Les Miserables by Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg, is arguably the greatest musical ever created, and the powerful, moving, new production brings much needed theatrical life back to Broadway. Strongly but sensitively directed (John Caird and Trevor Nunn), brilliantly designed (John Napier) and lighted (David Hersey -- I've never seen better lighting in a theater in my life) by the originals, it has breathtaking moments of theatrical grandeur mixed with the gripping plot of the story of the pursued Jean Valjean. Playing him is Alexander Gemignani in a Brian Dennehy mold. Gemignani's voice swoops high, low, huge, whispering, soars.
There are unforgettable visual images, and a chorus of Broadway singers who inspired me and stirred my revolutionary soul. Except for one embarrassingly inept performer with a whispery, wavery voice: Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine (I cringed at her death scene), the cast is first rate -- wonderful singers, fine actors, especially Celia Keenan-Bolger as Eponine, Aaron Lazar as the revolutionary leader, Adam Jacobs as the romantic lead, Gary Beach and Jenny Galloway as the comic relief, and Norm Lewis as Javert.
Injustice, love, a revolution -- all the parts, technical and performance-wise fit in this magnificent show, which has everything one could hope for in a theatrical experience. Long may it wave!
