Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular in Abu Dhabi is celebration for fans not ideal for first-timers

Musical's first staging in the UAE capital is a thrilling if compromised new version

Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular is a new version of the famed show made for large venues. Photo: Danny Kaan

In 1985, Les Miserables, one of the most enduringly popular musicals in the history of the medium, opened to decidedly mixed reviews. As an ode to that important part of theatrical history, I'm here to offer another one.

Les Miserables: The Arena Spectacular, a staging of the show tailor-made for a global tour of large venues, captures much of the majesty and sheer beauty of the original show. But it's also a compromised version. The orchestra is moved to the back of the stage, with only a small sliver left for the cast to perform. What is billed as the grandest Les Miserables staging in history, thus, feels like the smallest.

There are microphones set up along the front, allowing key cast members to sing their parts directly to the audience, occasionally glancing at each other to remind us that they're supposed to be interacting.

There are no props. In place of the full sets, there are LCD screens on the right and left along the back, which zoom in on the actor's faces as they sing, with a central screen that vaguely lets you know where the action is taking place. Pieces of the set that drop from above here and there, and lights at times blind the audience to enhance the mood.

This is a throwback to another milestone in the musical's popular history. In 1995, most of the original London cast reunited for a concert version on stage, singing to microphones directly to the audience in the same manner. A similar concert was held at London's O2 Arena for the show's 25th anniversary in 2010.

The arena version of Les Miserable lacks the spectacle of the full version. Photo: Danny Kaan

But for those events, probably every person in the audience had seen the show several times over. After all, Les Miserables is a phenomenon, seen by 130 million people in 53 countries. The Arena Spectacular, however, is the first version of Les Miserables staged in the UAE capital (though it previously showed at Dubai Opera), meaning that there are probably many first-timers excited to get a chance to see the show. Those people may also have never seen the Academy Award-winning 2012 film adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Russell Crowe.

Uninitiated members of the audience left Etihad Arena raving about the vocal performances and gorgeousness of the music, but with little idea of what the story had been.

Plotting has never exactly been Les Miserables's strong suit, of course. The musical famously condenses Victor Hugo's 1,200-page book to the point where watching it already feels like reading a Wikipedia summary. People fall in love at first sight and die in the arms of their beloved moments later. Many of the major characters aren't even introduced until halfway through by a narrative turn that is sharp enough to cause whiplash.

And if it was hard enough to follow before, it's now nearly impossible unless you already know the story. Without full sets and props, the only way to follow along is to hear and digest every word of every song – particularly difficult with a musical that is sung-through with almost zero spoken dialogue.

Killian Donnelly, who stars as Jean Valjean, is among the best to have taken the part. Photo: Danny Kaan

In case you missed it, here's what happens: A man named Jean Valjean, who served 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is released by prison officer Javert. Jean breaks his parole, changes his identity, and becomes the caretaker of a young girl after her mother's death, all while relentlessly pursued by Javert. Years later, they are caught up in the antimonarchist Paris Uprising of 1832, during which the past they've been running from finally becomes impossible to escape.

The music of Les Miserables, written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, is stunning. But the sheer difficulty of its songs means they are best suited for virtuosos, which is why the musical has thus served as an excellent platform for the best voices in the art form to shine to their utmost degree. Think the then-rising star Patti LuPone singing the standout song I Dreamed a Dream in that original cast recording – there are few highs as high.

The Abu Dhabi cast is mostly imported from London's West End, meaning that none of the performers are not among the best working today. But compared to the storied history of Les Mis performances – only the lead actor Killian Donnelly (who plays Jean Valjean) – is as good as the best who has played the part, including Colm Wilkinson in the 1985 version. He alone makes the staging a must-see for those who love the show's music. He has the range, emotionality and control of peak Mandy Patinkin, famed for his Stephen Sondheim collaborations.

If you love Les Miserables, rush to see this as soon as possible. If you have never seen it, perhaps catch the movie first, or find a past staging on YouTube. But whether you do or you don't, The Arena Spectacular will likely be a smash hit in the UAE capital, and in the next countries it tours. This show is critic-proof. Always has been, and always will be.