One of the biggest and most beloved Broadway shows is coming to the Altria Theater Dec. 2-7 as part of the Broadway In Richmond series.
IF YOU GO
Les Misérables, Altria Theater, Richmond, Dec 2-7, tickets are $40-$136
“Les Misérables” is an epic musical that wows crowds and takes a great amount of effort to produce, requiring a fleet of 11 trucks to transport the vast sets and costumes needed on tour.
“Les Miz is one of the largest shows that plays the Altria Theater,” said Cindy Creasy, spokesperson for Broadway In Richmond. “It has over 100 cast and crew involved in each performance. Wardrobe has over 1,700 articles of clothing that they have to keep up with and mend and clean and have ready for the actors.
“They hire a lot of people locally, so that’s always a good economic impact. We will have makeup people and hair people and wardrobe people and stage crew that are hired locally. Their staff will be overseeing all of that so they do have hair, makeup and wardrobe but lots of times they hire local people as well because it’s just such a big show.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of “Les Misérables” at London’s Barbican Theater. Believe it or not, the show was not an immediate hit; critics panned it as over-sentimental and depressing, but audiences were overwhelmed by the story, characters, and music, and word of mouth soon spread. The musical is a love story, a tragedy and a political drama that has connected with generations of theater goers.
Nick Cartell is Jean Valjean. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)
“The themes of the show and the messages of the show are universal and timeless,” said Alexa Lopez, who plays the role of Cosette in the current production. “I don’t think there’s ever been a time in human history where we didn’t need this uplifting story about love and perseverance. Even though times are crazy right now, I think times were crazy 20 years ago and 20 years before that. I think it just speaks volumes about the story.”
This is Lopez’s first time in “Les Misérables” and her first time in a touring Broadway play. The character of Cosette is a very demanding but rewarding part.
“It’s a dream role, so my spirit is very happy,” Lopez said. “Growing up doing musical theater, of course, who doesn’t love Les Miz? I never thought I’d be able to do it on a national tour.
“Apart from all the background work that every actor probably does, I do a lot of warming up; a lot of voice lessons, it’s been mainly about building the stamina to do a three-hour show eight times a week. It can be very fatiguing. That’s been the biggest learning curve.”
“Les Misérables” has had three different Broadway runs and multiple national tours. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. It has been translated into 22 different languages and remains a favorite of musical theater lovers.
Matt Crowle is Thenardier. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)
“The show just continuously thrills audiences,” Creasy said. “Each time, there are new people who have never seen it and fall in love with it; and there are people who have seen it 20-30 times who will be first in line to see it again. It’s just one of the most iconic Broadway blockbusters ever.”
