Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe will make an argument for the masculinity of musical theater in next year’s Les Misérables, with Jackman imbuing the role of Jean Valjean with the same virile swagger he brought to his roles in shows like Oklahoma!, and, of course, Viva Laughlin, and Crowe channeling the gruff-yet-sensitive soulfulness of his 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts gig into playing Inspector Javert. As previously reported, The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper will head up this adaptation of Claude-Michel Schönberg’s famed musical—itself, of course, derived from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, which had far less singing. The film’s just-announced December 7, 2012 release puts it squarely alongside The Hobbit, as well as several other classic literary adaptations that are headed for the winter 2012 season, including the Keira Knightley-starring Anna Karenina and Baz Luhrmann’s 3-D version of The Great Gatsby, making it a decidedly CliffsNotes Christmas for people who don’t like to read. Anyway, to get some idea of what sort of musical chemistry Jackman and Crowe might stir up, try playing these two videos simultaneously.