BWW Reviews: Bayou City Theatrics' LES MISERABLES Is Promising But Unpolished

Victor Hugo's epic novel LES MISERABLES has become one of the world's most successful and beloved musicals. Alain Boublil first got the idea to adapt the novel to stage while watching a production of OLIVER! In London. He pitched the idea to French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg. LES MISERABLES was first staged in 1980, and over 500,000 people saw it across its 100 performances. The first production in English, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, opened in 1985 in London. This production instantly became a phenomenon, and is still running (with revisions and alterations to the book and staging). LES MISERABLES first opened on Broadway in 1987 and ran through 2003. It was revived in 2006 and will be revived on Broadway again in 2014. Currently, Bayou City Theatrics is presenting a pared down LES MISERABLES that is also the first all-Houston talent production of the musical.

Walking into the Frenetic Theatre, Colton Berry's stark scenic design is the first thing that captures the attention. The vision for the production is clear. This LES MISERABLES completely strips away the spectacle to present the powerful story without any unnecessary trappings. Everything on the stage is drab and dark. Somewhat sheer panels in various shades of grimy gray line the back of the performance space and form wings as well. Each panel features red-lettered graffiti exclaiming liberté and égalité, which make up two-thirds of national motto of France. Filling the stage are large platforms constructed at varied heights on castors, each of which is painted in black with wisps of grays and natural wood shining through. As the bombastic overture begins to bombard the audience, the platforms start to move, and throughout the entirety of the three-hour performance they are reconfigured almost as often as often high school students during a marching band show. Some of the configurations allow for fascinating use of levels; however, the frequent movement is sometimes distracting.

Inside the world of musical theatre, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who is not familiar with rattling opening chords of LES MISERABLES' overture. In this production, hearing them played by a MIDI synthesizer and piped through speaker stacks is the first disconnect of the evening. Musical Director Jane Volke has proven herself to be a very skilled accompanist with other Bayou City Theatrics productions, and I feel like just having her alone on a rehearsal piano would have been a vast improvement over the canned score that Bayou City Theatrics used to underscore their production. The problem with the electronic score is that it doesn't sound as tonally rich as real instrumentation, it doesn't allow for soloists to develop a deep and complex relationship with the music, and when singers start a number in the wrong key, it can't be altered to match their pitch. Also, without the conducting, tempos and timings got muddled in the performance, especially with a large ensemble.

Throughout the two acts there were some incredible moments of clever stagecraft and standout performances. The dynamically multileveled set allowed for interesting pictures to be made by the cast, especially the silhouette staging for the opening of "At the End of the Day" and their configuration for the reprise of "Do You Hear the People Sing" in the show's finale. Other moments that were staged particularly well were the "ABC Café" and "Do You Hear the People Sing." The vocals of the ensemble were engaging and enthralling on "Do You Hear the People Sing," which was possibly the most emotionally affective moment in the show. The female ensemble also made "Turning" a true vocal highlight of the evening. Likewise, I was also taken by Colton Berry's vibrant vocal performance as Enjolras, Erin Wasmund's lovely "On My Own," Mark Frazier's pitch perfect "Stars," and William Luyties' reflective "Bring Him Home." Stealing the show whenever she was on stage was Heather Hall's boisterous and brashly nasal performance as Madame Thénardier. Her Cockney accent and outlandish mannerisms were charmingly off-putting, making the character perfectly socially unacceptable. Other strong moments from the production include Mackensey Doyle's rendition of "Castle on a Cloud," which was staged and sung beautifully, the focused light design for Javert's "Soliloquy," and Kelly Waguespack's shimmering high register as Cosette.

Unfortunately, Bayou City Theatrics' production of LES MISERABLES was fairly plagued by problems at their opening night performance. At the end of intermission, Jane Volke thanked the audience for bearing with the company through technical issues that caused the first act to be performed in more shadows than what was intended. However, even with the fixed lighting, the design was still problematic. There are many times where the cast sings in silhouette, which robs some of the power from the musical numbers, especially in the finale where we only hear the people sing and do not see the all of characters we have lost along the way. Additionally, there were microphone issues throughout the performance, such as Javert's mic not being turned on or working for the entirety of Act I and moments of loud feedback from microphones during the production. Also, for some of the cast there were problems with choosing volume over pitch. The most distracting aspects of the production are the cheap looking wigs that many of the cast wear and that Javert, Jean Valjean, and the Thénardiers do not age throughout the show. Ultimately, as the pacing was sometimes misconstrued, pitches were missed, and awkward lighting kept performers in darkness, the power and emotionality that comes from LES MISERABLES did not resonate within the Frenetic Theatre last night. This is not to say that it won't by the end of the run, but last night was rough around The Edges and seemed more like a second or third technical rehearsal and less like an opening night.

When it comes down to the bottom line, the ideas that inform this production of LES MISERABLES are original and give audiences an intriguing new way to experience the classic work. The things Bayou City Theatrics get right are very good, and I imagine that the kinks and problematic moments from last night's performance are already being corrected and remedied. This may not be the best production of LES MISERABLES that you'll ever see or Bayou City Theatrics strongest production, but the show is not without its own merits.

Running Time: 3 hours, with one 15 minute intermission.

LES MISERABLES, produced by Bayou City Theatrics, plays the Frenetic Theatre, 5102 Navigation Boulevard, Houston, 77011 now through September 29, 2013. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sunday evenings at 5:00pm. For more information and tickets, visit www.bayoucitytheatrics.com.

Image courtesy of Bayou City Theatrics.

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