| Review of Les Miserables (4/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Glennis Markison | |
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A love triangle, rebels fighting for their lives and an innkeeper stealing from a corpse were just part of the action at the school’s production of Les Miserables, a story of love and conflict during the 1830 French Revolution.
The musical’s cast was a perfect blend: Some characters were serious, some loud and spunky, some, best of all, comedic geniuses. Several scenes demanded intense chemistry and interaction, while several solos connected the crowd to a character’s struggles. The cast truly delivered. Junior Desiree Choy and sophomore Odalis Mandeareau’s performances as Eponine and Fantine earned much applause. Junior Karel Ebergen and senior Marieke Alani had such comedic magic as husband and wife that the whole crowd must have forgotten the musical’s setting — a violent revolution. The music helped the actors express the story’s constantly changing mood. Jolly trumpets, low, full notes from French horns and sometimes even complete silence followed the characters through different stages of their lives and their searches for answers. Fast, tense musical runs served as the perfect accompaniment to minor confrontations, while upbeat lines signaled good times at the bar. Although the music seemed to overpower the singers during a few moments, it more often than not helped shape the characters’ experiences. The set, props and costumes also helped tell the story. When the two-story set was filled with prostitutes and their costumers, energy burst at the seams. When just a few characters interacted with each other on stage, the set captured their struggles and exposed their hardships — how each character had his own personal story despite the conflict they faced together as a community. Props also expressed the gap between hopes and realities. The massive wooden guns seemed almost bigger than some of the actors using them, which shed light on their vulnerability. When the sound effects mimicked guns going off, the audience was visibly absorbed. The only sour point was that some actors’ voices were almost inaudible — perhaps the result of not enough mics for the large cast or singers who were unable to project. However, despite the few awkward moments requiring lip-reading, the songs mostly resonated throughout the auditorium. Intense solos, spectacular chemistry between characters, great choreography, practical use of the set and impressive coordination between the pit orchestra and the singers all made for an engaging show. And although Choy’s character didn’t win the guy in the musical (senior Kevin Obana’s character, Marius), she snagged him in real life. |
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to listen.
