Les Miserables at Des Moines Civic Center

Fact: LES MISÉRABLES is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.

It’s storytelling that rings true and plunges deep, even a century and a half after Victor Hugo published his landmark novel. It’s beautifully multilayered vocal arrangements and soaring melodies that you’ll remember long after the curtain has fallen; it’s an exquisite theatrical experience that will engulf you, captivate you, and have you in the palm of its hand since the first notes fill the air.

An iconic story

Following the journey of French peasant Jean Valjean from desperation to redemption, Victor Hugo’s iconic 1862 novel inspired writers Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Jean-Marc Natel to create a unique theatre piece oozing with passion, heart, and emotion. Victor Hugo’s iconic 1862 tale about French peasant Jean Valjean’s journey from despair, his search for redemption, love, and revolution made for the perfect foundation for a theatrical masterpiece - and that is exactly what writers Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, alongside composer Claude-Michel Schönberg {had in mind for their celebrated sung-through musical|were hoping for - something unparalleled to turn into a majestic theatre piece. The result was so much greater than they ever could have expected - not only did LES MISÉRABLES, since its English-version premiere in the West End in 1985, become the longest-running musical in the West End and the second-longest running musical on Broadway, but has been seen live on stage by over 130 million people globally, in 22 different languages.

LES MISÉRABLES has been hailed by critics as a standout production, with “soaring solos, thunderous choruses, and symphonic swells and crashes of oceanic proportions raising the audience’s hearts and arm hairs” (CTX Live Theatre) with every single production thereof a marvellous nod to the original. It is packed with creativity, gravitas, and raw emotions, boasting stunning harmonies that bless the soul with raw beauty, lyrics that speak directly to the heart, visuals that raise hairs and drop jaws, music that oozes passion and operatic intensity, themes that hold up the proverbial mirror, and fantastic embodiment that capture the heart of the story perfectly.

On top of that, you’ll experience the much adored music delivered in a breathtaking manner - from ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ and ‘Castle On A Cloud’ to ‘Stars’ and ‘On My Own’, from ‘Bring Him Home’ and ‘Empty Chairs At Empty Tables’ to ‘One Day More’ and ‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ - leaving an unparalleled and lasting impact on anyone and everyone that listens.

Tickets and more info

A venue more suitable for a wonderful night at the theatre than the Des Moines Civic Center does not exist.

Boasting a lengthy history of welcoming the best of the best in entertainment to its stage, the Des Moines Civic Center is known to be the place you’ll find world-class acts all year round. Featuring top-tier sound and lighting, pin-drop acoustics, wonderful amenities, ample parking, and plenty of luxurious seats spread across multiple levels ensuring those crystal-clear sight-lines, you’re in for a sublime evening regardless of where you’re seated.

So hurry - get your tickets before they’re all sold out!