Award-winning musical ‘Les Miserables’ opens Tuesday at Orpheum Theater

Do you hear the individuals sing? You’ll quickly.

Omaha Performing Arts is bringing the legendary, Tony Award-winning musical “Les Miserables” to the Orpheum Theater starting Tuesday night time for a six-day run, ending March 12. The present is a part of OPA’s 2022-23 Broadway sequence.

Based mostly on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the identical title, the present was tailored for musical theater by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. It premiered on a Paris stage in 1980 and got here to New York Metropolis’s Broadway in 1987. Over the previous few a long time, movie variations — each musical and nonmusical — have been launched. The critically acclaimed rating consists of well-known numbers equivalent to “Do You Hear the Individuals Sing?,” “One Day Extra” and “I Dreamed a Dream.”

Set in early 1800s France, “Les Misérables” is the story of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who’s launched after serving almost 20 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s ravenous baby. Pushed by a want to start a brand new life, Valjean breaks the phrases of his parole. He’s then hunted by Javert, a pushed and chronic police inspector who vows to not let Valjean escape what he perceives as justice. Over time, Valjean meets others who change his life and have an effect on his selections as he seeks redemption amid revolutionary instances.

New York Metropolis resident Preston Truman Boyd performs Javert within the upcoming Omaha performances. It’s his second time taking part in the function in an Omaha manufacturing. In a current interview with The World-Herald, Boyd stated one of many present’s central themes is one individuals can relate to, even as we speak: the survival of the human spirit.

“We’ve all not too long ago been by means of so many hardships — financially and socially — popping out of the pandemic, I hope extra individuals now understand what’s necessary in life,” he stated. “Simply being part of this story and listening to from individuals who come to the present about what it means to them … whether or not you have got overcome one thing or if there’s one thing standing in your method, hopefully this story evokes individuals to understand the place they’re.”

Boyd stated probably the most difficult facet of taking part in Javert is embracing the character’s restraint. He described Javert as having an “Previous Testomony” method about him, in that his beliefs in the beginning of the present are very “black and white” by way of proper and mistaken. These beliefs in the end develop into obstacles as he doggedly pursues Valjean all through the present.

“We each have such a symbiotic relationship on this story the place we each assist one another see the world by means of totally different units of eyes and we each have very totally different endings,” Boyd stated. “As time goes on by means of the story, you see my character shift in a method that he begins questioning sure issues about how the system is ready up. … He mentally snaps and all of his mobile make-up rearranges and he doesn’t even know stay within his physique.”

Boyd inspired these coming to see “Les Miserables” for the primary time to learn a quick abstract on the plot with out delving into too many spoilers and to keep away from listening to the soundtrack forward of time. Listening to the songs carried out stay, he stated, is a “particular second.” He stated the corporate — himself included — is all the time pushing for the perfect efficiency attainable.

“I’m nonetheless studying new issues about it each night time, which is thrilling as an actor to develop inside a really set parameter. It’s thrilling to shock your self on stage each night time and to get to know your character on a extra human stage. We’re attempting to carry as a lot humanity to those roles as we will.”