In celebration of the new production, starring West End actor Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean, Andy Mientus as Marius, Samantha Hill as Cosette, Tony Award nominee Will Swenson as Javert, West End and Broadway actress Caissie Levy as Fantine, Tony Award winner Nikki M. James as Eponine, Kyle Scatliffe as Enjolras, Canadian actor Cliff Saunders as Thenardier and Tony Award nominee Keala Settle as Madame Thenardier, Playbill.com will look back at a selection of Les Miz leading players who came before.
This week we look at Les Misérables' Fantine.
Click through for a tour of actresses who previously stood behind the barricades.
Two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone took on the role of Fatine for the original London cast in 1985 but chose not to re-create the role when the musical opened on Broadway, saying her London run was the "perfect theatrical experience." LuPone, most recently seen on Broadway in
The Anarchist, is a Tony winner for her performances in
Gypsy and
Evita. She has been Tony-nominated for her performances in
The Robber Bridegroom, Anything Goes, Sweeney Todd and
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Randy Graff originated the role of Fantine on Broadway in 1987. The actress, who is a Tony Award winner for her performance in
City of Angels, is a Tony nominee for
A Class Act and has also been seen on Broadway in
Grease, Saravá, Falsettos, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Moon Over Buffalo, High Society and
Fiddler on the Roof.
Ruthie Henshall was cast as Fantine in the West End at the age of 25. She later recreated the role in the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of
Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall. Henshall has been seen on Broadway in
Miss Saigon, Chicago and
Putting It Together.
Daphne Rubin-Vega was cast as Fantine in the first Broadway revival of
Les Miz in 2006. The actress is a two-time Tony Award nominee for her performances in
Rent and
Anna in the Tropics and has also been seen on Broadway in
The Rocky Horror Show and
A Streetcar Named Desire.
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga was the first Asian actress to play the roles of Eponine and Fantine in
Les Misérables on Broadway. The actress, a Tony winner for
Miss Saigon, replaced Rubin-Vega in the Broadway revival March 6, 2007. On Oct. 10, 2010, she played Fantine in the 25th Anniversary Concert of
Les Misérables, 15 years after appearing in the 10th Anniversary as Eponine. She has also been seen on Broadway in
Flower Drum Song.
Laurie Beechman began performances as Fantine in the original Broadway production in January 1990. The late actress, a Tony Award nominee for
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was also seen on Broadway in
Annie, The Pirates of Penzance and
Cats.
Anne Hathaway won a 2013 Academy Award for her portrayal of Fantine in the star-studded film adaptation of
Les Misérables, which featured Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean. The actress, Oscar-nominated for "Rachel Getting Married," has also been seen in "The Devil Wears Prada," "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Princess Diaries" films, among others.
Andrea McArdle, a Tony Award nominee for her performance in the title role in Broadway's
Annie, was a replacement in the original Broadway production of
Les Miz. She has also been seen on Broadway in
Starlight Express, Beauty and the Beast and
State Fair.
Alice Ripley played Fantine in the original Broadway production of
Les Miz. The actress, a Tony winner for
Next to Normal and a Tony nominee for
Side Show, has also been seen on Broadway in
The Who's Tommy, Sunset Boulevard, King David, James Joyce's The Dead and
The Rocky Horror Show.
Melba Moore, a Tony winner for
Purlie, played Fantine in the original Broadway production of
Les Miz. She has also been seen on Broadway in
Hair, Timbuktu! and
Inacent Black.
Lauren Kennedy, who most recently starred as Fantine in the North Carolina Theatre production of
Les Miz opposite her daughter Riley Campbell as Fantine's child, Cosette, also played the role in the original Broadway production. She has also been seen on Broadway in
Sunset Boulevard, Side Show and
Spamalot.
Judy Kuhn, who received a Tony nomination for her performance as Cosette in the original Broadway cast of
Les Misérables, took on the role of Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival. She was also Tony-nominated for her performances in
Chess and
She Loves Me. Her other Broadway credits include
King David, Two Shakespearean Actors, Rags and
The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
