24601 Reasons To Catch Les Misérables Before Sunday

Checking in from maternity leave with a review of Les Misérables. Baby Walter is (somehow?) already 2 months old, and I actually left the house this week to go see a show. I’m so glad I did. Les Misérables is at the Academy of Music through this Sunday, September 8th, and it can’t be missed. My husband and I were lucky enough to receive a pair of tickets (courtesy of Ensemble Arts Philly) and even luckier to get a babysitter (thanks Mom). It was a perfect evening. I’ve seen this musical many times, along with every version of the story on film and television that I know of too, but this is the first time I’ve seen the show since (finally) reading the book. It’s a gazillion pages, and embarrassingly took me 2 full years, but I did finally finish it. Seeing the musical this time around it was really fun recognizing the subtle nods to the book that the show includes, but doesn’t delve into. A great example is in the beginning when Jean Valjean steals a coin from a little boy. It’s a blip in the musical that I’d never noticed before, and easily overlooked, but a full chapter with larger implications in the book. You don't really need to read the book though. The music is what makes this otherwise pretty depressing show so incredible. Beautiful, and so well performed by the entire cast. A Whole New Les Misérables To any musical theater fan, Les Misérables is a must. I’ve never met anyone who dislikes the show, and to many (myself included), it’s their favorite. This current touring cast and direction of the show though is exceptional. I’ve been calling my theater friends to tell them that they can’t miss seeing THIS Les Mis. No matter how many times you’ve seen the show, you always discover something new, and you definitely haven’t seen Les Mis like this. Nick Cartell portrays the fugitive 'Jean Valjean' with Preston Truman Boyd as 'Inspector Javert.' They are joined by Matt Crowle as 'Thénardier,' Victoria Huston-Elem as 'Madame Thénardier,' Haley Dortch as 'Fantine,' Devin Archer as 'Enjolras,' Mya Rena Hunter as 'Éponine,' Jake David Smith as 'Marius' and Delaney Guyer as 'Cosette.' Azalea Wolfe and Ava Buesing alternate in the role of 'Little Cosette/Young Éponine.' Leo Caravano and Milo Maharlika alternate in the role of 'Gavroche.' Preston Truman Boyd as 'Inspector Javert' Javert was my favorite part. I’ve never seen this character played the way that Preston Truman Boyd attacks this role. Attacks is the best way I can describe it. He sings every song almost ferociously, and the amount of energy it must take to do so makes me wonder how he is able to perform like this so often. He’s incredible, and it’s the best portrayal of the Javert character I’ve ever seen. The set, lighting and scenery really added to all of the performances too, and a perfect example is during Javert’s “Stars”. While the song and performance were so moving, the river backdrop behind him was subtlety moving too. Another example was during “At the End of the Day”. The lighting paired with the lyrics so beautifully, with the cast huddled and freezing in the dark for “..another day colder. And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill”, only to have the lights shining down on them as another day begins. “…another day dawning. And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise.” The lighting direction in this show was perfection. Matt Crowle as 'Thénardier,' Victoria Huston-Elem as 'Madame Thénardier' The other standout performances in this show came from both Thenardiers. Their comedic timing and talent were outstanding and it made every scene they were in a joy to watch. During “Master of the House “ it was truly difficult to choose somewhere to look. No matter where you watched, you were bound to miss something. The blocking was perfect, the jokes were so quick, and everything on stage was worth watching. I could have watched that scene 8 more times and still missed something great. In fact, my husband and I are already trying to find a babysitter so that we can see the show once more before it leaves town. It’s that good. Be sure to catch Les Misérables at the Academy of Music this week. Do it now, as you may want to see it more than once. Here in Philly through this Sunday, September 8th. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online www.ensembleartsphilly.org.