Viva Les Mis! Les Misersbles at The Hollywood Pantages Theater

By Michael J. Herman, Critic At Large

©2023 Michael J. Herman All Rights Reserved

More than the activities on stage at the Opening Night of Les Miserables now at the Hollywood Pantages Theater through September 10, I was enthralled by the orchestrations.

At first a bombastic cacophony of discordant pitches and tones that quickly melded into a stunningly symphonic sound sensation that pleased to no end.

No, that’s not quite it.

I was immersed in the ocean of orchestral ovations that overwhelmed in opulent originality.

An effort at even more precision, if you will?

The music enthralled to the point of encapsulation.

Yes, I think that is a fair way to describe this musical experience. Complete auditory encapsulation!

From the deep resonance of the tuba, to the soft and subtle twink of the triangle, to the lasting echo of the oboe and the haunting echo of the trombone the music filled the caverns of the Pantages as seawater fills the Canals of Venice. Like a dolphin swims in water I luxuriated in the musical mastery.

I sat in indulgent bliss to the commanding dominance of the conductor who led each instrument as a surgeon wields a scalpel.

I would have been just as happy closing my eyes and bathing in the euphonic of the symphonic sound bath as I was in watching the play on stage.

Instruments I am usually oblivious to in most musicals came alive like mamma bears slowly waking from their hibernation.

The pluck of a violin string that perks its notice as if to say, “Don’t forget me”, or the romantic timbers of the cello undermining the themes of the movement were a delight.

Yes, I wish I had done so, as I was disappointed in this musical debut.

The actor portraying Inspector Javert (Prinston Truman Boyd), while a stunning and gifted singer with a remarkably deep and resonant voice, was static and boring. Standing mid-stage he barely moved a muscle, while barely making eye contact with other actors. Yes, he played the part by singing the lyrics, but as an actor – as a performer on stage, unlike his fellow cast members, I found him flat and static, and unconnected to the audience.

While Les Mis is hardly known for its choreography, the floppy and amateurish dance choreography bordered on buffoonery.

At one point in the second act, with 30-40 dancers on stage, the dance moves resembled more of a sock hop or Punk Rock mob slam scene than classical dance coordination. It was casual and uninteresting.

With such amazing sounds, wardrobes, makeup, hair, and casting, to watch this missed opportunity was a letdown.

Not everyone is Hugh Jackman, but not everyone needs to be.

There are two biting criticisms that stand out most.

1) The book upon which this musical is based presents the story of a Jean Valjean fleeing a wrongful imprisonment only to be pursued by his captor for decades. Set against this A-line is the passionate 3-way love story between

Jean Valjean and Marius as the B-line.

But in this production the lines were flipped and the focus was clearly on the love story leaving the drama of the pursuit unmanaged and sloppily resolved.

2) The use of multimedia was wasted.

I’ve observed this in other recent Broadway In Hollywood efforts and my hope is that it’s not a trend.

Throwing visual assets like rear projection, specialty lighting, and holography in at the resolution of the play is unfortunate. There were so many places in the performance where this technology could have enhanced the story moving it forward in deep and powerful ways.

Les Mis is a good attempt, but far from great. It doesn’t stun the audience. Instead, it phones it in hitting the notes, but missing the target.

The high point of the show for many was the introduction of a young Henry Kirk. A child actor cast as Gavroche. Though he plays the part too largely and a bit over the top, his raw talent is clearly evident and a future for this young Thespian is assured.

Les Miserables runs through September 10 at      The Hollywood Pantages Theater. More info @ BroadwayInHollywood.com

Michael J. Herman is Critic At Large for

Luxury-Media Group. You can find him at Substack.com/michaeljherman