Review: LES MISÉRABLES at Rockhal

The weekend of Les Misérables. For those truly passionate about musicals, the Rockhal has just hosted one of the artistic highlights of the season: the World Tour of what is arguably one of the most famous shows of all time. The production stopped by Luxembourg for three days, delighting the Grand Duchy with a formidable ensemble. If you have attended one of these performances before, you know when you are about to witness the real thing. The stage was set up with the signature wooden props that immediately take you back to the 19th century. The red, white and blue lighting, the recognizable overcoats and army uniforms, even the lights descending from the ceiling at the height of the play – anyone familiar with this production knows what we’re talking about.

Jean Valjean: The best performer on stage. Killian Donnelly is Les Misérables royalty, having played Courfeyrac in the 25th Anniversary Concert and Combeferre in the 2012 film adaptation. This is the second time we’ve see him on stage, and honestly, his progression from ABC student to Valjean is nothing short of incredible. Aside from one or two kinks during Bring Him Home, he was flawless in every song, at times impressing us more than even Colm Wilkinson or Alfie Boe. Bold as this statement may be, his acting was probably the best we’ve seen in a Valjean. The last scene was particularly outstanding, with his voice and facial expression truly capturing the final hours of a dying man. Hats off, no other words.

Javert: Formidable performance, wrong character. This is probably our most subjective take, so please take it with a grain of salt. It is hard to determine who was the best actor on stage, Killian Donnelly or Bradley Jaden, so that should tell you something. Javert’s suicide was one of the best acted scenes we have seen in a long time – outfit, messed up hair, sweat, spiraling mannerisms and even a very unique delivery that gave his final moments an unrivalled depth. But this was also our issue – up until this very last scene, when borderline madness is expected, Jaden’s acting did not often feel like Javert. The acting itself was truly great, but if there is one character from whom we expect a no-nonsense, ice cold adherence to rules and pragmatism, then that character is Javert. There was a very constant smugness, a raging disdain for Valjean and the rebels. This was not coming from a simple sense of moral superiority and duty, but rather from a poorly concealed boiling hatred. At least in our understanding of the character, Javert is not a raging bully, but rather a black and white foil, contrasting with Valjean’s nuanced views on justice and morality. Nonetheless, different takes on the story are more than welcome, especially when so well acted and supported by such an amazing voice.

Fantine: Uncontrolled strength. Sadly, the weakest link. We could not find the actress’s name on the casting list, so we’ll start by apologizing for leaving her unnamed. The best thing about Fantine was how powerful her voice felt. Probably the one with the most potential in the ensemble. However, it sometimes seemed like she prioritized strength over form (and certainly over acting). Who knows, perhaps this was just a night that went wrong. But her take on I Dreamed a Dream, that saw the climax of this iconic song sound like a pop adaptation - now that was definitely a choice. And one that should no doubt be revised.

Marius: Good at the start, great at the end. While lacking a bit of passion at the beginning, Jac Yarrow gave us a very good Marius. He seemed increasingly more confident throughout the night and definitely stole our hearts with his impressive Empty Chairs and Empty Tables. He was endlessly better than Nick Jonas, but then again this isn’t saying much, a toad wearing a tutu skirt would have been superior to Jonas. Yarrow displayed a great connection with both Éponine and Cosette, knowing exactly how close he should let his Marius come to both. But more importantly, and often undervalued by performers, was his heartfelt display of a sense of brotherhood and commitment to the uprising. This characters exists not just for the sake of a romantic connection, but rather as a wandering compass stuck between two core elements of romanticism - his love for a woman and his dedication to his friends and their noble cause.

Cosette: Yes. We often struggle to rate Cosette, since she has a relatively small part with limited nuance. But based on what we saw, Beatrice Penny-Touré would have more than exceeded our expectations if the character had a greater prominence. Her singing was amazing, her delivery was graceful and on point. We hope to see her in other roles.

Éponine: One song wonder. Emily Bautista’s performance was overall pretty good. You got to feel some of Éponine’s fading hope and growing despair in Bautista’s acting, but it was her solo that truly showed her talent. It felt a bit like she was saving her strength for this amazing rendition of On My Own, which got us all frozen in our seats. Her stage chemistry with Yarrow was clearly visible during A Little Fall of Rain, a song where she also seemed to leave a bit of her own personal mark.

The Thénardiers: Slightly overacted, but absolutely worked. If there ever were characters open to creative freedom, those characters were the Thénardiers. The pair went a bit over the top in some scenes, but this was totally within the characters’ personality range. Madame Thénardier was particularly entertaining, managing the herculean task of delivering her lines in a raspy old hag voice during physically demanding scenes. Thénardier’s Dog Eats Dog hit a perfect baritone, finally giving the show a range of low notes which we honestly felt missing in Javert’s delivery.

Enjolras: Book fans loved this one. If you read the books, you’ll know that James D. Gish was pretty much the physical embodiment of Enjolras. Fair facial features, a commanding physical presence and a voice that was, quite frankly, one of the strongest on stage. There were moments when the character demanded just a little more assertiveness and, at times, it felt like Gish sought to emulate Ramin Karimloo’s signature singing style, but overall he was a very good pick.

The rest of the ensemble and the orchestra: Pretty flawless. We would not be surprised if this becomes a nest of rising stars. Despite not being the largest group we’ve seen in a production of Les Misérables, everyone had such a strong presence that there could have easily been 100 more people on stage.

We extend our gratitude to all the performers who dedicate their time and lives to making productions like this possible. Touring for such an extended period across so many countries is no small feat, especially while maintaining such a high standard of quality.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Photo Credit: © Émile Bayard

To post a comment, you must register and login.