THE ARENA CONCERT SPECTACULAR Opens At Radio City Music Hall

Reviews have been released for Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular, now playing at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall through August 9, where it will conclude its world tour. 

The production stars Alfie Boe, Killian Donnelly or Gerónimo Rauch as Jean Valjean; Bradley Jaden or Jeremy Secomb as Javert; Samantha Barks as Fantine; Matt Lucas as Thénardier; Marina Prior or Helen Walsh as Madame Thénardier; Jac Yarrow as Marius; Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette; Shan Ako as Éponine; Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras; and Peter Polycarpou as the Bishop of Digne. Philip Quast appears as the Bishop of Digne for the New York engagement.

See photos of the production here!

The company also features Kelly Agbowu, Amelia Broadway, Mary Jean Caldwell, Harry Chandler, Rosy Church, Gabrielle Cummins, Beth Curnock, Jade Davies, Jordan Lee Davies, Jonathan David Dudley, Bryony Duncan, Harry Dunnett, Thiago Phillip Felizardo, Charlie Geoghegan, Nic Greenshields, Christopher Key, Michael Kholwadia, Rob Madge, Andrew Maxwell, Jill Nalder, Lisa Peace, Emma Ralston, Ciaran Rodger, James Sillman, Geddy Stringer, Raymond Walsh, Danny Whitehead, and Owain Williams.

Cian Bhalla, Alfie Buck, and Mateo Casado alternate the role of Gavroche, while Lillian Caster, Oive Ross-Kline, and Ella Tokita alternate the role of Little Cosette.

Having premiered in the UK and Europe in September 2024, the production has toured more than 30 cities worldwide, including engagements in Australia, Japan, Shanghai, and Singapore.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular features a book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on Victor Hugo’s novel, with music by Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, original French text by Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton, and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. The production is directed by James Powell and Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy, with design by Matt Kinley, costumes by Andreane Neofitou, Christine Rowland, and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable and Warren Letton, sound by Mick Potter, projections by Finn Ross, and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Alfonso Casado Trigo.

Check out more photos of the production here!

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: At this point, those of us who love this material likely have seen the show before (maybe several times) and all we really want is the best singers Mr. Producer can find, an excellent sound system (check) and then one can simply close one’s eyes and relive the melodic, tumultuous pleasures of a pop opera like no other.

Matthew Wexler, 1 Minute Critic: The concert arena production is packed with stellar voices, including Killian Donnelly as Valjean the night I attended, Bradley Jaden (Valjean’s nemesis Javert), and Samantha Barks (Fantine), among many. Collectively, they sing the roof off of Radio City Music Hall, aided by immaculate sound design that storms the barricade but also crystallizes the score’s more intimate passages, such as “A Little Fall of Rain,” when student Marius (Jac Yarrow) clutches a dying Eponine (Shan Ako).

Johnny Oleksinki, The New York Post: Yes, this is a huge concert — not a full production. It nonetheless manages to be as rousing as ever.

Matt Windman, amNY: Most important, the concert sounds glorious. The 2006 and 2014 Broadway revivals lost some of the musical’s power by downsizing the orchestra. Here, the larger ensemble restores the surging transitions, recurring themes and massive climaxes that pull the audience along. It makes a substantial difference in the show’s grip and emotional power.

Melissa Rose Bernardo, New York Stage Review: Visually, the show was bound to get swallowed up in a 6,000-seat house. But acoustically? You couldn’t ask for a better way to hear this glorious score. The sound is, well, as the production says, Spectacular.

Roma Torre, New York Stage Review: When I first reviewed Les Misérables for its Broadway opening in 1987, I knew that it was special. It’s hard to believe that almost 40 years later, the show still gets to me, even after seeing it so many times. I’m obviously not alone. Judging by the number of times the Radio City audience was moved to stand and cheer as if rooting for a hometown sports team, its cult status is deservedly preserved.

Average Rating: 88.3%