When I first heard that St. James Players was bringing Les Misérables to the Peterborough stage, I’ll admit that I couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical. Was this too ambitious for this city? Does Peterborough have what it takes to put on a production as gigantic in scope as Les Misérables?
As anticipation of the show grew closer, and learning of the pool of talent that was involved in bring Victor Hugo’s story to life, my doubts started to diminish — but I was still curious to see if directors Brian MacDonald and Rachel Bemrose could pull this off.
Well, skepticism be damned. Not only did Brian and Rachel pull this off, but they have set the bar that every musical in Peterborough will have to measure up to from now on.
Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Misérables first made its debut as a musical on the Paris stage in 1980. A most unlikely premise for a musical, the show has been performed throughout the world ever since and has become one of the most revered stage musicals in modern theatre.
A multi-layered story with numerous colourful characters, the bulk of the show takes place a few years after France’s July Revolution, which put the “Citizen King” Louis Philippe back on the throne.
The story revolves around the rivalry between the show’s hero Jean Valjean, a gentleman fugitive of high moral standing, and its antagonist Javert, the police inspector that has sworn to capture him. Both are good men, but while Valjean does what he has to do in order to make things right in the world, Javert sees the world in black and white terms of law and order.
Meanwhile, with a student rebellion as its backdrop, the show has a secondary story concerning the love triangle between Cosette (Jean Valjean’s adopted daughter), Marius (a student rebel with romantic ideals), and Eponine (the streetwise daughter of a Parisian criminal named Thenardier). The two plots are interwoven in a story filled with love, suffering, heartache, death, and tragedy — and one that questions the moral compass of man.
A production of Les Misérables can only be successful by having powerful performers in the roles of Jean Valjean and Javert, and St. James Players succeeds by having Paul Crough and Geoff Bemrose bring these two iconic characters to life.
Paul Crough brings out the passion and the humanity of Jean Valjean in each and every moment he is on stage. From his show-stopping soliloquy “Who Am I” to the heart-wrenching ballad “Bring Him Home”, Crough’s spellbinding performance ensures the success of the show.
Geoff Bemrose gives an equally stunning performance as Valjean’s rival Javert. A complex role, Javert is the aggressor of the show, but not necessarily a villain in the usual manner. An elitist with his own (albeit warped) sense of morals, Javert is a juggernaut with the law on his side. However, Bemrose brings out the human side of the character during his musical solo “Stars” in the first act. One of the most powerful moments of the show, Bemrose’s performance is so beautiful that it created a unique combination of goosebumps and tears — an incredible theatrical moment.
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Carl Christensen and Kate Suhr, in the roles of Marius and Cosette, perform beautifully together in “A Heart Full of Love”. Both are well cast, with Carl playing the romantic boy in love (despite the angry and bloody rebellion exploding around him) and Kate as the show’s ingénue.
Carl has a golden voice, as seen during his tragic second act solo “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”. Despite playing a key role in the show, Kate’s talents are tragically underutilized: Cosette never has a standout musical moment, denying the audience the kind of powerful musical performance by Kate that the Peterborough stage has come to love.
However, we do get Bronte Germain in the role of Eponine. Now, I admit I’m biased — not only is Eponine one of my favorite characters in literature, but like many people I’ve always felt that Marius picked the wrong woman. Bronte is an incredibly emotional singer — as I experienced in Dane Shumak’s production of The Last Five Years this past September — with a rare ability to bring raw anger and sadness into her singing without breaking the integrity of her performance.
The result is a moving experience when Bronte performs “On My Own”, as well as her dramatic duet with Carl Christensen, “A Little Fall of Rain”. Bronte’s performance made my heart melt, making me fall in love with her character all over again.
Ryan Hancock appears in a strong supporting performance as Enjolras, the leader of the student rebellion. Often shoved to the sidelines due to the drama being focused on the other characters, the role of Enjolras remains an important one as it’s key to the success of many of the most dramatic scenes in the production. Ryan has one of the best voices in Peterborough, as heard when he leads the cast in the jubilant “Do You Hear the People Sing?”.
Many of the production’s most dramatic moments are performed without a set, with only the stage curtain behind the actors. This creates a potentially awkward space that forces the actors to engage the audience with nothing but the power of their performance.
Fortunately this is achieved a number of times, but most importantly by Marsala Lukianchuk as Fantine during possibly the most famous number from the show, “I Dreamed a Dream”. Marsala’s performance is flawless, and the tragedy and hopelessness of her performance is felt by the entire audience.
Two of the most popular characters in Les Misérables are always the criminal Thenardier and his wife, Madame Thenardies.
Brian MacDonald and Kate Brioux brings this diabolical couple to larger than life glory in “Master of the House”. In a frightening performance, Brian is also able to turn the character on his head and bring out his disgusting and seedy side during “Dog Eats Dog”.
Finally, Les Misérables brings out two new young stars to the Peterborough stage.
In her stage debut, Kate Bemrose plays the key role of the young Cosette with a sense of bold assurance, giving a strong vocal performance with “Castle on a Cloud”. She’s a wonderful young performer, and I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of this talented young girl.
Newcomer Noah Abrahamse gives a playful performance of the cheeky gutter snipe Gavroche. While the performance I attended was plagued with sound issues, Noah wasn’t affected because the kid can project. He shines while on stage, knowing when to ham it up in the spotlight, but also knowing enough to tone it down when he has to slink into the background. The result is a delightful performance.
From the costumes to the set, from the music to the emotion, St. James Players production of Les Misérables is a triumph. By bringing together some of the most talented performers in Peterborough, directors Brian MacDonald and Rachel Bemorse have created a powerhouse of a company that never misses a note, never drops a line, and creates an emotional spectacle that theatre-goers are not going to forget anytime soon.
In terms of Peterborough theatre, the St. James Players production of Les Misérables is going to be one of those legendary productions that is talked about for years to come.
