Theater Review: Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular Is Anything But 'Just a Concert'

Ten years ago, Les Misérables launched its Asian tour in Manila, boasting a powerhouse cast with Simon Gleeson’s Valjean, Earl Carpenter’s Javert, and our very own Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine. Back then, I was working in a television network and was far too poor to grab even a balcony seat at The Theatre at Solaire. So, while I was glad when news broke that Les Misérables was coming this year as a staged concert, I wasn't exactly excited. I was skeptical, thinking that it wouldn't be the full experience.

But if you sat out the ticket rush of the Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular because you shared that assumption, your regret is probably well-earned. As soon as the first notes of the prologue hit (or even when the lighting rig ascended), it was easy to see that this was not a scaled-down recital. It was a scaled-up material.

Much of Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular's spectacle relies on the lighting rig hovering above, but it shouldn't be mistaken for regular beams with a bunch of spotlights. These beams serve as the invisible architecture of the stage, transforming from a production fixture to the roof of the old inn, to the barricade.

Adding to this physicality are the spotlights themselves, which do more than just shine on the cast; they become whatever the moment demands. Audience members are encouraged to co-create the world as the light falls on the stage, whether it's the prison bars of guilt, the cathedral of redemption, and the blood-stained streets of the revolution.

Most impressive is the use of the lighting rig during the June Rebellion. As musket fire and explosions erupt, the lights act as flashes of gunfire, specifically bullets that not only rips through the chests of the students, but shatter the fourth wall—bouncing offstage and pulling the audience directly into the crossfire. When the chaos finally fades, the spotlight becomes a curtain of white, a path to the afterlife, most especially in that haunting snapshot of Gavroche, limp in the arms of a fellow revolutionary.

Complementing the metaphorical backbone provided by the lights is the digital projection. It makes the stage feel infinitely larger—especially as the eye travels from the center out toward the backdrop—while adding much-needed texture to the space. One moment, it renders the murky depths of the sewers; the next, the factory or the sprawling streets of Paris. Flanking the stage are projections of the cast, providing a zoomed-in look at their performances that anchors the emotional depth of their voices. More importantly, these projections of their faces are only in selected sequences, showing only the most vulnerable (and, ultimately, cathartic) moments of its characters.

While the Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular doesn't have the revolving stage that everyone just keeps talking about, the other technical elements more than make up for what isn't there.

Each member of Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular's principal cast has their own history with the musical, whether playing the role of young Cosette in the past, starring in one or two staged concerts, or switching between the roles of Fantine and Eponine. Onstage, this experience cannot be denied as the actors just melt into their characters, even if this is just a musical concert.

Jeremy Secomb, in particular, is outstanding in every scene as Javert, a stickler for rules. But his dark-night-of-the-soul moment ("Javert's Suicide") takes the cake, as his conflicted emotions of empathy and revenge are highlighted by the zoomed-in projections. All while staying in perfect sync with the orchestra, which followed a quicker tempo than the usual.

The Filipino talents also held their own, as expected. Rachelle Ann Go, who played Fantine in the West End production, owned the stage with the iconic "I Dreamed a Dream" solo. She mentioned in an interview that, since becoming a mother, it has become easier for her to draw on the emotions that the role required. And this is evident in both the power of her voice and non-verbal expression.

The Thénardiers, played by Lea Salonga and Red Concepcion, provided the comic relief—which—at its core, is a form of survival as they live in poverty. Concepcion is most exceptional in taking this complexity, peeling off each layer of emotions that are as layered as the clothes that his character wears.

In a casual chit-chat, GMG Productions' Executive Producer Sam Sewell mentioned that, had this been a full production of Les Misérables, they would not have been able to bring together this roster of world-class performers. They would probably be committed full-time to whatever long-term project they're in. Preparations for Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular don't take much time: first, because artists of their caliber and their history with the musical can go from rehearsal to opening night just like that; second, because a staged concert doesn't require as many days to rehearse.

And for that, we're lucky to have seen this staging with that cast in our lifetime.

Finally, the Spectacular's format allows the material to showcase its strongest element: the songs that tell the story.

Les Misérables, as we all know, is a sung-through masterpiece where the dialogue is woven entirely into the lyrics (by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel) and the score (by Claude-Michel Schönberg). Without the distraction of complex set transitions or constant stage movement, I was able to hold on to every word as the songs were launched from downstage directly to the audience. But, again, this is far from just listening to a soundtrack. It is a full-on sonic experience—one where we are invited in by the guttural drumbeats of "Look Down" and held captive until the final, triumphant swell of the finale.

The Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular proves that the "concert" label is an understatement. But it also argues that one can actually take away so much with "just" a concert.

This is a review of the gala performance on January 22, two days after opening night.

Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular runs until March 1 at The Theatre at Solaire, 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, Paranaque. Tickets are exclusively available through Ticketworld.

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