“Les Miserables” shows resilience of human nature… and CVHS talent

An audience on the verge of tears jumps out of their seats. A roaring applause echoes through the Center for the Arts and the grinning actors onstage take their bows. People are moved. Tears finally break as audiences grasp what they just witnessed. A beautiful show, brought to life with amazing vocals, gorgeous costuming, and a classic plot. “Les Miserables,”  the fall musical at CVHS, has officially opened.

“Les Miserables” covers the expansive story of Jean Valjean and a colorful cast of characters as they push through the trauma of 1800s France. Some rise above and others fall victim, but the show’s message is one of resilience in a time of ultimate suffering, and the strength of human nature when faced with adversity. The student performers gave their all to this performance. Junior Kennedy Quick, who plays the ill-fated Fantine, imbued the hardships of the time and the show into her jaw-dropping take on “I Dreamed a Dream.” 

From a technical perspective, the show boasts an expansive set that took weeks to build and complements the show nicely. One set piece becomes a seaside brothel, a musty tavern, a slimy sewer, and a lavish garden all within a matter of seconds. This impressive feat is accomplished by a committed stage crew and a tech team that proves to be the foundation of each show at CVHS. Faith Hudson has spearheaded the tech team for years now as the assistant stage manager.

“I learned a lot about being a leader in tech week,” Hudson said. “I became stronger at delegating tasks when there were too many pieces for me to do alone, and I strengthened my ability to lead while maintaining friendships.”

The show is rooted in its leading performances, and as a full singing show with no spoken lines, the roles were heavy, to say the least. Jean Valjean is brought to life by Gilbert Seidel wonderfully, his vocal abilities carry us through each scene of the show. Logan Yang takes a villainous turn as the vengeful policeman Javert, and does it amazingly. Longtime theater student Nora Layne (who plays Cosette brilliantly) commented on her success in the program and her final musical at CVHS. 

“‘Les Mis’ being my last musical performance made the pressure even higher,” Layne reflects. “Letting go of being a perfectionist and just embracing that emotional story at its core… that’s what got me to my personal best.”

Another big piece of the puzzle is the ensemble, which is one of strongest ones yet. The commitment to each individual role is palpable, and each ensemble based number is brimming with not only the emotion you’re meant to feel, but the underlying joy of a group number that really has a lot for the actors to work with. A standout number is the darkly funny “Lovely Ladies,” which takes place at a dockside brothel. The number is grim, funny, and extremely colorful, with truly gorgeous costuming outsourced for the show. 

“Les Miserables” was a big ask of the theater department and students, and something daunting that felt unreachable to some. After that opening weekend, however, one can confidently say that they did it. The show is better than ever, full of life and truly displaying the range of talents in the department from an acting perspective to a technical one. Prepare to be moved in one of the most striking accomplishments of the entire department’s history. The human nature is enduring, and it stays strong even in the hardest times. The show functions as a window to another time, but also a display of hope for parents and community members now. These talented performers will go into the real world and carry their success with them, and the future is bright for most of the bright young students involved with the CVHS drama program. 

“Improving our skills together is an experience like no other, and I’m extremely grateful for it. Without that support, I wouldn’t be the person or performer I am today,” said Layne, in closing for her final musical. One thing no audience can deny: graduating seniors are going out with a bang.

You can still catch “Les Miserables” at the Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 25, 26, and 27. Tickets at https://www.vbotickets.com/v5.0/event.asp?eid=139098&s=6189da7f-6a8f-437c-be0b-09903cd029ec.

All photos by author Mason Jordan.