Les Misérables is coming back to downtown St. Cloud for the first time in 13 seasons, and GREAT Theatre is going big: a cast of 49 actors, more than 120 people involved overall, and 10 performances stretched across three weekends at the Paramount Center for the Arts. The sweeping French Revolution-era musical runs from October 16 through November 1, 2026, marking a rare return of a title that doesn't come around for community theaters very often.
That rarity is part of what makes this production notable. According to WJON, the show has 40 people on stage each night, nine roles doubled up among cast members, and a large flexible set built to represent multiple locations across the story's 20-year span in 19th-century France. GREAT Theatre also received a rare early invitation to apply for the rights to stage Les Misérables, as reported by brainerd.macaronikid.com, since the title is typically restricted to a limited number of community theaters for a limited window of time.
A Sprawling Cast and a Flexible Set
Director Kendra Norton Dando said the production has generated a lot of excitement, per the same WJON report. With 40 performers filling the stage on any given night and nine doubled roles built into the casting, the show leans on a large, adaptable set designed to shift between the many locations the story visits over its two-decade timeline.
Beyond the cast on stage, the production's full scope reaches over 120 people when accounting for everyone involved, the outlet notes. The production's scale underscores why this run has been billed as a milestone for GREAT Theatre.
Where the Show Fits in a Bigger Season
Les Misérables is one of four productions GREAT Theatre is presenting at the historic Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown St. Cloud during its 2026/27 season, per the same account from brainerd.macaronikid.com. Season subscriptions went on sale back on April 2 at 10 a.m., ahead of the fall run.
The financial reality behind these productions is significant: ticket sales cover just 60% of the more than $1.8 million it takes GREAT Theatre to produce a full season, according to the outlet's reporting. That gap highlights the financial demands of producing a full season.
Tickets and Showtimes
Tickets for the 10 performances running October 16 through November 1 are available through both the GREAT Theatre and Paramount Theater websites, WJON reports, with discounted tickets also available through the Value Connection program. The show runs over three weekends at the Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown St. Cloud.
