Tony Winner Alfie Boe Could Revive 'Les Miserables' Role on Broadway

10:48 AM PDT 9/19/2012 by Erin Carlson

1
58
0
0
0
Email
Print
Comments

Alfie Boe Queen's Diamond Jubilee Performance - P 2012

LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

Alfie Boe performed at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in London.

The British singer tells THR he's in the "very early stages" of talks to play Jean Valjean in New York.

Alfie Boe, the English tenor who portrayed Jean Valjean in London's West End and also in a televised Les Miserables 25th anniversary special at the O2 arena, says he may bring the iconic character back to Broadway.

Hollywood Film Awards to Honor Producers of 'Les Miserables,' 'Anna Karenina' (Exclusive)

Universal Shifts 'Les Miserables' Release Date

"It's in the very early stages of talking about it really," Boe tells The Hollywood Reporter, adding: "The option might be there."

At the moment, the singer is preparing to launch a U.S. tour in support of his second studio album, Alfie, which arrived in June and on which he includes a cover of the Les Miz solo "Bring Him Home."

VIDEO: 'Les Miserables' Trailer: Anne Hathaway Sings 'I Dreamed a Dream'

Boe portrayed Valjean at the Queen's Theatre in London from June to November 2011; he also took on the role for a pair of concerts marking the musical's 25th year milestone in October 2010. (The show, which also featured Nick Jonas as Marius, was played on near-continuous loop, or so it seemed, for a while on PBS. It also gained Boe wide acclaim in addition to a more global audience of Les Miz superfans.)

In 2003, he won a special Tony Award with the ensemble cast of Baz Luhrmann's 2002 revival of La Boheme.

Boe earned the endorsement of Les Miz producer Cameron Mackintosh to win the part of Valjean in Tom Hooper's upcoming movie version of the musical. But it eventually went to Hugh Jackman, another Tony winner.

"I think Hugh Jackman will do a wonderful job, I have to say," he said. "I wish I could have been a part of it. I really do wish I had had the opportunit to take part. But I think Hugh will do a wonderful job. I wish him the best of luck. It's a wonderful character to play and the beauty of Jean Valjean is people bring something new to it, everyone who plays the character, brings something new to it. So he will bring something new to the role that I didn't."

"He's a great singer, a great actor," he adds, joking, "obviously, I've got a better body than he does."

Twitter: @ErinLCarlson

Email: erin.carlson@thr.com