Excitement building for CHS production of Les Mis

By Bernard Mendillo

“I really think Les Miserables will be our best show to date,” says the ever-exuberant Canton High School theater director Katie Brobst. That’s no small statement to make — after the runaway successes of Hairspray and Beauty and the Beast — and Brobst backs it up with glowing admiration for all the hard work and dedication of the cast and crew.

CHS drama members rehearse a scene from Les Miserables.

It all began before the first auditions, when Brobst hosted a screening of the 2012 movie starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. “Everyone involved in the show watched the movie together,” she said. “It was a bonding experience — the first of many.”

In the days that followed, the cast took part in improvisations to explore the roles; they were coached in the history of the times captured in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece novel of revolution, justice, loyalty, dedication and sacrifice; they played trivia games; and they tested different mannerisms for the characters. “They learned to work together and to solve problems and to have fun doing it!” Brobst said.

It’s been a 12-week journey from watching the movie to raising the curtain on opening night. “The auditions were very tough,” Brobst said. “I always start fresh with an open mind — I never pre-cast any roles. The kids brought so much talent and joy to the auditions and call backs that it was an extremely difficult process for me. But it all worked out and we’re so excited about the fantastic cast.”

Meanwhile, band and orchestra teacher Brian Thomas returns again as the maestro of the pit band. “I’m always amazed at how well the band develops through the rehearsal period,” Thomas said. “The audience hears the great score and revels in the singing on stage — that appears to happen seamlessly, which is the whole point behind the band’s hard work.”

The musical follows Jean Valjean’s long and arduous path to redemption. “Les Mis has it all, which is why it has such huge audience appeal,” said Brobst. “Love, loss, sacrifice, revolution, hope. Most of all, hope.”

The evening will feature not only great acting, singing and dancing — with a cast of 60 and another 40 in the crew and pit band — but also stunning sets, dazzling costumes, and amazing special effects.

Brobst talked at length not only about this year’s cast and crew, but also about a phenomenon that grows with each year’s successful productions of plays and musicals. “Like in sports, the theater community grows and matures,” she said. “Younger brothers and sisters take part, because they saw their older siblings up there on stage and they want that experience for themselves.”

As Hairspray led to Beauty and the Beast, so will Les Miserables lead to next year’s blockbuster, Mamma Mia!

“Theater grows on itself,” Brobst said. “It’s hard work, but it’s joyful work.”

There will be four performances of Les Miserables in the CHS auditorium: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 14-16, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 if purchased in advance at chsdramaclubtix.weebly.com or $18 at the door while supplies last.

The show is PG-13, and due to some violence and tragic moments, parents should use discretion with children in the lower elementary grades.

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