Stage Write

  Hamilton’s “You’ll Be Back” might as well have been written about me and Les Misérables. There will never be a time I’m not drawn to this show. I think we often forget that musicals and plays that have become commonplace to us are still new to the next generation. Bringing my nine-year-old daughter to see the show for the first time was a beautiful experience. I remember seeing it in London for the first time at 21 and being blown away. The depth of the story, the beauty of the songs, the range of the vocals, it was a revelation. Seeing the same response from her made this production particularly special for me. Broadway Across America included this show in its season two years ago, and many of the lead actors, including Javert (Preston Truman Boyd), Valjean (Nick Cartell), the Bishop of Digne (Randy Jeter), and others, all remain the same. Their powerful performances could carry the show alone, but the large supporting cast is full of standouts. Alexa Lopez does a beautiful job ...

Les Misérables is in town at the Old National Centre this week. The Broadway Across America production features a huge cast and sets that are startlingly beautiful. The classic score contains so many familiar songs and it never disappoints. It tells the story of a prisoner who breaks his parole and spends years being hunted by a policeman obsessed with justice. It’s a tale of redemption, grace, second chances and falling in love. There’s a reason this show has had no problem finding audiences for more than 30 years. Every time I see it a different song shines for me. This time it was “Bring Him Home”, the barricade ballad in the second act. Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean hits his stride and shows his range in the number and the result gives you chills. The beautiful number provides a moment of stillness in the midst of chaos. Through the decades, each new Les Mis cast has brought a slightly different interpretation to their characters. This current iteration features a younger...