Montego Glover to play Fantine in Les Mis

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Tony nominee Montego Glover is set to take on the role of Fantine in Cameron Mackintosh's production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Tony Award-winning musical Les Misérables from 1 September 2015 at the Imperial Theatre. Glover joins previously announced international singing sensation Alfie Boe, who is set to return to Broadway in the role of Jean Valjean also on 1 September.

In further news, Alex Finke has also been announced as the new Cosette for the production from 1 September 2015.

Tony nominee Ramin Karimloo, Erika Henningsen and Samantha Hill will all play their final performances in the production on 30 August 2015.

Les Misérables opened at the Imperial Theatre on 23 March 2014, following previews from 1 March 2014, and is currently taking bookings to 3 January 2016.

Les Misérables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and features music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, original adaption by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and additional material by James Fenton.

The principal cast currently includes Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Erika Henningsen (Fantine), Brennyn Lark (Eponine), Chris McCarrell (Marius), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Gavin Lee (Thenardier), Rachel Izen (Madame Thenardier), and Wallace Smith (Enjolras).

Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Misérables is "an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The score includes the classic songs 'I Dreamed a Dream,' 'On My Own,' 'Stars,' 'Bring Him Home,' 'Do You Hear the People Sing?,' 'One Day More,' 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,' 'Master Of The House,' and many more."

This newly re-imagined 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 additional costumes by Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections by Fifty-Nine Productions. The original Les Misérables orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.

Les Misérables originally premiered at the Barbican Theatre in a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985. It transferred to the Palace Theatre in December of that year and then moved to its current home at the Queen's Theatre in April 2004 where it is still playing today.

In October 2006 Les Misérables took over the title of World's Longest Running Musical followed by two other Cameron Mackintosh productions, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Cats.'

The Broadway production of Les Misérables originally opened at the Broadway Theatre on 12 March 1987 and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on 17 October 1990 running for 6,680 performances. The musical returned to Broadway on 9 November 2006 where the show played the Broadhurst Theatre until its final performance on 6 January 2008.

The Universal film version of Les Misérables co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Working Title Films, and directed by Tom Hooper, has grossed $150 million domestically and nearly $400 million worldwide since its 2012 Christmas Day release. The film received the Golden Globe Award as Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

Alfie Boe made his Broadway debut as Rodolfo in Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed production 'La Boheme,' for which he and his co-stars received the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre in 2003. Other credits include the role of Jean Valjean in the West End production of 'Les Misérables' and 25th Anniversary Concert at London's O2 Arena, 'The Pearl Fishers' at the London Coliseum and 'Romeo ET Juliette' at the Royal Opera House. He has also released 8 studio albums to date.

Montego Glover earned a Tony nomination in 2010 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Felicia in 'Memphis.' Other Broadway credits include 'The Color Purple,' and 'It Shoulda Been You.'

- by Tom Millward

Montego Glover

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