THEATRE REVIEW

MARCH 2026 | Volume 261

 

This is my 5th review of Les Mis since Vancouverplays was established in 2004. And I might as well just repeat what I’ve said in those other reviews, with the names changed, because in every case the result has been marvelous, spectacular, transcendent, or words to that effect.

I am a huge, unapologetic fan of the show, and have listened to the original Broadway soundtrack MANY times. It’s just so much more serious a musical than most, with both Jean Valjean and his nemesis, Captain Javert, profoundly interesting characters (although I’ve always found Javert’s suicide near the end insufficiently motivated). There are great women—Fantine, Cosette, Éponine—and even kids (young Cosette, Gavroche), the stirring subplot and choral numbers of the revolutionary students, and the excellent dark comic relief of tavernmaster Thénardier and his wife. And the miseen scène is special. It’s always a great-looking show, including the gasp-inducing barricades.

But what sets Les Mis apart from almost every other musical is the quality of the musical score and its multitude of powerful, moving songs: “At the End of the Day,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Who Am I?” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” “In My Life,” “One Day More,” “On My Own,” and the absolutely heartrending “Bring Him Home.” And the thing is, these songs and the music require brilliant voices. They can’t be faked.

So, what about the current Broadway Across Canada tour, the 3rd of these Les Mis tours I’ve reviewed (the other two productions were the Arts Club’s record-breaking runs in 2009 and 2015). It’s simply splendid.

Nick Cartell has performed Valjean over 1600 times and he still blows the roof off when he’s not breaking your heart with his sweet, soft falsetto. Maori Hayden Tee might be the best Javert I’ve seen. Lindsay Heather Pearce (Fantine) and Jaedynn Latter (Éponine) have beautiful voices. But I particularly loved Alexa Lopez’s operatic soprano as Cosette.

All the featured men are terrific, especially big-voiced Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolas, the leader of the student rebels. Peter Neureuther’s Marius grew on me. And Matt Crowle’s loose-limbed Thénardier is a despicable riot, with lots of comic business I haven’t seen before. Victoria Huston-Elem as Madame T. keeps up with him.

The production also looks great. Dramatic lighting, a zillion period costumes, and especially the set and image design by Matt Kinley are so impressive. I lost track of how many large set pieces quickly, unobtrusively slide on and off the stage (credit directors Laurence Connor and James Powell), and the shifting images on the back screen are beautifully moody and often spookily realistic.

In short, if you’ve never seen Les Misérables, go see this one. If you’ve seen it before, once or four times, you can see it again and it won’t disappoint.

 

 

 

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