[NEohioPAL] Review of "Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Production" at PlayhouseSquare

[Bob Abelman]

'Les Misérables' anniversary tour is as good as ever

 

Bob Abelman
Correspondent at News-Herald.com

For publication on 2/8/13

 

Do you hear the people sing?  Singing the song of angry men?  

 

How the hell can you not.  

 

"Les Misérables" is the world's longest-running musical, having played over 48,000 professional performances to over 60 million people in 42 countries.  Its "School Edition" is being performed in countless high schools and youth theaters, including the current production at the Geauga Lyric Theatre in Chardon.  

 

The star-studded film version opened world-wide and has earned a whopping $340 million at the box office since its December 2012 premiere.  Even the soundtrack is a hit, topping the Billboard chart for the first few weeks upon its release.

 

And now the 25th Anniversary national tour, which first came to PlayhouseSquare in 2011, is here again.  Is there a man, woman or child who has not yet heard the people sing? The real question is-is it worth hearing again?

 

"Les Mis" begins in 1815 and, after 19 years on a chain gang for stealing a loaf of bread, Frenchman Jean Valjean seeks redemption.  He does so by changing his name, becoming a wealthy business owner and mayor of a town, and raising the young daughter of a fired employer who became a prostitute.  Years later, the country is in a state of revolution and Valjean and his daughter Cosset's fates become intertwined with the young students leading the rebellion.  All the while, Valjean is hunted by the obsessive and self-righteous Inspector Javert. 

 

The production currently on stage at the Palace Theatre leaves no doubt that "Les Mis" is still a magnificent piece of Victor Hugo-inspired storytelling.  Claude-Michel Schönberg's operatic music and Herbert Kretzmer's lyrics hold up beautifully as well.  The songs are as memorable and moving as ever, and the well-staffed orchestra under Lawrence Goldberg's direction fills the theater with the rich, vibrant sound that has become the musical's trademark.

 

What makes this 25th Anniversary production unique is that the illusion of movement once produced by actors dramatically marching in place on a rotating turntable has been replaced by actors dramatically marching in place in front of rear projections of shifting images inspired by Hugo's paintings.  The effect gives additional depth to the action and is absolutely riveting during the play's most dramatic moments.

 

Of course, there is no comparison to the film.  That is, the film pales by comparison.  

 

For one thing, the story's many melodramatic excesses-such as the unfathomable coincidence of the central characters bumping into one another in Digne, Montreuil-Sur-Mer, Montefermeil, and Paris as if France in the early-19th century was miniscule-seem to make more sense in the highly stylized art form of musical theater than the stark realism of cinema.  

 

Also, when seeing "Les Mis" live on stage, the audience can focus on a performer or performance on its own accord and of its own choosing. This, along with three-dimensional storytelling and the actual presence of real human beings, generates a greater emotional investment in the story when compared to being force-fed flat screen images of the film director's choice and at his discretion.  This live production is very moving.

 

The most touted aspect of the film was the innovation of recording the actors' vocals live rather than abiding by the tradition of lip-syncing to prerecorded vocals.  Of course, on stage, everyone sings live and the raw spontaneity this produces simply cannot be matched by filmmaking.  

 

The clincher is that all the performances in this touring production are absolutely superb.  

 

Peter Lockyer as Jean Valjean, Andrew Varela as Javert, and Devin Ilaw as Cosette's love interest, Marius, give passionate performances with solid vocals that are consistently captivating.  The same can be said for the female leads.  Genevieve LeClerc as Fantine, understudy Erin Clemons as Eponine and, particularly, Lauren Wiley as Cosette are wonderful.  

 

Timothy Gulan as the comedic Thenardier, Shawna Hamic as Madame Thenardier (the only returning cast member from the previous tour), and the rest of the ensemble offer a tighter, more intense, and less road weary production than the 2011 visitation.  The tempo of the music and the transitions from one visually impressive scene to another seem faster as well, even though the tour is still directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell.

 

The men are still angry.  They are still singing.  And, yes, it is most certainly worth hearing again.

 

 "Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Production" continues through February 10 at PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre.  For tickets, which range from $10 to $95, visit www.playhousesquare.com.
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