‘Les Misérables’ Coming Back to Broadway

Picture 19

A new and improved rendition of the blockbuster musical “Les Misérables” will open on Broadway in March 2014, following global success on the silver screen. The Oscar-nominated film has already grossed $400 million — and stands to earn even more if it wins Best Picture this weekend.

“What we’re counting on is that people who loved the movie will now really want to see ‘Les Misérables’ on stage, and people who loved the original musical were swept up by the film and say, ‘I can’t wait for another chance to see it onstage again,’” the producer, Cameron Mackintosh, told The New York Times.

The new version of “Les Misérables” will not include the revolving turntable that was used in the original Broadway production, which ran from 1987 to 2003. It will also feature redesigned scenery and new orchestrations that, according to Mackintosh, “get away from the crude electric-piano sound of the original.”

Though no casting decisions have been made, Mackintosh said that he would love if Hugh Jackman would guest star in the Broadway run. “If Hugh said he wanted to do it for a week or two, that’d be fine by me,” he revealed. “But that’s not why we’re doing this. ‘Les Misérables’ is the star, the material is the star, and what you want to do is find star performances from people who want to be in it – like we had with the movie.”