As any self-proclaimed theater geek knows, the best part of living in New York City is the relative ease of obtaining student rush tickets for Broadway shows.
Yet with classes starting so often in the dreaded morning hours, waiting in line for the box office to open at 10:00 a.m. isn’t always feasible. However, if there is one show worth shelling out highly budgeted cash for, it’s Les Miserables.
I was lucky enough to see the show while it was still in previews. Some aspects of the performances may have been tweaked since then, but the majority of the show likely remains unchanged. The production borrows less from Tom Hooper’s Oscar-winning adaptation, and more from Victor Hugo’s abundant source material, successfully transitioning from years on tour to the Imperial Theatre’s stage. The classic story, of a convict named Valjean seeking redemption while on the run from the law, is brought to life by a sweeping score. The very first notes of the iconic score heralded applause so lengthy that it threatened to drown out the opening lyrics of “Look Down.”
Hardcore fans of the stage show may notice that the Imperial Theatre lacks both a trapdoor and a revolving floor – props that previous incarnations depended on, especially for scenes set in the sewers. However, the scenery, inspired by Hugo’s own illustrations and executed by Fifty-Nine Productions, brings the streets (and sewers) of Paris to life, animating Valjean’s trek through the Parisian sewer system in the way that simple stage props couldn’t.
Of course, no matter how phenomenal the staging, there is no denying that the true draw of Les Mis lies with its stellar cast, such as Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, and Caissie Levy, just to name a few. Although this is Karimloo’s Broadway debut, he is a veteran of London’s West End, and it shows. His rendition of “Bring Him Home” earned a standing ovation that lasted for over three minutes, and would probably have gone on longer if the orchestra allowed. Karimloo is controversially much younger than many of his predecessors and his youth brings a sense of physicality and vitality to a role that could otherwise come across as understated. This comes across most clearly when Valjean and Javert (Swenson) face off in “The Confrontation,” a scene that culminates in a highly realistic struggle. Swenson gives a remarkably nuanced performance, a nice change from Russell Crowe’s monotonous performance in the 2012 film. His “Soliloquy,” paired with the breathtaking projection of the turbulent Seine below, gave a convincingly heart-wrenching depiction of a man staring “into the void’ convinced that there is “no way to go oooooonnnnn….”
As mentioned, the Les Mis that I saw was still in the early stages of its previews. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer, was still standing in the back of the room near the sound and lighting board, taking notes and making possible adjustments. Hopefully, some things, like Enjolras’s less-than-epic death atop the barricade, are still subject to change. Aside from that slight grievance, the production was fantastic, far better than any of its other incarnations (looking at you, Hooper).
So now that the barricades have once again risen on the Rue du Plumet, it’s time to grab your tricolors, guns, and spare furniture, and head to the box office to secure your ticket.