Steal the Loaf, Steal the Loaf of Breeeaaad

Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean in the Les Misérables national tour. Photo credit: Matthew Murphy.

A review of Les Misérables

by Meika Olson, age 17

When was the last time you had a loaf of bread? Would that bread have been worth 19 years of slave labor, followed by a lifetime on the run from a ponytailed Frenchman named Javert?

The Les Misérables national tour follows the life of Jean Valjean, a convict being punished for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family members, who eventually escapes his parole and begins to form a new life for himself. The role of Valjean, portrayed by Nick Cartell, requires incredible vocal and acting stamina, and Cartell delivered with ease. And after over 1,500 performances with Les Misérables, his deftness with handling this challenging role is hardly a surprise.

Cartell shares the stage with a remarkable group of actors. Lindsay Heather Pearce as Fantine delivered an indescribably heartbreaking "I Dreamed A Dream," Jaedynn Latter brought her audience to tears with her powerful delivery of "On My Own," and Peter Nereuther and Alexa Lopez were incredibly easy to root for with their delightful portrayals of Marius and Cosette.

But it wasn’t just the older actors that delivered - some of the most standout performances of the show came from its tiny stars: Rocco Van Auken as Gavroche and Lillian Alice Castner as Little Cosette. With their strong voices and overall presence, these young children commanded the stage more than many actors twice their age could. And all this isn’t even mentioning the amazing ensemble of the show; their harmonies, especially in the showstopping number "One Day More," were absolutely jawdropping, and they caught my eye with their background bits more times than I could count.

The story of Les Misérables might be hard to follow for those unfamiliar with the plot of the show, but the gorgeous set, costume, and lighting design will certainly help you out. The set, designed by Matt Kinley, was stunning, with large pieces moving on and off the stage and extremely intricate details. Normally, I am not at all a fan of using projections in set design. To me they usually look tacky or out of place within the world of a show. However, I almost didn’t notice the projections used in this show at all - the other impressive set design took up more of the audience’s focus. I thought that the use of them was very intentional, and in the few scenes in which they were most noticeable, helped tell the story in a way that I feel projections rarely do.

All in all, I highly recommend seeing this cast of the Les Misérables national tour while you have the chance! It was altogether an exceptional production.

See more national tours and more at the Marcus Performing Arts Center!