BWW Reviews: Tears All Around Me in Reagle Music Theatre's LES MISERABLES

Les Miserables is arguably the most popular musical in history and after the successful 2012 motion picture version, its fan base has only continued to expand. Nearly everyone you meet on the street can sing at least a few lines of such standards as "On My Own" or "I Dreamed a Dream", nevermind the large number of people who have the show memorized in its entirety. Les Mis is hardly a musical, but rather, a movement. Next to tackle this show of epic proportions is the Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham, MA.

Walking into Reagle's theatre, which is attached to Waltham High School, it is easy to feel like you're a high school student again, late for after school rehearsals because you had to talk to a teacher in home room. But appearances are deceiving, as Reagle is a professionally producing organization, boasting such Broadway veterans as Ivan Rutherford, who is reprising his role of Jean Val Jean in this production, after playing such on Broadway for years prior. Hoards of people poured into the impressively sized auditorium, producing such a buzz that I immediately felt my anticipation rising.

This production is very stylistic. In a show known for being truly epic (the show spans decades, outlines the lives of numerous characters, and consists almost exclusively of power ballads), it is very easy to switch to melodramatic, and this production walks the line. But it is clearly a choice. I have always considered Les Miserables to be a show rooted in realism, but this production chose to highlight a more artistic, ornamental side, utilizing sporadic pantomime, group choreography, and tableaus bookmarking almost all group scenes. Whereas past productions I've seen have presented the show as a historical account, I feel as if this production could be compared to a painting.

This show is a staple; thus, audiences know where the characters are supposed to be. Throughout the first act, there were some instances where the actors got to the emotional climax we were all expecting, but did not show us how they got there. We were not taken on the journey, so much as just shown the end destination. It was good, but predictable. However, the second act surprised me. With a beautiful piece set (the barricade was gorgeous), a strong men's ensemble, and intensely harmonized group numbers, the second act packed the punch. Such an emotional subject matter provides for an inherently powerful second act, but here the predictability was gone. The journeys taken were clear and strong, and the emotion was raw. The show ended powerfully.

Where there was consistent strength was the vocals, in the solo pieces and ensemble numbers alike. Music Director Dan Rodriguez guided a large cast of strong performers, providing really solid presentations of such commanding numbers as "One Day More" and "Drink With Me". Many of these songs are written so if done right, they will demand goosebumps, and it was undoubtedly done right. By the end, I was undoubtedly affected, nursing a lump in my throat.

The cast itself was dedicated. Ivan Rutherford simply proved once more how challenging a role Jean Val Jean truly is, barreling his way through multiple octaves and multiple decades, always remaining believable. His rendition of "Bring Him Home" (my favorite song of the show) was hauntingly beautiful. Doug Jabara as Javert, while rocking some impressive muttonchops, presented an honest man, making Javert much more likable than I've seen him in productions past. I was very impressed by the vocal quality of both Ross Brown as Marius ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was devastatingly honest) and Kathryn McKellar as Cosette (her high notes came with such ease and clarity). Pint sized Eowyn Young (who alternates playing Little Cosette with Emma Schaufus) sang the sweetest rendition of "Castle on a Cloud". I had a particular soft spot for the powerful David Carney as Enjolras, though I have a bone to pick that his death was not more celebrated. As the physical representation of the students' rebellion, I felt his death was more tragic than it was actually presented. And a real standout for me was Danny Harrington as Gavroche, an 11 year old with the stage presence of someone five times his age and size.

When it comes down to it, the largest assessor of a production's success is audience enjoyment, and everyone in that auditorium loved what they saw. A man in the row behind me hummed along to all the tear-jerkers. The woman seated next to me sobbed through the entire piece, vocally exclaiming, "This is good. This is good". And everyone I saw afterwards was emotionally drained and overwhelmed with love and admiration. That's what matters, after all. And that's what made this production stand out.

Direction and Musical Staging by David Hugo; Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez; Scenic Design by Robert Klingelhoefer; Lighting Design by David Wilson; Costume Design by Kansas City Costume; Sound Design by Nick Mesenbourg; Conduction by Jeffrey P. Leonard; Production Stage Managed by David Apichell; Producing Artistic Direction by Robert J. Eagle

Reagle Music Theatre's production of Les Miserables is running through August 18 at their theatre is Waltham. For more information and for tickets, visit their website at reaglemusictheatre.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: reaglemusictheatre.org

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