Les Miserables

Broadway star Kyle Jean-Baptiste has died at the age of 21. Baptiste made history in July of this year by becoming the first African-American to be cast as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. He was also the youngest actor to play the role on Broadway.

Will And Grace actor Debra Messing was amongst those to mourn Baptiste.

Read More: Audiences Of Les Miserables & Curious Incident Evacuated From Two London Theatres After Power Cut.

Continue reading: ‘Les Miserables’ Broadway Star, Kyle Jean-Baptiste, Dies Aged 21

Audiences in two London theatres had to be evacuated on Saturday (3rd January) after the theatres suffered a power cut.

Continue reading: Audiences Of 'Les Miserables' & 'Curious Incident' Evacuated From Two London Theatres After Power Cut

Cameron Mackintosh's Les Miserables, which first opened at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in 2010, has made the transition to Broadway and is destined to become one of the biggest shows of the year - but is it any good?

Ramin Karimloo Stars in 'Les Miserables'

The production hit the Broadway stage on Sunday night (March 23, 2014) for its first preview show, though faced some stiff criticism from reviewers.

Continue reading: Mackintosh's 'Les Miserables' Arrives On Broadway, But What's The Verdict?

Hugh Jackman's workout at a New York gym didn't exactly go to plan on Saturday (April 13, 2013). Sure the 'Wolverine' star got in his weight training, but he was also chased by a crazed stalker carrying an electric razor - probably not his idea of a warm down. "He was more alarmed than scared," publicist Alan Nierob told CNN.

A woman allegedly screamed "I love you," as she chased the Hollywood actor at the gym. Manhattan resident Katherine Thurson, 47, was charged with stalking Jackman, according to New York Police spokesman Sgt. Tom Antonetti. The Les Miserables actor had previously seen the woman outside of his home and at his daughter's school, though Saturday's incident was the most dangerous yet. Ms Thurson managed to slip past security at the gym and headed straight towards Jackman. "The razor fell out of her hands when I stepped in between them," trainer Mike Castle said. The actor asked Thuston not to touch him, though security quickly arrived and apprehended Thurson on the street. According to Castle, Jackman had the situation completely under control, "(He's) a super nice guy," the instructor added.

Jackman was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, eventually losing out to Daniel Day-Lewis. However, he did scoop the Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a musical or comedy motion picture, for the same role.

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman's Workout Interrupted By 'Electric Razor' Stalker

Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe are all well-respected actors, who’ve carved out hugely successful careers. But that didn’t mean they got a free pass into Les Miserables – no – they had to audition, and by that we mean sing, like everybody else.

Hugh Jackman & Russell Crowe (left) and Les Mis Director, Tom Hooper

Continue reading: Oscars 2013 – Les Miserables Cast Sang For Their Roles In The Film

With all these Hugh Jackman rumors flying about (and they have been for years) Jackman himself has decided to speak out in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 

But he doesn't relay the toll those rumors have on his life, but rather his wife of 16 years. "Just recently, it bugs her," he said of the media questioning his sexuality. "She goes, 'It's big. It's everywhere!" Jackman's X-Men producer, Lauren Shuler Donner, denied the rumors a touch more emphatically. "I have seen him with Deborra since the beginning of their trip to Hollywood, and I've been on five movie sets with him and have never seen him stray, have never seen him eye anyone," Donner explained. "I met him when he did 'Oklahoma!' [at London's Royal National Theatre in 1999]. He was genuine, hugely talented. He was in love with his wife that day and still is."

Aside from his sexuality, which really is no one's business, there is actual news in the Jackman camp. He and his Les Miserables cronies will be waiting with baited breath come this Sunday, 24th Feb, as he's up for Best Actor and Les Mis is up for best film. They'll be facing stiff competition from Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln, as he and his film are amongst the hot favourites to take the top prizes.  

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman Rumours Denied By Jackman AND His X-Men Producer

Skyfall has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Picture as the likes of Lincoln, Argo and Les Miserables all as expected were included in the shortlist. The news will come as a bitter blow to Samuel Mendes, Daniel Craig and the rest of the James Bond team, who were hoping that a critical and commercial smash Stateside, a first ever nomination at the Producer's Guild Of America awards and a special tribute actually being held at the Oscars themselves to pay tribute to its 50th anniversary, would be enough for it to make the cut. 

Evidently though the tribute appears to be all but a sop thrown to the James Bond franchise, with neither the film, director Samuel Mendes nor star Daniel Craig to be seen in any of the categories. The Dark Knight Rises was another to miss the cut - and indeed any other category - though there were plenty of names included who were strongly tipped up in the build-up this year. 

Of those, the strongest choics look like being Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and the Tom Hooper-directed Les Miserables; it's a line-up glistening with quality though: Bradley Cooper was a surprise nomination in the Best Leading Actor category, which is perhaps a sign that Silver Linings PIaybook is favored strongly among the panel. Benh Zeitlin meanwhile continued his fairytale story as he saw Beasts Of The Southern Wild make the cut in addition to his own name being put up for Best Director, and the controversial Django Unchained also made the list, despite criticism over its handling of slavery issues. Elsewhere, Michael Hanneke's Amour found itself up for inclusion, despite its name being relatively unheralded when it came to predicting the final reckoning in the build-up; Argo was another to be included in the list, though you might argue that its chances look weak given that Ben Affleck didn't make it into the shortlist for Best Director, despite being the bookies favourite beforehand. 

Continue reading: Skyfall Oscars Snub In Best Picture Nominations

After a more conservative look at the London premiere last week, Anne Hathaway set tongues wagging with this racey number

Props to the main stars of Les Miserables, they're putting in the effort on the film's run of premieres. Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and the rest of the cast were all out in force again at the New York City premiere of the novel adaptation less than a week after they'd ran the red carpet gamut in London. What a difference a continent makes, though; whilst across in the UK Hathaway and the rest of the female cast dressed prettily but conservatively, at the Ziegfield Theatre they held nothing back, both Hathaway and Seyfried causing jaws to drop with their outfits. 

Continue reading: Pictures: Anne Hathaway And Amanda Seyfried's Outfits The Talking Point Of The New York Les Miserables Premiere

To undertake a cinematic reimagining of Les Miserables is to approach the proverbial poisoned chalice with gusto, with added virulent infections and - yes the cliched metaphors are done now - a rounded panning from the public and press, who have enjoyed the stage show and don't look upon change kindly. 

But that hasn't been the case for Tom Hooper, who bravely took the helm to take this iconic stage show onto the big screen. Featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, and not to mention the brilliance of violinist Henry Salmon, 2012's Les Mis has enjoyed a positive reaction from a difficult circle of critics to please.

"Not only is Les Miserables a great film," write popular film website, HeyuGuys, "but it is now the textbook example of how to adapt a musical for the screen, all the while maintaining an utterly straight face. Glorious," they add, giving the film an impressive 5/5.

Continue reading: At The Movies: Les Miserables Review Roundup