Repeatedly Brilliant: Again in Chicago, 'Les Misérables' Remains a Perpetual Delight -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Les Misérables
Cadillac Palace, Chicago
Thru July 27
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Do what brings you joy, as often as you can.

Seems a rather sage philosophy, one that everyone should theoretically be able to agree on.

And even in keeping this to specific things, done during waking hours, we probably all have things we’ve done quite happily and repeatedly.

Such as “I’ve seen Star Wars 87 times” or “I’ve been to 120 Chicago Bears games” or “I’ve eaten Lou Malnati’s pizza at least 5 times a year for over 30 years,” with only the latter potentially being true in my case.

So when I share that I’ve now seen Les Misérables live onstage 13 times, it might sound odd or exorbitant, but probably not next to your frequent pursuits.

And in the realm of theater, it’s less than I’ve seen The Producers, the only show I consider more of a favorite. And it’s far fewer than the 50 times I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen in concert, and less than a few other cherished acts.

But Les Misérables, the musical itself as well as most productions I’ve seen, is absolutely
phenomenal and I won’t apologize for seeing it any chance I get.

A friend I worked with some years ago, who was older then than I am now, had impressed me by saying she’d seen Les Mis over 20 times, but now it doesn’t seem crazy--in a certain parlance--that I might one day catch her, unless she has continued to attend (I've lost touch).

So, yes, on Sunday night I saw Les Misérables once again, at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago.

This came just 21 months after I last saw it at the same venue, with several of the same touring cast members. 

Then, as now and most times I’ve seen any production of the show--even locally-generated ones--I awarded a full @@@@@. And I posited, “What can I say about Les Misérables, the musical, that I haven't said before?”

So I’m not going to make this an in-depth review.

The show remains phenomenal in all the ways it should. Even with an understudy--Christopher Viljoen--playing the lead character, Jean Valjean, in place of Nick Cartell, who I saw last time. Even without the famed stage turntable of old, and some other downsizing measures (it’s still a bigger physical production than almost any other touring musical). Even with my having a limited view seat--a bargain off to the far right side of Orchestra Row H--while fighting a cold, terribly sore throat and a bit of fatigue.

Though Viljoen isn’t the most powerfully-voiced Jean Valjean I’ve heard--including Hugh Jackman, who played the role in the 2013 movie version and sang some songs in his recent concert--he was quite good, particularly on “Bring Them Home.”

Running through several of the musical’s other great songs… Mary Kate Moore (as Fantine) is terrific on “I Dreamed a Dream,” Jimmy Smagula and Allison Gunn (the Thenadiers) are a hoot on “Master of the House,” Josh Davis (Javert) delivers a sparkling “Stars,” Joshua Grosso and Jillian Butler (Marius and Cosette) pair on a poignant “A Heart Full of Love,” Paige Smallwood (Eponine) emotes wonderfully on “On My Own” and Matt Shingledecker (Enjolras) helps power several fantastic choral numbers, such as “The People’s Song.”

Several performers carried over from 2017, while some are new(er) to the ongoing tour.

Notably, the performance I saw on Sunday came just “One Day More” after the original production closed in London after 34 years.

It’s not really leaving the West End, just taking a hiatus while the Queen’s Theatre gets renovated--and renamed the Sondheim Theatre--but I believe it will henceforth be akin to this touring production, directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell.

Thus, no more turntable anywhere--which I had seen in the original Broadway production in 1998 and in London in 2018--but there’s nothing wrong with putting a new spin, or lack thereof, on things.

With or without comparison to any others, the current touring production of Les Miserables, in Chicago for two more weeks, is brilliant in every way.

Though I prefer The Producers as a personal favorite, I believe Les Miserables is the greatest work of musical theater ever created, and it remains phenomenal.

I recently saw stellar Chicago productions of my 3rd & 4th favorite musicals--West Side Story, now closed at Lyric Opera, and The Music Man, recently opened at Goodman Theater--and while both reiterated how sumptuous their source material is, neither got it as richly right as this touring Les Miz.

So if you’ve never seen the musical onstage, by all means, do so.

And if you have, there’s nothing wrong--and a whole lot right--with seeing it yet again.

And again.

Très Magnifique: Nicely Updated, Les Misérables Remains as Good as Musical Theater Gets -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Les Misérables

Cadillac Palace Theatre

Thru October 29

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What can I say about Les Misérables, the musical, that I haven't said before?

With deference to others that could be in the team photo-- West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Hamilton and even my personal favorite, The Producers--I believe Les Miz is the be the greatest work of musical theater ever created.

The story, based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo (I've never read it), is first-rate and the songs composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer-- based on the original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel--are truly sublime.

Seeing Les Misérables live for the 12th time the other night--I'm also a fan of the 2012 film--I was amazed anew at how well Kretzmer's lyrics work, all the more amazing given that his words had to match the meter of the French lyrics.

Although my first viewing of the musical--on Broadway in 1998--came a decade after it could have, I've been fortunate to see Les Miz in a variety of locales at a variety of levels.

This includes in London (where the original production has been running for 32 years), six times on national tours through Chicago--representing the original Broadway production and newer renditions, as is now the case--and at regional theaters across Chicagoland (Marriott Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Paramount Aurora), where the production values have remained superb.

I've even seen an excellent high school production.

So I clearly love Les Misérables, enough that it feels fresh each time I see it.

Although this touring production, drawn from the 2014 Broadway revival, lacks a few of the original touches--most notably, the famed stage turntable--it is nonetheless one of the larger-scale touring shows you'll see nowadays.

And especially due to sublime vocal performances, but also some nicely re-imagined staging--I particularly liked the way "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is now handled--it is fantastic.

The quality was so strong that annoying patrons nearby--you really needn't read the program at the start of every song, especially if it means shining light upon it or holding it up in front of your face (and mine), and if you can't stop coughing, perhaps step out for some water or a lemon drop--couldn't diminish my delight.

Much.

This appears to be a full Equity tour--see Chris Jones' Tribune story on actors' pay in the production--and while none of the cast members names were familiar to me, everyone is terrific. Particularly in the key roles.

As Jean Valjean--who begins the show as prisoner 24601--Nick Cartell seems younger and less physically robust than many I've seen, but not to any consequence. And his voice, as displayed on "Who Am I?" and "Bring Him Home" is splendid.

Part of makes Les Misérables so great is the combination of rousing group numbers--"At the End of the Day," "Master of the House," "ABC Cafe" (i.e. Red and Black), "The People's Song," "One Day More"--and beautiful solo songs.

Here, even way up into the balcony, the former were tremendously powerful, with nice work done by J. Anthony Crane and Allison Gunn as the Thenadiers and Matt Shingledecker as Enjolras.

And all the individual numbers came off as well as I could have wanted (and I know every note and lyric from the cast recordings, videos and previous live viewings).

So kudos to Melissa Mitchell (as Fantine) on "I Dreamed a Dream," Zoe Glick (Young Cosette) on "Castle on a Cloud," Josh Davis (a quite fine Javert) on a sublime "Stars," Phoenix Best (Eponine) on "On My Own," Cartell as Valjean on "Bring Him Home," Joshua Grosso (Marius) on "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and also Jillian Butler as Cosette, who charms on "In My Life" and "A Heart Full of Love," though these aren't technically solo numbers.

So I really don't have much new to say about this rendition of Les Misérables other than to call it a remarkable rendering.

Given how often I've seen Les Miz, its inclusion in my Broadway in Chicago subscription season wasn't a source of intense focus.

Until last week, I worried that my scheduled performance might conflict with Game 1 of the World Series. (It did, but my beloved Cubs didn't quite make it again.)

Hence, I really wasn't much locked into seeing the show until I sat in my seat.

And Les Misérables once again just blew me away.

That's how good it is.

Still.

I don't consider it hyperbole to call it one of the greatest works of creative
artistry ever produced.

So if you can get a ticket before it closes in Chicago this Sunday--or catch it elsewhere--by all means, go hear the people sing.

C'est Magnifique: The Power and the Glory of Les Misérables -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Les Misérables
Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago
Thru December 2
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Christmas Day will bring the opening of the movie version of Les Misérables. I intend to see it and hope it does justice to two of the greatest artistic creations of the past 150 years: Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, which I’ve admittedly never read, and the stage musical on which the movie is more directly based.

First staged in English in London in 1985 and on Broadway in 1987, Les Miz stands as one of the most popular musicals ever created, and in my opinion, the very best. (Although it did not quite top My 100 Favorite Stage Musicals of All-Time list, I believe it is the art form’s greatest achievement.)

Les Miz has played in Chicago numerous times since its creation and is back again at the Cadillac Palace. It is still on its 25th Anniversary Tour, a bit revamped and slightly downscaled from earlier touring versions, but still rather majestic nonetheless.

I was originally a bit slow on the Les Miz uptake, ignoring chances to see early tours in Chicago and L.A., but first saw the show on Broadway in 1998 and on multiple tours since. So I’ve seen it at full tilt, but also thoroughly enjoyed a regional in-the-round staging at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire and even a high school version I caught last year at New Trier.

In February 2011, I saw the current touring version—with a different cast for the most part than the one now in town—also at the Cadillac Palace. Though it was a magnificent reminder of the greatness of Les Misérables, it felt slightly lesser than past productions.

That still might be true with the rendition now playing to full houses in Chicago, but if Les Miz isn’t quite as good as it once was—and my eroding memory doesn't allow me to remember many specific shortcomings—it is still better than almost anything else you can see on a theatrical stage.

Given Chris Jones’ rave review in the Tribune, rather than it just being my perception that this rendition is particularly great from beginning to end, it seems an even more discerning critic believes that the current production and cast are especially scintillating.

For all the Miz-ciples who care about these things, the only latter-day concession of consequence that I noticed in again witnessing the 25th Anniversary Tour is that without the stage turntable of old, the “Look Down” chants within the Prologue at the beginning aren’t as boisterous or as menacing as I remember them. (The prisoners are now seen rowing, rather than pounding the ground.)

Otherwise, for whatever Les Misérables may no longer be, as exemplified from the stage and orchestra pit of the Cadillac Palace, it is utterly majestic.

Every song in the show is excellent. The full orchestra made Claude-Michel Schönberg’s score sound exquisite. And while I am impressed by anyone who can sing in tune—thus my commonly being quite laudatory about talented folks in community theater productions—a Broadway-caliber voice (and many in this Equity cast have Broadway credits) goes beyond being tuneful. For lack of a better way to explain it, there is a richness to the vocal timbre, with the ability to not only emote, but be truly evocative.

And singer after singer sounded absolutely sensational. The choral or group numbers—the Prologue mentioned above, “At the End of the Day,” “Master of the House,” “The People's Song,” “One Day More” —were sublime and the solo or duet numbers—“I Dreamed a Dream,” “Stars,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home” and more—were uniformly every bit as good as I could have hoped.

Peter Lockyer is a bit slighter a Jean Valjean than I've usually seen, but was quite strong of voice, as was Andrew Varela as Javert (I'm pretty sure Russell Crowe won't sing that good in the movie). Briana Carlson-Goodman delivered an astonishing “On My Own” as Eponine and Timothy Gulan & Shawna M. Hamic made for fun Thernardiers. Max Quinlan, who's done a lot of work in Chicago area theaters, was excellent as Marius, Lauren Wiley complemented him well as Cosette, Betsy Morgan (introduced as a Chicagoan during the post-show appeal for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; hence the signed Playbill shown above) was a stellar Fantine and Jason Forbach as Enjolras was just one more example of great voices up and down the cast.

Tickets for this rather brief run of Les Miz appear to be rather scarce and/or pricey. If you have to wait for the movie, so be it. But if you love this musical and/or want to see it the way it deserves to be seen, by all means, don’t Miz it.