Musicals have so many different angles at which to judge them — lyrics, score, storyline, characters, performances, etc. And then there’s that whole instinct thing wherein many of those things may be flawed but the overall experience was positive. Indeed, this is where Les Miserables stands: flawed, but overall, a positive theatrical experience.
The show follows much of the life of Jean Valjean, beginning as he is released from the chain gang after serving 19 years for merely stealing a loaf of bread. At first, he must show release papers to anyone hiring him, but after being repeatedly rejected, a bishop takes him in and feeds him. In the night, Valjean steals the man’s silver and rips up his release papers.
Ten years later, Valjean, going under a pseudonym, is a major factory owner and the mayor of his town. After wronging Fantine, one of his ex-employees, he is discovered by Inspector Javert, who allows him to care for Fantine (who is confusingly Black in this production) as she dies and fetch her daughter, Cosette, promising to return to him.
Another ten years later, Valjean is still caring for Cosette, who is now approximately 18, war is about to break and Javert has moved into town. The story continues from there.
The biggest problem with Les Miserables is the story. Frankly, it can grow quite boring. On the other hand, the lyrics to every song are as poetic and beautiful as the music backing them, which is why Les Miserables has become such a Broadway legend. The story can be moving, but this is mainly due to the quality of the music produced rather than the trite story being told.
Additionally, the secondary characters steal the show. While Les Mis could easily be retitled 24601 or The Jean Valjean Show, and rightfully so, the most interesting characters are Javert and Eponine, the street girl in love with Cosette’s Marius (see also the first season of “Dawson’s Creek”). This may have something to do with their main solos, which are arguably the show’s best songs — Javert’s “Stars” and Eponine’s infamous “On My Own” — or the fact that the show’s other main characters, namely Cosette and Marius, are downright annoying.
Randal Keith made the ideal Valjean. His voice was strong enough to sustain the sizable part throughout the performance, and his presence was even stronger and more noteworthy. Stephen Bishop, who also played the Beast in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, was the embodiment of the seemingly heartless Javert. Keith and Bishop’s cat and mouse chemistry together made the tricky, back-and-forth-at-the-same-time “Confrontation” seem effortless.
In fact, other than the forced weepy Cosette, saccharine Marius and uncommonly over-the-top Thenardiers (the comic relief that wasn’t funny this time around), everything about the show came off effortless. Indeed, despite minor flaws here and there, Les Miserables, currently playing at the Colonial Theatre, is a theater-going experience enjoyable enough to even merit multiple visits, especially considering student rush tickets are available for a reasonable $24.
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