[NEOPAL]Berko review: LES MISERABLES (Allen Theatre)

[Roy Berko]

‘LES MIZ,’ in its last local professional touring
stop, is a definite “go see!”

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

One of the fears of going to a touring show of a
musical that announces that it has been on the road
since 1988 is that the viewer will see a second-rate
cast, watered-down technical effects, and a tired and
bored cast that is walking through the motions.  Well,
have no fears about the ‘LES MISERABLE’ production now
in a short 6-day run in Playhouse Square.  This is a
first rate production in every sense.

‘LES MISERABLES’ opened in London in 1985 and is still
running.  It came to Broadway in 1987, after playing
the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and played for
over 18 years, making it the third longest-running
show in Broadway history.  Only ‘CATS’ and ‘’PHANTOM
OF THE OPERA’ ran longer.  There have been three
national touring companies, all of which have visited
the North Coast.

LES MIZ is based on Victor Hugo’s classical novel.  It
is an epic saga of romance and passion which centers
on the life of Jean Valjean who was convicted of
stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. 
He served his time, broke his parole and then is
hunted by Javert, an inspector who becomes obsessed
with making the now successful businessman pay and
pay-again for his crime.  

The show’s beautiful music was composed by
Claude-Michel Schonberg and the poignant lyrics were
penned by Herbert Kretzmer.   The score includes such
favorites as “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Do You Hear the
People Sing?,” “Bring Him Home,””A Heart Full of
Love,” and “Turning.”   The musical’s book was
developed by Alain Boublil and Schonberg.

Because all the words are sung, it is best to be
familiar with the story and score before entering the
theatre, especially due to the poor sound system and
the horrible Allen Theatre acoustics. .  If you aren’t
acquainted, the program offers an excellent scene by
scene description .

The production encompasses all of the scenic,
costuming and lighting effects necessary to make this
a true professional offering.  The massive turntable,
which revolves 63 times during the show, allows for
fluid set changes.  (Interestingly if a person stood
in the same place at the edge of the turntable during
an entire production, s/he would travel 1/2 mile.) 
Other interesting facts about the production are that
101 people are involved in the show’s performance
including 26 actors, 28 crew, and a 15 member
orchestra.  One-thousand seven hundred and eighty-two
costumes, 31 wigs, and 150 pairs of shoes are used in
a single production.

The cast is outstanding.  Randal Keith is as good as
any of the Jean Valjean’s I’ve observed in the nine
times I’ve seen the show.  His voice is glorious and
his acting makes the character live.  His rendition of
“Bring Him Home” brought sustained applause.  Robert
Hunt, though not as menacing as others who have played
the role of Javert, has a powerful voice.  His final
leap to death is a creative theatrical experience.  

Daniel Bogart (Marius) effectively develops the role
of the love-struck idealist student.  He poignantly
sang, “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” a tribute to his
friends who were killed in an unsuccessful revolt.  
Melissa Lyons, as  Eponine, the young woman in love
with Marius, but whose love is unreturned, has a
marvelous stage presence.  Her fine voice is well
displayed in “On My Own.”  Leslie Henstock failed to
create the right illusion as Cosette, Marius’s love
and Valjean’s adopted daughter, though her singing
voice was quite lovely.  

Jennifer Butt (Madame Thenardier) and Norman Large
(Therardier) were audience favorites in their comic
relief roles.   I found their version of “Master of
the House,” which is usually a rousing romp, too
slowly paced and lacked the needed abandonment.   This
was the only time during the 3-hour production that I
thought the cast was tired. 

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:   This is your last chance to see a
professional production of “LES MISERABLES,’ and an
excellent production at that.  When the script falls
into the hands of local theatres they will most likely
be unable to find a cast and create the sets, costumes
and special effects the show requires.   SEE IT NOW!

‘LES MISERABLES’ runs only through April 23 at the
Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square.  For tickets call
216-241-6000, 800-766-6048 or go on line to
www.playhousesquare.com.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com