The thwarted loves of “Les Miserables” in France

If there is one thing that no one disputes about Sir Cameron Mackintosh, it is his flair. Of Cats (1981) to Mary Poppins (2004), through The Phantom of the Opera (1986) or Miss Saigon (1989), the one that the New York Times already designated in 1990 as the “the most powerful and influential producer in the world” has put into orbit the most emblematic musicals of the last forty years. This 77-year-old Briton has established himself as the leader of the English school of musicals : its shows were first performed in the West End, London’s theater district, before becoming “cash machines” on Broadway and then in the rest of the world. A licensing system which made him one of the richest men in England, with a fortune estimated in 2024 at 1.25 billion pounds (1.5 billion euros) by the Sunday Times.

Cameron Mackintosh meets in his London offices on Shaftesbury Avenue, a building next to the Sondheim Theater, which he owns, like seven other theaters in the city. The facade of the building is covered with a huge poster representing the character of Cosette sweeping, reproduction of a 19th century engraving.^e century signed by the French painter Emile-Antoine Bayard. It is here that they play every evening, to a sold-out crowd, Les Miserables, English version of this show created in 1980 by the French Alain Boublil (lyrics) and Claude-Michel Schönberg (music).

This epic painting of Paris from the first third of the 19th century^e century inspired by Victor Hugo’s masterpiece has been on display in London for almost forty years, an absolute record for longevity for a musical. “This show has had an incredible life, no show in the world has ever accomplished that,” insists Cameron Mackintosh, sitting in the middle of a somewhat cheesy decor, all mirrors and gilding. His face as a big, prankster child lights up when he talks about his ” baby “ and its successes: performed in fifty-three countries and in twenty-two languages, seen by more than one hundred and thirty million people around the world, “The Miz”, nickname given to the show, have won around a hundred awards including eight Tony Awards (theatrical awards for plays performed on Broadway), and their film adaptation, in 2012, was crowned with three Oscars and a hit at the world box office.

As has been said, Sir Cameron Mackintosh is rarely wrong about public tastes. However, his intuition has never been of any help to him in imposing THE Misérables In France. After the success of Robert Hossein’s first production in 1980, the musical, which is making its return in French at the Théâtre du Châtelet, from November 20 to January 2, 2025, was shunned by its country of birth. An astonishing paradox for a work which embodies French culture everywhere else, as evidenced by the choice of director Thomas Jolly to perform an extract from it, At the will of the people, during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in July. “France is a wonderful country, but the way you operate is strange,” sighs Cameron Mackintosh, staring into space, as if seized by sudden melancholy. “It’s a bit sad, in a way: Alain and Claude-Michel are famous all over the world for having written one of the greatest musicals of all time but remain unknown in their own country. »

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