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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Les Misérables
Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, and set in 19th century France, Les Misérables tells the epic story of Jean Valjean who was jailed for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. When his original five year sentence becomes almost twenty after he tries to escape, it makes him become a very bitter and desperate man. He is paroled but in a moment of desperation robs a bishop, who in turn saves him. That act of kindness gives Valjean a second chance. How that event turns him into a positive person, along with his redemption and how that changes him, is the force behind the emotional journey of the story. Valjean leaves his past behind to become a changed man and help others around him. The fact that he did run away and is being hunted relentlessly by the police inspector Javert is the major driving element behind the plot.
The cast that ABT has assembled includes Executive Producer Kiel Klaphake as Valjean and Mark DiConzo as Javert, the inspector who makes it his lifelong mission to hunt Valjean down. Both are giving confident performances, with nuance and depth. While DiConzo's deep voice resonates on Javert's two solo songs, Klaphake's lighter voice doesn't quite soar as high as past Valjeans I've seen. However, he still manages to bring a sense of care to the part and throws himself into the role, so while the vocals may not quite be as strong, it still ends up a good portrayal. In the supporting cast, there are some hits and misses, mostly due to some confusion with the direction and a few pacing issues. As Fantine, the woman whose child, Cosette, Valjean helps raise, Hannah Bentley delivers a nice rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," though the somewhat sunny disposition she brings to the first half of her portrayal is at odds with the role of a struggling, downtrodden woman. Patton Chandler is Marius, the student who falls in love with the grown up Cosette, played by Laurie Elizabeth Gardner, and their winning portrayals combine to make a realistic couple. Chandler's version of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is quite moving and Gardner's clear, operatic voice connects very solidly with the material. Local teenager Carly Nicole Grossman, who has appeared in various shows across the Valley (most recently as Maureen in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Rent), is giving a stellar turn as Eponine, the poor girl in love with the richer Marius. Grossman brings a rich sense of urgency and deep feeling to not only her line deliveries but her solo "On My Own," which she belts to the rafters of the theatre. This is a star making performance and I look forward to what Grossman will tackle next. As Enjolras, the leader of the student revolutionaries, Mark Chandler effectively gets across the strong leader who has a clear understanding of the struggles that he and his fellow students are up against. Brad Rupp and Johanna Carlisle play the comic duo the Thénardiers, the couple who are not only Eponine's parents but Cosette's original caretakers when she was much younger. They factor into many of the plot points and both bring the appropriate balance of comedy and drama to the parts. It is nice that director James Rio doesn't allow them to go over the top, as many actors who have played these parts in recent productions have done. Director Rio has done an adequate job in moving the action along and deriving fine performances from his large cast. However, there are some pacing issues and some of the younger cast members seem to not quite know what they should be doing in certain scenes. Fortunately, those moments are few and Rio has added some original touches to keep things fresh for anyone who has seen this show before. These include having the women holding candles in the "Turning" song that then become a shrine to the fallen in "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" that the deceased then pick up, as well as a nice addition in one of Valjean's later scenes of a character that had a direct influence on him. However, the two characters who appear to Valjean come on way too early in that scene, and then just stand there for what seems like an endless amount of time. Hopefully that moment and a few other pacing issues can be resolved. Creative elements are exceptional. Paul Black's elaborate, ever changing set design is matched by his stellar light design to create a landscape of evocative settings. Rio makes good use of Black's various staircases and raised platforms in staging the action. Mark 4Man's musical direction is perfect, achieving a rich sound from both the small orchestra and some effective vocals from the large ensemble.
While I have a few quibbles with this production, overall Arizona Broadway Theatre's presentation of Les Misérables still amounts to a fine production of this classic musical. Hopefully, the kinks, pacing issues, and somewhat uncertain performances that I experienced on opening night have been worked out with more performances under this talented cast's belt. Les Misérables is a story with an amazing amount of emotion and depth and even with a few issues, this production is a worthwhile effort. Les Misérables runs through April 4th, 2015, at the Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 West Paradise Lane in Peoria. Tickets can be ordered at http://azbroadway.org or by calling 623 776-8400. Stage Direction by James Rio Cast: (in order of appearance)
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