Cast: Shannon & Rauch play Jean Valjean, new Jersey Boys
Ramin Karimloo has extended his stint playing Jean Valjean in the West End run of Les Miserables to 31 March 2012, and will be followed in the role by David Shannon and Geronimo Rauch.
Shannon, who returns to the role after an absence of two years, will star from 3 April to 16 June before Rauch takes over for a longer run from 18 June 2012 to 15 June 2013.
The current West End company at the Queen’s Theatre also includes Hadley Fraser as Javert, Caroline Sheen as Fantine, Alexia Khadime as Eponine, Craig Mather as Marius, Cameron Blakely as Thénardier, Katy Secombe as Madame Thénardier, Liam Tamne as Enjolras and Lisa-Anne Wood as Cosette.
Besides Les Miserables, David Shannon‘s other West End credits include playing The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, creating the role of John in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game, Chris in Miss Saigon, The Man in Whistle Down The Wind, Rum Tum Tugger in Cats and Guillaume in Martin Guerre.
Gerónimo Rauch is an Argentinian singer and actor who is currently playing Jean Valjean in the new 25th Anniversary production of Los Miserables in Barcelona. He has also previously played the roles of Feuilly and Marius in Les Misérables in Argentina, as well as taking part in the 25th Anniversary celebration of Les Misérables at the 02 Arena.
In 2002 Rauch took part in the Buenos Aires version of TV talent show Popstars and was chosen to become a founder member of the band Mambrú, whose debut album went Triple Platinum, selling over 120,00 copies.
Les Misérables originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on 8 October 1985, transferred to the Palace Theatre on 4 December 1985 and moved to its current home at the Queen’s Theatre on 3 April 2004. It has been seen by nearly 60 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages.
In other musical casting news, West End longrunner Jersey Boys has announced several new cast members, who will join the show from 13 March.
The Whatsonstage.com Award-winning show, which celebrates its fourth birthday in the West End on 18 March, continues to be led by Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli, Matthew Wycliffe as Bob Gaudio, Jon Boydon as Tommy DeVito and Eugene McCoy as Nick Massi, with Jon Lee playing the role of Frankie Valli at certain performances.
They will be joined, on Tuesday 13 March, by Nicola Brazil, Dan Burton, Tee Jaye (who was in the original London company) and Howard Jones, along with Ben Jennings, Edd Post and Gemma Whitelam.
Also continuing in the cast are Charlie Bull, Mark Carroll, Chris Gardner, Trina Hill, Stuart Milligan and Jake Samuels, along with Michael Conway, Lucinda Gill, Mark Isherwood and Ben Wheeler.
Jersey Boys had its UK premiere on 18 March 2008 (previews from 28 February), going on to win Best New Musical at the Oliviers and four Whatsonstage.com Awards. The musical follows four boys on their journey from the wrong side of the tracks in the state of New Jersey to international success as pop music sensation The Four Seasons. The band wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide, all before they were 30.
