Review: Young Talents Give LES MISERABLES A+ Treatment

Oh, my God! Truly, these were the first words out of my mouth as the prologue to LES MISERABLES began and then the silken voice of Julian Mendoza (Jean Valjean) sang At the End of the Day. From that moment to the finale, I was enthralled by the captivating performances of an extraordinary cast and overwhelmed by the emotional impact of an exceptionally well-staged production.

What makes my experience is particularly unique is that I was witness, along with an equally impressed audience, to a cast of youngsters performing one of the more complicated and celebrated productions of Broadway. Yes, indeed, this was the School Edition of the show, but there is, believe me, nothing gratuitous about this review just because the performers are kids.

Nothing short of superlatives will suffice to describe this staging of LES MIS by Theater Works YouthWorks. The quality of the performances ~ indeed, of the overall collaboration, is a testament to the masterful direction of Kelli James and her unique ability to cultivate and develop this very special gathering of talent into a finely tuned ensemble.

Great performances are not the domain solely of professional theatre. The young performers in this production prove the point. Nor are the opportunities for young talents to flourish the domain of any single company. As theatre in the Valley of the Sun grows and diversifies, there are new stages on which young artists can learn and ply the craft.

Backed by James May's musical direction of an extraordinary orchestra, Paul Pedersen's choreography, Brett Aiken's set design, Tamara Treat's costumes, and Jeff Davis's lighting effects, the cast gave it their all. And their all was terrific.

Julian Mendoza, like his fellow actors, have dug deep within themselves to mine and polish performances replete with emotion and vocal prowess. Let me add to the list of standouts, each of whom gave distinctive definition to their roles: Trey DeGroodt as Javert, Addison Bowman as Fontine, Gwendolyn Craw as the young Cosette, Kathlynn Rodin as Cosette, Sydney Wolfert as the young Eponine, Sarah Pansing as Eponine, Vinney Pugliese as Marius, Griffin LeBlanc as Enjolras, and Kylan Chait as Gavroche. Sam Primack, already a veteran of the stage, joined with Quincy Anntinette Janisse to give a head-over-heels performance as the bawdy and conniving Thenardiers.

Hours after the show, I remain moved by their performances and this very special production.

LES MISERABLES continues its must-see run at the Gyder Theater in Peoria Center for the Performing Arts through September 25th.

Photo credit to Moran Imaging