Fun Facts About Les Mis – The World’s Most Popular Musical!

You know and love it; it’s the world’s most popular musical – Les Misérables! Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, the performance tells an enthralling story, showcasing a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Les Misérables will have you leaving the theater full of various emotions, and we hope satisfaction is one of them.  

The show is impressive in numerous ways, and it presents some interesting fun technical facts that will certainly surprise you. Read on to learn some behind-the-scenes details of the wonderful Les Misérables. 

• The show takes approximately 21 hours to load in and approximately 8 hours to load out. 
• 11 trucks are used to move the production from city to city. 
• The show uses approximately 1,200 costumes and they take up one entire tractor trailer! 
• There are 8 wedding ball gowns on stage for less than 5 minutes. Each dress requires 15 yards of fabric and 50 hours to construct! 
• Over 88 wigs travel with Les Misérables! 

• All wigs are made from human hair except for 8 of them! 
• There are 32 speakers hidden on the stage. 
• The barricade speaker towers contain 36 speakers and weigh in at 2 tons per tower! 
• The audio console alone costs $250,000. 
• There are 76 moving lights in the show. 

• There are 5 projectors used to produce the images projected on the scenery during the show. 
• The show uses 4 separate theatrical fog systems to produce the atmospheric effects during the performance. 
• Final assembly weight of the show is over 2,000 lbs. 
• Cast and crew ride in the three floors of the towers.  
• There are 14 musicians in the pit who play 23 instruments throughout the 3 hour-long musical, all led by a conductor on the podium.  

A lot of work certainly goes into making the show happen, and we can’t wait for you to see everything complete when you arrive for the performance! 

Block off your calendars for Les Misérables while it is at the Des Moines Civic Center February 27 – March 3. Don’t miss your chance to hear the show’s phenomenal score alongside a powerful story.  

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