Vive la Revolution

Matt Heistand Arizona Daily Wildcat Jean Valjean, played by Ivan Rutherford, promises the dying Fantine, played by Joan Almedilla, that he will take care of her daughter Cosette in the touring production of Les Miserables at Centennial Hall.

While people gripe and moan about how nothing interesting ever happens around here, within the course of a few weeks, Jason Alexander, Chris Rock and Tom Green have all appeared in town, and now, the show by which to judge all other shows has taken over the stage at Centennial Hall.

Les Miserables, the epic world-reknowned musical which has played to sold-out crowds for over 10 years now marks the highlight of this year's UApresents season, the most anticipated show to come to Tucson since Rent arrived last semester.

The scale of the multimillion dollar production alone is enough to leave the viewer in awe. Traveling along with the touring company is an extremely elaborate set, which included a computer-controlled rotating stage, a giant barricade and literally hundreds of period-authentic costumes and props.

"This particular set has been on Broadway, which is a little bit unusual," explained Bruce Granath, marketing director for Magicworks West, the company that is presenting the show along with UApresents. "The reason was that for the 10th anniversary, they wanted to retool the Broadway production. It had been running for 10 years on Broadway and they wanted to make sure they weren't taking it for granted - it still sells out, 10 years after it opened. So they basically fired all the actors and reauditioned them, hired lots of them back, hired some new ones, went through every piece of the set, every costume ... it was as if they were opening a show for the very first day.

"Because that took so much work, basically the show that was on Broadway went off for six weeks and this one came in. So, this exact show was on Broadway."

Granath stressed that the production that audiences see around the country is no different from what one would see on Broadway or in London.

"The most spectacular piece of scenery in the whole show is the barricade," he said Tuesday, leading the way around backstage as dozens of people moved around with practiced skill, setting up for the show, which was to open that night. "On the turntable there's train tracks, that are like a crossroads. (The barricade) comes together on the train track. At one point in the show, it looks like a part of the city where you're walking through an alley, and then it comes together and rotates and it becomes a barricaded street where the students are fighting. The thing weighs many tons, and it's really remarkable to see; it's even more remarkable that it can travel from city to city."

Matt Heistand Arizona Daily Wildcat Jean Valjean (Ivan Rutherford) confesses his true identity to the court, revealing that he is prisoner 24601 to save an innocent man from going to prison in his place, in Tuesday nightâs production of Les Miserables.

And while the set, production and scale of the show are indeed remarkable, what is truly breathtaking is the score itself, a musical masterpiece that is stunning in both scope and emotion. The story focuses on Jean Valjean, a man on the run from the law, despite his inherent goodness and decency as a human being. Spanning over three decades in 19th century France, the tale expands to include the tragic student uprising in Paris as the endless chase between Valjean and his pursuer, Inspector Javert continues down the years.

It's a story that touches on the most basic of human emotions, experiences and needs: Love, loss, freedom, duty and the desire to be true to oneself.

The songs, written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Sch"nberg, are adapted from the French by Herbert Kretmer, with some additions by James Fenton. The range of the performers is staggering, and the contrast between the deep bass of Javert and the touching falsetto of Valjean is only one of the many intricately composed and moving aspects of a show which uses the human voice, both in chorus and alone as a key to transcendence.

It's something which everyone should have the good fortune to experience at some point in their life.

And for those who are interested in taking a more active role in the production, Granath informed that "They actually audition all over the country . . . It used to be you could not get in a show like this, unless you lived in New York, but now they hold auditions all over the place."

Audition announcements can be found in trade publications or on the show's official Web site (www.lesmis.com). The site is also a great source of information of the show itself, including everything from video and sound clips, to the story behind the show, which is based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, and the actual historical events behind it. You can purchase tickets, post messages on the bulletin board and even play a game where you build your own barricade to save Cosette, one the show's main characters.

As for life on the road, "It's like any job," said Granath. "The hardest thing is to get your foot in the door. But once you're touring with Les Mis, it's a very small world. If you do a good job, everybody knows how you're doing . . . The company that manages the show is Alan Wasser Associates. They also produce Phantom and Miss Saigon, so if you're on this show, they're literally within the same office. You can have opportunities within those shows, you can have opportunities for other Broadway tours."

Eric M. Jukelevics Arizona Daily Wildcat Head of wardrobe Annabell Seymour irons the costumes Tuesday for the opening of Les Miserables at Centennial Hall.

Don't expect to get much time at home, though. Robert D. Mammana, a UA graduate and member of the touring production of Les Miserables was unavailable for interview as he used his first few hours back in town to see the family he's been away from. Not that you can blame him. "They do get vacations," explained Granath, "but they're pretty much on the road 52 weeks a year with the show, coming in Tuesday, starting a new city - new opening night, new press, new building, new restaurants, new hotels . . . Sunday night they're done whenever the show's down, then Monday they travel . . . This time next week they'll be doing the same thing in Fort Worth."

Just imagine what that would be like for a little kid, too. Some of the children in the cast can be with the production for up to two years, or until they get too big to maintain their roles. "The youngest kids will be about seven," said Granath. "They have a tutor who stays in touch with their teacher . . . so each kid is doing the same curriculum according to where they would be at home."

Of course, most kids aren't on stage, much less awake at 11 o'clock almost every night, and most of them don't get to spend the entire year on a field trip.

Tickets are still available for the remaining shows at Centennial Hall, although as of this report, only single seats are left for tonight's show, and student-priced tickets are sold out for the remainder of the run.

Also, even if you already have a ticket, it's important to arrive on time. "The show starts at 7:30 sharp," stressed Granath. "As soon as the doors are closed, nobody can go in or out of the theater for the first 16 or 17 minutes. The story really develops and is explained at the beginning, and the producers don't allow anybody to go in, so if you're sitting in your seat, you're not disturbed by somebody walking in front of you . . . They're militant about it, because they want people who got there on time to have the best experience possible."

Remaining tickets for Les Miserables are $30 and $34, depending on location and can be purchased from the Centennial Hall box office. For ticket information, call 621-3341, or for more information on the show, call UApresents at 621-3364.