Les Misérables at DPAC Is a Bucket-List Show,
Completely Enthralling from Beginning to End

The revolutionaries of Les Misérables demand "One More Day" (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Last night at the Durham Performing Arts Center, I had the good fortune to experience the latest, eagerly anticipated touring version of Les Misérables, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, and presented as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC. It is even better than expected. The opening-night audience was completely enthralled from beginning to end.

Les Misérables is the story of Jean Valjean and his epic tale of redemption from bitterness brought about by a tragic life. The show is set in France, near and in Paris from 1815 through 1832. This does not even include the previous 19 years that Valjean spent at hard labor for stealing a single loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew ... pretty miserable, no?

The current national tour of Les Misérables, playing now through Sunday, April 9th, stars Preston Truman Boyd (left) as Inspector
Javert and Nick Cartell as escaped convict Jean Valjean (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Victor Hugo's 1862 novel follows the life of Valjean as he tries to make amends for his crimes, and is marked throughout by his dogged pursuit by Inspector Javert. Javert is bent -- to the point of obsession -- on returning Valjean to prison for violating his parole. Along the way, Valjean tries to help or interacts with the unfortunate prostitute Fantine; her unfortunate daughter Cosette; the the Thénardiers' daughter Éponine; and the unfortunate rebel/student/lover Marius Pontmercy. As you can see, Hugo did not skimp on the misery.

Les Misérables_(musical) is more of an opera than a musical -- all of the dialog is sung rather than spoken. This may seem like a turn-off; but the music, by Claude-Michel Schönberg, is so wonderful that you never tire of it. The English lyrics, by Herbert Kretzmer, are clear and further the story. Due to this delivery style, Les Misérables is all about the singing. Between the remarkable talents of the cast and associate sound director Nic Gray not a single syllable is lost.

Haley Dortch stars as Fantine in Les Misérables at DPAC (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The cast includes Nick Cartell (Valjean), Preston Truman Boyd (Javert), Haley Dortch (Fantine), Christine Heesun Hwang (Éponine), and Gregory Lee Rodriguez (Marius) in the lead parts. All are wonderful, particularly Cartell as Valjean. It is an epic part that requires extreme changes in mood, age, and physical bearing. Nick Cartell pulls it off masterfully.

This does not diminish the rest of the cast and Ensemble, who also deliver the goods. Musical director Brian Eads kept the orchestra subdued perfectly, so as to not overwhelm the singing. Matt Crowle (the Innkeeper Thénardier) and Christina Rose Hall (Madame Thénardier) play a husband-and-wife team of grifters, who add some comedy as well as even more misery. Their big number, "Master of the House," may have been slowed down a bit since I saw it decades ago on Broadway. But it was all for the better as every lyric was clear.

Matt Crowle (center) and Christina Rose Hall star as the Thénardiers (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

A special mention goes out to the children in the cast who double the parts of Young Eponine, Little Cosette, Petit Gervais, and Gavroche. Vivian Atencio, Cora Jane Messer, Henry Kirk, and Milo Maharlika are as outstanding as the adults.

Les Misérables is an easy review, because it is in the pantheon of Broadway with West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, and Hamilton. This version is no different. Scenic designer Matt Kinley and associate set designers David Harris and Christine Peters' sets are amazing, although there was no giant turntable on the stage, as there was in the original 1985 West End and 1987 Broadway productions.

The Les Misérables cast cuts loose in "Master of the House" (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The set depicted 19th century France quite accurately, using gas lighting and mist. However, because of Ben Jacobs and Karen Spahn's lighting, much of the show is darker than it needs to be, which seems unfair to both the audience and the actors.

I know that Les Misérables can be a tough ticket, but this is a bucket-list show that every theater fan must see on stage.

Les Misérables stars (from left) Gregory Lee Rodriguez as Marius, Christine Heesun Hwang as Éponine, Nick Cartell
as Jean Valjean, and Addie Morales as Cosette (photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel, and Herbert Kretzmer's LES MISÉRABLES (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 5-9), based on the 1862 historical novel by Victor Hugo, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by James Powell, presented as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC, and starring Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean, Preston Truman Boyd as Javert, Haley Dortch as Fantine, Matt Crowle as Thénardier, Christina Rose Hall as Madame Thénardier, Devin Archer as Enjolras, Christine Heesun Hwang as Éponine Thénardier, Gregory Lee Rodriguez as Marius Pontmercy, Addie Morales as Cosette, Vivian Atencio and Cora Jane Messer as Little Cosette/Young Éponine, Henry Kirk and Milo Maharlika as Gavroche, Kyle Adams as Grantaire, Daniel Gerard Bittner as Feuilly, Ciaran Bowling as Bamatabois/Babet, Steve Czarnecki as Factory Foreman/Brujon, Kelsey Denael as Wigmaker, David Young Fernandez as Jean Prouvaire, Randy Jeter as the Bishop of Digne/Lesgles, Andrew Marks Maughan as Combeferre, Benjamin H. Moore as Claquesous, Tim Quartier as Combeferre, Julia Ellen Richardson as a Factory Girl, Ethan Rogers as Courfeyrac, Emily Somé as an Old Woman, Christopher James Tamayo as Montparnasse, and J.T. Wood as Joly, plus an Ensemble that includes Jenna Burns, Arianne DiCerbo, Genevieve Ellis, Daelynn Carter Jorif, Eden Mau, Sofie Nesanelis, and Swings that include Ben Cherington, Michelle Beth Herman, Nicole Morris, Ashley Dawn Mortensen, Christopher Robin Sapp, and dance captain Kyle Timson (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/dpac_lesmis_digital. LES MISÉRABLES VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/user/LesMizBway. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. 2023 WRAL GREATEST HITS OF BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/category/broadway. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. DPAC COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/vaccination-and-covid-19-test-requirements. THE TOUR: https://www.lesmis.com/us-tour, https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/les-misrables-534535, https://www.facebook.com/LesMizUS, https://www.instagram.com/lesmizUS/, https://twitter.com/LesMizUS, and https://www.youtube.com/user/LesMizBway. TOUR CAST & CREATIVES: https://www.lesmis.com/us-tour/cast-creatives. LES MISÉRABLES (1862 historical novel): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victor-Hugo and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables. THE NOVEL (e-text): http://openlibrary.org/works/OL1063591W/Les_Miserables (Open Library at the Internet Archive). VICTOR HUGO (French novelist, poet, and dramatist, 1802-85) http://www.gavroche.org/vhugo/, http://www.victorhugo.gg/, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victor-Hugo, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo. LES MISÉRABLES (1980 Paris, 1985 West End, and 1987 Broadway musical): https://www.lesmis.com/, https://www.mtishows.com/les-miserables, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/les-misrables-5340, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables_(musical). STUDY GUIDE (Utah Shakespeare Festival): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/les-miserables-study-guide. CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG (music): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/claude-michel-schnberg-4864 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Michel_Sch%C3%B6nberg. ALAIN BOUBLIL (French lyrics and book): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alain-boublil-3932 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Boublil. JEAN-MARC NATEL (French text): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jean-marc-natel-72569 . HERBERT KRETZMER (English lyrics): http://www.herbertkretzmer.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/herbert-kretzmer-13012, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Kretzmer. TREVOR NUNN (English book): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/trevor-nunn-15788 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Nunn. JOHN CAIRD (English book): http://www.johncaird.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/john-caird-14350, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Caird_%28director%29. JAMES FENTON (additional material): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-fenton-72570. LES MISÉRABLES (2012 film): http://www.lesmiserablesfilm.com/, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables_%282012_film%29. TICKETS: $39.50 and up, plus taxes and fees. Call 800-982-2787 or click here to buy tickets. GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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