Lawrence Clayton out of Les Miz tour

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/5/11 at 11:52pm

So I just got home from opening night in Cleveland of the 25th anniversary Les Miz. Lawrence Clayton is no longer in the cast -- former alternate Ron Sharpe is now listed in the playbill as Jean Valjean for all performances. Ron made a great Jean Valjean, thou I'm partial to others I've seen (namely Randal Keith).

The evening actually belongs to Andrew Varela. His Javert brought me a deeper understanding of a character that never had any affect on me before, and his rendition of "Stars" brought the house down. This man has stage presence to spare.

On a whole, it was nice revisiting the show. Some of the changes work (Javert's suicide and the scene in sewers worked extremely well), but I'm partial to the original. "One Day More" is a huge letdown here --- not the grand Act One ender it used to be.

I liked it.... alot, but I still love the original.

Updated On: 4/6/11 at 11:52 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/5/11 at 11:56pm

Lawrence Clayton's attendance had been horrendous the entire tour, so his departure from the tour comes as no surprise. Having seen both in this tour, Ron Sharpe was leagues better. In fact, for my money, he's the best Valjean I've seen or heard.

But, Clayton proved early on that he wasn't up to the demands of the role, and was missing frequently even as early on as the Papermill premiere. Perhaps the useless gospel/jazz riffs he added to the score had something to do with it.
Updated On: 4/5/11 at 11:56 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 1:36am

Wow. So now there is no alternate Valjean? Interesting.

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 8:41am

Word is from people associated with the tour was that he had some major health problems which caused the departure (Mold found growing in his lungs).

Tara Rubin has already held auditions for an immediate replacement, and judging by a rejection email I saw, they are sticking with the "Non-traditional" casting of the role.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 10:20am

If they're continuing with the non-traditional casting, I would love to see Quentin Earl Darrington as Jean Valjean.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 11:42am

Wow. So now there is no alternate Valjean? Interesting.

At the moment, not officially, but Joe Tokarz (ensemble member and understudy for JVJ) tweeted that he was performing Sunday evenings, with Sharpe doing the rest of the performances.

[PK2]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 12:02pm

I saw this in NJ and I wish Lawrence Clayton was out the night that I saw. For me, he was the worse Valjean in my Les Miz history.

I agreed that Andrew Varela is fantastic and easily be one of the best.

[p.s.]

Posted: 4/6/11 at 12:54pm

Joe Tokarz (ensemble member and understudy for JVJ) tweeted that he was performing Sunday evenings

Joe Tokarz was especially notable in New Jersey -- perhaps not so much as Brujon, but rather -- as the uncredited hailer from the other side of the barricade.

p.s. It had been a long time since someone's hailing reminded me of Nehal.