Les Miserables at Theatre Three review

My wife always has said that, "Les Miserables" is the only musical that people who hate musicals loves. Not exactly sure why she feels that way. Perhaps it's that when we saw the musical she had the biggest crush on Michael Maguire, who played Enjolras. Nonetheless, because she loves Les Mis it's the musical I have seen the most in our thirty years of marriage. Usually when I want to escape to the theater I have to go with my wives friends. But when I heard that Les Mis was playing in my town at the beautiful Theatre Three I knew I had a date.

Les Mis opened on broadway March 12, 1987. I was fortunate enough to see the original cast in its entirety and remember being completely transfixed by the beautiful score composed by the incomparable Claude-Michel Schonberg and the cast who created some of the most memorable characters I've ever seen on stage. I went on to see the broadway musical 12 times and was saddened to see the actors playing the roles creating caricatures of the original company as opposed to finding new things in their roles. And that brings me to Theatre Three and why I loved the production so much, these are people who completely owned their roles and made them their own.

Jeremy Hudson, as Enjolras, plays him with so much intensity you can feel the passion coming off of him. Not to mention he has one of the most powerful, tenor, voices I have heard on a regional theatre stage.

And speaking of powerful voices Katelyn Keating, as Cosette, has a glorious and ringing soprano that sent chills down my spine. As her mother Fantine, Tamralynn Dorsa, gives a powerful performance.

Cristina Faicco sings one of the best "On my owns" I have ever heard but she is a little underplayed the rest of the show. I wish she had a little more brashness and power throughout as opposed to just in her solo song.

The comedic relief comes in the form of James Schultz and Jennifer Collister-Tully's performances as the wickedly creepy Thenardier's. The fact that these are the characters that are considered the comedy truly shows just how miserable a musical it really is.

There are three performances, however, that deserve special recognition. Brett Chizever plays Marius' arc with such mastery that you really feel as though what's happening on stage is real. His lyric baritone isn't as powerful as some of the other voices in the show but he uses it in a way that really brings you in to his world.

Mr. Chizever would run away with the show if not for the two leads, Steve Mccoy playing Jean Val Jean a convict on the run and Ed Brennan as Javert the police chief obsessed with finding him. Mr. Mccoy gives the performance of his life going through every emotion possible. How he gets through the show on a nightly basis astounds me. His voice projects such power and then becomes so tender. This is a performance you can not miss.
Ed Brennan is his equal in every way. He has such an intimidating presence on stage not to mention one of the most powerful voices I can ever remember hearing. These are two performances that should be on the great white way.

Director, Jeff Sanzel, has put together such a top rate ensemble on top of these fine leads. They all play a bunch of other characters and the show would not be the same without them. Mr. Sanzel also had to completely re-conceptualize the musical for his space. He does this with perfection.

The show runs for six more weekends so there is absolutely no excuse to miss this beautiful piece of theatre. Bravo to all!