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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Les Misérables Also see Gil's review of Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, at its core, Les Misérables is a sweeping tale of redemption, sacrifice, and the enduring power of compassion. After serving nearly twenty years in prison for stealing bread to ensure his starving nephew has something to eat, and attempting multiple escapes, Jean Valjean is finally paroled yet remains hardened by injustice and branded as an outcast. A life-changing encounter with a merciful bishop inspires him to reject bitterness and dedicate himself to a life of honesty, generosity, and service to others. However, despite reinventing himself and striving to do good, Valjean finds he can never fully escape his past as the Inspector Javert relentlessly pursues him in the belief that a former convict can never truly change. Perhaps one reason why this musical is so adored is that, while it's an epic story, it's also an incredibly personal story that unfolds against the backdrop of love, revolution, and hope. The book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg manages to incorporate dozens of characters and events set over two decades without ever causing confusion or losing focus on its still relevant themes. The sung-through score, with music by Schönberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, and additional material by James Fenton, is sweeping and gorgeous and features the classic showtunes, "Bring Him Home," "On My Own," and "I Dreamed a Dream." The entire cast is excellent. Ethan Rogers is probably the youngest actor I've ever seen playing Jean Valjean outside of a youth production of the musical, but his vocal prowess and youthful energy help us quickly identify with the younger version of the character in the first act, while his body language and emotional resonance changes in Act Two to depict a man who is not only older but more weathered from the events in his life. Rogers' singing voice is simply superb, hitting some truly impressive high notes; his delivery of "Bring Him Home" is remarkable in how clear, crisp, and sustained the notes he hits are. Geoffrey F. Belliston brings power and passion to the role of Javert, the inspector who makes it his lifelong mission to hunt Valjean down. Belliston also has an impressive singing voice and his delivery and facial expressions allow us to understand the internal struggle and conflict Javert feels. The large supporting cast are all very good. Monet Sabel is lovely as Fantine, whose child, Cosette, Valjean helps raise. She delivers a passionate performance of "I Dreamed a Dream." As the student Marius and Fantine's daughter, Cosette, Tre Moore and Carmiña Monserrat both bring a lovely connection to their characters and to each other, with singing voices that are rich and pure; Moore's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is beautifully sung. As Eponine, the young, poor woman who is in love with Marius, Hahnna Christianson delivers a passionate performance with a soaring take on "On My Own." As Enjolras, the leader of the student revolutionaries, Josh Pike is commanding and powerful, with a crisp and warm singing voice that shines on his songs. As Eponine's parents, the Thénardiers, Toby Yatso and Terey Summers add several moments of levity without, fortunately, ever going too broad. Dominic Montufar is great as the young boy Gavroche (Leon Ewing alternates in the role), and Shiloh Foreman and Alexia Lade are lovely as Young Cosette and Young Eponine, respectively. The entire ensemble is strong throughout, playing dozens of different characters who all contribute to the richness of the story. Brendan Stackhouse was the resident director for the North American tour of the musical so he clearly understands the material and what is needed to keep the epic scope and feel of the show while grounding it with emotion that resonates deeply. Douglas Clarke's fantastic multi-level set is expansive, including tunnelways, balconies, and a staircase and bridge that are used for great effect in several scenes, with evocative lighting by Tim Monson that oozes moodiness. The costumes are rentals but are excellent and Alita Lopez's hair and makeup designs are wonderful, including a few wigs for Rogers that allow him to age effectively over the course of the show. The vocals of the entire cast are superb and Kevin Robert White's music direction is fantastic, with the 15-piece orchestra delivering a rich, beautiful sound of the virtually non-stop score, with Ashton Michael Corey's sound direction ensuring every note of music and lyric is crystal clear. My only quibbles with this production are ones having to do with spoilers in the show, so if you haven't seen this musical before skip ahead to the next paragraph please. Javert's suicide in act two ends in such an oddly staged way, with him on the bridge and then a black out, that I'm not certain if people who haven't seen the show before will understand what happened. Also, not having the ghosts of Marius' fellow students appear during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" loses a lot of the emotion in the lyrics of that song. Fortunately, those are the only two small shortcomings in an otherwise excellent production. Les Misérables is probably the musical I've seen more than any other show; I think I've seen it more than 20 times. The reason it resonates with me is probably the same reason why it effects so many others: at its core, it's a story of hope and the fight for the human spirit and shows how the actions of one man can make a positive influence on others. That's something we should all aspire to do. With a fantastic cast, including a performance by Ethan Rogers that is inspiring, Phoenix Theatre's Les Misérables is a wonderful production of this beloved and inspiring musical. Les Misérables runs through October 18, 2026, at The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N Central Avenue, Phoenix AZ. Tickets can be purchased at phoenixtheatre.com or by calling (602) 254-2151. Book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg Cast: (in alphabetical order) *Members of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors & stage managers in the U.S. |
