First of all, apologies to my NYC neighbors, who have heard a piercing, pitchy rendition of “Red and Black” for the past week.
Red… I feel my soul on fire!
Black… My world if she’s not there!
Red… the color of desire!
Black… the color of despair!
I doubt anyone believes that I’ve become a student revolutionary circa 1832 France. But you have to understand. This is what happens after nearly three hours of the decibel-crushing Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular. It’s in your bones. And the only way to get it out is to S-I-N-G.
A loaf of bread and a deathbed promise
The original Broadway run of the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic novel ran for 6,680 performances. Tag on another 1,024 from the 2014 revival and the film adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, and producers are betting that most audience members know the gist of Les Mis.
Released after 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving children, Jean Valjean breaks his parole and begins life anew. Years later, he makes a deathbed promise to take in young Cosette from her dying mother, Fantine, a worker at his factory. Throw in the June Rebellion (not the French Revolution, as many theatergoers think, but who’s keeping track?), and you’ve got the blueprint for a masterful mega-hit musical that has earned its accolades.
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).
The unnecessary video projections, on the other hand, feel like they were rendered with a Commodore 64 and a prayer. But the players play on, mostly playing straight to the crowd so the live camera feeds can capture every perfect-pitch straight tone that blooms into vibrato.
Sitting in front of me, a mother repeatedly leaned over to her captivated but confused daughter of about 10. It’s a lot of plot to pack in, and with no context, I can’t imagine what the girl thought she was watching.
But the score sticks. I’m confident I wasn’t the only one singing in my living room this week.
Is ‘Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular’ worth seeing?
Between a cast of vocal powerhouses and sound design that turns Radio City into a cathedral, it’s easy to forgive the clunky visuals and just let the score of Les Misérables take over.
- Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York City
- Notable performers: Killian Donnelly, Alfie Boe, and Gerónimo Rauch rotate as Jean Valjean; Bradley Jaden and Jeremy Secomb rotate as Javert; Samantha Barks as Fantine
- Running time: approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including one intermission
- Run dates: limited engagement, July 23 through August 9, 2026
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