BWW Reviews: A Nearly Perfect LES MISERABLES Takes Stage at The Fulton

LES MISERABLES, the near-poperetta musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg that has all but conquered the world, has been dubbed a musical "for people who don't like musicals." And why shouldn't Americans, particularly men who don't like musical theatre, love it? You have a criminal and a tough sheriff -- er, inspector. You have cowboys and Indians - er, a student uprising and the French military. You have a Girl, and a bunch of tough saloon women - er, French streetwalkers. LES MIS is "High Noon" on stage, with fewer horses and more music. Oh, and you're rooting for Frank Miller this time.

LES MIS, to be sure, has its drawbacks - particularly its legendary music, which, to be honest, consists of approximately five melodies with lyrics re-written to suit each scene and the character who's singing then. It also has completely stick figures for characters outside of the more fully-developed Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert, particularly the women, who are mostly there so that the male characters (who are also pretty much stick figures themselves) can have love interests of one sort - daughters - or another - girlfriends. It's the barest sketch of Victor Hugo's actual novel, which is how this happens to the rest of the cast. But the musical does have its points, as well - one of which is the development of the Thenardiers, characters of such surpassing comic delight in the musical that it's a shame that Hugo was never told they were the comic relief for his story.

Directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, the show is on an extended run at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster. The extension is due to the volume of interest and of ticket sales, but it's justifiably extended based on the quality of the production. This production is well-sung, visually appealing, and boasts a cast of solid Fulton veterans and debut artists alike. If anything outside of the basic flaws of the show itself is notably at fault here, it is one thing: yes, the Fulton should be delighted, as it is, at the size of the cast, but there are perhaps just a few too many on stage. When the deaths at the barricade occur, the sheer number of bodies prostrate on stage, heaped on each other, is a bit awkward.

The other awkwardness in this production is Fantine. "I Dreamed a Dream," one of the show's classic show-stoppers, is here less than show-stopping, as is Fantine (Hanley Smith) herself. Although Fantine is the first and most obvious of the stick figures in the musical itself, this Fantine is even more wooden than usual. When David Garrick said, famously, "Dying is easy, it's comedy that's hard," he was not contemplating Fantine's death scene in this show. Marius (Blake Stadnik) is also not quite perfectly up to form and his "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is a bit thin, though more than sufficiently plaintive.

On the other hand, the show is about Valjean and Javert, and they do not disappoint in the least. Gregg Goodbrod's Valjean is splendid, and his voice is in fine form. From the delicate high range in "Bring Him Home" to the powerful and oft-repeated "Who Am I", Goodbrod's voice is a thing of beauty. Jeremiah James' Javert is less present on stage, but when he is there, Valjean is most definitely there, and James' delivery of "Stars" and Javert's soliloquy are splendid things indeed (fortunately his phrasing of "Stars" is distinctive, as his voice is quite naturally amazingly close to that of one of the Broadway actors who's played the character).

There's often a tendency to bite one's lip when child performers are on stage. The deep-breathed, prayerful preparation for watching forced cuteness that supercedes talent is unnecessary here - Sophie Reusswig's young Cosette and Vincent Crocilla's Gavroche are quite serious, talented stage veterans already. Reusswig's "Castle on a Cloud" is a genuine tearjerker here, and Crocilla's Gavroche is plucky, energetic, and determined. One might hope they will both be back on the Fulton stage in the future. Kudos to director Marc Robin, incidentally, for making it clear to the audience - in many productions it's barely noticeable - that Gavroche is part of the Thenardier clan.

The Thenardiers. Ah, the Thenardiers. Calculating. Scheming. Nasty little scoundrels. Evil at their very core. Ridiculously funny. John Reeger and Paula Scrofano play them as if they're a bickering, old married couple - could it be because Reeger and Scrofano are an old married couple in real life? "Master of the House" and "Beggars at the Feast" are both delightful, even if Robin's staging of both is a little less risqué, in the first, and less riotous, in the second, than many productions. This reviewer was left waiting for any of the Pontmercy family silver to fall from under Madame Thenardier's skirts in the latter scene, though the staging was nonetheless amusing enough. But kudos for the Thenardiers' charismatic deviousness, as Reeger and Scrofano play the two.

Steve Czarnecki, as Enjolras, makes a fine student agitator, whether for the barricade or for a later generation; he's determined, he's forceful; he makes a fine display of leadership. Bryon Smith's Bishop is also a nice turn, and he's another actor it would be nice to see more of on stage in these parts.

Great credit must go to music director Aaron McAllister and the orchestra for this production, which were quite possibly the best pit orchestra in this area for any given production in quite some time. This was an orchestra that stood up to massed voices - kudos also to the sound crew - with very few moments of overpowering the soloists.

Set design was, overall, lovely, although the barricade itself seemed just a little scant; it appeared open enough to fail in being protective of the people on the other side, at least from well-aimed projectile weaponry. The furniture scaffolding needed a few featherbeds, upholstered chairs, and the like to fill in the open spaces of the structure, which didn't feel substantial next to the size of the crowd.

If you like LES MIS, or if you've never experienced it, this production is a must-see. It has what LES MIS needs - great voices, great music, and great acting. The drawbacks are slight in comparison to the sheer delight of this most massive of musicals. And, of course, if you "don't like musicals", this is your show. The wild frontier of Paris awaits you.

At the Fulton Theatre through July 13. For tickets and information visit www.thefulton.org or call 717-397-7425.

Photo credits: J Urdanetta Photography

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