Stage Write

  The greatest musicals, the ones with a lasting impact, combine two important things. The first is a powerful story and the second is a great score. Few musicals do that as brilliantly as Les Misérables. It’s a story of mercy, grief, redemption, and the ripple effect that love has on everyone it touches. Every time I see the show, something new stands out to me. In this Broadway Across America’s production, I was struck by Javert’s story. This is the first time I’ve seen the show since the wild polarization of our nation built to its current fervor. Javert’s worldview is painfully legalistic, leaving no room for mercy or the acceptance of growth in others. That story hit differently this time as I recognized how common it has become to refuse to see your “enemy” as a real person. Empathy is in short supply and the cautionary tale of Javert’s obsession with justice is more harrowing than ever. Preston Truman Boyd did a beautiful job with the character and is a towering presence o...