Cameron Mackintosh on Keeping ‘Les Misérables’ Fresh After 40 Years and Its Lasting Appeal

“My job is to make sure that every production, wherever it is in the world, is to make it seem like nobody has ever seen it before,” theater producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh says talking about his shows like “Cats,” “Miss Saigon,” “Oliver,” “Mary Poppins” and “Les Misérables.” It’s the latter which is currently dazzling audiences at Hollywood’s Pantages through Sept. 10 and has undergone a makeover for its latest incarnation.

Over 71 million people worldwide have seen the show. Dazzling special effects, new projections and even an update to how Inspector Javert dies are among the changes in the current production. This production is co-directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, both of whom are familiar with 19th century France that Mackintosh created from Victor Hugo’s classic novel.

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“Laurence and James started off with me in the original London production,” he says. The key to assembling a creative team was understanding how great the original was and that each new generation of director brings something new to the production. “You don’t change it for change’s sake. You change it because you’ve got an idea that works better.”

So how does Javert die?

Mackintosh won’t reveal how Javert’s death is staged in the updated version, but he offers an insight into theater magic. “There is a hydraulic wire and you can’t see how he’s suspended in the air. It lifts him up and pulls him back. It’s a simple but brilliant effect. It locks into a pack in his back in the dark when he’s standing on the railing.”

The show will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025. Whether in its full theatrical form, a blockbuster musical movie — which Mackintosh says is currently being digitally remastered and will be re-released later this year — or any of its spectacularly staged concert performances, there’s no denying audiences love “Les Mis” and keep coming back for more

Why does it resonate? Mackintosh credits Hugo’s classic novel for that. “Its themes of protest, marches and hymns of hope came out of the novel and exist within the songs,” he explains.

However, Mackintosh points to the world outside of theater, and how these songs exist among young people who might have never even seen the show “or even know they’re from ‘Les Mis.'” He says, “Whether they’re fighting for repression, standing up for rights and strength, that’s something that has never happened with any other show. Young people don’t see the show as ‘old,’ but rather they resonate with the aspects of the novel and in turn the music. The story of ‘Les Mis’ becomes more poignant and more of the moment, now than ever. It’s about the heart of what Victor was writing, and that’s about humanity.”

“Les Misérables” will also be performing at Costa Mesa – Segerstrom Center for the Arts from Sept. 19 – Oct.1

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