1/7/2009

Welsh musical star John Owen Jones will play Jean Valjean in the 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables, it was announced today.

The new production of the world’s longest running musical opens at Wales Millennium Centre in December for a month-long run before embarking on a major UK and international tour.

When it went on sale in Cardiff it broke all previous first-day-sale box office records held at the Centre.

The Burry Port singer and actor will be joined on stage by Gareth Gates in the role of Marius and Earl Carpenter as Javert.

Broadway and West End star John Owen Jones was recently hailed by the New York Post as the best Jean Valjean since Colm Wilkinson.

He has starred in both West End and Broadway versions of the show and is the youngest actor ever to play Valjean after winning the role at the age of 26.

John, who started his career with Llanelli Youth Theatre, has also appeared as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre where he gained the record of the West End ’s longest-running Phantom.

Gareth Gates needs no introduction. A multi million selling popstar who still has the second best selling single this decade, more recently he has played the title role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre and was a semi finalist in Dancing on Ice 2008.

Earl Carpenter who is currently playing Javert in the West End production of Les Misérables has also starred as The Phantom in the West End as well as the starring role of Darryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

The production will have spectacular new designs inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, who wrote the book on which the musical is based.

Les Misérables has been seen by over 56 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages.

Les Misérables will be at Wales Millennium Centre from 11 December 2009 to 16 January 2010. For more information, or to book tickets, call the box office on 08700 40 2000 or visit www.wmc.org.uk