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The National
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular in Abu Dhabi is lap of honour for fans not ideal for first-timers
One of the most enduringly popular musicals in the history of the medium, Les Miserables opened in 1985 to mixed reviews. As an ode to that important part of theatrical history, I'm here to offer another one. Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular, a staging of the show tailor-made for a global tour of large venues, captures much of the majesty and sheer beauty of the original show. But it's also a compromised version. The orchestra is moved to the back of the stage, with only a small sliver left for the cast to perform. What is billed as the grandest Les Miserables staging in history, thus, feels like the smallest. There are microphones set up along the front, allowing key cast members to sing their parts directly to the audience, occasionally glancing at each other to remind us that they're supposed to be interacting. There are no props. In place of the full sets, there are LCD screens on the right and left along the back, which zoom in on the actor's faces as they sing, with a central screen that vaguely lets you know where the action is taking place. Pieces of the set that drop from above here and there, and lights at times blind the audience to enhance the mood. This is a throwback to another milestone in the musical's popular history. In 1995, most of the original London cast reunited for a concert version on stage, singing to microphones directly to the audience in the same manner. A similar concert was held at London's O2 Arena for the show's 25th anniversary in 2010. But for those events, probably every person in the audience had seen the show several times over. After all, Les Miserables is a phenomenon, seen by 130 million people in 53 countries. The Arena Spectacular, however, is the first version of Les Miserables staged in the UAE capital (though it previously showed at Dubai Opera), meaning that there are probably many first-timers excited to get a chance to see the show. Those people may also have never seen the Academy Award-winning 2012 film adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Russell Crowe. Uninitiated members of the audience left Etihad Arena raving about the vocal performances and gorgeousness of the music, but with little idea of what the story had been. Plotting has never exactly been Les Miserables's strong suit, of course. The musical famously condenses Victor Hugo's 1,200-page book to the point where watching it already feels like reading a Wikipedia summary. People fall in love at first sight and die in the arms of their beloved moments later. Many of the major characters aren't even introduced until halfway through by a narrative turn that is sharp enough to cause whiplash. And if it was hard enough to follow before, it's now nearly impossible unless you already know the story. Without full sets and props, the only way to follow along is to hear and digest every word of every song – particularly difficult with a musical that is sung-through with almost zero spoken dialogue. In case you missed it, here's what happens: A man named Jean Valjean, who served 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is released by prison officer Javert. Jean breaks his parole, changes his identity, and becomes the caretaker of a young girl after her mother's death, all while relentlessly pursued by Javert. Years later, they are caught up in the antimonarchist Paris Uprising of 1832, during which the past they've been running from finally becomes impossible to escape. The music of Les Miserables, written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, is stunning. But the sheer difficulty of its songs means they are best suited for virtuosos, which is why the musical has thus served as an excellent platform for the best voices in the art form to shine to their utmost degree. Think the then-rising star Patti LuPone singing the standout song I Dreamed a Dream in that original cast recording – there are few highs as high. The Abu Dhabi cast is mostly imported from London's West End, meaning that none of the performers are not among the best working today. But compared to the storied history of Les Mis performances – only the lead actor Killian Donnelly (who plays Jean Valjean) – is as good as the best who has played the part, including Colm Wilkinson in the 1985 version. He alone makes the staging a must-see for those who love the show's music. He has the range, emotionality and control of peak Mandy Patinkin, famed for his Stephen Sondheim collaborations. If you love Les Miserables, rush to see this as soon as possible. If you have never seen it, perhaps catch the movie first, or find a past staging on YouTube. But whether you do or you don't, The Arena Spectacular will likely be a smash hit in the UAE capital, and in the next countries it tours. This show is critic-proof. Always has been, and always will be.
The National
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Les Miserables – The Arena Spectacular in Abu Dhabi review: A victory lap for fans not suited to first-timers
One of the most enduringly popular musicals in the history of the medium, Les Miserables opened in 1985 to decidedly mixed reviews. As an ode to that important part of theatrical history, the 2025 version may be similar. Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular, a new staging of the show tailor-made for a 15-country global tour of large venues, captures much of the majesty and sheer beauty of the original show. But it's also a compromised version. The orchestra is moved to the back of the stage, with only a small sliver left for the cast to perform. What is billed as the grandest Les Miserables staging in history, thus, feels like the smallest. There are microphones set up along the front, allowing key cast members to sing their parts directly to the audience, occasionally glancing at each other to remind us that they're supposed to be interacting. There are no props. In place of the full sets, there are LCD screens on the right and left along the back, which zoom in on the actor's faces as they sing, with a central screen that vaguely lets you know where the action is taking place. Pieces of the set that drop from above here and there, and lights at times blind the audience to enhance the mood. This is a throwback to another key milestone in the musical's popular history. In 1995, most of the original London cast reunited for a concert version on stage, singing to microphones directly to the audience in the same manner. A similar concert was held at London's O2 Arena for the show's 25th anniversary in 2010. But for those events, probably every person in the audience had seen the show several times over. After all, Les Miserables is a phenomenon, seen by 130 million people in 53 countries. The Arena Spectacular, however, is the first version of Les Miserables staged in the UAE capital (though it previously showed at Dubai Opera), meaning that there are probably many first-timers excited to get a chance to see the show. Those people may also have never seen the Academy Award-winning 2012 film adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Russell Crowe. Uninitiated members of the audience left Etihad Arena raving about the vocal performances and gorgeousness of the music, but with little idea of what the story had been. Plotting has never exactly been Les Miserables's strong suit, of course. The musical famously condenses Victor Hugo's 1,200-page book to the point where watching it already feels like reading a Wikipedia summary. People fall in love at first sight and die in the arms of their beloved moments later. Many of the major characters aren't even introduced until halfway through by a narrative turn that is sharp enough to cause whiplash. And if it was hard enough to follow before, it's now nearly impossible unless you already know the story. Without full sets and props, the only way to follow along is to hear and digest every word of every song – particularly difficult with a musical that is sung-through with almost zero spoken dialogue. In case you missed it, here's what happens: A man named Jean Valjean, who served 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is released by prison officer Javert. Jean breaks his parole, changes his identity, and becomes the caretaker of a young girl after her mother's death, all while relentlessly pursued by Javert. Years later, they are caught up in the antimonarchist Paris Uprising of 1832, during which the past they've been running from finally becomes impossible to escape. The music of Les Miserables, written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, is stunning. But the sheer difficulty of its songs means they are best suited for virtuosos and virtuosos, which is why the musical has thus served as an excellent platform for the best voices in the art form to shine to their utmost degree. Think the then-rising star Patti LuPone singing the standout song I Dreamed a Dream in that original cast recording – there are few highs as high. The Abu Dhabi cast is mostly imported from London's West End, meaning that none of the performers are not among the best working today. But compared to the storied history of Les Mis performances – only the lead actor Killian Donnelly (who plays Jean Valjean) – is as good as the best who has played the part, including Colm Wilkinson in the 1985 version. He alone makes the staging a must-see for those who love the show's music. He has the range, emotionality and control of peak Mandy Patinkin, famed for his Stephen Sondheim collaborations. If you love Les Miserables, rush to see this as soon as possible. If you have never seen it, perhaps catch the movie first, or find a past staging on YouTube. But whether you do or you don't, The Arena Spectacular will likely be a smash hit in the UAE capital, and in the next 14 countries it tours. This show is critic-proof. Always has been, and always will.
The National
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular will 'blow away' audiences, stars say
Les Miserables, the longest-running musical in London's West End, is taking to the stage at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on Thursday as a large-scale concert production. Twelve performances of the arena version of the 40-year-old musical, featuring a cast and orchestra of more than 65 people, are being staged in the UAE. Actors Rachelle Ann Go, Killian Donnelly and Bradley Jaden have shared with The National their experience of being part of writer Victor Hugo's world, where justice, morality, politics, love and religion struggle to co-exist among flawed characters. Go reprises her role as the impoverished Fantine, having starred in the West End production. She said the role is a dream come true. In fact, the first time she saw the show in 2013, she was so jet-lagged that she slept through most of it, only waking up in time for Fantine's famous song I Dreamed A Dream. 'I saw that and thought 'oh my goodness, I really wanted to sing this song'. I said: 'That's the role I'm going to play.' I just felt connected with that character, even though at that time I wasn't a mom yet,' Go says. She says Fantine's heartaches and 'brokenness' felt familiar. She hopes to channel Fantine's journey and despair through her performance, creating a 'standalone emotional centrepiece' to connect with her audience. Having performed at the Etihad Arena in 2024 as Eliza in Hamilton, Go is familiar with the space. However, she says the Arena Spectacular, which is on a world tour, will feel more like a stadium show. 'This is going to be massive. It's like a proper concert with all the lights and I'm really excited to do it. Back in the Philippines, I've been doing concerts, that was my first love. Doing this together, a concert in an arena and a musical … it's literally a dream,' she said. Donnelly, who stars as Jean Valjean, believes the performance is '50 per cent passion and 50 per cent vocal'. He has played the lead in Phantom of the Opera in the West End, and draws parallels between Valjean and the Phantom. 'They are both troubled, rely on hope, and passionate,' he says. However, as challenging as the role is, the score by Claude Michel Schoenberg does a lot of the work for him, he believes. 'It helps get you into the emotion very easily. Audience members who have never seen the show understand the character and his struggles. The best feeling about this music is that it always gets you there,' he says. Jaden, who plays Inspector Javert, has grown up with the role over the past 10 years. He was the youngest person to take on the character, when he was 29, and his understanding of Javert's perspective has evolved with him. In his mind, he is not the villain that everyone thinks he is. 'I always feel like people say that Javert's the bad guy and I always have to shut it down. He's absolutely not a villain,' he says. 'My job is just to tell the story in the best means that I possibly can, and I leave the judgment of being villainous or a hero up to the audience,' he adds. Jaden describes the arena show as a 'real monster of a piece of theatre', saying audiences will be 'blown away' by the orchestra, costumes and the way the show is set up like a movie with 4K screens to fully immerse the viewer. 'I think what's so great about this concert version is we strip away all the props and moving aspects. It really is just about the storytelling. We're almost putting in this humongous, incredible musical right on your lap.' When Go played Fantine in 2016, she was the only Asian woman in the cast. Filled with uncertainty, she relied heavily on the thought that women who looked like her had paved the way for her to take the role and represent her people. 'When you see people from Asia and you hear them say 'you make us proud', it's so fulfilling. You get emotional,' she says. 'Before, I just wanted to sing, but then there's a deeper purpose why I am on stage. Knowing that purpose, I'm fulfilled. This is what I need to do in life,' she adds, teary-eyed. She says some younger audience members have gone into musical theatre after watching her on stage. 'To hear them reaching for their dreams and stepping out of their comfort zone, I think I'm doing the right thing.' Being a mother has also enriched her performance and made her understand 'real pain'. 'Now I don't need to sit in one corner [before the show] and internalise, because I know how it feels to be a mom.' Similarly, Donnelly says becoming a father has elevated his performance. 'Being a father is about just being there, being present, and that's what I was trying to do with [Fantine's daughter] Cosette. I didn't have to hold her hand or hug her to let her know I was there,' he says. 'The presence of the father was something that I learnt from actually being a dad.' Jaden says he leapt at the chance to return to the role of Javert. Even when taking part in other productions, his affection for Les Miserables never dwindled. 'When this opportunity came to come back to Les Miserables, I jumped at it because my love was still there for that show. My love is still there for that show,' he says. Les Miserables is running from April 10 – 20 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
The National
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular will 'blow away' the audience, stars say
Les Miserables, the longest-running musical in London's West End, is taking to the stage at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on Thursday as a large-scale concert production. Twelve performances of the arena version of the 40-year-old musical, featuring a cast and orchestra of more than 65 musicians, are being staged in the UAE. Actors Rachelle Ann Go, Killian Donnelly and Bradley Jaden have shared with The National their experience of being part of writer Victor Hugo's world, where justice, morality, politics, love and religion struggle to co-exist among flawed characters. Go reprises her role as the impoverished Fantine, having starred in the West End production. She said the role is a dream come true. In fact, the first time she saw the show in 2013, she was so jet-lagged that she slept through most of it, only waking up in time for Fantine's famous song I Dreamed A Dream. 'I saw that and thought 'oh my goodness, I really wanted to sing this song'. I said: 'That's the role I'm going to play.' I just felt connected with that character, even though at that time I wasn't a mom yet,' Go says. She says Fantine's heartaches and 'brokenness' felt familiar. She hopes to channel Fantine's journey and despair through her performance, creating a 'standalone emotional centrepiece' to connect with her audience. Having performed at the Etihad Arena in 2024 as Eliza in Hamilton, Go is familiar with the space. However, she says the Arena Spectacular will feel more like a stadium show. 'This is going to be massive. It's like a proper concert with all the lights and I'm really excited to do it. Back in the Philippines, I've been doing concerts, that was my first love. Doing this together, a concert in an arena and a musical … it's literally a dream,' she said. Donnelly, who stars as Jean Valjean, believes the performance is '50 per cent passion and 50 per cent vocal'. He has played the lead in Phantom of the Opera in the West End, and draws parallels between Valjean and the Phantom. 'They are both troubled, rely on hope, and passionate,' he says. However, as challenging as the role is, the score by Claude Michel Schoenberg does a lot of the work for him, he believes. 'It helps get you into the emotion very easily. Audience members who have never seen the show understand the character and his struggles. The best feeling about this music is that it always gets you there,' he says. Jaden, who plays Inspector Javert, has grown up with the role over the past 10 years. He was the youngest person to take on the character, when he was 29, and his understanding of Javert's perspective has evolved with him. In his mind, he is not the villain that everyone thinks he is. 'I always feel like people say that Javert's the bad guy and I always have to shut it down. He's absolutely not a villain,' he says. 'My job is just to tell the story in the best means that I possibly can, and I leave the judgment of being villainous or a hero up to the audience,' he adds. Jaden describes the arena show as a 'real monster of a piece of theatre', saying audiences will be 'blown away' by the orchestra, costumes and the way the show is set up like a movie with 4K screens to fully immerse the viewer. 'I think what's so great about this concert version is we strip away all the props and moving aspects. It really is just about the storytelling. We're almost putting in this humongous, incredible musical right on your lap.' When Go played Fantine in 2016, she was the only Asian woman in the cast. Filled with uncertainty, she relied heavily on the thought that women who looked like her had paved the way for her to take the role and represent her people. 'When you see people from Asia and you hear them say 'you make us proud', it's so fulfilling. You get emotional,' she says. 'Before, I just wanted to sing, but then there's a deeper purpose why I am on stage. Knowing that purpose, I'm fulfilled. This is what I need to do in life,' she adds, teary-eyed. She says some younger audience members have gone into musical theatre after watching her on stage. 'To hear them reaching for their dreams and stepping out of their comfort zone, I think I'm doing the right thing.' Being a mother has also enriched her performance and made her understand 'real pain'. 'Now I don't need to sit in one corner [before the show] and internalise, because I know how it feels to be a mom.' Similarly, Donnelly says becoming a father has elevated his performance. 'Being a father is about just being there, being present, and that's what I was trying to do with [Fantine's daughter] Cosette. I didn't have to hold her hand or hug her to let her know I was there,' he says. 'The presence of the father was something that I learnt from actually being a dad.' Jaden says he leapt at the chance to return to the role of Javert. Even when taking part in other productions, his affection for Les Miserables never dwindled. 'When this opportunity came to come back to Les Miserables, I jumped at it because my love was still there for that show. My love is still there for that show,' he says. Les Miserables is running from April 10 – 20 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
