization, Inc., is dedicated to sustaining and advancing live performing arts in the United States, providing $32 million in grants in 2018 to not-for-profit theatres and dance companies. The Shubert Archive is a special project of The Shubert Foundation.
The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1 million guests per year and includes the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater- representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially-responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region’s young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is our proud sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2019-2020 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.
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