Pop heart-throb Nick Jonas arrives in London soon to prepare for his West End theatre debut, playing the role of Marius in Les Miserables.
I can reveal that Nick, 17, will perform the part of student Marius at the Queen's Theatre for a three week run from June 21.
It's not the first time the singer has been associated with the blockbuster musical, which is now in its 25th year. He played the part of Gavroche in the last nine months of Les Miserable's run on Broadway in 2003.
Cameron Mackintosh told me yesterday: 'I went up to him at the closing night party in New York and told him he was terrific and hoped that one day he would return to play Marius. We've been in touch a lot and, of course, since then he has become this world-famous star.
'He and his father and I agreed that it would be great if he came and played Marius here in London.'
The singer broke off from a concert tour with his brothers Joe and Kevin to conclude the deal with Mackintosh. 'He has bent over backwards to fit it all into his schedule,' Mackintosh said of the youngest Jonas brother.
Nick has been rehearsing the music in the U.S. but will begin three weeks of full rehearsals with other new special cast members in London in the next few days before giving his first performance at the Queen's.
In October, Nick will be part of a huge, star- studded company being assembled to perform a 25th anniversary concert at the o2 Centre in Greenwich, South-East London.
Details of casting - and ticket information about the o2 production - will be announced on Wednesday morning.
Nick and his brothers have become mammoth music stars. Their albums sell in the millions, and they're the favourite band of president obama's two young daughters.
No doubt Nick's siblings will visit him on Shaftesbury Avenue and see him on stage.
Meanwhile, a revised version of Les Miserables has been playing to sell- out audiences across Britain. That production is now in Paris for a six-week run before resuming its UK tour, which will include a run at London's Barbican from September 14.
Mackintosh told me there will be Les Mis productions next year and the year after in Madrid, Mexico, Korea, Italy, Japan and the U.S..
And a screenwriter is about to be contracted to work on a big-screen version which Mackintosh is producing with Working Title Films.
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