UK Opera’s ‘Les Mis’ is truly spectacular
October 14, 2013
By Anne Halliwell
The student preview of the UK Opera Theater’s production of Les Miserables was a fantastic gateway into the world of the opera for established fans of musical theater.
The show runs about 3 hours, and is chock-full of accomplished musicians and incredible staging.
It mixes some traditional Broadway-esque vocals with more operatic voices, and does so in a way that retains the best of both.
The set was expansive and well-utilized, but did take some maneuvering to get into place, which occasionally broke up the flow from scene to scene.
That is hardly a problem, though, given the on- and off-stage talent.
The lead roles are each played by two different actors or actresses that alternate nights.
Wednesday night’s performance featured the “Black” cast (the alternative being the “Red” cast) in a clever reference to one of the show’s musical numbers.
The cast’s vocal ability was beyond obvious— the ensemble performance was every bit as strong as that of the leads.
In such a strong cast, choosing standout performances is difficult, but a few student actors deserve commendation for their accomplishments Wednesday night.
Jacob Waid’s portrayal of Inspector Javert was less constrained than I had expected, but his higher range soared in Javert’s solo numbers.
Holly Nicole Dodson also brought her powerful lower range to the tragically friend-zoned Eponine.
Philip Eschweiler as Enjolras and Ryan Traub as Marius hit their respective strides in the second act with impressive vocals as well as strong emotional appeal.
Evan Pulliam’s Thenardier alternately japed and threatened his way through the story, displaying Pulliam’s solid comedic timing and expressiveness.
And, of course, Matthew Allen Brown’s interpretation of Jean Valjean was pretty close to flawless.
Brown not only showcased his incredible voice, but his acting ability.
He was utterly believable as a bitter ex-convict, a conflicted man on the run and a loving father.
The musical pacing took a little time to settle. However, once it did, the orchestra and the singers were so consistently good that the audience may have grown complacent.
When the entire cast teams up in group numbers to knock it out of the park, we are abruptly reminded what a truly spectacular show the UK Opera Theater has put together.