The Beacon Theatre is presenting Les Miserables, a classic French novel by Victor Hugo that was turned into a musical in 1985, and is now a movie in 2013.
The musical became a global phenomenon in 1985, with numerous international productions. It ran on a Broadway stage in New York for over 6,000 performances, and at the time it closed, it was the second longest running musical in Broadway history.
The London stage production has run continuously since 1985, making it the second longest running stage production in world history. The stage show celebrated its 25 year anniversary in 2010 with three London productions running simultaneously.
And now as a movie, it was filmed on locations in Paris with all songs sung and recorded live in one take. The film has had good reviews, with some calling it one of the greatest films ever made.
It has been nominated for eight Academy Awards including, Best Picture, Best Actor (Hugh Jackman) and Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway). Shows on Wednesday and Thursday are at 7:00 p.m.
Swan Lake Ballet
The fifth production in the Arts Council's Magnificent Seven season takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the Lakes District Secondary School (LDSS) Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).
Ballet Jorgen Canada presents Swan Lake, one of the world's most popular ballets. Ballet Jorgen's production is on a seven province, 33 city coast-to-coast tour across Canada. This is a fully staged production, with sets, costumes, props and magnificent dancing.
The play’s artistic director Bengt Jorgen said, “We have increasingly moved to not only recreate our classics in a way that is respectful of tradition, but also in a way that is engaging for our modern audience. We’ve really shifted towards trying to speak about Canada and reflect Canadian identity in our work. This version of Swan Lake will be set in and around the Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and so people in our audiences will see Canadian heritage intrinsically reflected in the piece.”
Tickets are still available at Process 4 Circle Arts Gallery (250-692-3434). Tickets are selling fast, so sales at the door may be limited. The LDSS doors will open at 6:45 p.m. We expect the MPR doors to open at 7:00 p.m. The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. sharp, and latecomers may not be seated until an appropriate time in the production. Plan to give yourself plenty of time to park and to get into the high school, and into the MPR. A full house is expected.