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Les Miserables
A Musical by Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg
Based on the Victor Hugo novel
Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer
Directed by Dominic Missimi
Musical Direction by Brad Haak
At Marriott Theatre
10 Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL
Call 847-634-0200, tickets $45
Wednesdays at 1 & 8 pm
Thursdays & Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 2:30 & 8 pm
Sundays at 1 & 5 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 45 minutes with intermission
Through May 11, 2008
“To love another person is to see the face of God."
–Victor Hugo from Les Miserables
Epic musical enthralls on intimate Marriott Theatre stage
After having been chosen to mount the first regional productions of shows such as Miss Saigon, Cats, Beauty and the Beast, and The Producers, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire has now landed one of the five regional productions of Les Miserables. True to the expectations, Marriott’s Les Mis is an enthrallingly perfect production. This classic opera contains a great score, wonderful songs and an uplifting story of the power of the human spirit and unconditional love.
Full of romance, passion, suspense and humanity, it is the story of one man, the fugitive Jean Valjean (the charismatic John Cudia), who is pitted against the self-righteous police office, Javert (the golden voiced Richard Todd Adams) in a lifelong struggle to avoid capture. Les Mis is the story of the oppressed poor in 1815-1830’s France. Hugo was a reform minded socialist bent on dramatizing the plight of the oppressed.
The sweeping tale covering three decades in France begins with a haunting Prologue that sets the dark tone. We hear John Cudia as Valjean in his Soliloquay. The plight of the poor in vividly depicted in “Factory Workers” where we meet Fontine (Kathy Voytko) who sells her hair and body to sustain her child Cosette (Elianna Kate Schnittman). Fontine becomes ill and Valjean, now the mayor and prosperous factory owner promises Fontine that he’ll raise Cosette as his own. We hear two fabulous songs in this section: “I Dreamed a Dream” (Kathy Voytko) and “Who Am I?” Valjean’s conscious speaking to himself. The hauntingly beautiful “Come To Me” duet has Fontine and Valjean singing to her death.
Young Cosette (Elianna Kate Schnittman) sings her dream in “Castle On A Cloud” and her guardians, the thieving Thenardiers (Catherine Smitko & Michael Accardo) sing their innkeeper practices in the rousing comic “Master of the House.”
Its 1832 and the students see the deprivation of the poor in Paris as the beggars and young Gavroche (Jonah Rawitz) lament in “Look Down.” Javert sings his ode to his commitment to righteousness in the terrific anthem “Stars” sung in a movingly powerful turn by Richard Todd Adams. The students are moved to action with the anthems “Red and Black” and “Do You Hear The People Sing?” Theses calls to action are thrilling moments. Marius (Chris Peluso), Cosette (Leah Horowitz) and the beggar girl Eponine (Anne Letscher) sing “In My Life” as they search for love that explodes into “A Heart Full of Love” as Eponine sings to Marius who sings to Cosette. Act one ends with the ode to life in “One Day More.”
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Act two finds Eponine singing to her loneliness in “On My Own,” a stirring song to love. Eponine gets shot entering the barricade the student erect to fight the French Army. “A Little Fall of Rain” is Eponine’s dying song to Marius who is moved by her love and loyalty. “Drink With Me to Days Gone By” has Grantaire (John Campen) saying good-by to his fellow students who may all die in the coming battle. Valjean joins the student fighters and sings the shows best song in the mesmerizing sad “Bring Him Home.” John Cudia reaches the falsetto notes deftly. The battle erupts and Valjean saves the wounded Marius. Javert meets Valjean as he takes Marius to the hospital. Javert pays his debt to Valjean for his life and then realizes that Valjean is, indeed, a righteous man, not himself. The women and Marius sing a sad song to their fallen comrades in “Empty Chairs At Empty Tables.”
Les Miserables ends with the hope for life and the future where a dying Valjean gives his life lesson to Cosette and Marius: “To love another person is to see the face of God."
Marriott Theatre and director Dominic Missimi have a quick paced, beautiful show filled with veterans of past productions of Les Mis. They sing flawlessly to Brad Haak’s fine musical direction with Patti Garwood’s tunefully rich 11 member orchestra. The exquisite lighting by Diane Ferry Williams on Thomas M. Ryan’s unique minimalist set design including the quite different barricade worked well on Marriott’s in-the-round stage. Not using a turntable barricade was a refreshing original concept. Les Mis is another example of how epic musicals can become more powerful on smaller more intimate stages. This production is among Marriott Theatre’s finest to date. Get to Marriott Theatre to experience a rare theatrical event—Les Miserables. You’ll be amazed at the quality you’ll get for only $45 per ticket. Le Mis is one of the best shows of the season. It is a major achievement for Chicago theatre. If you only see one show this year, make it Les Miserable at Marriott Theatre.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2008
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