By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
"Les Miserables" has returned to Chicago's Palace Theater for a run that will conclude on April 24. The venerable story continues to delight audiences with its scope and dramatic book. The cast for this resurrection of the show includes some of the best that have performed in it over the years — Randal Keith, whose voice displays a gigantic range as Jean Valjean; Chicagoan Robert Hunt as his pursuer, Inspector Javert; Tonya Dixon as Fantine; and Melissa Lyon as Eponine — among other members of the huge cast — 31 at any given performance.
Based on the book by Victor Huge, the plot deals with a violent period in French history. Though the story concerns the life of Valjean, his experiences through the aftermath of the Napoleonic era through the abortive revolution of 1848, it is basically the biography of a fugitive and con artist who gets religion and who ultimately goes about doing good deeds and supporting worthwhile causes.
The music by Claude-Michel Schoenberg is stirring though not ultimately memorable, but over the years, as the show has been fine-tuned, it fills the needs of the plot and adapts to the story line quite adequately. "Les Miz" has the feeling of contemporary opera — there's very little dialogue. And, as opera, it works. Though the show runs more than 2 1/2 hours including only one intermission, time seems to fly by. The choral work is good, the orchestrations tried and true. There's something for everyone — a love story, action, excitement, a small battle — it's definitely something to recommend and to enjoy.
The statistics on the show are remarkable in themselves. The show has been playing for 20 years. It has been seen in 38 countries and in 23 languages including Chinese. There are currently five productions playing around the world and "Les Miz" has been seen by an estimated 51 million people. If you're not one of them, it would be a pity to miss this experience.
Matinees are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays and the theater is dark on Monday. Tickets range from $27 to $80 and are available at all Broadway in Chicago Box Offices, at TicketMaster and Carson Pirie stores. For a bargain, try the Hot Tix booth. |
