By Kevin Coughlin
Spectators at youth productions often remind themselves: Hey, they’re just kids.
At Friday’s opener of Les Misérables at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, that same reminder applied — but for different reasons.
These kids — ages 7 to 22– pulled off a polished, professional performance of a very demanding musical, a $100,000 production that is MPAC’s most ambitious youth venture since launching the annual spring series in 2013 with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Sixty cast members sang superbly, donned dozens of costumes and clambered onto massive sets with confidence…especially remarkable, considering their first full dress rehearsal was on Wednesday.
Standout performers included Ellie Baker (Fantine), Rachel Levy (Eponine) and Amanda Harris (Cosette); Branden Mangan (Enjolras), and spunky 9-year-old Pierson Salvador (Gavroche).
Amanda Fletcher and Kyle McLaughlin furnished comic relief as a deliciously conniving couple, the Thénardiers.
Fletcher, who starred in last year’s MPAC youth production of Hairspray, has some of the bawdiest lines in Les Mis, and she delivered them with zest on Friday. She is only a junior at Hanover Park High School; keep an eye on her career.
The 14-piece orchestra was guided capably by Kevin Lynch, and the sets, rented from a Vegas show, were impressive (if a bit noisy to wrangle behind the curtain).
But Les Mis revolves around two characters: Jean Valjean, struggling to redeem himself after 19 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread, and Javert, the letter-of-the-law police inspector who is determined to hunt him down.
This show cannot succeed without strong performers in these roles. Morristown’s production has them.
Andy Martinez, a local resident who is studying English at Rutgers, calls Javert his dream role, and he gives it everything he’s got. His Javert is rigid, obsessive, and uncaring, ideal qualities for a bad guy.
Jamie Westberry, as Jean Valjean, validates Director Cathy Roy’s decision to hire a pro for this crucial part, in what is otherwise a talented amateur cast.
An actor in New York for more than a decade, Westberry has appeared in From Broadway with Love on PBS and toured the country in The Producers, among other credits. He turns in a performance in Les Mis that blends muscle and heart. He’s got great pipes, too.
Scenes from ‘Les Miserables’ at MPAC. Please click icon below for captions.
So storm the barricades on South Street. Or rather, the box office. Les Mis has three more shows — two on Saturday and a matinee on Sunday.
And pity the theater.
It faces the daunting task of topping this production next year.
MORE ABOUT LES MIS AT THE MAYO
Les Misérables
Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown
Saturday, May 30, 2015, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 31, at 2 pm
Tickets: $20-$25
Call 973- 539-8008
These “student” productions are NOT TO BE MISSED! Les Mis was INCREDIBLY PRODUCED, PERFORMED AND PLAYED (i.e., the FABULOUS orchestra). Having seen it on Broadway and on PBS several times, we are justified in taking pride in OUR production, which packed the Mayo for four performances. Special kudos to all the parents who brought their children to see a PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL performance – and at such a reasonable cost! Whatever show is planned for next year, PLAN TO ATTEND!
You should be proud, indeed. Your son gave a memorable performance!
Thank you Kevin Coughlin, for the photos and the kind words that you wrote about “Les Miserables”. I thought everyone did a wonderful job. I am the proud mother of Jamie Westberry.