Until now ‘Les Misérables’ has been solely available in theatres, which has meant that the audience who saw these songs, many of which allow poorer characters to show why they need understanding and empathy, have always been largely composed of people with middle to upper-level incomes

You may be happy to know that this is not actually the case; I first saw this musical aired on PBS when I was a kid. Obviously that doesn't make it accessible to absolutely everyone, but many Americans with no access to theater productions have had a chance to see it.