Tony Award-winning Les Miserables comes to Blackwood with Mainstage Center for the Arts featuring young Galloway actor

Winner of eight Tony awards, including Best Musical, Les Miserables has wowed audiences throughout 42 countries with its powerful musical score and story. Since its world premiere in London, 1985, it’s become the world’s longest running musical. Now, local audiences have the opportunity to “Hear the People Sing” as Mainstage Center for the Arts presents Les Miserables, school edition, July 26 – August 2, Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theatre, Blackwood.

            Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Les Miserables is a sung-through musical, featuring well-known songs such as “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” and “Castle on a Cloud.” A cast of 72 actors from throughout southern New Jersey deliver the epic tale. Several of the lead roles are double-cast in this production, directed by Tom Weaver, of Cherry Hill with music direction by Jason Neri. That includes the role of Gavroche, a boy who lives on the streets of Paris and is the youngest to join in the student revolution. Evan Theoharris, nine, of Galloway, shares the role of Gavroche with Vincent Melara of Voorhees.

            “The student actors are unusually talented, both vocally and in their acting ability. I feel that we have an all-star cast from South Jersey – just a rare opportunity for audiences,” said Weaver. “And, Jason is delightful to work with as music director. He’s quick and precise; he’s the reason the show will be so good.”

            Set in early 19th-century France, Les Miserables follows the story of Jean Valjean (Dillon Evans of Medford Lakes and Sean Reilly of Medford), a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread to feed a starving child.  He is released from prison, breaks parole and eight years later is known as Monsieur Madeleine, a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Valjean walks in on a tussle in the factory and asks the foreman to take care of it. He does by firing Fantine (Asheley Heister of Atco and Elizabeth Seigel of Cherry Hill). Finding Fantine destitute, Valjean feels guilty and promises to care for her daughter, Cossette (Rachel Campbell of Deptford and Cambria Klein of Haddon Heights as young Cossette with Sarah Robbins of Gloucester Township and Sarah Kahn of Cherry Hill in the adult role). All of this time, Valjean is hunted relentlessly by the police inspector,  Javert (Zachary Fulcher of Medford and Dino Petaccio of Marlton). Years go by and Valjean is swept into a revolutionary group of young idealists who decide to make their last stand together.

   “I’m really enjoying Les Miserables. I love climbing up on the barricade and playing someone feisty, which is much different than me,” said Theoharris. “I also appreciate the opportunity to work with so many older students. I’m learning a lot by watching them and getting ideas for facial expressions and changing voices for emphasis.”

            Other characters/cast  members include: Enrolras (David Wible of Glassboro and Derek Cano of Bellmawr); Eponine (Meaghan Janis of Haddonfield and Kira Fisher of Medford), Marius (Max Hoffman of Cherry Hill and Blake Hina of Sewell); Madame Thernardier (Caitlin Riccardi of Gloucester Township and Sarah Sosland of Cherry Hill); Thernardier (Jacob deBlecourt and Ryan Berlin, both of Cherry Hill); and Eponine (Meaghan Janis of Haddonfield and Kira Fisher of Medford). Costume design is by Bethany Campbell of Deptford.

            Directing this production holds special significance for Weaver. His daughter, Erin, now grown and a professional actress, portrayed young Cossette/young Eponine in the first national tour of Les Miserables in 1990. His son, RJ played Jean Valjean in Cherry Hill East’s 2003 production, winning Papermill Playhouse’s Best Actor award for New Jersey high school students that year. And, this year, his wife, Anne Marie Weaver, is stage managing the show alongside him. Weaver called her “the glue” holding the production together.

            “Personally, Les Miserables has nothing but positive memories for me and my family. I saw it several times when Erin was performing in Philadelphia and I never grew tired of it. It’s beautifully written and passionate. I’m thrilled to be directing,” said Weaver.

            Les Miserables, sponsored by First Bank,  runs July 26, 7:30 p.m., July  27, 2 p.m., and  August 1 and 2, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18/adults and $15 children/senior citizens. For tickets, visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091.

            In addition to Les Miserables, the remainder of Mainstage’s summer season includes two Children’s Theatre Productions: Beauty and the Beast, Jr.; July 30-August 1; and Broadway for Kids, August 6-8.  All productions run 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10:30 a.m. Friday. For more information, visit www.mainstage .org.  Summer Stage is sponsored by AP Construction and McDonald’s of Blackwood and Hurffville sponsor the Children’s Theatre Season.