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Nicholas poses for a family photo with brothers Joe, Frankie and Kevin, and his parents, Denise and Kevin, Sr.
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Eponine (Barks) looks on as Marius (Jonas) and Cosette (Kerslake) talk with one another.
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Nick, playing Marius, and Camilla, Cosette, act on-stage.
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Nick (fourth from right) blows a kiss to the audience as the night's performance comes to a close.
Blown Away on Broadway: Nick Jonas Plays Marius in Les Miserables
On June 21 in London, England, Nicholas Jonas, the youngest member of the American boy-band Jonas Brothers, starred in the first show of his month-long performance in the Broadway musical Les Miserables. Costarring with Camilla Kerslake as Cosette and Samantha Barks as Eponine, Nick scored one of the show’s largest and most demanding roles: Marius, a revolutionary and the love interest of both female leads.
Cheering Nick on during rehearsals and premiere night were legions of female fans who waited outside the Queen’s Theatre to see him. Also there to support him were his three brothers, Kevin, Joe, Frankie, and his parents, Denise and Kevin, Sr. Jonas. Once Nick had finished the show, he took a triumphant bow on stage with his costars, blew a kiss to the audience, and returned to his hotel room posting the following comments on Twitter: “What a night. First show was amazing. Thanks to everyone for the good luck messages. Congrats to all my cast mates. Goodnight.”
As intimidating as the project may have been to take on, it is one Nick has been pursuing for many years. In an interview with ITN, he revealed, “It’s been a dream of mine [to play Marius] for a long time, and to see it coming true is an amazing thing.”
He realized this dream when he first performed in Les Miserables with director Cameron Mackintosh (who is also directing the 2010 West End performance) in 2003 as street urchin Gavroche. Mackintosh has been quoted as saying: “He and his father and I agreed that it would be great if he came and played Marius here in London. He has bent over backwards to fit it all into his schedule.”
Despite experience not only in Les Mis, but also in Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, and A Christmas Carol, Nick has admitted that getting back to Broadway hasn’t been easy: “There’s pop music and then there’s theatrical style music and I’m just getting used to that mind set.” Nick also added that “...trying to relearn how to sing like that has been interesting and a lot of fun.”
A day after Nick’s West End debut, audio recordings of his performance were released on YouTube proving that he did not disappoint! I listened to one of these videos, and must say this: Nick blew me away. As a longtime fan of the Jonas Brothers, I was thrilled to hear about his part in Les Miserables, but doubted whether he had the capacity to take on such a classic role.
After listening to the video, all my doubts vanished. Nick was not chosen for present stardom or past ties. He was chosen for sheer talent. Reaching back to his Broadway roots, he portrayed Marius with incredible enthusiasm, and, completely in control of his voice, hit each silky note perfectly. His striking rendition will leave fans in tears, and denigrators speechless.
While only a few of his many fans were able to score tickets to his three-week performance in London, all of us at home are simply swelling with pride. At least one is. Nick’s outstanding vocals, incredible delivery, and overwhelming dedication have always amazed me. This time, they’ve left me stunned. I wish him the very best of luck on stage and in all his future projects! Whatever they may be, I’ll be behind him every script, song, and dance step of the way.
An advertisement for the 25th anniversary of Les Miserables starring Nick Jonas.
Nick Jonas performs “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”
