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Health & Fitness

Les Miserables stirs audiences at Drury Lane Theatre

During the opening night intermission of Les Misérables, the word stirring was thrown out a lot. People talked about one song or another as being a “stirring” interpretation. The audience knew every song. They compared the interpretations on the Drury Lane Stage with different version they had seen over the years. The Drury Lane Theatre’s Les Miserable held up well in the comparisons as a strong version worth attending, even if you’ve seen the show before.

Les Misérables is described at the world’s longest running musical seen by more than 65 million people in 42 different countries. The official Les Misérables website notes it has won more than 100 international awards, including eight 1987 Tony Awards.

At its core Les Misérables is the story of Jean Valjean, a fugitive in an ongoing struggle to avoid being sent back to prison as he is relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert. What gives the story staying power are the human trials which add depth to the story which could be updated to reflect current struggles.

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The musical’s lead character, Jean Valjean (Ivan Rutherford), is a man who committed a crime, but it was a crime based in love. He stole bread to feed his starving sister and her child. Everyone can relate to the idea that you would do anything, even commit a crime, to save a family member. For the single-minded, inflexible Inspector Javert, all crimes carry equal weight. There are no extenuating circumstances to mitigate an act. Quentin Earl Darrington portrays Javerts as a man carrying this truth as his compass and his burden.

Jean Valjean becomes a man with his own single-minded, inflexible code to do what is right and make something of his life after he is given a second chance through the grace of someone who could have sent him back to jail. When Rutherford portrays Jean Valjean, it is with this code as his guiding force. He makes some mistakes along the way, but he earnestly tries to do what is right.

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The story could easily become too serious without the comedy timing of Mark David Kaplan and Sharon Sachs as Thenardier and Madame Thenardier. These two go over the top in a way that makes you think they have no idea how funny they are. There’s a lovely quality to their scenes which advance the story, but break up the seriousness. When they take the stage for the wedding scene, you can imagine them getting ready, thinking all the time that they look just like the Parisian elite. Sometimes they make you wince. Other times you laugh. All the time you see people just struggling to survive.

Every scene is one which could lead to a lengthy philosophical discussion in a coffee house. These are the questions that give Les Misérables its staying power. What would you do to help a family member? How far would you go to save a child who is not yours? What would you to do help the person you love, even if they don’t love you in return? Does a person’s good deeds erase a criminal act? Should a just society allow its people to struggle to eat? Is the word of a poor person less meaningful than the word of a wealthy person? Of course, these are deep, meaningful questions which have been, will be, debated for centuries.

Les Misérables runs through June 8, with performances Wednesday through Sunday. The lobby dining area was recently renovated and the restaurant menu updated. Lunch and dinner theater packages are available for select performance, including Mother’s Day. There are special ticket prices for students and seniors. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at (630) 530-0111 or visit www.drurylane.com.

 

Disclosure:  I did attend the media opening night. My words and opinions are my own.

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