Rutherford, McCarthy and Page Set for Muny Les Miz

By Andrew Gans
and Kenneth Jones
22 Jul 2007

Ivan Rutherford
Ivan Rutherford

Ivan Rutherford, who was a Valjean in the original Broadway production of Les Misérables, will again step into the shoes of Victor Hugo's hero when the international hit musical plays the St. Louis Muny, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre.

Directed by Fred Hanson, Les Miz — which is currently enjoying a revival at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre — will be the final production of the current Muny season, playing Aug. 6-15. Playbill.com has learned that the company will also feature Jeff McCarthy (as Javert), Simone (as Fantine), Diana Kaarina (as Eponine), Kevin Kern (as Marius), Leah Horowitz (as Cosette), Manu Narayan (as Enjolras), Ken Page (as Thernardier), Lisa Howard (as M. Thernardier), Olivia Prosser (as Young Cosette) and Jimmy McEvoy (as Gavroche).

The creative team will also include Evan Ensign (assistant director), Dan Riddle (music director), Michael Anania (set designer), David Lander (lighting designer) and Matt Lacey (production stage manager). Paul Blake is the executive producer.

The Muny season currently features Peter Pan (through July 22) and will be followed by The Pajama Game (July 23-29), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (July 30-Aug. 5) and Les Misérables (Aug. 6-15).

Les Miz was first presented by Cameron Mackintosh and The Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Theatre in October 1985. The musical transferred to the West End's Palace Theatre later that year, where it played for 19 years. The production transferred to the Queen's Theatre in April 2004, where it continues today.

Les Misérables originally ran for 11 previews and 6,680 performances from 1987 to 2003 at the Broadway Theatre and then the Imperial Theatre, making it the third longest-running Broadway musical ever.

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh, Les Misérables is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and features music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, with original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel and additional material by James Fenton. It is directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

Tickets are available by calling (314) 361-1900, ext. 550; for more information visit www.muny.org.