Putting its own Signature on Les Miz
Damn their warnings, damn their lies. Signature Theater has proven that it doesn't take a turntable stage and a National Tour to produce a dazzling and, more importantly, individualized production of one of the theater's most beloved musicals, Les Miserables.
The company is only the second theater to stage a regional production of the ubiquitous musical, now that the rights are available for more than just a touring show to grace local stages. And director Eric Schaeffer has made this show his own, with bloodier battles, breathtaking lighting courtesy of Mark Lanks, and a much more intimate relationship with the audience, who are right on top of these anguished and triumphant performers.
It's clear from the beginning that this is no retread. Dingy costumes and shadowy makeup make this the ugliest set of poor French souls "one day nearer to dying." Ominous hanging chairs will immediately put any audience familiar with the show in a mindset of the terrible sacrifice of the revolutionaries, and the props are cleverly worked into the opening scene, set in a jail. The choreography almost seems to thrust the chorus into the audience, having us confront the emotions on their faces in a much more direct fashion than we're accustomed.
Signature's production makes a conscious attempt to get away from the iconic images of the Broadway production, whether it be the often-parodied pacing and flag waving of the soldiers in "One Day More", the way the rotating set parades the bodies of the dead students before the audience, or Javert's plummet to his death. The restaging of Javert's suicide is particularly jolting in this production, particularly when set placement initially hints that Schaeffer will take an approach similar to Broadway's. Only one change - a slow motion, choreographed fight scene at the end of Act One - feels like a misstep.
The marquee players in the cast, with Greg Stone as Jean Valjean and Tom Zemon as Javert, have both done these roles in New York before, and their presence gives cause to wonder what the show would have been like had a pair of local actors been given those opportunities. Regardless, both are wonderful, with Stone putting a more contemplative spin on the reformed convict and Zemon as a palpably bitter, sneering adversary whose "Stars" is a vocal highlight.
Still, there are plenty of opportunities for the D.C. principals to shine, with Felicia Curry offering a devastating, powerhouse take on the lovesick Eponine (she cries heartfelt tears almost throughout her dying duet, "A Little Fall Of Rain") and Christopher Bloch perfectly and in hindsight, almost inevitably cast as the devilish Thenardier, boorishly dancing his way through the crowd-pleasing "Master of the House". Some actors coax more impressive than usual performances out of overlooked characters; Stephanie Waters is a much more defiant Cossette than the vacuous ingenue usually seems, and Chris Sizemore's Enjolras has no air of forced nobility to him. The child actors here playing the street urchin Gavroche and little Cosette have been cast very young, and while both are strong singers, their lack of self-awareness makes it a bit more difficult than usual to connect with the characters they play.
When you've seen a musical many, many times (in this case, 7), it's interesting to discover what resonates at different points in life. And while Les Miserables is undoubtedly a testament to the strength of the human spirit, this production seems to emphasize how high the stakes are for the young revolutionaries, and add a touch of cynicism to the futility of their quest. There's an eeriness there when Enjolras asks them, "Is this simply a game for rich young boys to play?" Maybe it's all those empty chairs hanging around.
Les Miserables runs through January 25 at Signature Theater. Tickets are available online.