What can I say about a show that’s been touring the country steadily for over 25 years?
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
Probably simply that things haven’t changed all that much in the 150+ years since Les Miserables was first published.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
Anyone who isn’t familiar with Les Miserables can find a detailed overview of the plot in my first review several years ago (click here to read), but for the one paragraph breakdown: Jean Valjean became a convict after stealing a loaf of bread to save his dying nephew; after 19 years in French prison, he is released and breaks parole to start a new life. He is hunted ever after by the police captain Javert, a stickler for law and order who refuses to believe in life circumstances or that people can change. Valjean takes in a girl named Cosette after her mother falls from grace after working for him, raising Cosette as his own. Cosette falls in love with Marius, a member of a revolutionary group who tries to overthrow France’s wealthy ruling class to help the people (and fails). Marius is the lone survivor of the fight after Valjean saves him; Javert commits suicide after Valjean grants him his life during the revolution; and Valjean joins Cosette’s mother Fantine and Marius’s lover-that-never-was Éponine in heaven after a life filled with service.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
It’s a doozy of a plot (and an incredible book – which more people should read. Yes, I know that it clocks in at over 1,400 pages, but if you do the math even the slowest reader can finish it in a year by reading just a measly 4 pages a day. It’s worth it, I promise), and despite sounding overwrought it somehow shines on-stage as a complex, tautly riveting story that lays bare some incredibly difficult subjects via high entertainment. I’ve always felt Les Miserables to be a timely and relevant piece, but it struck me last night just HOW timely it is. Just look at a few of the major themes and plot points:
- A man is jailed for stealing a loaf of bread because he is poor (see real modern life here)
- This man is released but not allowed to work as a citizen because of his past (see real modern life here)
- A woman is slut shamed (see real modern life here)
- A woman is separated from her child and deemed an unfit parent while she tries to earn money to support them (see real modern life here)
- Said child is abused and the wider culture finds it perfectly acceptable (see real modern life here)
- The police force imprisons people falsely (see real modern life here)
- A few very rich people have most of the money; most people are suffering in poverty (see real modern life here)
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
And on and on and on… the parallels are never ending! It’s interesting for me to see the relationship audiences have with a show such as this; to me there are such clear ties to problems plaguing our society, and despite the intentional comedic moments I still struggle to be fully entertained and remove myself from those implications. This world is REAL to me in a visceral, heartbreaking way, but it seems most of the general public doesn’t feel as connected with the story. There were several moments throughout the night – such as strong laughter after childish Cosette’s solo “Castle on a Cloud,” which describes her dream of escaping her nightmare of child labor and abuse at the hands of the Thénardiers – where I felt almost in an alternate universe. Was the scene teed up for comedic timing? Yes of course. But was it really funny and worth an audience-wide guffaw? I’m hard pressed to say so.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
That said – this production is wholly magnificent and worth a visit for long-term fans and newbies alike. This is a cast of ringers (they need to be in order to perform the gloriously complex score, conducted to perfection by Brian Eads), and no one will be disappointed with their strong work. At the core is, of course, Jean Valjean, played with gravitas here by Nick Cartell. He is partnered with the Ebeneezer Scrooge-ian Josh Davis as *the best* Javert I’ve ever seen, and together they tussle through an equally matched battle of fates that drives the show with strength. Mary Kate Moore rips through your heart during her solos as Fantine with a truly angelic voice. Paige Smallwood was a crowd-pleaser belting out “On My Own” as Éponine, and Jillian Butler’s sprightly coloratura has a future career as Christine Daae as evidenced through her performance as Cosette. The (surprising) star of the whole thing for me, though, was Joshua Grosso in a gorgeously nuanced performance as Marius. Grosso acts through his teeth while blessing us all with a Josh Groban-esque voice on tear-worthy solos like “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables;” he’s fresh, young and bombastic, and I cannot wait to see where he goes after this performance.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
This tour is part of the 25th anniversary revival, which includes some different staging from the famous original. Gone are the turntable stages; instead, we have lavish projections and sky-high sets that provide us with three stories worth of narrative power. The facility of these sets allows for the intensely detailed plot to fly by with ease, and it’s impressive how fast-paced this staging of Les Miserables feels despite clocking in at a three hour run time. Paired with the nuanced projections and absolutely stunning lighting design, the sets place us in a living, breathing, three-dimensional slice of Parisian history over 150 years old; it’s a high achievement and sure to keep you riveted throughout the show.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
Victor Hugo was the Charles Dickens of France, meaning his work is just as evergreen as the Oliver Twists and Christmas Carols of the world. There’s a reason Les Miserables has hung around for so long, and I’m tempted to say it’s more relevant now than perhaps it ever has been since publication. Once again we live in a world where a few wealthy autocrats control our health and livelihoods; once again many people are thrown into prisons for minor offenses and struggle to re-enter society; once again the sexual assault of women is at the forefront of political consciousness; once again people are trying to rise up for their rights and are squashed by an indomitable political machine. Does that mean we give up? Of course not – as the revolutionary Enjolras sings, “this is the music of a people who will not be slaves again,” and it’s always worth fighting for “One Day More” – even if today turns out to be a loss. Don’t miss the epic saga of Les Miserables, especially with this taut, terrific cast. Click here to learn more or buy tickets before the show closes on December 30 (and word to the wise – it’s selling out quickly, so you’ll want to nab those seats ASAP).
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |