Les Miserables Jr/ Young Adult Versions

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 9:53pm

How does everyone feel about high school aged actors performing in these Les Miserables Jr. and Young Adult versions?

I, personally, have seen one high school aged production and I can't decide if it works or not. Yes, I was impressed with some of the students who could sing these roles, but the fact that they are so young throws me off. They even had some younger kids than high school in it.

I don't know, but having these teenagers prostitutes on stage with these little children running around them while they make these provactive poses was just strange for me. Also, I like to hear these mature, aged, and experienced voices singing the roles and making them come alive. The leads could hit the notes, but they just weren't filing the roles for me.

So can teenagers handle Les Mis? Obviously the show is shortened a bit, but is something lost in these great characters by having teens play them?

Yes, high schools do hundreds of shows with students playing adults, but for Les Mis it was just somethign different for me.

Does anyone else feel the same, or has anyone else seen one of these new productions?

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 9:57pm

Our local theater did it and it was a group effort pulling kids from all the local high schools and it was frankly off the charts. It made all us adults in the area look bad. Those kids buried us. I didn't care that they were kids, they were just strong performers.

[zbigner]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 10:15pm

I saw the Spring Woods High School production of Les Miz High School Edition in Houston last year, and it was quite good. The biggest problem I see with a high school doing it is that most high schools will have a hard time finding enough good voices to fill all the roles. With a more traditional choice like The Music Man or Annie Get Your Gun, one stong boy and one strong girl can carry most of the load. With Les Miz you need many more strong voices.

For those who may not have seen the High School Edition, the biggest difference I remember is that the Thenardiers role is greatly reduced.

Zack

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 10:20pm

Frankly, I think the school edition is a shameless way for Cameron Mackintosh to pare down his show so that it's barely recognizable, and market it to death, resulting in strained voices and subsubsubpar productions.

It's not like other "typical" high school shows where you can have 4 or 5 core decent singers. You need a whole lot more than that for Les Miz, and most schools don't have that -- let alone enough boys who even want to audition for a cast that's heavily male.

I've seen two LMSEs. But that's not enough. I'm going to keep seeing them so I can assure myself how crappy this concept is.

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 10:28pm

A local theatre is doing the young adult version this summer supposedly, but I probably won't try out because I don't like the concept. Even though I'll get a decent part because of my maleness, I'm probably going to look elsewhere.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 3/18/04 at 10:54pm

I have worked directly and indirectly with several of the LM student prods. in the northeast manging and attending some of their workshops and shows via my affilation with Craig Schulman, who facilitates several LM workshops.

I'm saying this not to boast, but instead to sing the praises of the creative teams and remarkable talents that we have seen in the ranks of the high schools. Mr. Schulman was amazed at the dedication and level of talent of many of the young students he worked with.

While this is indeed a most challanging production, it is also one of the most rewarding shows I ever seen high schools mount. Most of these young people are/were certaintly up for the challange. We did not see any overly stressed voices and these kids efforts did indeed put some adutls to shame.

As far as the show being greatly pared down, I don't know what student prod. you are talking about. Roughly 10-15 min. is cut out of the student version. Regarding the prostitute scene, the schools handled this very appropriately in costume and actions.

With over 500 schools that have bought the rights, obviously a lot of drama/music teachers couldn't and can't wait to start building their barricades!

While not all school productions are equally as good as others, the shows are selling out and well supported in the school districts. It's been very well received.

I hope that MTI has half the succes when they release Beauty and the Beast to the high school level in 2005. The regional and professional theaters will get the rights first starting this summer, if I'm not mistaken.

Don't underestimate the power of the young and talented!

[tappedout]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 1:16am

"Don't underestimate the power of the young and talented!"
-I second that. I would also like to say on the subject of the male/female ratio there is no way any high school around my area could do this show, although I believe one is trying by putting girls in some of the male parts(don't know how that is going to go). It is always sad to see such a strong female performer in the lead role in a high school play and such a weak male because only 2 guys tried out...Frankly, I think they need to make some mostly female musicals for high schools to do because all the talented boys are still in hiding at this point.(With a few exceptions I'm sure)

[eponine88]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 1:32pm

I agree that high schools should mostly female musicals. My high school is all girls, and we have to bring in boys from other schools (we usually run short) yet the school wants to do musicals like Music Man and such. IT makes things difficult because so many girls try out but don't make it, yet we never get enough boys.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 1:36pm

A close friend of mine did Les Miz at his school. Like zbigner said, I think the biggest issue with Les Miz in a high school would be the vocal challenge. My friend said when it was done, they happened to have a group with vocal talents very far beyond their years, and that's what made it work.

As far as "junior" versions of shows, the middle school in my district has recently begun to do them. High school students playing adult roles don't bother me, but having 12 years olds attempt to pull off shows like Fiddler is just very weird to me. They'd be much better off doing shows that should be done by younger people, IMO.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 2:29pm

The lack of male talent (or at least male talent willing to withstand the stigma of the drama club) can spell disaster for this show, where giving male roles to girls may not work as well, as, say, Oliver.

I saw one production where half the ABC students were girls, resulting in a rather interesting Drink With Me, and in the same one, Enjolras' role was split into two, a boy and a girl. The girl was a far stronger singer and the boy looked like Clark Kent, only even wussier.

The other production I saw clearly had talent in the female half of the cast, but they chose to cast all boys as the ABC students. Sure, they were all male. But that was all they had going for them. I wanted to put my face in a blender after "Red and Black."

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 3:04pm

The reason schools perform these tough, beloved works is to give the students (who become passionate about them) an opportunity to learn and grow through performance. If some productions fall short, vocally or otherwise, the raising of the bar provides needed challenge.

I think a good drama program must necessarily be highly disciplined AND ambitious, to aim high so that the performers do same. These difficult productions are teaaching tools of a sort, educational opportunitiese unlike any other. That's key. I don't think an an audience member's comfort zone with how the music is accomplished (compared to professionals) should be a factor. Also, I'm with PB ENT. In today's America, with budget shortfalls/program slashing in all public schools, I think we should cheer any school that dares to tackle adventurous fare.

[zbigner]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 3:28pm

I am a high school math teacher, and our theatre and choir directors have employed an interesting strategy in casting musicals in past years. They will hold auditions first and then select the show based on the talent available. Of course, you have to convice people to try out when they don't know what the show is going to be, but this approach does help maximize the use of the talent you have. They don't do this every year since some shows take a lot of advanced preparation.

Whatever approach people take, it is critical that schools continue to give kids an opportunity to produce art. Even though it probably reduces my salary and increases my workload, I am very happy to work in a district that devotes considerable resources to the arts.

Zack

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 3:40pm

I saw a high school production of Les Mis. The show had MAJOR technical issues, mainly with the sound system, and all of the males' voices were changing so you can imagine that the singing was far from okay. As for the show, I don't think that it worked. There are many serious child performers out there, but many just cannot take such a mature show seriously. The message of the show was missing entirely.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 3:41pm

If they can pull it off, I say do it. Here in San Diego I think it would be dificult to find enough boys to do Les Miz, but if other schools have that available, then go for it! There are so many talented kids out there, I'm sure quite a few of them could put some adults to shame.

[Shawk]

Posted: 3/19/04 at 3:54pm

I have seen two LMSE shows in my area, and I have to say, I have a number of concerns. I get the impression that schools that don't have the vocal talent to pull off the production are doing it merely for the brand-name/marketing factor. Parents, students and directors are awed by the thought of putting on Les Miz, and don't stop to consider the talents of their children.

I worked on stage sets and backstage back when I was in high school, and I know these are hardworking kids who want to do their best, and in many shows, because of limits in vocal talent, budget, etc., you make do. But the truth is, making do with something like Les Miz tends to not work. There's massive amounts of costuming and set concerns, and then there's the level of singing talent you need. If your school wants to put on Oklahoma! or somesuch, you don't need every single person on stage to be able to sing well. Most roles in LM have at least one solo line, and the leads have a very intensive load.

I'm not saying that there aren't schools out there with the capability to do this show justice, but it seems to me that it's almost unfair to jump into a show that has so much possibility for schools to fall way short, when instead they could be doing some other show that has less "prestige" but is challenging and more likely to have a successful end result that doesn't have audiences cringing.

I lived through the Little People (Gavroche and a gang of 15 or so) doing a Can-Can number, what was probably a contract violation of the OLC Little People ("A flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome") inserted in the middle of Look Down, ABC students who can't sing speaking their lines in Drink with Me, an Enjolras who was vocally really terrible, etc.

I salute these kids for trying, but... that badly-singing Enjolras probably could have had a role with less or no singing in another production with better result.

[DangerousTalent]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 12:25am

Wow. It sounds like most of you all really aren't pleased with LM:SE.
Well I have a different view to show you, if you don't mind--

I've been in Les Miz:SE twice in the past year and a half, with two different theatre companies. Both were amazing theatrical experiences for me (I was ensemble the first time, Eponine the second), as it should be. I was surprised at all of the horror stories you spoke of...

In both shows of LM (2 entirely different casts), the men were fantastic. They weren't ready for Broadway (as they shouldn't be, b/c they're all 12-18 yr olds), but they were as good as any male ensemble in a community/regional theatre can sound. They bonded together as comrades in both productions and astonished the director & the audience (I mean to write this objectively- this boys worked hard & were very talented).
The females in the ensemble and as principals in both productions were wonderful also. The whole cast in both shows were strong enough to handle these parts, & w/direction from the directors & music directors, they thrived. Technically, the show is very difficult, but both productions succeeded- one was in an intimate 3/4 thrust stage, the other in a proscenium. There was also a great production done about a 1/2 hr north of me where their stage was about half the size of ours & also a 3/4 thrust, & they were wonderful. Sound cues were mastered, mics were monitored, lights were wonderful, stage crew was there.

In my first production of LM, the show went on to win 5 NH Theatre Awards in 2003 (NH has a thriving theatre community for those who don't know, www.nhtheatre.com)- Best Musical, Best Director, Best Set Design, Best Lighting, Best Costumes. The theatre also won for Best Youth Theatre in NH.

The content of the show is cut down in time. But the themes of the show are there, & they remain true to the original. The music is still gorgeous, the words still mean the same thing.

I apologize for the blabbering, & i understand your points in that this show is difficult & hard to take if not done well. Les Miz is not for every group to do. But it can be done well. Very well, actually. I'm very sorry you didn't have a great experience with it, but there is hope, b/c there are -so- many talented students out there (the b'way stars of the future!) who can soar on "bring him home" & "on my own" & laugh til they cry in "master of the house".

Hope this made you happy to see that LM isn't the devil incarnate.

Always,
Abby

[Shawk]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 6:30pm

I don't think that the LMSE is the devil incarnate. In fact, the Thenardiers that I saw in the first LMSE I attended were better than any professional Thenardiers I have seen. I just think that schools that don't have the resources, talent, set, sound, lighting, etc. to put the show on are doing it anyway because of the name factor.

I wouldn't expect high school kids to put out a Broadway level show and for every performer to be fabulous. God knows that doesn't happen on Broadway either. I would, however, expect to have a good time at a decent production, and it was clear to me from the two shows I saw that those two schools should not have attemped the production from an audience standpoint.

I'm sure the parents and teachers loved it and if they didn't, they're not going to say so, and the kids probably did bond and learn a lot through the process. However, they probably could have done that with a different show that would have been challenging and yet had a lot more pleasant result.