Les Misérables impresses with superb cast and enduring songs

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Les Misérables
To Aug. 11, National Arts Centre
Presented by Broadway Across Canada
Reviewed Aug. 6

A majestic touring production of Les Misérables landed at the National Arts Centre on Tuesday, full of soaring voices, fanciful costumes and a barricade to be defended at all costs.

On stage at Southam Hall until Aug. 11, this Cameron Mackintosh production of the megamusical last stopped in Ottawa six years ago, and some of the same performers are back in the show.

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Robust-voiced Nick Cartell, now with more than 1,200 performances under his belt, is one of them. He plays Jean Valjean, and he’s superb in the role, a commanding presence with a powerful voice capable of hitting the high notes as well as the lows.

Adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, the English-language version of the Alain Boublil-Michel Schonberg musical debuted in London in 1985, and has been wowing audiences ever since. It’s been seen by more than 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 438 cities, and performed in 22 languages.

As far as musicals go, Les Miz is a classic. To keep it fresh, it was tweaked to modern staging standards more than a decade ago. The biggest change was that it no longer takes place on a turntable, a prop that was likely expensive and cumbersome to move from city to city.

Instead, the tale is told on a state-of-the-art set that contains cleverly shifting walls, a towering barricade and digital projections based on the haunting paintings of author Hugo. When cast members march to the barricade or make their way through the sewers, the “walls” scroll by to emphasize the movement.

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The production is set during the tumult of post-Revolutionary France, whose dark times are well represented by a muted colour palette and dim lighting, details that set it apart from so many of today’s bright, colour-saturated shows.

Also lending an old-fashioned quaintness is the sung-through dialogue, although some of it was a challenge to follow due to the combination of too-quick pacing, not-so-crisp enunciation and a shrill edge in the upper register.

The plot follows Valjean’s struggle to leave his checkered past behind, and the efforts of Inspector Javert (formidably played by the imposing Preston Truman Boyd) to find him. The story unfolds in France over decades in the early 1800s, when the era’s challenges ranged from extreme poverty to authoritarian politics, and the power of the people to provoke change — a message that’s clearly relevant today.

Along the way, Valjean acquires little Cosette (Ava Buesing embraces the role) for 15 francs. She’s the long-lost daughter of Fantine, played by Haley Dortch, who infuses her  character with a signature blend of strength and vulnerability, and has a lovely singing voice, as demonstrated in her character’s signature tune, I Dreamed a Dream.

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Other key roles in this music-filled melodrama include the beautiful, grownup Cossette (played by Delaney Guyer), her beau, Marius (played by J.T. Wood), the devious, grinning Innkeeper and his wife (Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston Elem) and several child actors who lend a welcome sparkle to the proceedings whenever they’re on stage.

The ill-fated Éponine is another standout, thanks to Mya Rena Hunter, who channels the pain of unrequited love in a passionate rendition of On My Own. And the orchestra, conducted by Will Curry, deserves a round of applause, too, for playing so well it made us want to peer into the orchestra pit to witness their efforts.

As good as the individual solos were on opening night, the ensemble pieces really packed a punch, showcasing the company’s abundance of talent. The brothel scenes were a hoot, while the fight on the barricade was the pinnacle of the action, with gunshot effects, smoke, flashing lights and the triumphant blast of a horn section adding to the excitement of the students’ revolt.

Overall, it’s a fine rendition of an enduring musical, brought to life by a superb cast.

Just one reminder: Don’t be late. The curtain went up at 8 p.m. sharp and latecomers had to cool their heels for a good 10 minutes before being admitted during an appropriate lull.

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

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