Philip Quast as Javert singing "Stars" for the Les Mis 10th Anniversary concert.

Is Les Miserables still playing anywhere? If it is and you haven't seen it - for shame! Get out and see it at once. Nothing commercially available captures the whole musical, only the main songs, or as in this commemorative concert, the main songs coupled with some dress-up and a revolving stage. All nice, but not nearly the experience of seeing the whole thing with everyone in costume, acting, and all the sung lines which weave the plot tightly together. Nothing is spoken in the play, even the material between the actual songs is sung.

Unfortunately even if it's still playing off-Broadway, you will never see it with Colm Wilkinson, Philip Quast, Michael Ball, et al, as it was in its original run. That lineup of voices may never be matched! But you can buy CDs and DVDs of various performances, so all is not lost. It really helps to have SEEN it in person first, though, as you'll miss half of the full musical if you only listen to what is available. It's the continual recurrence of musical and lyrical themes throughout the performance that in my opinion really shows the genius behind its creation and sends those tingles down your spine and tears down your cheek at just the right times.