Believe it or not, it’s been well over a decade since the cast of Les Misérables marched onto the Dolby Theatre stage. February 24, 2013. The 85th Academy Awards. If you were watching, you probably remember that specific feeling of "oh, they're actually doing this."
Hollywood loves a spectacle. But usually, that spectacle is pre-recorded, polished until it loses its soul, and lip-synced to death. This was different. The Les Miserables Academy Awards performance wasn't just a medley; it was a high-wire act without a net.
The Night Everything Went Live
Director Tom Hooper had already made headlines by forcing his cast to sing live on the film set. No studio booths. No pitch correction after the fact. Just raw, sometimes breathy, occasionally "unpretty" vocals. When the Oscars rolled around, the producers decided to double down on that "live" philosophy.
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Honestly, it was a massive gamble.
The performance featured the heavy hitters: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Helena Bonham Carter. They didn't just stand at a microphone. They performed a massive, sweeping arrangement of "Suddenly" and "One Day More."
Jackman kicked things off with "Suddenly," the song written specifically for the movie. He looked genuinely nervous. He started a cappella, his voice echoing in a room filled with his peers. Then, the rest of the cast joined in, building toward that iconic, barricade-storming finale.
What Most People Forget
You've probably seen the clip, but do you remember the stakes?
Eddie Redmayne recently talked about this. He was backstage, heart hammering, and a stage manager whispered to him right before his cue: "A billion people are watching."
No pressure, right?
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Redmayne’s performance of the Marius lines was widely considered one of the highlights. He looked like he was about to vibrate out of his skin, yet he hit every note. Meanwhile, Aaron Tveit—a Broadway veteran who played Enjolras—basically "owned the stage," according to his castmates. You could tell who had the stage legs and who was just trying to survive the three-minute whirlwind.
Then there was Anne Hathaway. She had already won her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress earlier that night. She was exhausted. She later admitted she wasn't even "happy" when she won because she was still stuck in the crushing mindset of her character, Fantine. Yet, there she was, standing on stage, hitting those notes with a mix of triumph and visible weariness.
Why the Les Miserables Academy Awards Performance Was Controversial
Not everyone loved it.
The sound mixing on the night was... let's call it "authentic." Because they were singing live in a massive hall with moving sets and a full orchestra, the balance was occasionally wonky. Russell Crowe’s vocals, much like in the film, were a talking point. He’s got a rock-and-roll baritone that doesn't always play nice with the soaring, operatic demands of Boublil and Schönberg’s score.
But that was sort of the point.
The Les Miserables Academy Awards performance was a "warts and all" celebration. It was a rejection of the Milli Vanilli era of awards shows. People still argue about whether it was "good" singing, but nobody argues about whether it was "real."
The Legacy of the Barricade
Since 2013, we’ve seen more live musical numbers at the Oscars, but few have had the sheer scale of this ensemble. It brought back the "Golden Age" feel where stars actually had to show up and do the work.
If you go back and watch the footage, look at the faces of the audience. You see Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, and Nicole Kidman. They aren't just politely clapping; they look genuinely leaned-in. It was a moment of theater in a world of cinema.
Insights for Musical Fans
If you’re revisiting this performance or the movie, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the mics: If you watch the HD clips, you can see the tiny "lavalier" microphones hidden in the hairlines and costumes. This was cutting-edge tech at the time to allow for live singing without giant handheld mics.
- The "Hathahate" Context: This performance happened right at the peak of the internet's weird obsession with hating Anne Hathaway for being "too earnest." Looking back, her performance is actually incredibly disciplined given the scrutiny she was under.
- The "One Day More" Structure: Notice how the staging mirrors the stage show more than the movie. It was a nod to the fans who had seen the musical on the West End or Broadway.
The next time you’re scrolling through YouTube and see that thumbnail of the cast in their formal wear, give it a re-watch. It’s a rare moment where Hollywood let the masks slip, the voices crack, and the emotion actually take the lead.
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For the best experience, try to find the "behind the scenes" rehearsal footage. It shows the cast, including a very casual Adele (who performed "Skyfall" the same night), practicing their cues. It makes the final, high-stakes performance feel even more human.