Show guide
Les Misérables
Les Misérables is the sweeping sung-through musical that turned a doorstop French novel into one of the most beloved shows in theatre history.
- Broadway premiere
- 1987
- Music by
- Claude-Michel Schönberg
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1830s
Les Misérables: quick answers
What is Les Misérables about?
- Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a former convict trying to live an honest life while the relentless Inspector Javert hunts him for decades, as Valjean raises the orphaned Cosette and is swept into the Paris student uprising of 1832.
When did Les Misérables open on Broadway?
- Les Misérables opened on Broadway on March 12, 1987, at the Broadway Theatre and ran until May 18, 2003, for 6,680 performances. It has since returned in Broadway revivals in 2006 and 2014.
Is Les Misérables sung-through?
- Yes. Les Misérables is a sung-through musical: the story is told almost entirely in song, with virtually no spoken dialogue, and recurring melodies return as characters' fortunes change.
Where and when is Les Misérables set?
- Les Misérables is set in early nineteenth century France, spanning 1815 to 1832, moving from Digne and Montfermeil to Paris, where it climaxes at the barricades of the 1832 uprising.
Has Les Misérables played in London's West End?
- Les Misérables opened in London at the Barbican Centre in October 1985, moved to the Palace Theatre that December, and later to the Queen's Theatre (now the Sondheim Theatre). It is the longest-running musical in West End history.
Is there a Les Misérables movie?
- The musical was filmed in 2012 by Tom Hooper, starring Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Fantine.
The story of Les Misérables
Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a former convict trying to build an honest life while being pursued by the relentless police inspector Javert. Around him swirls a portrait of early nineteenth century France, from the poverty of Fantine and her daughter Cosette to a group of young idealists preparing for the Paris uprising of 1832.
The setting, rooted in the 1830s, gives the show its backdrop of barricades, revolution, and social upheaval, but at its heart it is an intimate story about mercy, redemption, and the choices people make when the world offers them very little.
The music and the makers
Composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, working with lyricists and the original French creative team, built a score that is sung-through, meaning almost the entire show is delivered in music rather than spoken dialogue. That approach gives Les Misérables an operatic sweep, with recurring musical themes that return and transform as characters' fortunes change.
The result is a score of soaring ballads and stirring ensemble anthems that has become instantly recognizable even to people who have never seen the show, a testament to how thoroughly its music has entered popular culture.
Les Misérables on Broadway
Les Misérables opened on Broadway in 1987 and quickly became a defining title of the era, part of a wave of large scale, emotionally driven musicals that dominated the late twentieth century stage. Its blend of grand spectacle and deeply human storytelling helped it run for years and return in multiple revivals.
Audiences keep coming back because the show manages to feel both epic and personal at once. It rewards longtime fans who know every lyric while still landing powerfully for first time viewers, which is part of why it remains a staple of the Broadway landscape decades after its debut.
Les Misérables: frequently asked questions
When did Les Misérables open on Broadway?
Les Misérables opened on Broadway in 1987 and has since returned in acclaimed revivals.
Who composed Les Misérables?
The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, and the show is sung-through, with the story told almost entirely in song.
What is Les Misérables about?
It follows Jean Valjean and the people around him in early nineteenth century France, set against the backdrop of the 1832 Paris uprising.
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