Review: Les Miserables, Sydney - Sydney Travel Guide

The musical Les Miserables, the world’s longest running, made a triumphant return to Australia after 38 years.
The Arena Spectacular show’s first night at the ICCA theatre was a moment in history.
Impressario and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh was there – and he wheeled out the original cast, including Normie Rowe and Jean Valjean.
I played a part—admittedly a bit part—in its success

Sydney was home to theatrical royalty last night as Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular opened its Australian run at the enormous 6,000-seat ICC Sydney theatre.

Les Mis, as it is affectionately known, was more than a match for this massive venue. It is a BIG musical with BIG songs, and a BIG story.

Mackintosh was on stage in Sydney at the end of the show to take a bow and describe the incredible history of this extraordinary stage production.

Sir Cameron Mackintosh at Les Mis, Sydney

In a wonderful end to a stunning night, he introduced original cast members like Normie Rowe to sing the main theme one last time.

The man The New York Times called the most powerful theatrical producer in the world holds Sydney in remarkable affection, writing in the program: “Les Miserables has always called Australia home ever since it premiered in Sydney 38 years ago, having opened there only two years after London”.

A string of Australian stars – Marina Prior as Cosette and Anthony Warlow as Enjolras among them – appeared over time, and a performance as part of the Sydney Festival in the Domain saw 125,000 people turn out to see it.

The final cast members on stage last night were something of a who’s-who:

Normie Rowe, the original Valjean in the 1987 production

Philip Quast, Javert in the original 1987 Australian cast and the legendary 10th Anniversary Concert in London

William Zappa, who played Thénardier in the 1987 production

Lara Mulcahy, who played Madame Thénardier in the 1997 and 2014 production

David Campbell, who played Marius in the 10th Anniversary production in 1995

Simon Burke, who played Marius in the original 1987 production

Scott Irwin, who portrayed Enjolras in the 10th Anniversary cast in 1995

Nikki Webster, who played Little Cosette in the 1997 production.

Mackintosh—he numbers Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, Miss Saigon and Oliver among his credits—has the ability to reinvent himself constantly.

After the amazing run of Les Mis over a quarter of a century, he set about remaking it into a cross between opera, musical and rock concert. And that’s what is playing in Sydney right now.

It works brilliantly, with stunning high-tech sets – the barricade owes more to Star Wars than the French Revolution—and a full orchestra of 65 musicians on stage, yet somehow not at all intrusive.

Mackintosh knows theatres like no one else on earth. He owns and has refurbished eight of London’s biggest in the West End.

To some, Les Mis doesn’t sound like the most promising of stories. Based on a French novel by Victor Hugo, the title reflects the suffering and injustice experienced by the lower social classes. The story explores themes of redemption, social injustice, and the human capacity for both great cruelty and great compassion.

Yet the music is stirring, the storyline uplifting, and it is as inspiring today as it was four decades ago.

Many in the cast have been brought up with this musical. Alfie Boe, an opera singer who performed Bring Him Home, one of the show’s iconic songs, was involved from the age of 15, and Michael Ball (who rehearsed the show in 1985) are incredible in the leads, Matt Lucas is brilliant as the inn keeper, a role he has played over 15 years ago.

And now, a confession. I had a hand in Les Mis‘s success. Not much of one, I’ll admit. A bit part really.

As a young executive on a British national newspaper in Fleet Street, my TV reviewer was Herbert Kretzmer, a suave South African. His claims to fame included penning the lyrics to the French crooner Charles Aznavour’s song “She”, a big hit at the time, and the comedy song Goodness Gracious Me performed by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren.

Les Mis was heading for production, but the producers were convinced the lyrics were wrong. They wanted Herbie to come in and rewrite the songs.

He asked me for a few weeks off, and I agreed. It stretched to several months, but he returned after the opening night. Two years later, he again came into my office, and I’ve never forgotten his words.

“Old boy, Les Mis has just opened in Iceland and is now playing in 10 countries. I feel I can’t go on writing your 500-word columns every night when the musical has made me rich. So if you don’t mind, I’ll need to resign”.

Les Mis has since played in 54 countries and has been seen by 130 million people. It did indeed make Herbie rich. And once you’ve heard the lyrics he wrote, you’ll understand why.

What would have happened if I had turned down his extended leave? Who knows.

But hearing the lyrics again last night, I was certainly glad I didn’t.

Update: Can’t believe it, but now I’m listening to the songs on Spotify. Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Russel Crowe. Empty Chairs and Empty Tables. Herbie – what have you done?