Alfie Boe talking to Michael Ball

Talking about his forthcoming appearance as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre starting on 23rd June, Alfie Boe said that he received a call from Cameron Mackintosh asking him to perform at the 02 Arena concert after Michael Ball had recommended/suggested him for the role.

Boe said LesMis is the best thing he has ever done in his career. When he first went into Les Miserables last year he was involved with the show in the West End for about five weeks (including the rehearsals and performances) and said he very quickly found that musical theatre was very different from opera as you can’t fire on all cylinders and have to pace yourself to sustain the 6 shows a week he is going to do.  (The current Jean Valjean played by Simon Bowman started on an 8 performance contract but now has every other Monday off).

Bow explained that opera singers do not wear microphones so it is a very different technique and this is why they do two days on and two days off as otherwise their voice would shut down. He and Michael Ball agreed that Valjean is one of hardest gigs musically and dramatically also emotionally tiring.

Alfie Boe is presenting two awards tonight at Oliviers Award Ceremony and singing Some Enchanted Evening from his album Bring Him Home which has gone gold.