(OUTscene NW) RE-view: Balagan's Les Miz is a Labor of Love!

Hobson as Valjean / Photo Credit: Jeff Carpenter

by MK Scott

Les Misérables, the musical based on the novel of the same name by French poet and playwright Victor Hugo, was the first show I covered, back in 1991, when it was on its first National Tour. I was producing and hosting a Public Access show in Portland, and did an entire special on this iconic show. I attended the show and loved every moment of it. I saw it again in 2000 when it played at Seattle's 5th Avenue theater and then of course the movie was spectacular.

This Time I saw a more down-sized version this past weekend at  Capitol Hill's Erickson Theatre in Seattle, produced by the folks at Balagan Theatre (Yes, the folks that knew of the talent of Jerick Hoffer, before the rest of us fell in love the talents of Jinkx Monsoon).

If you felt the emotion and the power from the Movie version, you will no doubt be moved by all the action from a few feet away.

Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean (Louis Hobson), a burly French peasant of abnormal strength and potentially violent nature, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister's child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him to, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert (Michael Dunlap). Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.

 Archer as Fantine / Photo Credit: Jeff Carpenter 

Some of the best moments are during the Ballads that showcase the emotions of each character. Some of the standouts are Fantine's (Tessa Archer) I Dreamed a Dream, Little Cosette's (Anna Ostrem) Castle on a cloud, Javert's (Dunlap) Stars, Éponine  (Danielle Barnum) On my own, and Valjean's (Hobson) Bring Him Home. 

There were a few moments in Act One, that people were still talking about during intermission that appeared in the most serious scene of Fantine forced to work as a whore to survive. What was genius was how that added some humor and Camp to it. Various couples in various compromising positions as well a Man whore in drag (Bo Mellinger). Something later regarding blood got the best shock value.

 Scherzer as Thenardier / Photo Credit: Jeff Carpenter 

As usual, the Thénardiers (Robert Scherzer and Rebecca M. Davis) stole the show with their mischievous exploits and the Campy, Master of the House.

Heath Saunders (Enjolrus) was a Knock Out!

Louis Hobson (ValJean) is a Total Pro and those years on Broadway showed, as he performed the symbolic, Bring Him Home and Do you hear the People Sing? 

Ahren Buhmann's set was downsized, but not cheapened and worked well. Jake Groshong's direction outstanding.  (Groshong is Balagan's Founder and Director, while Hobson is the New Artistic Director and this labor of Love clearly showed with the final product)

 Giebler and Hodgins (Marius and Cosette) / Photo Credit: Jeff Carpenter 

My only complaint was I was unimpressed with a few casting choices such as  as the Older Cosette (Shaye Hodgins). I was truly rooting  for Éponine and Marius (Brian Giebler) , because of  their chemistry, and the lack of Chemistry of  Hodgins and Giebler.

Also I was expecting Former Pride Idol, Ryan McCabe, to have a bigger role and even a solo.

Overall, it was a great achievement and it shows that Balagan's star is rising and the upcoming move to the Moore Theater is only the icing on the cake!

 Les Misérables continues thru September 28th! Click Here for Tickets!