Review: LES MISERABLES Makes a Triumphant Return to the Eccles Theater

The national tour of LES MISERABLES, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, is a tremendous production that was so well received here in 2023 that it demanded a triumphant return.

LES MISERABLES (a musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics also by Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer, additional material by James Fenton, adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird) is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It was a long-running smash hit on Broadway and was adapted to film in 2012.  The musical tells the epic tale of Jean Valjean, who spends his life running from the law because he stole a loaf of bread to save his family, and those he comes in contact with, including the students involved in the Paris Uprising of 1832. It is a powerful, classic tale of love, strength, and redemption told through beautiful music that is now iconic in its own right.

Nick Cartell, who has played Jean Valjean over 1,300 times, brings the best parts of Colm Wilkinson and Hugh Jackman to his portrayal, along with his own special  blend of boldness and tenderness, carrying the show on his broad shoulders. 

Lindsay Heather Pierce, who is known for THE GLEE PROJECT and her stint as Elphaba in WICKED on Broadway, brings astounding vocals and incredible pathos to Fantine.

Jake David Smith, who originated the leading role of Prince Oliver in BETWEEN THE LINES, is an anxious but caring Marius. His gorgeously clear voice perfectly blends with his talented costars, who give brilliant performances in their own rights, Delaney Guyer as Cosette and Mya Rena Hunter as Eponine.

Nick Rehberger is a Javert that elicits pity and compassion from the audience, Christian Mark Gibbs is a powerful Enjolras, Kyle Adams is a Grantaire that stands out, and Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem as the Thenardiers is a stellar combination. 

Directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell with musical staging by Geoffrey Garratt, this revival production, which opened on Broadway in 2014, is almost cinematic in its imagery and transitions, keeping up a sleek pace without sacrificing the emotion.

The painterly costume design by Andreane Neofitou (additional by Christine Rowland and Paul Wills) is somehow at once too lovely to be real and yet completely at home in the gutters of 19th-century Paris.  In these dichotomous respects, it matches both the musical score and the rest of the production design perfectly. 

The magnificent scenic and image design by Matt Kinley are inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with projections realized by Finn Ross and Fifty-Nine Productions.  The set is comprised of multiple large, weathered pieces that move brilliantly to create murky alleyways, gloomy harbors, candlelit churches, and other innumerable iterations.

The lighting by Paule Constable is painted masterfully as with an artist’s brush.  The overall effect is stunning with rich colors, shifting shadowed shapes, and a dark mood befitting the period, impactfully contrasting the pure white light that marks each death in an evocative acknowledgement of the spiritual themes of the piece.

LES MISERABLES plays the Eccles Theater for a limited engagement through Saturday, March 15, 2025.  For tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

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