Left to right: Davis Gaines as Inspector Javert, Michael Hunsaker as Jean Valjean and Cassandra Murphy as Fantine. All photos courtesy of Caught in the Moment Photography.

It is an unusually difficult task to sit down and talk about Les Miz with any sort of meaning or authority at this point in the musical’s history. Boublil and Schonberg’s musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s famous novel turned 30 this year and it is a top contender for the most popular musical in the history of all time. 2012 saw the release of a major (-ly disappointing) motion picture adaptation of the musical, making the material more accessible than it had been before, which considering how many world tours and recordings it’s had, is no small feat. In 2015 it is reasonably safe to say that anyone who has had an interest in seeing Les Miz has likely already seen it. It is equally safe to say that they have likely seen it more than once. This leaves me to question not just the relevance of continued productions of the musical, but also why it remains so obscenely popular in spite of its myriad productions and recordings.

Cassandra Murphy as Fantine, Davis Gaines as Inspector Javert (back) and Michael Hunsaker as Jean Valjean (front).

There are a few key factors that I think are responsible for this, namely, the correlation between the main character’s story and that of Jesus Christ; the epic spectacle in which the musical is continually staged; and most importantly, the rousing, power-ballad songs that the show has in spades. While the first factor is likely more subliminally affecting than the other two, I will speak more to that later. The other two components to the musical’s success, especially that of the music, is in very safe hands in Musical Theater West’s current production. For those of you who have been waiting for the right opportunity to hear this score live, or, more likely, for those of you who have been dying for the right opportunity to hear the score live yet again, this is as good an opportunity as you are likely to get.

Norman Large as Thénardier.

As is usually the case at Musical Theater West, everything offered up here sounds excellent. Under the musical direction and conducting of Andrew Bryan, this Les Miz delivers all of the musical goods that one would expect from a Broadway-caliber production. The orchestra is pitch perfect, every note from the cast is hit with aplomb, and if this is what you’ve come for, you are going to be in for a treat. Likewise, if you are still reading this review, you already know the plot and as its story literally spans decades of time, I’m going to save myself the impossible task of writing a worthy synopsis.

The company of Musical Theatre West’s production of Les Misérables.

Though this musical does not allow for much in terms of subtlety, the cast all do a fine job with the material, though often, as tends to be the case with this musical, more emotion is conveyed through the actors’ voices than through their stage presence.

Some wonderful exceptions to this rule however are Michael Hunsaker as Valjean, Davis Gaines as Javert and Devin Archer as Marius.

In the musical adaptation Jean Valjean lacks the humane vulnerability and neurosis that he has in Hugo’s novel, a fact that often results in his character feeling painfully one-dimensional. Though Hunsaker by no means overcomes these shortcomings, he fills his roll with unshakeable determination, tenderness and longing, and sings the role better than I’ve ever heard it sung. “Bring Him Home” really does just that.

Michael Hunsaker as Jean Valjean and Davis Gaines as Inspector Jarvert.

Davis Gaines, through all of act one, delivers the kind of well-sung and sure-footed performance one would expect of him in the role of Javert, but as his character’s faith is turned upside down and he slips into insanity, Gaines shows his true understanding of Javert’s role. His final scene elevated his performance to nearly Shakespearian heights and made me nearly certain he should try on Sweeny Todd for size. It was a nice surprise.

Also surprising was Devin Archer’s turn as Marius. Usually Marius’ love-sick pining can feel cloying, fey and/or undercooked, but Archer’s Marius was more grounded than I’ve ever to seen. His pathos was played down rather than thrown to the gods and in return, this subtlety was most rewarding.

Michael Hunsaker as Jean Valjean.

The Thenardiers, the only real comic relief in this bleak show, are played to comedic heights by Ruth Williamson and Norman Large, but while both offer up knowing portrayals, they draw a bit too much attention to themselves when placed against the rest of the material. Though some laughs are essential, director DJ Salisbury really should have scaled them back just a little.

Besides the Thenardiers, Mr. Salisbury’s direction and choreography is more paint-by-number than original. While the musical moves fluently and draws attention to whichever vocalist on stage is singing, there is very little Salisbury offers up in terms of fresh insight. His Les Miz is not about re-inventing the wheel however and going on here would be pointless.

Though the lighting often felt busy to the point of distraction, the set itself, designed by Cliff Simon, felt more intimate and functional than I remember the Broadway production to have been. This is no small feat considering the shoes it has to fill. The costumes by Karen St. Pierre fit the period and never drew too much attention to themselves, but the colors often felt too bright and bold for how down-and-out EVERYONE in this musical is. Likewise, the wigs by Kurt Alger, besides Javert’s at the end of the second act, mostly looked uncomfortably fake from where I sat, a problem I see more and more with theatrical productions.

Left to right: Michael Hunsaker as Jean Valjean, Madison Claire Parks as Cosette, and Devin Archer as Marius.

I have been wracking my brain to discover why people, myself included, return to this material again and again and to what relevance a straight-forward production of Les Miz still holds in 2015.

One thing that is clear is that people love to see others’ suffering and selflessness be rewarded. In this sense, the musical is structured very much like the Passion of Jesus Christ with Valjean as Christ, Javert as Judas and Fantine as Magdalene. Likewise, the show is overtly pro-Christian in its characters’ philosophies and refuses all possible ambiguities dictatorially in regards to these matters. I personally am always offended when Javert is not waiting at the end to welcome Valjean to the afterlife as everyone else is, but I digress. Les Miserables is suffering turned into and celebrated as pop entertainment and our appetite to be entertained by this is insatiable. Les Miz is, if nothing else, a testament to that.

Likewise, while there are unquestionably some great songs in Les Miz, the show is very long, top heavy, awkwardly structured, melodramatic, bombastic and wildly lacking in self-awareness and subtlety. Yet, when the material reaches the heights that it reaches, it is because of these factors and not in spite of them. There are many rousing moments in this musical that can only be achieved through the kind of bold theatrical gesturing Les Miserables takes in its stride and this can be fascinating to watch, if you have the stomach for it.

The company of Musical Theatre West’s production of Les Misérables.

Yet, I am left to wonder how long (Dear Lord) before the public is ready for a revisionist’s Les Miz. As there is already endless documentation of this show’s varying incarnations, I question, as this musical slowly makes its way to regional theaters across the country, when a less large and literal approach will take shape. Though Les Miz is far from perfect, so far it has proven itself to be immortal. I look forward to the day this material can be re-conceived and when it, like Valjean breaking his parole, can be given a new beginning and relevancy.

In the meantime, there is Les Miz at Musical Theater West. It may not give the work a new life, but it proves that the work is very much alive and well. At the end of the day, if you’re a Les Miz fan, that’s all you (likely) need to know.