Paul Lisnek, Curtain Call Chicago
****/4 The barricades have risen once more in Les Misérables, storming anew on the stage of the Cadillac Palace Theatre in a national tour that proves, yet again, why this musical endures as theatrical perfection. Anchored by Nick Cartell’s deeply felt and moving Jean Valjean, this production balances spectacle and intimacy with an ever-present confidence that still feels both classic and fresh after all these decades. With Cartell at the center of this production, this is not just a classic show revived; it is a theatrical necessity coming home to visit.
I have seen Cartell in this role a few times before and his portrayal remains expansive, haunting, searching, and very much alive. From the quiet devastation of “What Have I Done?” to the powerful melodic “Bring Him Home,” Cartell charts a journey that feels earned and still strong after playing the role over 1700 times! His tenor is warm and resonant, but it never feels like he’s asking us to observe his struggle, instead, he pulls the audience inward towards him, urging us to sit with his Valjean not to observe him but to feel it as he faces his moral reckoning.
Opposite him, the production’s Javert (forcibly played by Hayden Tee and one of the best I’ve seen) offers a formidable counterweight. His portrayal exudes conviction and is performed with chilling precision. Their ideological clash—which is the musical’s central conflict—hits with urgency in a world that struggles between justice and mercy.
The entire ensemble deserves recognition for crafting a vivid tapestry of class, from the raucous energy of the Thénardiers (a welcome injection of humor) to the vocally powerful unity of the student revolutionaries.
Visually, the tour retains the now-iconic design elements that have come to define Les Misérables in its tour life, with some changes in projections and style likely noticeable to those who have seen the show over and over but nothing that detracts. The backdrops create 19th-century France and seamlessly shift from grimy slimy streets to the infamous barricade. The staging moves with almost cinematic design which is both familiar and deeply dynamic.
The most important point to be made is that even after decades of performances, this production still feels alive and connective. This is no museum piece. It is raw, yet hopeful, and it exudes compassion in an unforgiving social world to which many will relate. For Chicago, a city which is no stranger to social struggle and resilience, Les Misérables remains a living, breathing call to empathy and understanding.
It is no wonder that Les Misérables returns over and over again, though this apparently the final national tour; if you have never seen the show, you MUST see this production before it leaves!
I for one cannot get enough of the soaring score and the sweeping scale, and for an insistence that even in the darkest moments, grace is possible. Most impactful for me, I took my son with me who had never seen the show. His comment after the show: “This is now the best show I’ve ever seen.” Indeed, it was just that.
Les Miserables plays at the Cadillac Palace Theatre thru May 24th and tickets can be purchased at: www.BroadwayinChicago.com
Performances as follows:
Fri, May 15:7:00pmShow Type: Musical
Running Time: 2hrs, 45mins; one intermission
Cadillac Palace is located at 151 West Randolph Street
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Les Miserables”.
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