Cover “Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular” features a new design created for large-scale venues (Photo: Danny Kaan)
“Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular” features a new design created for large-scale venues (Photo: Danny Kaan)
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The 40th anniversary staging of “Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular” in Singapore pairs global scale with local resonance, led by musical theatre stars Nathania Ong and Lea Salonga
There is a particular expectation that comes with Les Misérables. Each staging carries its own visual and theatrical language: the revolving stage, the shifting barricades, the architecture of spectacle that, over decades, has come to define how this story moves through time and space. Audiences arrive attuned to these mechanics, aware that interpretation unfolds as much through design as it does through casting.
What distinguishes Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular, now showing at Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands until May 10, is how it departs from those conventions while holding firmly to the work’s emotional spine. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Nick Grace Management—and presented in Singapore by Base Entertainment Asia—to mark the musical’s 40th anniversary, this large-scale concert production expands on the original staged concert format, reimagined for vast venues with a full company, orchestra and cinematic visual design.
Set against post-revolutionary France, Les Misérables—written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo—follows ex-convict Jean Valjean’s search for redemption under the watch of the relentless Inspector Javert. Around them unfolds a sweeping story of love, sacrifice and justice amid social upheaval. In The Arena Spectacular, the storytelling moves with continuity, shaped less by physical transitions than by emotional momentum, creating a striking sense of proximity that holds even at scale.
That sense of closeness feels especially pronounced in Singapore.
Read more: How Lea Salonga found her voice—and made space for her son’s
Above Lea Salonga as Madame Thénardier in “Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular” (Photo: Matt Crockett)
Lea Salonga as Madame Thénardier in “Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular” (Photo: Matt Crockett)
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Part of this rests on casting. The late announcement of Lea Salonga as Madame Thénardier, just two days before opening night on March 24, brings a layered familiarity. For many in the region, Salonga’s voice forms part of a shared cultural memory. Here, she returns to Les Misérables with a rare circularity, having previously inhabited both Éponine and Fantine on Broadway and in landmark anniversary concerts. Fresh from the Manila leg of The Arena Spectacular, Salonga brings that continuity into the Singapore season. Her Madame Thénardier is sharply drawn, shaped by a knowing theatricality that sits comfortably within the concert format. There is precision in her delivery, and a sense of timing honed across decades, allowing the role to land with clarity and control.
Alongside her, Singapore’s own Nathania Ong reprises her breakout role as Éponine—a performance that grounds the production in something distinctly personal. In this staging, the concert format foregrounds Éponine’s emotional arc. On My Own unfolds with striking directness, held almost entirely by voice and presence. Ong meets that demand with restraint and quiet assurance, drawing the audience inward.
In case you missed it: Nathania Ong on being the first Singaporean actress to play Éponine in ‘Les Misérables’ on the West End
Above Nathania Ong as Éponine (Photo: Johan Persson)
Nathania Ong as Éponine (Photo: Johan Persson)
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The broader company sustains this balance between scale and specificity. Argentine actor Gerónimo Rauch brings a measured gravitas to Jean Valjean, his performance guided by a clear, unforced vocal line—most affecting in Who Am I? and Bring Him Home. Australian actor Jeremy Secomb’s Javert offers a counterpoint of rigidity and conviction, the role’s moral tension rendered with focus. Filipino actor Red Concepción brings a lively elasticity to Monsieur Thénardier, his performance landing in easy chemistry with Salonga, while Dutch-Korean actress Na-Young Jeon shapes Fantine with emotional precision, most strikingly in I Dreamed a Dream. Together, they form an ensemble that reflects the production’s international breadth while maintaining a strong internal coherence.
Above Gerónimo Rauch as Jean Valjean (Photo: Michael Le Poer Trench)
Above Jeremy Secomb as Javert (Photo: Johan Persson)
Gerónimo Rauch as Jean Valjean (Photo: Michael Le Poer Trench)
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As the production unfolds, the arena format subtly reorganises the narrative. With fewer visual interruptions, relationships are carried more directly through music. The orchestra—fully present on stage and integral—does more than accompany; it shapes pacing, sustains tension and creates continuity across scenes. This is where the production finds its distinct strength. The scale remains undeniable: a company of more than 65 performers, a design calibrated for large venues, and a touring history that has filled houses across continents. Singapore brings with it the full magnitude of this anniversary staging, before the production returns to Europe for a run at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, followed by a stop at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Above Na-Young Jeon as Fantine
Na-Young Jeon as Fantine
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For a work as familiar as Les Misérables, The Arena Spectacular does not seek to replace earlier stagings; it sits alongside them, offering another way into the material. One that privileges continuity over fragmentation, and musical storytelling over scenic transformation. That approach resonates with particular clarity in Singapore. The interplay of international calibre and local presence—of global scale and individual connection—shapes a version of Les Misérables that feels, in its own way, intimately within reach.
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As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
