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Sunday, December 5, 2010

REVIEW: “LES MISERABLES” @ PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE

Note:  I was on vacation last week so I missed the opening performance of Les Misérables at the Paper Mill Playhouse on Sunday, November 28. I caught the December 5th matinee and file this review:

Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh, opening night November 28 2010, Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr., Millburn New Jersey Having seen Les Misérables three times (twice on Broadway and once in London), I expected a great deal of the Paper Mill Playhouse’s 25th anniversary production of the blockbuster musical. I am elated to report that not only did it far exceed my expectations—and my memories—of the original but it took my breath away as well. (Left: Enjolras leads the revolutionaries)

Les Misérables, based on Victor Hugo’s epic 1836 novel, originally opened in London in 1985 (where it continues to play to packed houses today) and on Broadway in 1987, going on to run for 6,680 performances before closing. To date, Les Misérables remains the third longest-running Broadway production of all time and has been seen by nearly 60 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages. Quite a reputation for a new, improved production to live up to!

Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh, opening night November 28 2010, Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr., Millburn New Jersey If you are too young to have seen the original or have never read the novel, the plot of Les Misérables follows the odyssey of Jean Valjean, released after serving a 19-year sentence as a galley slave for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving child. Breaking parole, Valjean reinvents himself, going on to become a mayor, a factory owner, a wealthy if reclusive gentleman, all while being stalked by the policeman Javert, who is determined to bring Valjean to “justice,” as Javert defines the term. Along the way, Valjean acquires an adopted daughter and becomes involved in an idealistic, doomed student rebellion before dying in his daughter’s arms.  (Above: Valjean comforts a dying Fantine)

Producer Cameron Mackintosh has re-envisioned Les Misérables by drawing inspiration from Victor Hugo’s brilliant drawings and paintings, which he has integrated into spectacular projections and epic staging. Whereas the original production featured a turntable—state-of-the-art at the time—the projections’ perspectives simulate movement, so that revolutionaries appear to march down a street in the slums of St. Michel, a wagon careens out of control and Jean Valjean navigates the convoluted, fetid Paris sewers. A quarter century of technological advances in set design enrich this great musical story without appearing gimmicky or slick.

 Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh, opening night November 28 2010, Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr., Millburn New Jersey The performances by the very large cast are splendid, as well. Listening to the disembodied voices on a CD for years didn’t prepare me for the performers’ high level of emoting. They don’t just sing the words, they act the thoughts and emotions the lyrics convey. Lawrence Clayton (left) is magnificent as Jean Valjean, a man who maintains his dignity despite being considered an outcast because of his criminal past. Clayton’s rich voice makes the Paper Mill Playhouse’s rafters ring, especially in his rendition of “Who Am I?” and the poignant “Bring Him Home.” As his nemesis Javert (right), Andrew Varela’s sneer marks him as a self-righteous prig; his voice has an edge of menace to it as he relentlessly pursues his prey. A worthy arch-enemy to the upstanding Valjean, he’s the one we love to hate.

Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh, opening night November 28 2010, Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr., Millburn New Jersey Michael Kostroff as the innkeeper Thérnardier and Shawna M. Hamic  (right) as his missus provide threatening hilarity extolling their dishonesty in “Master of the House.” The wonderful voices of Justin Scott Brown’s naïve and love-struck Marius and Jeremy Hays’ idealistic Enjolras—“schoolboys who never held a gun—reveal them as charming yet clueless about the revolution in which they are about to engage.

In the female roles, directors Laurence Connor and James Powell have cast singers with richer voices than the sopranos I remember (sorry, Patty Lupone). Betsy Morgan’s Fantine sings “I Had a Dream” with a huskiness that Les Misérables by Cameron Mackintosh, opening night November 28 2010, Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr., Millburn New Jersey appropriately conveys her loss of innocence. Chaston Harmon as Eponine  (left) belts out “On My Own” with a 21st century vibe that belies the young woman’s vulnerability. And as the adult Cosette, Jenny Latimer’s lush soprano soars above Valjean, Eponine and Marius in “A Heart Full of Love” and “In My Life.”

And finally, child actors Katherine Forrester (Little Cosette) and Lewis Grosso (Gavroche) perform admirably without being overly cute and self-conscious about being onstage.

In addition to the new staging and reimagined scenery, producer Macintosh has incorporated new orchestrations by Chris Jahnke, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter, and additional material by James Fenton. The latter provides better bridges between the big numbers and sharpens up the story details so they all hang together very well. The orchestra, under the direction of Peter White, impressively fills the auditorium with the sumptuous sounds of Claude-Michel Schonberg’s melodies.

Watching this production of Les Misérables, which translates as The Downtrodden, sent shivers down my spine, reminding why I so love this musical and want everyone I know to see it too. If you are a fan of the original or are too young to have seen it first time round, you need to call the Paper Mill Playhouse box office right away to purchase tickets for you and your entire family. It is an experience you will not soon forget. You will be miserable if you miss this production!

Les Misérables will run at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn through December 30 (an extension of 12 performances). Performances are Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 PM and 7 PM. Extension weeks have an alternate schedule. Check www.papermill.org for more information regarding the extension. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 973.376.4343 or visiting the theater’s box office on Brookside Drive in Millburn or online at the website.