les miz is the shiz

 Les Miserables, composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg in 1980 and now on its 26th year running, is one of the most beloved and cherished musicals of all time.  Set all over France, the play follows the story of Jean Valjean and his transformation from a prisoner, to a wealthy factory owner, to the father of young Cosette.  Following a traditional stage and costume design, producer Cameron Mackintosh excelled in creating a masterpiece out of the longest running musical of all time.

When I first walked into the theatre, I was not all that impressed by the décor. From where we sat the stage looked crooked and we were surrounded by plain red and green-striped wallpaper, yet the entire theatre was completely packed and everyone sat in his or her seat anxiously awaiting the show to start. Immediately any qualms or reservations that I had about the performance being sub-par because of the way the theatre looked were instantly put to rest.  The opening scene was eerily captivating with the smoky fog rolling out onto the stage and enveloping the prisoners as they worked in chains.  Throughout the entire performance, there was no spoken dialogue, but each musical number was enticing and truly magical.  Simon Bowman in the role of Jean Valjean was exceptional.  His vocals were rough when they needed to be and soft and angelic in pieces such as “Bring Him Home”.  Samantha Barks was on of the most memorable from the night.  Coupled with superb and believable acting skills and the sweetest yet powerful voice, her role as Eponine was a standout from the second she walked on stage and exemplified when she sang “On my Own”.  The only let down from the night was Lucie Jones in the role of Cosette who although could act, was not a convincing singer, especially when compared to Barks.  Even her younger counterpart demanded more attention from the audience in her heartwarming rendition of “Castle on a Cloud”. The most moving scenes were when Jean Valjean rescued young Cosette from the Thenardiers and when Eponine and Marius sang “A little Fall of Rain”.  They were both so convincing, and it was not uncommon for audience members to become thoroughly attached to the characters and to feel their emotional burdens.

The overall sets were simple, which was nice since it didn’t distract from the actors performances, yet the props and pieces they featured were beautifully and intricately designed.  The performance definitely took advantage of its rotating circular piece in the middle of the stage.  This was most prominently featured when Eponine was sent to deliver a message to Cosette from Marius and the gate spun around so the audience got the perspective of both Eponine outside the gate as well as the viewpoints from the inside of the gate.  The revolutionary fight scene used special affects in order to create large booming and flashing gun blasts and the set piece for the barracks was very impressive.  The scene in the sewers where Jean Valjean carries Marius was one of the most amazing.  Faint water drip drops echoed throughout the entire theatre while Jean walked through the smoky hazy tunnels of the sewers.  Turning off the lights and then bringing them back on with Jean carrying Marius in a different position each time was used to show time and distance progression. The costumes were also well suited to France in the 1800’s and looked authentic.  Even the prisoner’s thin tearing garments were just as impressive as the bright voluptuous dresses that the prostitutes in the streets wore.  The use of makeup to age the characters was used magnificently.  The graying hairs of Jean Valjean and Javert as they progressed in age looked entirely real.  Between the set, costumes, and acting its was easy to imagine oneself in nineteenth century France.

Les Miserables was one of the most enchanting performances I have ever seen.  From the politics of the student French uprising to the regret loss and despair that so many of the characters suffered and hoped to overcome, the show was amazing and I believe that anyone in this world could enjoy it as much as I did.

-Aimee Mesenburg