Shuler Hensley, the American actor lauded for his work in the Royal National Theatre revival of Oklahoma! in London in 1999, will be the new Javert in Broadway's Les Miserables beginning Oct. 24. Hensley's brooding but humane portrayal of Jud Fry in the Trevor Nunn staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! won him the Olivier Award. A spokesman for Les Miz confirmed the casting and said rehearsal for the actor are imminent.

The Marietta, GA, native trained at the Curtis Institute of Music. His musical theatre roles have included the title character of The Phantom of the Opera in Hamburg, Germany, the Sergeant in TheatreVirginia's The Pirates of Penzance, Joe in The Most Happy Fella at Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee, Pitkin in North Shore Music Theatre's On the Town, among others.

Gregg Edelman exits Les Miserables Oct. 8. This will be Hensley's Broadway debut. He joins J. Mark McVey (Valjean), Jane Bodle (Fantine), Nick Wyman (Thenardier) Betsy Joslyn (Mdme. Thenardier) and Catherine Brunell (Eponine).

Les Miserables, at the Imperial Theatre, is now the longest running show currently playing on Broadway. For ticket information, call (212) 239-6200.

— By Kenneth Jones