The strange thing about producing a theatre production is that often it is all about timing -- and for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, they have struck gold TWICE with their latest production of Les Misérables.
First they struck gold when our community theater was the first one in the nation that the holder of the rights, Music Theatre International (MTI), called to offer up the rights to the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and School of Theatre Arts. Previous to this offer, Les Misérables has enjoyed a healthy world-wide run in touring stock since its 1985 debut and had a small window of opportunity before heading back to Broadway next month. Civic pounced on this incredible opportunity.
The story, based on the 1862 French novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, tells a heart-tearing account of Jean Valjean -- a man accused of a crime – who, after being paroled, goes off the grid until he is discovered by a captain who has devoted his life to finding the fugitive. Jean Valjean, a changed man since his release, has devoted himself to service to mankind and become a successful businessman.
It is while on his rise to success that his path crosses that of a mother toiling away to send money to the people caring for her daughter, Cosette, in a far-off city. It is after Jean Valjean takes Cosette under his wing after her mother passes that the story begins to really accelerate into the waters best known as Opera.
And the second time that the Civic strikes gold is related to the timing and the actual selection, as Les Misérables falls right in the middle of three productions that all deal with a contemporary topic. While Les Misérables is clearly a musical about the inequities of society and resulting conditions set in the time period leading up to the French Revolution, the play Clybourne Park, which opened in January, dealt with gentrification. Later this spring, the Civic will have 9 to 5 The Musical, based on the popular 1980s film with Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin (appearing next month at LaughFest) and Jane Fonda. It covers the topic of female equity and opportunity in the workplace -- a topic many firms still struggle with to this day.
Les Misérables is a very rare treat for us as a community, not just because we get to experience it as one of the first off-Broadway community theatre locations, but also because the cast, due to the large scope of story and songbook, is one of the largest Civic Theatre has even assembled, with more than 360 people auditioned for the 47 roles available.
Admission: $18 - 35
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