The Cast Photo by Matthew Murphy

The story of is difficult to summarize, not only due to the scope of the narrative, but also due to the number of important characters who populate the storyline. It chronicles the life of Jean Valjean, a convict who was sentenced to five years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's son and attempting to escape. Because of his escape attempts, more years were added to his sentence. After 19 years, he is released, and Police Inspector Javert gives him papers of leave identifying him as a criminal. Society ostracizes and abuses him, seeing him only as a felon. Valjean is taken in and fed by the Bishop of Digne, from whom Valjean steals silver goblets. He is quickly captured and brought before the bishop, who gives Valjean not only the goblets, but two silver candlesticks as well, admonishing Valjean to use the silver "to become and honest man." Valjean takes the bishop's words to heart, and rips up his criminal identification, becoming a fugitive.

Valjean reinvents himself as Monsieur Madeleine and becomes the owner of a factory, as well as the mayor of the town of Montfermeil. One of the female workers, Fantine, is discovered by her co-workers to have a sick and illegitimate child living with an innkeeper and his wife. Valjean breaks up the melee between the women and despite his call for patience, the foreman summarily fires Fantine. To pay for her daughter's needs, Fantine sells her locket, her teeth, her hair, and her virtue. Valjean recognizes her on the street and realizes his role in her anguish. He takes her to a hospital, where he promises to look after her daughter, just before Fantine dies. Javert, who has been looking for Valjean after learning he was a fugitive from the law finds him and swears to bring Valjean back to justice. Valjean escapes once again and runs to find Fantine's daughter.

Cosette has been living with the corrupt innkeeper Thénardier, his wife, and their daughter Eponine. Abused and neglected, Cosette dreams of a "Castle on a Cloud" where life is not so harsh. She is found while fetching water by Valjean, who pays the opportunistic innkeeper for her release. Eleven years later, Valjean and Cosette are living in Paris. While donating alms in the narrow streets, Cosette meets Marius, a young student involved in the political uprisings of the time. The two fall in love instantly. Marius is friends with a band of other political activists, most notably the group's leader Enjolras. Marius is also friends with Thénardier's daughter Eponine, who is in love with Marius. Eponine helps Marius find and meet with Cosette. Valjean intercepts a letter from Marius to Cosette that was being delivered by Eponine and believes it signals that his past is catching up to him. He decides that he and Cosette should leave the city immediately. Before leaving, however, Valjean decides to find Marius and his band of friends at the barricade they built to keep out the army soldiers. Just before Valjean's arrival, Eponine returns to the barricade to let Marius know she delivered his letter, but is shot on her return and dies. Javert, pretending to help the students, is exposed to be a spy by the urchin Gavroche. Javert is given over to Valjean, who lets Javert go, saying that all their debts have been paid. After Javert departs, Valjean prays for Marius' safety ("Bring Him Home"), before the barricade is attacked.

Marius is shot but pulled to safety into the sewers of Paris by Valjean as the barricade falls and all the students and their allies are killed. Javert finds Valjean and, unable to bear his foe's forgiveness, jumps to his death from a bridge. As Valjean passes out from exhaustion, Thénardier appears, looting the bodies of those who tried to find refuge under the city. He takes Marius' ring and watch, only to be surprised and bolt upon recognizing the revived Valjean.

Although devastated by the loss of his friends, Marius recovers with the help of Cosette. Before Cosette and Marius' wedding, an ailing Valjean tells Marius of his past and identity and entreats Marius not to tell Cosette to spare her any shame. Marius agrees, but at the wedding, the Thénardiers arrive to tell Marius that his now father-in-law is a murderer, showing him the ring that Thénardier unknowingly took off Marius' finger. Realizing it was Valjean who saved his life, Marius and Cosette rush to find Valjean. Valjean, old and ill, blesses the couple and gives Cosette a letter detailing her story and that of her mother. As the ghost of Fantine appears, she, Eponine, and the entire cast of students and workers sing and welcome Valjean to everlasting life beyond death.

So much of the atmosphere of this production is achieved not only by the sets, which move and rotate to show narrow streets and buildings as well as come together to represent the barricade, but also by the images projected in the background. These moody, sometimes abstract illustrations are in fact projections of Hugo's own drawings, which he created between 1848 and 1851. Set and image designer Matt Kinley took these images and used them to create projections that move and create the illusion of depth and distance. This is especially striking in the sewer scene in which the caverns seem to twist and meander for miles. Creative projections also effectively suggest Javert's jump and descent into the turbulent waters below and into the maelstrom of his own broken psyche.

Enough cannot be praised about the entire cast and their cohesiveness and dedication to storytelling. Almost every cast member has a solo requiring them to sing out with authority (not simply "belt out" notes, but rather to sing with conviction). This could be a simple line, such as a worker's aside comment ("in a bed"), or more impassioned fragments uttered by the various students. As singular as each solo moment may be, there is never a time when any individual voice is overpowering in ensemble scenes. This cohesion is remarkable given the sheer number of supporting roles and stories on stage at any given time.

Nick Cartell shows great stamina as Valjean. His voice is clear, powerful, and remains strong and passionate for the entire three hours of the show. His second Act solo, "Bring Him Home," is heartfelt and fervent. His vocal control and strength while singing in such a high register is as moving as the prayer itself.

Much the same can be said of Hayden Tee in the role of Javert. He embodies and gives voice to a character that will neither "falter nor fall" regarding his convictions. His strength and singlemindedness through the years in his pursuit not only of Valjean, but of the rule of law and justice are on full display in Act One's "Stars," as is his inability to face a world that is not as definite as his principles in Act 2's "Soliloquy." Mr. Tee's voice fills the theater with force and certainty, even as Javert realizes he is living in a "world that cannot hold."

Enjolras, played by Christian Mark Gibbs, embodies the societal changes as the leader of the student revolutionaries, and rallies the rebels with charisma and confidence. Mr. Gibb's voice is perhaps the most powerful of the entire cast, blending power, warmth, compassion, and dignity to bring a fully actualized personage to the stage. His rallying cry "Red and Black" and the anthem "Do You Hear the People Sing?" make the audience members themselves willing to fight by his side.

The Thénardiers, played by Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem, serve as comic relief to the otherwise serious and at times heavy tone of the show. Their song "Master of the House" is raucous and boisterous, but there is no doubt that they are true villains. Each demonstrates great comedic prowess in their unscrupulousness, but with razor sharp ability to seize any opportunity to deceive or swindle. Ms. Huston-Elem plays Mme. Thénardier as every bit her husband's equal, and steals the best laughs for herself in each scene she is in.

Jaedynn Latter plays Eponine, the innkeeper's daughter. Ms. Latter has a crystal-clear voice and steals the show with her heartbreaking song of unrequited love, "On My Own." She infuses the abused streetwise girl with humanity, hope and longing, and has the audience reeling as she slips away singing "A Little Fall of Rain." So compelling is Ms. Latter, that even Fantine's plaintive and iconic Act 1 song, "I Dreamed a Dream" (performed beautifully by Lindsay Heather Pearce), seems less emotionally resonant.

Two smaller roles that deserve mention are Randy Jetter as the Bishop of Digne and Cree Silver-Corley in the role of Gavroche. Mr. Jetter sets the tone of the show and introduces the concepts of forgiveness and redemption as he gifts the candlesticks to Valjean. His voice is warm and rich, and his role is played with a subtlety that exemplifies that one's true worth is based on one's actions and not on their possessions. Mr. Silver-Corley commands the stage as the resourceful and wise-beyond-his-years street urchin who stands up to Javert. Mr. Silver-Corley's stage presence hopefully foreshadows a brilliant future in the theatre.

Les Misérables has been part of the musical cannon for more than 45 years and still has the power to move audiences and inspire new adaptations. This is a production that is not to be missed.

Les Misérables runs through April 19, 2026, at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine Street, Seattle WA. For tickets and information, please visit STGPresents.org or the box office in person at 911 Pine Street in Downtown Seattle (Monday - Friday, 10am to 6pm). Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by emailing Groups@BroadwayAtTheParamount.com or calling 206-701-8383.