I hope you all are staying safe. For me, I’ve been very blessed all things considered. For those of you are wondering, my production of Bonnie and Clyde has been pushed back. Because we don’t have traditional stadium style seating, we were able to find a way to still put on the show and do so safely. (More information below)
Anyway, a big shout out to my roomie and best friend Hallie (who is a saint for having not killed me through all this). Sometimes we get into discussions about various actors, famous people, etc. from Missouri, so I thought “Why not do something like this for Broadway?
2-4-6-0-1 of a Kind: A Revue of Les Miserables on Broadway
Hey friends! So first things first, happy new year! Okay I know it’s like, February now but it’s the first post of the year cause I’m kind of the worst so screw it we’re celebrating.
I hope 2016 will be a good year for you. My end of 2015/start of 2016….well, most of you who are reading this probably know that I was in New York City, aka the capital of the theatre world, where I proceeded to turn the city into my playground for a week. Seriously. If little me knew about a third of the things that happened on this trip, she would be speechless and crying. (Actually I suppose that could actually describe how adult me responded to the events of this trip.)
I ended up seeing a total of TEN shows in the city, and did a slew of other crazy things as well. Rather than try to cram it all in one, thousand page post, I’m dividing up my trip into several posts.
Said posts will be divided into two categories: revues/thoughts on the shows I saw, and other posts about the overall experience of theatre going in New York City as a general rule. I also have several posts in the works about seeing Newsies and Wicked this past year. I’m debating whether or not to sprinkle those in there, or post them later as a multi-part post after I see those shows again this year (cause I’m trash).
I’m going to begin with the first show I saw, the revival of Les Miserables that opened in 2014 at the Imperial Theatre.
We all know I love me some Les Mis-all incarnations. (Click here for my in depth post about said incarnations). I could not have thought of a better show to begin my trip with. Obviously Les Mis is a huge draw for me, but this production was particularly exciting.
For one, it was my first time seeing the show live since I did it in 2014. (Still my favorite show I’ve ever done). This revival actually opened between getting cast in said production and when I began rehearsal, so while I was finishing my first year of college, I lived vicariously through all the social media buzz surrounding it. Also, this revival happened at the same theatre where the original Broadway company of Les Mis opened, so that was pretty exciting. (Fun fact-my professor was Javert in Les Mis on Broadway for a while there).
I was particularly pumped for this cast. Alfie Boe, who played Valjean in the 25th Anniversary production was reprising his role.
(Photo courtesy of Broadway.com)
Jason Forbach, with a voice of an angel, and beloved by my fellow mizzie (Fancy word for Les Mis fan) Scooter was in the show as Feuilly, one of my favorite barricade boys. (And is from Kansas City-not too far from my neck of the woods!)
(Photo courtesy of BroadwayVegas.com)
But by far the two favorite actors I was most excited to see were Chris McCarrell and Gavin Lee. Chris had been with the show since it opened as Joly and the understudy for Marius, but when Andy Mientus left the company he became full-time Marius, and he’s essentially a human version of a kitten with really great hair. (Watch the following clip of him in for proof).
And Gavin Lee joined the company earlier that year as Thenardier. He received a Tony nomination a couple of years ago as Bert in Mary Poppins, a role he recreated on the national tour where I saw him back in 2009.
(Photo courtesy of Disney Theatricals)
I was so impressed with his performance, that a few months later when I adopted a cat, said cat was named after him. (Gavin Creel as well, who was a few block down in Book of Mormon. I think this may be the first time in a while (if ever) that both men Gavin the cat is named after were on Broadway at the same time).
This was a detail I mentioned in a letter I wrote to Gavin Lee earlier that year.
So I arrive at the theatre early, as I do, to pick up my ticket, and I see a note on the box office saying that Alfie Boe would not be performing that evening. I could write an entire blog post about understudies on Broadway, and I’m sure I will at some point in time, but here are a few bullet points.
I’ll be honest, I was a teensy bit disappointed about not seeing Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean. The guy’s awesome and I’m only human. But I chose not to be a crab about it. I’ve heard of people demanding refunds and whining about the “star” not being on. (I actually watched one guy whine about this very thing at the Les Mis box office. I seriously considered giving him a piece of my mind but ultimately decided against it because he was twice my size).
Understudies, standbys, and swings deserve all the respect in the world. They have to be ready to go on at a moment’s notice, and often have to know several roles/tracks perfectly. That in itself is a Herculean feat. But for the ones who go on for major stars, they have to give a good show knowing that the majority of the audience would rather be seeing someone that is not you. Performing is nerve-wracking and hard enough without that kind of pressure. Furthermore, having a different person brings about a different energy between the actors, and each portrayal is different, so getting to experience that is always a treat. Even more, lots of huge Broadway names started out as understudies-just imagine the bragging rights you’d have if when watching someone become a star, you can say you caught them in a rare understudy performance way back when. Aaron Tveit, Sutton Foster, Andrew Rannells, Lena Hall, Norbert Leo Butz, Krysta Rodriguez, Jeremy Jordan, Sierra Boggess, Jonathan Groff, and Heidi Blickenstaff, all of these cool guys and gals were understudies, swings, and the like before joining the ranks of Broadway royalty. Just saying.
Also on was Adam Monley as Javert, who I actually saw as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast over the summer at the Muny.
(Photo courtesy of Playbill.com)
So because I bought my ticket through tix4students.com (which is awesome and I will speak of more in a future post) I wasn’t allowed to pick up my ticket until half an hour until curtain, which at first made me sad that I wouldn’t have much chance to explore the theatre…until I got in and discovered there wasn’t much to explore. There’s the front lobby with the box office, a narrow hallway with stairs to get to the upper levels, and the door to the orchestra level. Most Broadway theatres are much smaller than you would think! It’s not like the Fox in Saint Louis where I see the bulk of my shows where there’s so much cool/beautiful interior to look at and wander in.This would be a pattern I’d see over the week. (There will be a blog post at some point highligting the differences between seeing a show on Broadway vs. a touring show). But I was there, I was seeing Les Mis, and life was good. (And I discovered the bar sold a drink called the “Les Fizz”, which is a Deb worthy pun if I ever heard one.)
And then the show starts. That iconic “da dum-BUM BAH DUH” (you know you just sang it in your head) takes us to Toulon with Jean Valjean and this it begins. The first thing that strikes me is how MASSIVE everything is. From the sets, to the songs, to the emotions, it doesn’t get any bigger Les Mis. I was shaking throughout the galley scene, and I spot Chris McCarrell almost right away. (All the principals except for Valjean and Javert also are in the ensemble at some point). The fog brimming over the prisoners and the guards beating down on anyone who catches their attention really curled my stomach, and I got a piece of all the awful things Valjean witnessed in nineteen years.
This undated theater image released by The Publicity Office shows a scene from the musical “Les Miserables.” The touring production will come to Broadway in March 2014. (AP Photo/The Publicity Office, Catherine Ashmore)
Valjean was understudied that night by J. Michael Finley, who is making his Broadway debut in this show. He was a force of nature, not just vocally, but physically. I feel like a lot of stage Valjeans rely too much on their voice, but he embodied the character with every possible aspect. (Ironically enough, normally Finley usually plays Champitheau, the fake Valjean). He may not be a superstar yet, but I say he’s headed in that direction. Literally my only quibble with him was that his voice cracked a bit once during the big “two four six oh OOOOOOOOOOOOOONE” note at the end, but everything else worked well.
(Photo courtesy of writerstheatre.com)
Adam Monley too was a force of nature, with all his power brewing under a seemingly calm outward physique, which is everything that character needs to be. He’s not my favorite Javert, but he still was quite good. At the end of the prison sequence, I see the actors step off stairs and into the house, and I think for a second they’re going to go through the audience, until I realize that there’s an extension of the stage with an exit that is built to look like a piece of the set that they exit through. I loved this scenic element, and thought it brought about a transformative quality to the production, as if you aren’t quite sure where fiction and reality stop and start.
Valjean takes us on his various hardships outside the prison, (I definitely spotted Chris McCarrell in the inn scene) until he meets the Bishop. This rendition was the first I’d ever seen to include Petit-Gervais, a minor character from the book. Though his bit in the Prologue was not 100% on par with how he’s written in the novel, it was still a neat little moment for someone like me.
All of this meets up to the Bishop of Digne. There was a moment there that really got to me, where the Bishop reaches out a hand, and Valjean flinches, ready for a blow. A lot of people in the fandom have given Valjean flack for stealing from the Bishop, but I wish said people could have seen it. To me, it exemplified how all those years of torture and abuse lead him to think he was beyond help or love, and that there was no good in people, to the extent that when he is at last shown kindness, the only thing he can think to do is steal.
But the Bishop forgives him and gives him the candlesticks, leaving a very dumbfounded Valjean to sing his way through an epiphany. Finley performed most of it on his knees, where he had been since the constables threw him down, too ashamed and overcome to move. You could see him wrestling with everything he thought he knew, until he at last resolves to change. I kept waiting for him to tear his paper while singing the last note as most do, but to my surprise he waited until he finished singing, then tore the note once in half as he tosses it over his shoulders to run offstage for his quick change…right as the logo appears across the scrim and the audience cheers.
Immediately the lights darken and we see the poor and destitute, in rags, hunched over, to the point where I couldn’t see their faces. I could go on forever about all that symbolizes. We transition to the factory, with the aforementioned Jason Forbach as the Foreman menacing Fantine, played by Montego Glover. I can’t say enough marvelous things about this woman. Vocally she sold everything, but didn’t fall into the common trap of playing Fantine too “prettily”. Her portrayal was gritty, heart wrenching, and desperate as she was penned in the novel. Her face especially sold everything, with the most expressive set of eyes I’ve ever seen.
(Photo courtesy of theatremania)
The other women really had it out for the poor girl! The factory woman after her really threw her to the floor before Valjean stepped in, and the others followed suit. Everything about this production exemplified the world these characters were living in, and this scene was no exception. Fantine is kicked out, sings a tragic “I Dreamed a Dream”, and off we go to the town’s red light district for “Lovely Ladies”.
(Yours truly as your friendly neighborhood lady of the evening. Photo courtesy of Andrew Richmond).
I was a whore in this part of Les Mis whenever I did it, so I always watch this part extra closely. This was probably the most, um, shall we say graphic staging of this song I’ve seen. No body parts were seen, but you saw enough to illustrate. Montego was among them as an utterly degraded woman who has lost her hair, her dignity, and thinks she could lose her child. I was watching her far more than the ensemble girls. By the end of the song we could also definitely see her tuberculosis starting to take over. I think to a certain extent, at least with the way Montego did it, that when Bantabois comes for her, she’s so incoherent that she doesn’t fully realize what she’s doing until it’s too late and Javert arrives. Thankfully, Valjean intervenes.
Michael and Montego were superb, but it was really Adam in this scene who stood out to me, watching how he responds to Valjean, and the utmost respect he gives him, even when trying to protest what he says. This carried through the cart crash sequence, (which by the way was kind of frightening). He truly was not going to continue his comparison of the “mayor” with “Jean Valjean” until Valjean insisted, and straight up bowed to him as he left. Then what Michael did with “Who Am I?” was incredibly acted and sung, minus one flubbed high note.
Then it was time for the first big cry of the show with Fantine’s death. I teared up a few times earlier, but now like this. You would have thought that she actually did think she saw her daughter and could reach out to her. The urgency with Michael was also incredible. As he came in, you could see that he truly was of the mentality of being on the run, determined to just say a few things to Fantine and be on his way, until he realizes that she’s moments away from death. That’s when he decides to take off his coat and come to her bedside for her last breaths. She dies with a last little bit of happiness, smiling because Cosette will be taken care of, which was all she wanted, to which Valjean is exquisitely gentle in laying down and folding down the arms of a long suffering woman finally at rest.
And then comes Javert, ready with chains to take in Valjean via “The Confrontation”. They added in a physical battle to this song, with Javert coming at him with chains to subdue him, which were lashing out through the air as the two men sang and moved their way around each other. It was truly remarkable. They experimented with it in the film, but this time it actually worked.
But Valjean wins, and not a moment too soon, because Cosette is in dire need of rescue from the Thenardiers, played by Gavin Lee and Rachel Izen. The two of them are my new favorites to have played those roles. Individually they were side-splitting funny and physically domineering, but together they brought the house down. The Thenardiers are so despicable, but with this portrayal it was so over-the-top and theatrical that it’s hysterical, which is exactly how the Thenardiers are best done in my mind. What was especially great for me was when Madame has to wake up Thenardier, and he’s at the top of the set buried under stuff until he’s awoken and sprints up.
(Photo courtesy of Theatremania)
Meanwhile, Valjean finds little Cosette, and you can see throughout the next scene or so how his world and its center changes, and now she’s the focus of it. The Thenardiers take his money and are funny doing so, but Valjean ultimately leaves with Cosette, and the two of them are blissfully happy, having a family again in each other.
Ten years pass, and we’re to my favorite parts of the show. The impoverished are crawling through the street, crying out the windows, and scraping to survive. In the middle of all of it though is Gavroche, as played by Sam Reda the night I saw it. His Gavroche was very cocky and sassy, he’s a kid who knows just how cool he is and doesn’t have time to deal with anyone who doesn’t agree.
Observing this squalor is Marius and Enjolras, played by Chris McCarrell and Wallace Smith, respectively. I was completely underwhelmed by Wallace as Enjolras, which is disappointing since Enjolras is my favorite character. He just lacked that fire and passion that makes the character who he is. Chris however, is probably my new favorite Marius. Everything he did or sang was reminiscent of the Marius Pontmercy I pictured when I read the book, from his luscious hair to the way he carried himself.
(Photo courtesy of Broadway.com)
Thenardier and Madame rear their heads again to make trouble, this time with a gang and their now grown up daughter Eponine, played by Brennyn Lark. Her Eponine was alright, but nothing spectacular. With Chris, it sometimes felt like her attempts to flirt with him she was actually bullying him a little bit, by taking his book and refusing to return it to him for example. The two of them together worked very well and was similar to their relationship in the book, where they’re not necessarily best buddies.
(Photo courtesy of theatremania)
So it’s no wonder he falls for Cosette…after knocking into her and making his books go flying in the process. I’m still not a fan of the “fall in love in one meeting” motif, but Chris and Alex Finke who played Cosette made it work about as well as it can. But while she’s falling in love, her dad is having a nasty run in with Thenardier, where we see Gavin and Rachel snap into their viscous side, the part that doesn’t get laughs. But Eponine intervenes, and here Brennyn kicked butt, as the girl who knows her way around and serves as look-out for her parents’ criminal activity. Valjean and Cosette run for it, and Thenardier capitalizes on a chance to get them in trouble…and himself out of it.
Adam Monley as Javert ponders all of this, soliloquizing with a lovely rendition of “Stars”. Brennyn is bitter about Cosette, tries to get Marius to change the subject, pretending that it’s not a big deal, when she can tell Marius is dead set on finding her. I liked the way she delivered “’Ponine, she knows her way around”, as if she’s saying “that’s me, little miss reliable, but he still doesn’t really notice me”. I feel ya, girl.
Time for the barricade boys! This is the stuff that really gets the blood stirring in my veins. All the members of the Les Amis are full of mischief and revolution. This is where I feel like Wallace actually did well as the voice pushing everyone forward. The rest of the guys are being silly and drinking, especially Grantaire played by the soulful and charming Joseph Spieldenner. But it’s Enjolras who gets them to sit up and pay attention, that it’s not just about them anymore, that from there on out it’s about their cause. Marius of course is busy Pontmercying. Chris was so loveable and sweet here, trying to get Enjolras and the rest to take him seriously, to realize what he’s truly going through and how his life has changed. I mean, Chris is just this great big bundle of joy and sweetness, and was pretty much perfect in every way.
Gavroche announces Lamarque’s death, and the boys are ready to spring into action, in perhaps one of the most epic, take-to-the-streets way possible in “Do You Hear the People Sing?” Everyone onstage was excited, I was finally feeling the full impact of revolution. There was a great little moment at the end of the song when Eponine approaches Marius and non-verbally says “I found her”. Marius of course goes running off, because that’s what he does, and Eponine just follows him like “You idiot you don’t know the way wait for me”.
Back at Rue Plummet, things are a bit quieter. Alex Finke as Cosette is desperately trying to make sense of what is just happened, awakened in a new way. All these mysteries and questions prompt her to ask her surrogate father, for perhaps the thousandth time about hers and his past. Alex was an astonishing Cosette, curious and determined, and perhaps a bit trapped by her well-meaning but over protective father. She goes inside, which may be a tiny detail, but it was huge for me. It made the rest of the staging work really well.
(Photo courtesy of Broadway.com)
Marius arrives with Eponine in tow, and an odd thing happened. I was watching Marius instead of Eponine. Like, Chris was so convincing, I actually wanted him to find his lady love. He climbs over the gate and was so darn excited it killed me. He tosses a pebble to her window, which I know is super cheesy but Chris made it cute, and out Cosette comes. (Chris talks about Marius’s love for Cosette and this song in a really awesome way in the video below. Watching it before I saw the show made me love what he did with “A Heart Full of Love” even more).
Alex sees him and then bolts inside, and I could clearly see the look on Chris’s face where he thought “Oh crap, maybe this was a bad idea”, but to his surprise, she comes out the door, and introduces herself. Watching the two of them bounce off each other. I feel like the two of them played it off as an intellectual attraction and had legitimate chemistry together. It didn’t seem sappy or forced, it reminded me of that awesome moment (for me it’s just happened with friends, but I suppose it can happen romantically too) when you bump into somebody and everything they say makes you think “YES! Me too! Where have you been all my life?!” I feel like a monster saying this, but I honestly forgot about Eponine a little bit until she started singing again, and I felt a real twinge of sadness for her. I don’t know why, but the three of them together was super satisfying, as well as the inevitable kiss. I actually wanted those two together this time around.
All the love is interrupted by Thenardier and his gang ready to make an attack. And wow, they all legitimately manhandled and beat up on Eponine. I was actually frightened. See, this is what I loved about this production, it didn’t apologize or compromise, if something was happening, it was happening full out. What I also loved her that when Cosette came out to tell Valjean it was her who screamed, she’s still looking through the gate thinking about Marius, while Valjean has his little melt-down thinking it’s Javert again. It isn’t until dad tells her to start packing that the gravity of the situation hits her, and she is more confused that already.
Now for the big guns… “One Day freaking More”. (That’s what it’s called now sorry I don’t make the rules.) Every character has their passion, every person wants their desires to come true, but you know everyone can’t possibly win. But for now they’re hopeful and ready, and set to bring down the house. There’s nothing I can say about this song that hasn’t already been said, but it got me going as per usual and the whole cast absolutely nailed it to the wall.
So…intermission time! I decided to take advantage of being so close and headed towards the stage for a closer examination of the set. Up close, it was so incredibly detailed. Uneven cobblestone to walk on, the appearance of wear and tear on the various structures, it was like a living illustration.
Act II began, and it’s barricade time. Once again the energy in the air is palpable. McCarius (The name for Chris McCarrell as Marius) discovers Eponine dressed like a boy, and sends her back to Rue Plummet. She finds Jean Valjean, as he is bringing suitcases out to the front. It was a minor detail that I greatly appreciated. Some people have complained “OMG why are they still there” about that scene. What they don’t realize is that the barricade stuff is supposed to happen the day after, if not the day of, “One Day More”. It takes time to pack and get ready. I also loved that when Valjean referred to Eponine as a boy, she whipped off her hat and shook her hair loose, sassily. And thus, she sings “On My Own”. Brennyn had a very different take on this iconic, if not overdone song. She sang it as if she was almost laughing at herself for this silly fantasy, even though ultimately it was all she had. Not sure if I liked it or not, but it was definitely something I hadn’t seen done with it before, I’ll give her that.
Song’s over, and the barricade’s up and open for business. And it’s impressive looking, especially with those guys mounted on it. Javert returns with his made-up story until Gavroche intervenes. There was this spectacular moment when Gavroche called out “Liar!” and Javert just stood there, with this look on his face like “Oh man, I’m in trouble now”. He knows this kid doesn’t mess around, that there’s no way he is getting out of this.
No sooner is Javert tied up when Eponine climbs over the barricade, and isn’t shot until she actually makes it over, which I think is more realistic, and slightly closer to the book. She straggles over to McCarius, and her collapse into his arms was a stab to the gut. Brennyn was at her best in this song. Her interpretation rang the most true to the lyrics, as if she really wasn’t that upset or sad, that she just wanted it all to end because of her awful life, and that she truly had no complaints as long as she was in Marius’s arms. Chris was dynamite too, he kind of went into shock, not fully comprehending what was happening, just knowing that he had to be there for her, sincerely meaning it when he said she was going to pull through. When she finally breathed her last, the look on his face was a tragedy. It’s like he was finally in realization of the dire danger he and his friends were in, that they may all die too. This has the same effect as the rest of the barricade boys see her. As her body is carried away, Chris McCarrell still sits staggered, until Gavroche brings him her hat, which had fallen off. Needless to say both Chris and I were belligerent with tears.
Valjean arrives, ready to help, and the first battle begins. The best way I can describe these sequences are LOUD. Seriously. Like, I kept flinching as it if were me up there. Between the bangs of the guns and the special effects, it was pretty convincing, and terrifying. Valjean makes a deal with Enjolras to get the right to kill Javert, which Enjolras seemed surprisingly cool with. Now seems as good a time to mention that this Javert and Valjean really didn’t have that much onstage chemistry. Maybe it was because they were both understudies and never performed these roles together, but the two of them just did not seem like rivals to me, I wasn’t getting the decades of history these two had. For that reason, this scene did not impact me as much as usual. Normally it’s my favorite part with just those two.
Regardless, Javert is released, and nights falls to “Drink With Me”, kicked off eloquently by Jason Forbach as Feuilly. The song had a playfulness to it, especially when they sang about the pretty/witty girls, like true old friend drinking to old times. But there was still a seriously somber undertone that couldn’t be ignored. It seemed this song was the point where the Les Amis accepted their fate and chose to face it bravely…but not before taking a quick nap, giving Michael Finley a chance to sing “Bring Him Home”, and do so beautifully without Marius knowing this guy would save him.
Yes, Marius has a savior…but the rest of the crew isn’t so blessed. Enjolras dismisses the women and children. The fighting begins again, and ammunition is short. Marius volunteers a little too quickly to go and collect some from the other side…I suspect Cosette is to blame. Enj pick up on this and he and Valjean try to talk them out of it. This distracts everyone long enough for Gavroche to scramble up and do it himself. The boys, horrified, try to stop him, but it’s too late, and my stomach immediately began to clench as I anticipated what was next. Everyone is losing their minds, unable to see what he’s doing or if he’s okay. (No rotating barricade this time). He’s back in sight, and it looks like he’s going to make it…but the bullet hits him and down he goes, everyone’s heart and my tears along with him. Grantaire’s reaction especially made me weep. He was scream-crying at Gavroche’s death, cradling his body unable to tear himself away.
The captain of the guard mocks the remaining revolutionaries, but they don’t shrink away. They die facing their foes, one at a time. As usual it happened too fast for me to take in each individual death. Not going to lie, those effects were kind of anxiety inducing. Yes, I knew there were going to be gun shots and other effects, but this is the first time I ever saw it in a show where it actually got to me. I was greatly relieved when that part was over. Valjean literally drags Marius offstage into the sewer, to be followed by Javert. What really got to me was the clean-up crew coming and putting all the bodies, callously heaping them in a cart. I was a little mad that Enjolras’s dramatic flail backwards on the barricade (What I call “Enjolrasing…see below…..)
….was reduced to his body flopping backwards out of the body cart. That whole part was sad for me, thinking about the real barricade boys, and how that’s probably how their deaths were handled, and how we would never know about them were it not for Victor Hugo.
We descent to the sewers of Paris, effectively so due to the projections. (Which were incredible throughout the whole show. They were effective and enhanced the show without being obnoxious). Meanwhile, fog floods the lower level of the stage, giving the feel of a layer of murky water. And who should emerge from it but Thenardier, going through the bodies with “Dog Eats Dog”. I must confess that I never did care for that song. I know why it’s necessary to the plot, but overall I just think it beats the dead horse of Thenardier being a jerk.
But Gavin performed it well, and took McCarius’s ring, and off he goes in time for Valjean and Javert to bump into one another again. Javert releases him and has his crisis that leads to his suicide…which in turn leads to the coolest bit of stage magic in the show. The actors is suspended on wires so when he “jumps” off the bridge, the ledge he was standing on disappears, so he’s suspended in air, and the projections behind him transform into a river, so the actor flails in mid-air and actually looks like he’s drowning. It was so freaking cool, I forgot for a second the seriousness of the show. I had to take moment to remind myself that it was sad and that half the characters were now dead.
“Turning” happens, with the women in mourning lighting candles for the barricade boys, all except Marius, the sole survivor. As I mentioned, overall Chris as Marius was very boyish and sweet. For “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, he has grown up and is now a man from the trauma of the barricade and losing his friends. But at the same time, he seemed so small and vulnerable, all more or less alone on that huge, dark stage. Each guy appears to him as in most versions, with no Eponine. (Why don’t more versions include Eponine too? She was Marius’s friend who died too. My version did though so go us). By far the most chilling, spine-tingling moment was “My friends, my friends don’t ask me what your sacrifice was for.” To me, it’s that line that makes or breaks that song, and Chris reduced me to tears with it. What was also really beautiful was that each ghost picked up a candle on the floor and brought it to their face on “Phantom faces at the window”…to where only their face is lit and they truly are “phantom faces”. Chris picked up a candle too and held it up. I don’t know if that’s supposed to be symbolic or not, but for me it was like he was picking up where his friends left off, literally passing on the torch. (And that adds all kind of new meaning to “there is a flame that never dies”).
Marius and Cosette are reunited, Marius learns his new father-in-law did time in jail, and the lovers are married-and this time I was happy. (Seriously Alex and Chris are so CUTE together!) Thenardiers show up all gussied up and more hilariously deceitful than ever. When Thenardier got punched, he moaned on the floor and cried out before standing up and being all “Nah, I’m okay” and then motioning to the conductor to keep playing…right as all the stolen silver falls out of Madame’s dress. They dance, happy that they’ve actually making it out of the musical alive, and the rest of the wedding guests follow suit.
And now it’s time for the Epilogue…yeah I immediately started crying. Valjean is ready to leave his past behind and be welcomed by Fantine, but not before saying a final goodbye to Cosette and her husband. Their reaction to Valjean dying got my tears flowing even faster, and I got major feels watching her bury her face into Chris’s chest. Valjean joins Fantine, Eponine, and everyone else who died at the barricade. (Lots of people have complained that Eponine greeting him makes no sense. I always thought that was her way of thanking him for rescuing Marius. I like to think that in heaven Eponine finally found peace and gained some perspective. Ultimately, I think she just wanted Marius to be happy, even if it wasn’t with her, so she watches over the two of them. Maybe she and Enjolras get together in heaven, maybe Marius and Cosette name children after the two of them). I absolutely LOVED that the Bishop also greeted Valjean in heaven with a huge hug, similar to the 2012 film. I imagine he said something along the lines of “I’m proud of you, kid. You done good.” It was that moment, combined with the glorious acapella section from the ensemble that triggered the convulsing, heavy, audible sobs from me. The epilogue will always make me weep live. Always. (Also Cosette and Marius sang with everyone on the last chorus, which made me happy, that doesn’t happen in every production even though they’re just as much a part of the story as anyone else).
Curtain call was also epic and satisfying. Like, I feel like the order was perfect. (This is another one of my weird Deb-isms, I’ve very particular about curtain call order). It went female ensemble, male ensemble, three little girls (young Eponine, young Cosette, and their understudy who is in the ensemble), Gavroche, Enjolras, Thenardiers, Cosette and Marius, Eponine and Fantine, Javert, and of course Valjean. I’d also like to point out that up until this point there was no music…just as well because everyone in the theatre, myself included, was screaming and cheering at full volume. But then everyone ran off except Valjean…who took a solo bow…to be joined by everyone again with “Red and Black” swelling under them, where everyone took one last group bow and waved as the scrim came down.
(Photo courtesy of Playbill.com)
Show had concluded…which can only mean one thing…stage door time! Out I ran, with every possible emotion coursing through me. It wasn’t cold, which is remarkable for New York in December, but it was raining, so not many folks came out. There was Jason Forbach, whom I hugged. (He gives great hugs!) I also mentioned that my friend Scooter and I were huge fans, which he said was “sweet”.
Then came Joseph Spieldnner. I complemented him on his reaction to Gavroche’s death, and he signed a Playbill for my friend Michael who also played Grantaire.
Then came Alex Finke, who I didn’t recognize at first with her brunette hair! It told her she and Chris had awesome chemistry, which she attributed to him being “a great guy”. (Sadly Chris did not come to the stage door that night. Truth be told, I was more disappointed about that than I was about not seeing Alfie Boe perform.)
Then J Michael Finley came out, and I embarrassed myself a little bit. He and Adam look SO MUCH ALIKE that I accidentally mistook him for Adam. And he was all “No, I was on for Valjean, they wouldn’t let me go on for Cosette” which was funny.
Montego came outside next, I chatted with her for a bit, and was overwhelmed some more by her gorgeous eyes. Right after she came out, they shut down the barricades and said that no one else was still inside, and my heart sunk a little bit about not getting to meet Chris McCarrell.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that the Imperial is literally RIGHT NEXT TO the Richard Rodgers…which is currently the home of another smash hit musical…
YUP THAT’S THE ONE! I walked by it on my was to Les Mis, and peed my pants a little, not gonna lie. (I also had to crawl my way past the people doing the lotto on my way in, which was wackadoo zoo and a half….more on the Hamilton lotto later). I am COMPLETE Hamiltrash in case anybody was wondering.
*Side note-there’s actually a really cool crossover between the two shows, well, besides the following video where the Les Mis cast auditions for the show…
….as many of you know, parts of Les Mis, ala the barricade boys/June Rebellion (NOT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION GEEZ) is based on real events. Anyway, the real Lafayette (America’s Favorite Fighting Frenchman!) of Hamilton was at/spoke at the funeral of the real life General Lamarque of Les Mis…which just happened to be where the real life barricade boys started their revolution…so yeah, it’s entirely possible that Lafayette bumped into and/or interacted with and/or supported the real barricade boys!!
Anyhow, the thought of crashing that stage door had definitely crossed my mind more than once. All throughout talking to the Les Mis folk, I could hear screaming from the Hamilton stage door line as various folks came out. I thought to myself….am I really going to do this? Am I really gonna crash the stage door of a show I’ve never even seen? But then I saw Leslie Odom Jr./Aaron Burr standing RIGHT THERE….
…..and I said “YUP I’M DOING THIS!”
Which was not hard, since the, Hamilton line ended where the Les Mis stage door had begun! I said “Hello” to Leslie Odom Jr., but I was a little too overwhelmed to ask for a photo. Thing is, when you see a performer you’ve loved and looked up to forever in a show, you have a whole two hours to get over the whole nervous, crazy adrenaline energy of “OH MY GOSH THEY’RE STANDING IN FRONT OF ME!” I didn’t have that luxury with Hamilton, but I did alright for myself. So no photo with Leslie…but I DID have him sign the back of my Les Mis Playbill. So yeah, I definitely now own a Playbill where the cover is signed by the Les Mis folk and the back signed by the Hamilton folk. Surprisingly, they were all totally cool with it!
Somehow I managed to compose myself by the time Lin Manuel Miranda (WHAT?!) came up to me.
And can I just say, he is SO COOL in person?! Like, he was chatting with everyone and just being so gracious and awesome. I said “Hi, I’m a really big fan, but I couldn’t see the show, but would you mind signing my Les Mis Playbill?” And he was all “Sure!” I handed him over my Playbill backside up, but he said “Oh no, I’m signing the FRONT!” I just kind of nodded and thought “Okay yeah you’re Tony winner Lin Manuel Miranda you can do whatever you want!”
Also worth noting is that I was in line behind these cool people (college kids like me) who won the lotto, and I had a good time talking to them, and Lin said they were a “Great second row!”
After Lin came through, what would you know, but Gavin Lee came out after all! And I got to say hello to him, and I told him how happy I was to see him, and I think he was pleasantly surprised. He told me that usually he’s the last person out, so there’s usually nobody out at the door by the time he leaves. I also mentioned that my cat was named after him, to which he paused for a moment before saying “That sounds really familiar…did you write a letter to me?” He remember my letter! How cool is that?! He was so kind and we got a photo together.
In the background you’ll see Phillipa Soo/Eliza Schuyler-Hamilton of Hamilton. I saw her slip away out of the corner of my eye while talking to Gavin, so that was a little sad not getting to say hello to her, but oh well.
As I said it was, indeed raining. (Hence all the actors carrying umbrellas in the photos). As such I was desperately clutching my Playbill inside my jacket to keep it safe, and I was shivering a little bit. And who should come up with his umbrella….but Jonathan freaking Groff, whom I’ve only been in love with since I was fifteen. Somewhere, fifteen year old Deborah is crying her eyes out. I’ve always heard that he was just a wonderful ball of sweetness, but this exceeded everything. He noticed me shivering from the rain and he said “Oh sweetie, are you okay? Here, stand under my umbrella!” Well, you don’t have to tell me twice, so I huddled under Groffsauce’s umbrella while he signed my Playbill and I got a photo with him!
After he left was Daveed Diggs/Thomas Jefferson/Lafayette. He cracked up when I gave him my Les Mis Playbill and said “Oh sure, we love Les Mis too!”
The final person was Christopher Jackson/George Washington, who wished me luck in the lottery!
So yeah…that was my first night in New York City!
As fantastic as this show was, there was one component missing…not a component per say, but a person… Kyle Jean-Baptiste, whose death shook the Broadway community last August.
(Photo courtesy of Playbill.com)
He was a part of the Broadway company of Les Miserables as Courfeyrac, and the understudy for Jean Valjean. When he made his Valjean debut, he also made history as Broadway’s youngest Valjean, and Broadway’s first African American Valjean.
(Photo courtesy of Playbill.com)
It absolutely broke my mizzie heart when he passed in a tragic accident. Throughout the show, time and again my thoughts turned to him, and I couldn’t help but wish he was still up there with the rest of the cast. Broadway lost an incredible talent, and incredible human
I dare you to watch any of these videos without weeping. I realize this is a pretty somber way to end my post, but hear me out.
Kyle’s passing, and seeing Les Mis on Broadway reminded me once again just how precious each person we encounter in our day-to-day lives is, and reminded me just how blessed I am to have such incredible people, especially my theatre family. And some of that family that I treasure the most are the crazy talented, beautiful, passionate, dedicated, insane, and kind folks that I did Les Mis back in 2014. As far as theatre is concerned, that production is the best thing that ever happened to me. It renewed me as a performer and person, and had I not been blessed with the opportunity to do that show, I honestly don’t know if I would have grown into the person who was nuts and/or brave enough to go to New York City all by herself at twenty one with limited cash and a whole lot of dreams. But here we are, here I am, and although there is a chunk of my brain that’s convinced the whole NYC extravaganza never actually happened, a couple of thousand of photos would say otherwise! I’ll never be able to thank all of you enough for that.
*wipes eyes* Anyway, so glad I FINALLY put up some of my thoughts about my New York trip! (Only took me a month). But there WILL be more coming! And it’s also the continued support from my theatre family that keeps me working on this blog and on my ambition of becoming a theatre journalist. (It’s still crazy that somebody besides my mom actually reads this thing!) On that note, aside from revues, if there’s anything specific about my trip you’d like me to cover, let me know in the comments section and I’ll try to address it in a post!
Perfectly Marvelous-Deb Reflects On Her First Cabaret Rehearsal
So first off, some business.
I know I haven’t posted in a while, not that anybody especially noticed. I’m thinking I’ll do a monthly post while school is going on.
Second, very exciting news, I managed to somehow land not one but TWO mainstage roles this semester.
The first was a Night of Original One Acts, in which I originated the role of Dixie Potter in “The Flaxen Miss Jackson”.
And this week, I was asked to be a pit singer for the forthcoming production of Cabaret. I attended my first rehearsal tonight, and I’m already ridiculously pumped. The following is my collection of thoughts following. Probably will be very emotional and sappy, just a forewarning.
It’s honestly very hard for me to talk about becoming a theatre kid, because I literally don’t remember a time when I wasn’t one. (Mom says it was The Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland that started it all.) But loving theatre, musicals especially, was always second nature to me.
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to be a theatre kid in a small town with limited performing opportunities. Thankfully, I had enthusiastic, supportive parents who drove me all over the stage to auditions, classes, rehearsals, shows, and everything else. (But don’t think for a minute they were Mama Rose. My happiness and well-being was their top priority. It just happened that participating and attending theatre was a huge part of that)
But it didn’t stop there. We were never rolling in money, but I can’t tell you how many times they’d come home with a new treasure for me from the thrift store. Usually this was a cast album on cassette, or an MGM musical on VHS, or a Wizard of Oz toy. While the other kids in my grade played with hot wheels or played house, I was putting on full length musicals for my stuffed animals and Barbies in which I played every part. (Though sometimes my toys got in on the fun-let me tell you my Teddy Bear did a MEAN Tevye). And while the kids in my class jammed to Britney Spears or Nsync, I was blasting cast albums.
Oh, those cast albums. We didn’t have internet or cable and we were in the Midwest, so these cast albums were my window to the theatre world and I was in love. I would play them over and over on my second hand stereo, some on cassette, some on CD. I memorized lines to them, I did homework to them, they were the soundtrack of my life. I would learn about other shows from the classes I took in Saint Louis, and I would ask for the recording of it for Christmas, or save for them with my allowance. (I still vividly remember spending my birthday money one year on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Light in the Piazza, which I still have and love).
As I would listen to them and imagine what the sets and costumes would look like, what the actors would do as they sang, and most of all I imagined that I was onstage singing them myself.
Before moving to Jefferson City, I had only done two actual Broadway musicals. The smaller community theatres I had worked with didn’t have the budget for them, so they mostly did showcases and small, cheap scripts specifically written for community theatre. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m forever grateful to those companies and the work I did with them. It was my spring board, and an awesome outlet for a kid like me anxious to dive into the magical world of theatre. But in my bedroom, I wanted more than anything to do these shows and sing the songs I loved so much.
One of these shows was Cabaret. Of course, young, naïve, innocent me didn’t quite grasp the, well, adult themes. I just liked to sing the songs, especially the Kit Kat girl songs. “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Money” were favorites, which coincidently are some of the songs I get to sing! Singing them tonight with intent to perform for an audience besides my toys…well that was a bit humbling.
I wish I could go back sometimes and tell pre-teen me about all the cool theatre things I’ve had the opportunity to do. She would be astounded to learn about my first trip to see a Broadway show (The Lion King), my plans to see some more this Christmas, revolutionizing in Les Miserables, having a lead roles in Guys and Dolls AND West Side Story, seeing Idina Menzel TWICE, meeting Bebe Neuwirth, seeing the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland at the Smithsonian, being the donkey in Man of La Mancha, personally knowing two original Into the Woods stars, watching Taylor Louderman who I once costarred with becoming a star, and now getting to sing the iconic Kander and Ebb songs in Cabaret. These were all things that seemed far out of reach at ten, but at twenty are fond memories. It certainly would have been a relief and boost to know all this was ahead. But I guess in a way it’s better that I can’t. That way, everything is a new surprise and adventure.
Yes, I’m an obnoxious, living example of the stereotypical theatre kid (see below).
I will own up to that. But hey, I’m happy. So what if I was an outcast throughout all of elementary and middle school? So what if all my money goes to theatre tickets? So what if I have no life?
Long story short, I’m pretty pumped to be in Cabaret. Come see us, November 11-14. It’ll be a good one! Peace out, girl scouts. Stay classy.
Photo credit to musicaltheatrepickuplines.tumblr.com. It’s pretty great blog, go check it out!
Location: Springfield, MO
Cast Album of the Day: Anything with Webber or Sondheim.
Hello ladies and gents, boys and girls.
I haven’t posted in a while, one of these days I’ll be more regular in posting. I’m back in Springfield and classes don’t start again until tomorrow, so this seemed as good a time as any to make another post.
Cause it’s no ordinary day. I mean first off, If/Then on Broadway is closing which is very sad.
But it’s also a happy day! Because it’s the birthday of two of musical theatre’s biggest legends..Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. (Pictured below with fellow legend Jason Robert Brown)
Hahahahaha no but really this two guys’ contribution to theatre is pretty spectacular, and the fact that they share a birthday is quite the coincidence. I can also say that their music is extremely challenging to sing, but it’s also SO MUCH FUN to sing!
I actually have a presentation on Stephen Sondheim due for my History of Musical Theatre class due on Friday…I should probably be working on that……
But as many of you lovely theatre nerds know, there’s a great war in the theatre community between these two, arguing which one is greater.
What is my opinion? Well, this is something I’ve kept under wraps for a while as to not incite a war. Well first of all, it IS indeed possible to like both.
I indeed do. I have a lot of respect for both men.
Growing up, some of Sondheim’s stuff was a little over my head so leaned more towards Webber, but eventually I saw the light and fell head over heels i love with Sondheim as well.
Let’s start with Webber.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Lloyd Webber.com
Okay, obviously I LOVE Phantom of the Opera. For a while it was a personal favorite of mine.
Photo from keepcalmmusicaltheatre.tumblr.com
It’s an obsession I’ve grown out of a little bit, but I will still return to it and listen to it at times. (I was definitely listening to the Canadian cast recording of it earlier today. It’s a pretty good one, and a very underrated one, worth checking out. Colm Wilkinson plays Phantom and his “Music of the Night” is a knockout). And don’t even get me started on that overture….
Evita is another great favorite.
I would kill to play Eva Peron.
And I’ll admit, there’s my guilty pleasure show…Cats.
Photo courtesy of ChazWolcott.com (That’s Chaz Wolcott as Mistofolees-he’s currently touring as Buttons in Newsies on tour)
(I think this recording is one of the big reasons I love this show. I say we need less movie-musicals and more professionally recorded stage productions on DVD. A post on that is coming I’m sure)
This show gets a lot of hate, and I understand why some people don’t like it. But it will always be a personal favorite of mine.
But ironically, my favorite Webber show is one of the lesser-known and seriously underrated shows-Sunset Boulevard. I have a great love fore several of his other under-rated shows like Aspects of Love. But especially Sunset.
I seriously can’t even with this show. Or with Michael Ball.
And of course I have a special fondness for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which I’ve done twice now. And I have cohorts from both of those shows who are going on to do awesome things.
The first time was in Rolla, Missouri with Ozark Actors’ Theatre in 2006. (Photos courtesy of Ozark Actors’ Theatre)
I’m the kid in the purple on the left with her hair in a pony tail. Cute, right?
And here’s my second production of it from 2013 at Capital City Players. (I’m the one in the blue wig). Just a side note-the lights for this production were originally REALLY COOL but we filmed this after the light board crashed…cause it was hit by lightning.
And from the 2006, Taylor Louderman (Wife/Ensemble….pictured here on the left)……
….went on to play Wendy in Peter Pan Live!
Photo courtesy of Taylor’s Facebook page/NBC
And then my dear friend Michael Dodson who directed the second production (And appeared as Asher/The Butler)…
….recently guest stared on Scandal as the White House photographer, Jack!
I took this pic on my phone via my computer so it’s kinda sucky….but that’s him holding the camera!
But….then there are some Webber shows I have mixed feelings about. Like Love Never Dies. Or straight up don’t like, such as Jesus Christ Superstar. Or am just confused by, like Whistle Down the Wind.
BUT all of the music, which Webber contributed, to these shows is awesome. I mean, check out this performance by Bonnie Tyler singing “Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts” from Whistle Down the Wind.
And the show’s title song is one of my go-to audition songs.
I used it for Man of La Mancha……..
Photo credit to Cos Acosta
West Side Story….. (Which ironically is a Sondheim show…more on that later….)
Photo by Maria Bish
and Les Miserables,……
Photo cred. to Andrew Richmond
and was cast all three times!
But while I have no qualms with the music, I have so qualms with some of the other stuff in the show.
And then he decided to add rap to Cats…..!?!?!?!?????!???!?!?!?!
……need I say more?
But I can faithfully saw that I have no qualms with any shows written by, you guessed it…..
Stephen Sondheim.
Photo courtesy of telegraph.uk.co
Seriously, everything this man touches is gold. And he not only writes music, he’s a lyricist as well. This man’s no one-trick pony. And his name strikes fear and adoration in the heart of every musical theatre singer, cause as awesome as his music is, IT’S REALLY FREAKING DIFFICULT TO SING!
Idk who I got this pic from if it’s your please tell me!
And those lyrics!! They’re all so clever and many of them downright FUNNY.
But let’s look at a couple of the best one….(or at least a few of my personal favorites)
Obviously, I really LOVE West Side Story, cause I was in it as Anybodys, the tomboy.
Photo credit to Maria Bish
But of course he also did the lyrics for another favorite of mine-Gypsy.
Seriously can I just be in this show already?
And then there’s Assassins. I’ll admit, I wasn’t too familiar with the show until it was announced that Aaron Tveit would be in the Menier Chocolate Factory production in London.
Photo courtesy of aarontveit.net
But now I am freaking in love with it. Maybe it’s the history nerd it me, but I simply cannot get over how brilliant it is.
Don’t even get me started on Company…….
This freaking song!
And while Sondheim can reduce me to a puddle of tears, (see above), he also makes me laugh until my sides hurt with shows like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
(I prefer Nathan Lane’s version, but this is the only decent one I could find)
And I have a special love for Sunday in the Park with George……
Have I mentioned that’s my freaking theatre professor?
During acting class, he’s told us stories from collaborating with Sondheim, and passed on lessons he got from Sondheim on that very song! (So through osmosis that means I learned through Sondheim, right?)
And another side note….Westy calls him “Steve”……freaking Steve!!! Isn’t that a pip??
And then there’s Follies (Sorry not sorry, this is my fav rendition of this song)
But by a long shot, my favorite Sondheim show is Into the Woods.
This freaking show….ugh where do I even start? Though most of Sondheim’s work didn’t start to resonate with me until I grew up, I always loved this one. And “No One Is Alone” is one of my favorite 11 o’clock numbers. There’s a reason I sang it at my senior vocal recital, and I cry every time I listen to it.
In fact, my one major complaint with the recent film was that they removed my favorite portion from the song. “Hard to see the light now, just don’t let it go etc”. And part of me kind of wishes that Milky White would have been played by a really crappy, low budget cow like one of these…. (All photo credit goes to lowbudgetmilkywhites.tumblr.com. If you need a good laugh it’s worth checking out!)
Hahahahahahahahahaa
but all levity aside, this show really does mean so much to me. My home theatre company is doing it over the summer, and I’m definitely auditioning. And if I’m not in it I will definitely be working backstage somehow.
And my connection to Westy (and his wonderful wife Kim Crosby, who was also in the OBC) has made the show that much more precious to me.
At the reunion concert last November. Photo courtesy of Playbill.com
So……in conclusion, I do indeed prefer Sondheim, but I love both men and am grateful for their contributions to theatre. I’ve spent many a day jumping around my room singing their songs at the top of my lungs and I have no shame.
I leave you with this medley from both of them, a la Playbill and Linday Mendez.
memoirsofatheatrekid 