Valjean (Lawrence Clayton) has his peak musical moment with “Bring Him Home,” a prayer that Marius (played by Jon Fletcher on opening night, filling in for Justin Scott Brown, who was ill) will survive the battle.
Hamic), is a rousing, cheery number, even if it does celebrate corruption and greed. “Master of the House,” led by the innkeepers Monsieur and Madame Thénardier (Michael Kostroff and Shawna M. Andrew Varela brings his first-rate voice to “Stars,” Javert’s pledge to find Valjean. As Éponine, Chasten Harmon sings “On My Own,” a sad ballad of unrequited love, with forceful poignancy. It has been more than half a century since show tunes regularly bounced from Broadway to the Top 40 charts, so it is easy to forget that “I Dreamed a Dream” is not this show’s only musical treasure. Deen van MeerĬosette falls in love with Marius, a young man who has become involved in the doomed June Rebellion of 1832, in which young Parisian students fought against the monarchists and died. Lawrence Clayton, left, plays Jean Valjean to Andrew Varela’s Javert. Mistreated in the outside world because of his criminal record, he resorts to theft but, touched by a bishop’s kindness, vows to become a good man and succeeds to the point of near-sainthood. Jean Valjean, a Frenchman who in desperation stole a loaf of bread, is released from prison. The original run was quickly followed by a Broadway revival (2006-08), which was minor news, compared with what we have now: a splendidly reworked 25th-anniversary production from London, having its American premiere. “Les Misérables,” the musical based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, which had its premiere in London back in 1985, arrived on Broadway in 1987, won eight Tony Awards (including best musical) and ran 16 years. She gives a lovely performance in what is an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish, complete with a formidable 14-piece orchestra. And wondering why this actress is so vocally demure in comparison.īut Ms. Boyle’s stunning 2009 performance of that song on “Britain’s Got Talent” (78 million YouTube views so far). When Betsy Morgan, for instance, a mere wisp of a young woman, opens her mouth to sing the character Fantine’s solo, “I Dreamed a Dream,” in “Les Misérables,” at the Paper Mill Playhouse, at least half the audience has to be thinking about Ms. Susan Boyle has ruined it for all future Fantines.
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