By Natalie Sevick

LANSING, MI–When I learned that the North American Tour of Les Misérables was coming to the Wharton Center, I was thrilled! Personally, I have been a fan of the iconic musical ever since I saw the 25^th Anniversary Concert on PBS, but those unfamiliar with the material may be justified in wondering if a musical from the 1980s, based on a novel written in 1862, is still relevant in 2024.

            The musical Les Misérables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, had its English-language premier in London in 1985 with its Broadway premier two years later. Complete with a rousing score, a heart-wrenching plot, and plenty of spectacle, it quickly cemented itself into musical theatre history as one of the great Mega Musicals of the 1980s.

Based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, Les Misérables is set in France between 1815-1832 and tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man being paroled after nineteen years of hard labor, convicted of breaking into a house to steal bread for his starving nephew. Due to his felonious past, he is unable to attain honest work, and resorts to breaking his parole and changing his identity. This sets policeman Javert on a course of pursuit to bring the criminal to justice. Against this background, we meet many characters that are representative of the various plights of the disenfranchised. Among those include Fantine, a single mother driven to prostitution after losing her reputable job; the Thenardiers, grifters who do whatever they have to in order to survive; and a group of young students, dreaming of revolution and willing to die to see it materialize. The stories intertwine to tell the beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful tale of the redemption of one man and the uprising of an entire nation.

            This particular production was stunning. The concept for the North American Tour is based on the Impressionistic artwork of Victor Hugo himself. This imbues the production with a melancholic haze that emphasizes the blurring of the edges with regards to what it means to be a moral, upstanding individual.

            If the familiar opening chords don’t instantly draw you in, the stunning vocals of Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean will. Reminiscent of a young Ramin Karimloo, Cartell has dynamic range in both technique and style. Possessing a stirring rock timbre that would feel at home in “Rock of Ages,” as well as an angelic falsetto, when Cartell sings the final note in “Bring Him Home,” in perfect unison with the violin, it gives one chills.

            Other noteworthy performances include Lindsay Heather Pearce, who’s portrayal of the tragic Fantine is raw with emotion and flawless ability; Christian Mark Gibbs, who’s deep, full tone provides Enjolras with a maturity that nicely contrasts from the younger, more reactive Marius (Jake David Smith;) and Mya Rena Hunter as Éponine, who’s phenomenal belt rings throughout the theatre, offering the antithesis to the lilting, lovely soprano of Delaney Guyer’s Cosette. Fair warning, Éponine, tenors usually end up with sopranos.

            A special commendation must also go to the children of the show. Emerson Mae Chan and Greta Schaefer alternate the roles of Young Cosette and Young Éponine, and Jackson Parker Gil, Jack Jewkes, and Milo Maharlika alternate the role of Gavroche. Those young shoulders bear a lot of weight, and they all do so with a maturity and talent that belie their ages.

Resident and Associate Directors Brendan Stackhouse and Corey Agnew respectively do an excellent job at handling contrast. In a musical whose title literally translates to “The Miserable” it would be easy to fall into a somber trudge of hopelessness. Whenever things get a little too depressing however, you are reprieved by an excellently executed fight sequence or comedic moment that lifts you back up. More than once, I found myself thinking, “Thank goodness for the Thénadiers.” Played with deftness by Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem, the characters provide much-needed comic relief throughout the show. If you look closely, you’ll even catch them (as well as a clever Kyle Adams as Grantaire) engaging in bits of business that, while perhaps not the focus of the moment, are very fun if you notice them.

            Additional compliments for the projections (Finn Ross, Fifty-Nine Productions, Simon Harding, Jonathon Lyle,) that help establish location, the intricate and stimulating lighting design (Paule Constable, Ben Jacobs, Karen Spain,) the effective and seamless scene changes, the massive and detailed set pieces (Matt Kinley, David Harris, Christine Peters,) and the costumes (Andreane Neofitou, Christine Roawland, Paul Wills,) which, in addition to possessing great attention to detail, also help establish elapses in time over the seventeen years in which the musical takes place.

            Overall, Les Misérables offers a beautiful, thought-provoking night of theatre. A story with the timeless themes of redemption, sacrifice, heartbreak, and perseverance is always relevant, perhaps now more than ever. If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing musical extravaganza, look no further than the North American Tour of Les Misérables at the Wharton Center, playing now through October 13, 2024.