Flag wavers return
'Les Miz' marches on B'way this fall
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"Les Miserables," the worldwide hit tuner that ended its 16-year Broadway run in 2003, storms the Broadhurst Theater this fall for a six-month stint.
Return, starting Oct. 21 for a Nov. 9 opening, is timed to the same month that the 21-year-old London production of "Les Miz" surpasses "Cats" as the longest-running show in the history of the West End.
And the Broadhurst is right next door to another of producer Cameron Mackintosh's musical juggernauts, "The Phantom of the Opera," the 18-year-old production that became the longest-running show in Broadway history last month.
The physical production of "Les Miz" will come from the U.S. tour, which shutters in July. The cast, including both show alums and new thesps, has not yet been decided.
Mackintosh said that the advance in London recently rose 25% to its highest level in three years, and that the U.S. tour recently did boffo biz in Boston. "The appetite for 'Les Miz' is growing rather than diminishing," he said.
He attributed the success of the road tour in part to a rush of bookings from theaters trying to squeeze in one last visit before the tour's end this summer.
Also fueling aud growth: the release a few years back of the popular school edition of "Les Miz," spurring interest from students who saw or starred in amateur stagings.
There are currently four productions of the show up and running (London, Prague, Berlin and the U.S. tour). Future productions are on the way in Japan and Norway.
Mackintosh said the announced six months of the Broadway return could extend, but he isn't counting on it. "This show is 21 years old. You cannot predict the numbers," he said. "I'll be thrilled if it lasts a season."
