'Les Mis' returning to Broadway in 2014 as re-imagined adaptation

Cameron Mackintosh has re-imagined the beloved musical again – this time for its original home on the stage. Mackintosh produced the original stage version of Les Misérables and served as co-producer of this year’s Oscar-nominated film version.

The new vision of the show is based on paintings by Victor Hugo, said Mackintosh in a release. Photos show a use of light and drama that will give the familiar show a new flavor. The new stage version will open on Broadway in March 2014. A specific theater has not yet been determined, but producers said it will be at a Shubert-owned venue.

The original production is in its 28th year in London, where it has has moved to three different theaters. It holds the record as the world’s longest running musical, and is the fourth-longest running Broadway production of all time. Adapted in 22 languages, the musical has been seen in 42 countries, with celebrations for its 10th and 25th Anniversaries.

The 2012 film version, which has won four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and is nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, has proven that the familiar story resonates with audiences today, and the play’s return to Broadway will surely be met with excitement.

As the play continues to garner more popularity, perhaps the classic novel has joined the ranks of Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and it’s time to make some loosely-based adaptations. A story about poverty-stricken students in the modern age who strike against their unlucky lot in life would certainly work in a contemporary re-telling. Love triangles work in any era. Would it be blasphemy to take Valjean and put him in the 1960’s? To see some creative liberty taken with the story might be a welcome surprise.

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