WASHINGTON — Did you know “Les Miserables” made its U.S. debut in Washington D. C.?
First published in 1862, Victor Hugo’s epic tale of revolution underwent a century of evolution, from a pop-opera recording to a 1980 stage show in Paris, from a 1985 musical at London’s Royal Shakespeare Company to an American debut at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 20, 1986.
Next week, after decades of stage productions and an acclaimed movie, the national tour of “Les Miserables” returns to the nation’s capital at the National Theatre from Dec. 20-Jan. 7.
“There’s a ton of history in that city for us,” actor Nick Cartell told WTOP. “I am so excited to get to National Theatre. I know that the entire company is so excited to be in D.C., especially over the holidays. To play such a beautiful, historic theater, it’s one of those bucket lists.”
Set in the 19th century during the French Revolution, the story follows peasant Jean Valjean (Cartell), who breaks parole after 19 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s child. Living under the new identity of Monsieur Madeleine, Valjean cares for poor factory worker Fantine (Melissa Mitchell) while being pursued by police inspector Javert (Josh Davis).
“It is my first time stepping into this role and I am having a blast,” Cartell said. “The most rewarding part [is] getting to play a character that spans a lifetime, getting out of prison after 19 years, rediscovering who he is as a person, finding out that he still has a life and a soul. He wants to create a better world and do good even after everything that he’s gone through.”
Featuring music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, French lyrics by Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel and English translations by Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton, the songbook includes the iconic “I Dreamed A Dream,”“On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home” and “One Day More.”
“These classic songs have not only been in the show but have been recorded by artists across the world,” Cartell said. “The show has stood the test of time because of the music. People connect with this score because they’ve heard of the songs. They may have never seen the show, but they’ve heard the song somewhere. They’re like, ‘Oh, that’s where this is from!'”
While many stage musicals feature spoken-dialogue scenes between their lavish musical numbers, “Les Miserables” is uniquely sing-sung throughout its entire three-hour production.
“This show really is sung throughout the whole time, but you kind of forget that it’s being sung at you,” Cartell said. “You get lost in these stories, you get lost in these characters and you walk away like, ‘What did I just see?’ It really just sucks you in and gives the show a drive and an energy that you connect with and pushes you through that three hours. It’s pretty fast.”
Backing the songs are period visuals from Cameron Mackintosh’s 2014 Broadway revival.
“We took the entire Broadway set with us,” Cartell said. “We’ve done away with the turntable, but our amazing set designer discovered [that] Victor Hugo was a prolific painter. He did beautiful sketches, so they’ve taken those original art pieces and made them into projections … There’s a moment at the end of Act 1 where we’re singing ‘One Day More,’ marching the streets of Paris and the projection is moving behind us! You feel like you’re marching with us.”
Such moments drive home the theme of class struggle during the French Revolution.
“At that time, there was a lot of unrest in Paris,” Cartell said. “You had a definite difference in class between the poor and the upper society. You had the poor fighting for a better chance at life, for a better world. You also had students that saw this class system and wanted to break down barriers and stand up for what they believe in. There’s this current of change that really creates some epic moments, including the barricade scene with a huge battle.”
Like the best shows, this theme remains super relevant as a modern, social commentary.
“Today there are a lot of people in our world that fight everyday — for a chance to speak, for a better world, or to just be heard,” Cartell said. “Our show echoes today like it echoed when it premiered 33 years ago. That’s why people keep coming back to see ‘Les Miz.'”
Indeed, the National Theatre estimates that “Les Miz” has been seen by more than 70 million people in 44 countries and 22 languages, breaking box office records around the world.
“There are audiences that saw the show when it premiered 33 years ago and now they’re bringing their children to see it,” Cartell said. “Years ago, they connected with a different character, maybe Marius or Cosette, but now they connect with Fontine, Valjean and Javert because they’re adults. It’s interesting to not only expose the show to audiences who’ve seen it before, but also exposing it to a whole new set of audiences who have never seen ‘Les Miz.'”
Click here for more details on “Les Miz.” Listen to our full conversation with Nick Cartell below:
