As I entered the school on a frigid November night, I carried with me only three things. A pen, paper, and zero expectations. I’ll admit I had never actually been to a school play before going to see Les Misérables on closing night. But after walking out, I can confidently say that the goalpost has been set miles above what I was expecting. The theater company’s rendition of the 1978 French musical was phenomenal in every aspect and had me more engaged than I ever thought I’d be. From the acting to the singing to the music to the set design, it was an absolutely fantastic watch.
To say I was stunned by the actors’ performances would be an understatement. Seriously, I never knew my fellow classmates could act that well. Each lead was perfect for their role, and they did such a great job with their solos. Hudson Price made for such a good antagonist as Javert, coming to a head in his solo in “Javert’s Suicide”. The trio between Cosette, Marius, and Éponine during “A Heart Full of Love” was so emotional, and Éponine’s death even more so. Jack Knudsen and Amelia Hardy as the Thenardiers felt so sleazy and trashy in the best way possible, and I especially loved the mannerisms Jack gave Monsieur Thénardier. “I just did it, and I feel like it came naturally. But a lot of people said it reminded them of Captain Jack Sparrow. I just did what felt right and apparently what felt right was Captain Jack Sparrow” he said. When Gabe Martin as Gavroche came out on stage, I was surprised to see an actual child performing, but he matched perfectly with the cast, especially with Owen Jefferies as the revolutionary Enjolras. Last but not least, Landon Yergensen made for the perfect protagonist as Jean Valjean. “Who Am I?” and “Bring Him Home” were some of the most stand out songs of the performance, and really sold to me that Landon was perfect as Valjean. That, of course, is without mentioning the ensemble, who were fantastic in their own right. “Lovely Ladies”, “Drink With Me”, and “Do You Hear the People Sing?” were some of my favorite songs of the play. “I was scared to perform this show but I was also so confident and excited to get to make this show a product all who were involved would be proud of” says Ashlinn Barbe, who played in the ensemble. All-in-all, the casting in this play was amazing, and every single actor was phenomenal in their roles.
One thing that really stood out to me was the set design. The background of the performance was a beautiful cathedral scene in a town square, with functional doors and balconies which blew my mind (I’ve never been to a play before, give me a break). As well, the bridge that Javert leaps from was one of my favorite parts of the play. It was so convincing and (appeared to be) fully functional, and I was thinking to myself the entire time “How did they manage to build that?” The barricade as well was super impressive. It felt so rickety and unsafe, which really sold the idea that this was a group of ragtag revolutionaries, and not an actual army. Whether or not that rickety-ness was on purpose I’m not sure, but it sure added to the thrill!
My first experience with a school play was not one I expected to remember so fondly. But I was blown away by the performance. Seeing my classmates so convincingly play their roles was amazing to see, and the entire time I was so interested in how the set was designed so well. Seeing Les Miserables live was definitely one of the peaks of my senior year so far, and I know for certain that I’m showing up for every play I can this year.
