BWW Interviews: Boys on the Barricade - Chatting with Mark Uhre and Perry Sherman

The new Canadian 25th Anniversary Production of Les Miserables is now playing at The Princess of Wales Theatre and has been receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. BWW has been bringing its readers interviews with the cast of this incredible production, and today we sit down with Mark Uhre and Perry Sherman who play Enjolras and Marius. The 'barricade boys' talk everything from their first Les Mis experiences, to the changes to this production, gun injuries and more.

First off, congratulations on opening Les Miserables! What was your first memory of the show?

MU: I was 12 years old and I saw it at The Royal Alexandra and was completely blown away. My parents took me and I was completely mesmerized. To be able to do it now is a dream come true, which a lot of us are saying but it's totally true. And such an amazing experience both on stage and off. I get emotional all the time because it's just so incredible.

PS: I did not see it when I was younger, my first interaction with the show was doing it in high school where I played Marius. My director back then has been my mentor ever since, and every time I get a gig I always call him. When I got this gig he was thrilled, and I think it's very cool that this production connects me with one of my very first theatrical experiences and my theatre mentor. It all comes together in this production.

There's been a lot of talk of the changes in the new 25th Anniversary version. What do you think of the changes and what they mean for the show?

MU: I saw the original production in a few different cities, and I've probably seen it at least ten times. Our show is totally different but the story and music is still the same. Visually there are just so many more elements that dig deeper and make the story richer. The movement of the show is beautiful and you completely forget that the revolve is no longer there.

You talk about how it's visually different, part of that is the incorporation of paintings by Victor Hugo. How does that work?

MU: I'm a visual artist as well as being a musical theatre performer, and it's been incredibly cool to see his paintings and get to know him as an 'artist' as well as a writer. It's inspiring to see. I have to remind myself every night not to turn around and look at the gorgeous images!

With these new projections, gone are the old ones that would state the date and location of various scenes. Given how much time passes in this show, how do you keep the audience on track without those dates?

MU: I think it works without them. I'm inside of it so it's a bit harder for me to say, but I think the design supports the passage of time really well. Including costumes and all the scenic elements.

You have some alums joining you in this production in Ramin Karimloo and Earl Carpenter, who've both done the show in the West End. What's it been like working with them?

MU: They're both incredible to work with, so generous and warm and just great guys to work with on-stage and great people off-stage as well. The rehearsal process was great because we started fresh, but lots of people had done it before so there was a wealth of knowledge and lots of different interpretations. So throughout the whole process people were questioning the characters so it was fun to do because you feel like you know them so intimately, you can delve deeper and examine how a character actually feels in the moment, and it was great to pick apart such an epic story.

PS: Mark and I were two of the few people who had never been involved with a professional production before so we had something in common. We were immediately shunned and became social outcasts of the group.

So did that shunning help you build a sense of camaraderie?

MU: Well, I am sporting a black eye right now...

PS: Maybe we're slugging each other on the barricade!

MU: I'm afraid it's not that exciting. I was fake loading my gun and I hit myself in the face, so I continued on but the whole time I was thinking 'did I just lose my eye???' I guess at least it was my gun and my fault, it's not like one of the revolutionaries smacked me in the face. So there's that.

But in all seriousness, we've got great camaraderie. I think because we have such a great mix and we've all had time to talk about the show, talk about other people's opinions of your character and your interpretation. Because the show is so big and epic we all loved the show, and so we bonded immediately.

These are great directors as well, James has been around Les Miserables for so long and he brings a wealth of knowledge and makes it so much richer.

And how about you Perry? How are the Canadians treating you as one of the few Americans in the bunch?

PS: I don't understand them! They say 'eh' a lot... (laughs). It's been really great. The cast has been extremely wonderful and I feel like a Canadian. They've treated me like one of the family and it's been nice to be outside of the city for awhile. Almost like a good ol Canadian vacation.

And what of the infamous love triangle between Marius, Cosette and Eponine? How do you feel about being at the centre of that and knowing that a lot of young girls are hoping you make a different choice?

PS: It's so simple why the triangle exists. At that time it was a class thing. Eponine is of lower class and I've known her for a long time and we were childhood friends. I view her as a sister and that relationship makes it hard for my character to see her as anything other than a sister. I think that's what is so heartbreaking and what people connect with - is that every day people are in that situation with someone they might be very good friends with but it can't ever be something more. That's Eponine's story.

Then Cosette comes into his life and there's this beautiful 'love bump' - they bump into each other and literally fall in love from there on. It happens in the 'Paris' scene where we first see all of the filth and the poor people of Paris and Cosette is in this big beautiful dress. When we bump into each other it's like 'look at these two beautiful things amidst the filth' - and Eponine is one of the filfth. Marius is one of the only people who shows her any kindness and I think she misinterprets that as love.

MU: Plus the chemistry between Perry and Sam (Cosette) is really great. They seem like the type of people who would hang out 'in real life'.

PS: She is. She's the type of girl I would be friends with in real life. We're both geeks and we get along really well backstage. I think in this production that relationship between me and Cosette is a little more comprehensible because of how Sam plays Cosette. You see the energy of this girl who could put up with my character in a way that Eponine might not have been able to. It's an examination of the idea of love versus love itself.

So for all those girls wishing you would choose Eponine, the 'new' version isn't going to give them that wish? Any chance you will re-write the story one night?

PS: Maybe on the final night I will give Eponine a break. I won't say where but she gets awfully close to kissing me in one of the scenes, so maybe on the last night I will re-write the story.

How has the audience reaction been so far? Are Canadians excited to have Les Miserables back in their lives?

MU: It's been phenominal so far - the response is incredible from the down beat of the overture onward, you can feel the excitement. Perry (Sherman) and I were on stage and at the end of Act 1 of our first preview we were just marveling at how the audience was really with us. We even got a standing ovation at the close of Act 1, and you don't see that happen very often. Plus there's been a new wave of interest because of the movie which helps, but it's such a classic story that it can really appeal to everyone. There's something in this show that everyone connects with. It's about love which is what I connect with. It's about the love of people.

Finally, what would be the number one reason you would tell people to come see the show?

MU: I'm at a loss for words half the time when we talk about it because it's that incredible. But the show is just about love for human beings - and everyone should see that. In Enjolras's case, it's about him and the students, about progress and love in the broader sense of the word. Love of a cause. For Valjean it's about love for Fantine and Cosette and putting other people first. It's so incredibly rich - what's not to love about that?

PS: I think the show has stuck around for so long because there's someone for everyone to connect to. A mother could connect to Fantine, a lover could connect with Eponine, a fighter with Enjolras. Everybody comes to the show and weeps for someone, there's a Kleenex to be had for everyone who comes to the show. Plus the music is timeless and beautiful. We're getting standing ovations in previews mid-show. That's remarkable, and it's because of the music being so powerful and so good.

When and Where?

Les Miserables

The Princess of Wales Theatre

Tickets on sale now until Dec 22nd, 2013

Tickets can be purchaesd in person at the box office, by phone at 416-872-1212 or online at www.mirvish.com.