On Tuesday, Feb. 18, during Popejoy Hall’s opening night of the Broadway musical “Les Misérables,” performers took audience members back to the era of the French Revolution through a mix of theatrics, operatic singing and elaborate stage design.
The Broadway cast performed for a crowd of nearly 3,000 people. The show was performed every day at Popejoy Hall through Sunday, Feb. 23.
Beginning with prison labor and prostitution, “Les Misérables” unfolds into a love story between an orphaned girl and a student who takes part in a bloody rebellion — the rebellion that inspired French author Victor Hugo’s original novel published in 1862, according to TheCollector.
The story of “Les Misérables” has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history and has traveled to theaters across the globe, according to a Popejoy press release.
“Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries, 438 cities and 22 languages, ‘Les Misérables’ is undisputedly still one of the world’s most popular musicals,” the press release reads.
“Les Misérables” is set during the unsuccessful 1832 June Rebellion, which erupted after the death of widely supported army commander Jean Maximilien Lamarque. Students opposing the monarchy staged a rebellion, during which they built a barricade in the streets and took up arms, according to the program booklet.
The revolution was brought to life when the cast sang “Do You Hear The People Sing,” followed by the sound of fake gunshots echoing throughout the theater as performers ran around the stage with fake rifles. Actors playing the student rebels climbed a large backlit barricade as fake smoke filled the stage.
In history and depicted on stage, the rebellion failed and most everyone at the barricade was killed by the French army, led by King Louis-Philippe. Actors depicted the sudden ending to the rebellion by collapsing on the set.
Romance simultaneously occurs in the midst of the rebellion.
The Thénardiers are a greedy couple, played by Kyle Adams and Victoria Huston-Elem, who run a shady inn and take advantage of their guests. Adams’ and Huston-Elem’s portrayal of the Thénadiers was comical and energetic throughout the show.
Two leading female characters, Cosette and Èponine, are under the care of the Thénardiers as children, played by Greta Schafer and Emerson May Chan, respectively.
Cosette, whose mother dies from illness after being forced into prostitution, is abused and neglected by the Thénardiers, who are Èponine's parents.
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Cosette is rescued by leading protagonist Jean Valjean, played by Nick Cartell. She and Èponine, who are now played by Delaney Guyer and Mikako Martin, grow up to have a shared love interest, Marius, a student rebel played by Jeremiah Alsop. Maruis is ultimately Cosette’s lover.
Alisha Fitzgerald, program coordinator at the UNM Center for Regional Studies, attended the show on opening night and said she likes how “Les Misérables” is a story of “mercy and grace.”
“I love the way somebody impacted John Valjean’s life, and he remembered that, he took it to heart and he turned his life around for the better and made an impact on other people's lives,” she said.
Fitzgerald also compared the two love interests of the story.
“The love story between Marius and Cosette, that was fine, but what really stood out was Èponine,” Fitzgerald said. “She loved (Marius) so much that she would help him with his relationship with Cosette — that was true love.”
Fitzgerald said that in terms of production, Popejoy's showing was better than what she remembers when she previously saw the show on Broadway.
“It would be hard to believe that a production on Broadway would be any better than this one that I saw at Popejoy,” she said.
Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88
Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
