(Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, Orlando FL) Tonight was the 1st show of a 6-night Les Miserables run at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, and it was a solid 3 hours of phenomenal performances by a multitude of talented cast members.
Let me preface this review by stating that Les Miserables is my absolute favorite musical of all time. I have watched the onstage musical productions of Les Miserables in London, St. Louis MO, and Orlando FL. Additionally, I watched the 2012 film version when it debuted in the movie theatre, and countless other times on DVD. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the 10th anniversary 'Dream Cast in Concert' DVD and the '25th Anniversary' DVD, and owned the original Broadway cast recording CD (1987), the 3-disc original complete symphonic recording CD (1988), and even the original French concept CD (1989).
Given this, I hope you can appreciate the gravity of the following statement: this touring production is the best live performance production of Les Miserables that I have been able to attend and hear live in person.
At a very high-level overview, the deep and intertwining harmonies, the beloved score, and the intricate blocking of Les Mis were wonderfully executed in Orlando on this night. Les Mis can be tricky for its cast because there are so many well-known and adored songs in this musical, many of which are popular in mainstream culture, so there's a high-degree of familiarity with the songs by much of the public, so the pre-set biased / unbiased expectations are high for the performers from the get-go. This particular production rose to the challenge, and did an outstanding job of delivering a superb performance all throughout!
Nick Cartell played the lead role of 'Jean Valjean'. He took some creative opportunities to add very interesting pitch inflections to his singing parts. Cartell has a naturally higher speaking voice than the Valjean's I've heard in the past, but this allowed him to soar effortlessly into the upper registers of his songs which was very welcome! Acting-wise, he had us on the edges of our seats with every confrontation with Javert. But his delivery of 'Bring Him Home' was a show-stopping tear-jerker tonight. He had such an immense fragility in his voice, and the wonderful orchestra in tonight's pit did an excellent job to support him throughout the evening, particularly when he paused in between some phrases for that impactful dramatic effect. I thoroughly enjoyed his creative choice while he sang his parts. His choice to highlight and emphasize certain words over what would have normally been highlighted in other productions was almost like he gave us a fresh and brand-new Valjean arrangement for the evening, and it was a breath of fresh air.
Preston Truman Boyd was tonight's Inspector Javert. Amongst a very talented cast, his performance was a tremendous standout. He fully embraced the character and conveyed the sternness of the law-enforcing yet God-fearing justice-pursuer. His acting was intense and consistent from start to finish. During his 'final scene', Boyd was able to showcase a wider breadth of his acting repertoire, and we were able to live through his immersive torment and anguish, while at the same time he delivered flawlessly on a wildly outstanding vocal showcase. His voice was powerful and scary-good, and we could not have had a better Javert on this night!! PERFECTION!!!
Haley Dortch was tonight's 'Fantine'. Her 'I Dreamed a Dream' was powerful and inspiring. Although this specific character's stage time is somewhat limited, Dortch was able to guide us through the maternal pain of the character, and she had us crying toward the end when she 're-emerged' with Valjean later in the show. Wonderful delivery!
Mya Rena Hunter was our tough but can't-catch-a-break 'Eponine'. The longest applause of tonight from the audience was had in response to Hunter's version of 'On My Own'. During her stage time tonight, she blended into the background and didn't detract from the others' performances, which is exactly the inherently unfortunate quality of Eponine in Marius' eyes. But when she came out to deliver her solo? Oh. My. Word. Suddenly, we were drawn into Eponine's soul as Hunter took us through her pained heart, and it could be felt in every single note she delivered on. She had amazing power and control in those vocals!
Eden Mau was our beloved 'Cosette'. Mau made us all feel the young love of Cosette, while having to balance those emotions with respect and obedience towards her father. I loved how she presented this character. I've seen 'Cosette' in previous productions that just did their part in 'Heart Full of Love' and then just rode on their good-looks for the remainder of the show. Mau was endearing, sweet, and loveable. She effortlessly delivered on her vocals and was just wonderful to watch her perform with every moment she was on that stage. She was encouraging and supportive with Marius, and there were moments throughout her performance I was transfixed feeling like I was watching my own daughters on stage, having to imagine how I would feel / respond some day in the future when I would be confronted with them falling in love. Oh Eden, you took me through so many fatherly emotions tonight, and I'd never felt those feelings with other Cosette's from my past. Beautiful job!
Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem were our inn-keeping Thenardier's. This couple was so disgusting, vile, and loathsome... WELL DONE!!! Huston-Elem took immediate ownership of the stage early on, and hand-delivered multiple amazing comedic moments throughout the evening. You hated her, but couldn't help but laugh with her, even as she openly mocked the young Eponine during her the young songstress' solo. Huston-Elem was brilliantly hilarious, yet I'm conflicted because I was enjoying her grossness so much!! AMAZING job, Ms. Huston-Elem ! Mr. Crowle ended up taking over the stage during his 'sewer' scene. He was funny and so gross throughout the show, but his true 'bad guy' emerged in that sewer scene. Crowle and Huston-Elem had a fantastic chemistry on stage. I'm disappointed in myself for enjoying this gross couple so much, but they did such a tremendous job you really couldn't help but welcome them into your life (just maybe not welcome them to any wedding receptions!)
Jake David Smith's 'Marius' was handsome and swooning. He was the blissful romantic, oblivious to his BFF's unrequited love interest. His tearful 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' silenced the entire audience. His delivery was powerful and moving. He did very well!
2 more specific actors I wanted to call out here. Kyle Adams somehow managed to draw forth 'Grantaire'. His stage time was brief, but he provided comic relief throughout the night. I'm not quite certain how I overlooked this particular character in the past, but Adams' completely created a brand new character for me through his portrayal. He was the flamboyant relief amongst his peers onstage tonight, offering some levity during otherwise very serious scenes. He did a really wonderful job making this character his total own, and I'm wishing I had seen this type of interpretation with all of my previous observations of this musical. Superb portrayal!! The other actor I wanted to highlight: the very young and rebellious 'Gavroche' character portrayed by Milo Maharlika. 'Milo', as he signed my Playbill after the show, was excellent! His character was confident and openly defiant amongst his older more experienced cast, but definitely Milo held his own despite his very young age. He was comfortable and cute. His youthful exuberance was only muted by his inevitable final scene, but he was a very present force onstage and will be one to watch throughout his acting career. See you next time on Broadway, Milo!!
On opening day, I was constantly refreshing the Dr. Phillips' website to see if any additional tickets were being made available. Unfortunately, as I had correctly suspected, there was no additional availability. This show is completely sold out for each of its performances over the next several days. Whoever is lucky enough to attend this one will be watching one of the best touring companies I can imagine being out there currently. Each of these performers were just amazing to watch, and I've not heard that many beautiful voices singing in perfect harmony and synchronization in, well, I can't tell you how long. The only wish I could make, but I know this one won't be granted, is for this production to have been extended longer in Orlando. But as with all other great things, eventually this production too must come to an end at some point. In addition to the points above, you'll also want to take note of the absolutely beautiful sets, and the incorporation of computer projections as some of the stage backdrops (particularly, the fantastic creativity that was introduced during Javert's 'bridge' scene.)
I have watched many, many shows, inclusive of many, many musicals. This was the most impressive musical production showing that I have witnessed. The performances and singing were wonderful and brilliant. Each actor brought their A+ game on this evening, and Dr. Phillips' musical bar has just been raised substantially. I'm not quite sure how the next touring production will be able to come close to this one. But, Dr. Phillips' Broadway series has been introducing some outstanding content lately, so I greatly look forward to all that is to come in the future from this venue.
As for this particular Les Miserables tour: again, this was the best rendition I'd ever seen.
Exceptionally well-done by all!! Most impressive!!
Write-Up:
Bailey Guinigundo
Photo credits:
Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Let me preface this review by stating that Les Miserables is my absolute favorite musical of all time. I have watched the onstage musical productions of Les Miserables in London, St. Louis MO, and Orlando FL. Additionally, I watched the 2012 film version when it debuted in the movie theatre, and countless other times on DVD. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the 10th anniversary 'Dream Cast in Concert' DVD and the '25th Anniversary' DVD, and owned the original Broadway cast recording CD (1987), the 3-disc original complete symphonic recording CD (1988), and even the original French concept CD (1989).
Given this, I hope you can appreciate the gravity of the following statement: this touring production is the best live performance production of Les Miserables that I have been able to attend and hear live in person.
At a very high-level overview, the deep and intertwining harmonies, the beloved score, and the intricate blocking of Les Mis were wonderfully executed in Orlando on this night. Les Mis can be tricky for its cast because there are so many well-known and adored songs in this musical, many of which are popular in mainstream culture, so there's a high-degree of familiarity with the songs by much of the public, so the pre-set biased / unbiased expectations are high for the performers from the get-go. This particular production rose to the challenge, and did an outstanding job of delivering a superb performance all throughout!
Nick Cartell played the lead role of 'Jean Valjean'. He took some creative opportunities to add very interesting pitch inflections to his singing parts. Cartell has a naturally higher speaking voice than the Valjean's I've heard in the past, but this allowed him to soar effortlessly into the upper registers of his songs which was very welcome! Acting-wise, he had us on the edges of our seats with every confrontation with Javert. But his delivery of 'Bring Him Home' was a show-stopping tear-jerker tonight. He had such an immense fragility in his voice, and the wonderful orchestra in tonight's pit did an excellent job to support him throughout the evening, particularly when he paused in between some phrases for that impactful dramatic effect. I thoroughly enjoyed his creative choice while he sang his parts. His choice to highlight and emphasize certain words over what would have normally been highlighted in other productions was almost like he gave us a fresh and brand-new Valjean arrangement for the evening, and it was a breath of fresh air.
Preston Truman Boyd was tonight's Inspector Javert. Amongst a very talented cast, his performance was a tremendous standout. He fully embraced the character and conveyed the sternness of the law-enforcing yet God-fearing justice-pursuer. His acting was intense and consistent from start to finish. During his 'final scene', Boyd was able to showcase a wider breadth of his acting repertoire, and we were able to live through his immersive torment and anguish, while at the same time he delivered flawlessly on a wildly outstanding vocal showcase. His voice was powerful and scary-good, and we could not have had a better Javert on this night!! PERFECTION!!!
Haley Dortch was tonight's 'Fantine'. Her 'I Dreamed a Dream' was powerful and inspiring. Although this specific character's stage time is somewhat limited, Dortch was able to guide us through the maternal pain of the character, and she had us crying toward the end when she 're-emerged' with Valjean later in the show. Wonderful delivery!
Mya Rena Hunter was our tough but can't-catch-a-break 'Eponine'. The longest applause of tonight from the audience was had in response to Hunter's version of 'On My Own'. During her stage time tonight, she blended into the background and didn't detract from the others' performances, which is exactly the inherently unfortunate quality of Eponine in Marius' eyes. But when she came out to deliver her solo? Oh. My. Word. Suddenly, we were drawn into Eponine's soul as Hunter took us through her pained heart, and it could be felt in every single note she delivered on. She had amazing power and control in those vocals!
Eden Mau was our beloved 'Cosette'. Mau made us all feel the young love of Cosette, while having to balance those emotions with respect and obedience towards her father. I loved how she presented this character. I've seen 'Cosette' in previous productions that just did their part in 'Heart Full of Love' and then just rode on their good-looks for the remainder of the show. Mau was endearing, sweet, and loveable. She effortlessly delivered on her vocals and was just wonderful to watch her perform with every moment she was on that stage. She was encouraging and supportive with Marius, and there were moments throughout her performance I was transfixed feeling like I was watching my own daughters on stage, having to imagine how I would feel / respond some day in the future when I would be confronted with them falling in love. Oh Eden, you took me through so many fatherly emotions tonight, and I'd never felt those feelings with other Cosette's from my past. Beautiful job!
Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem were our inn-keeping Thenardier's. This couple was so disgusting, vile, and loathsome... WELL DONE!!! Huston-Elem took immediate ownership of the stage early on, and hand-delivered multiple amazing comedic moments throughout the evening. You hated her, but couldn't help but laugh with her, even as she openly mocked the young Eponine during her the young songstress' solo. Huston-Elem was brilliantly hilarious, yet I'm conflicted because I was enjoying her grossness so much!! AMAZING job, Ms. Huston-Elem ! Mr. Crowle ended up taking over the stage during his 'sewer' scene. He was funny and so gross throughout the show, but his true 'bad guy' emerged in that sewer scene. Crowle and Huston-Elem had a fantastic chemistry on stage. I'm disappointed in myself for enjoying this gross couple so much, but they did such a tremendous job you really couldn't help but welcome them into your life (just maybe not welcome them to any wedding receptions!)
Jake David Smith's 'Marius' was handsome and swooning. He was the blissful romantic, oblivious to his BFF's unrequited love interest. His tearful 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' silenced the entire audience. His delivery was powerful and moving. He did very well!
2 more specific actors I wanted to call out here. Kyle Adams somehow managed to draw forth 'Grantaire'. His stage time was brief, but he provided comic relief throughout the night. I'm not quite certain how I overlooked this particular character in the past, but Adams' completely created a brand new character for me through his portrayal. He was the flamboyant relief amongst his peers onstage tonight, offering some levity during otherwise very serious scenes. He did a really wonderful job making this character his total own, and I'm wishing I had seen this type of interpretation with all of my previous observations of this musical. Superb portrayal!! The other actor I wanted to highlight: the very young and rebellious 'Gavroche' character portrayed by Milo Maharlika. 'Milo', as he signed my Playbill after the show, was excellent! His character was confident and openly defiant amongst his older more experienced cast, but definitely Milo held his own despite his very young age. He was comfortable and cute. His youthful exuberance was only muted by his inevitable final scene, but he was a very present force onstage and will be one to watch throughout his acting career. See you next time on Broadway, Milo!!
On opening day, I was constantly refreshing the Dr. Phillips' website to see if any additional tickets were being made available. Unfortunately, as I had correctly suspected, there was no additional availability. This show is completely sold out for each of its performances over the next several days. Whoever is lucky enough to attend this one will be watching one of the best touring companies I can imagine being out there currently. Each of these performers were just amazing to watch, and I've not heard that many beautiful voices singing in perfect harmony and synchronization in, well, I can't tell you how long. The only wish I could make, but I know this one won't be granted, is for this production to have been extended longer in Orlando. But as with all other great things, eventually this production too must come to an end at some point. In addition to the points above, you'll also want to take note of the absolutely beautiful sets, and the incorporation of computer projections as some of the stage backdrops (particularly, the fantastic creativity that was introduced during Javert's 'bridge' scene.)
I have watched many, many shows, inclusive of many, many musicals. This was the most impressive musical production showing that I have witnessed. The performances and singing were wonderful and brilliant. Each actor brought their A+ game on this evening, and Dr. Phillips' musical bar has just been raised substantially. I'm not quite sure how the next touring production will be able to come close to this one. But, Dr. Phillips' Broadway series has been introducing some outstanding content lately, so I greatly look forward to all that is to come in the future from this venue.
As for this particular Les Miserables tour: again, this was the best rendition I'd ever seen.
Exceptionally well-done by all!! Most impressive!!
Write-Up:
Bailey Guinigundo
Photo credits:
Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
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