Hits from Les Mis and more in a musical feast

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LYRICIST Alain Boublil and composer Claude-Michel Schonberg have teamed up to create some of music theatre’s greatest hits over five decades, including Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, which were presented as a concert titled Do You Hear The People Sing? at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on September 27-28.

And performing the numbers were eight musical theatre stars from Australia and around the world, many of whom have performed lead roles in the duo’s musicals.

They included British star Michael Ball who performed in Les Mis on the West End, John Owen-Jones who also starred in Les Mis on the West End and Broadway, and New York-based Australian singer David Harris who appeared in Miss Saigon during its Melbourne season in 2007.

Do You Hear The People Sing? featured a 24-piece orchestra on stage under the baton of musical director Guy Simpson, supported by a 12-member ensemble that included Jewish singer Rubin Matters.

The concert opened with a selection from Miss Saigon, introduced by Owen-Jones, including Bui Doi and The Heat Is On In Saigon.

Then Korean singer Sooha Kim, who starred in Miss Saigon in the 2016 Japanese production and later on the West End, continued with I’d Give My Life For You.

A highlight of the first half of the concert was Australian star Bobby Fox giving his rendition of The American Dream from Miss Saigon.

And Fox was back after interval to delight the audience with the slapstick Master Of The House from Les Mis in a duet with Rachel Tucker.

Less well-known musicals such as Martin Guerre, The Pirate Queen and La Revolution Francaise were featured, but when the orchestra started playing the overture to Les Mis early in the second part of the two-and-a-half-hour concert, signally the start of the tribute to Les Mis, audience enthusiasm went up a notch.

Songs included At The End Of The Day, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, the anthem Bring Him Home performed by Owen-Jones, Ball and Harris, and the whole company singing One Day More and Do You Hear The People Sing?

And to cap off the concert on opening night, Boublil and Schonberg joined the stars on stage for a curtain call. The duo was in Australia for special “In Conversation” events in Melbourne and Sydney (where Do You Hear the Music Play? was performed at the Sydney Opera House from September 30 to October 2).

Overall, Do You Hear The People Sing? was a talent-laden concert filled with hits that delighted the audience.