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Darlington presents "Les Misérables"
Feb 21, 2007 9:50 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
"Whether true or false, what is said about men often has as much influence on their lives, and particularly on their destinies, as what they do …"
So wrote Victor Hugo in his famed classic “Les Misérables,” which was presented by Darlington’s fine arts department Feb. 16-18 at Rome City Auditorium. Over 75 students were involved in the production, which all agreed was quite a spectacle.
“I can remember how overwhelmed I was the first time I saw ‘Les Mis’ in London,” said Dan Bishop, chairman of the fine arts department. “I experienced some of the most thrilling moments of my musical journey listening to and watching the actors bring this classic novel to life. When I heard that Musical Theater International was releasing a school version of it, I was thrilled.”
According to Bishop, “Les Mis” is almost more like an opera than a musical since there are no spoken lines; everything is sung. To add to the dramatic impact of the performance and support the demanding vocal requirements of the cast, the Concert Choir participated from backstage on large ensemble numbers. Students agreed that these extra voices intensified the music, making it seem as though there were hundreds of singers on stage.
Director Morgan McCrary (’01) said her student actors described “Les Mis” as having a little more “meat” for them to chew on. “Our extremely talented and diverse students did a fine job presenting a production of this magnitude,” she said. “It was a little edgier than what we are used to and it deals with some serious issues head-on, but the students really took to it and put their hearts into it.”
Set in the early 19th century, the story follows the interactions of several French characters over a 20-year period. Principally focusing on struggles of the protagonist – ex-convict Jean Valjean (played by senior Ross Langley) – to redeem himself, the play examines the nature of good, evil and the law.
“I played Javert, an inspector for the French army whose lifetime goal is to arrest Valjean again and make sure he is put behind bars forever,” said senior Ben Pate. “I have never been the villain before, and I loved this character’s dark, cynical personality.”
Junior Dane Walsh and senior Caitlin Rivet brought some comic relief to the play with their portrayal of the Thenardiers. “Monsieur Thenardier is an immoral character with a silver tongue,” said Walsh. “It’s always fun to play the comedic role."
Senior Elexene Mattingly played the female lead, the love-struck Cosette. “Cosette is a young girl who is sheltered from the world by Jean Valjean, her caretaker,” she explained. “I felt the role was a lot like me. I always try to audition for a role that best fits with my personality so I can really make the character come to life.”
“It was amazing to watch the students grow as they took on these roles and made them their own,” said Bishop. “For some of our actors, this was their first experience in a musical production, so it was especially rewarding to see them find their places as singers on stage.”
One of those students was junior Patrick Wilson, who played Marius. “The most rewarding part for me was the challenge of doing something new,” he said. “We all put forth a great deal of time and effort, and it definitely payed off on opening night.”
“I hope the audience was able to appreciate that a small high school undertook the task of putting on a show of such magnitude,” said Langley. “I also hope that all who attended enjoyed the show and felt as if they saw something special.”
So wrote Victor Hugo in his famed classic “Les Misérables,” which was presented by Darlington’s fine arts department Feb. 16-18 at Rome City Auditorium. Over 75 students were involved in the production, which all agreed was quite a spectacle.
“I can remember how overwhelmed I was the first time I saw ‘Les Mis’ in London,” said Dan Bishop, chairman of the fine arts department. “I experienced some of the most thrilling moments of my musical journey listening to and watching the actors bring this classic novel to life. When I heard that Musical Theater International was releasing a school version of it, I was thrilled.”
According to Bishop, “Les Mis” is almost more like an opera than a musical since there are no spoken lines; everything is sung. To add to the dramatic impact of the performance and support the demanding vocal requirements of the cast, the Concert Choir participated from backstage on large ensemble numbers. Students agreed that these extra voices intensified the music, making it seem as though there were hundreds of singers on stage.
Director Morgan McCrary (’01) said her student actors described “Les Mis” as having a little more “meat” for them to chew on. “Our extremely talented and diverse students did a fine job presenting a production of this magnitude,” she said. “It was a little edgier than what we are used to and it deals with some serious issues head-on, but the students really took to it and put their hearts into it.”
Set in the early 19th century, the story follows the interactions of several French characters over a 20-year period. Principally focusing on struggles of the protagonist – ex-convict Jean Valjean (played by senior Ross Langley) – to redeem himself, the play examines the nature of good, evil and the law.
“I played Javert, an inspector for the French army whose lifetime goal is to arrest Valjean again and make sure he is put behind bars forever,” said senior Ben Pate. “I have never been the villain before, and I loved this character’s dark, cynical personality.”
Junior Dane Walsh and senior Caitlin Rivet brought some comic relief to the play with their portrayal of the Thenardiers. “Monsieur Thenardier is an immoral character with a silver tongue,” said Walsh. “It’s always fun to play the comedic role."
Senior Elexene Mattingly played the female lead, the love-struck Cosette. “Cosette is a young girl who is sheltered from the world by Jean Valjean, her caretaker,” she explained. “I felt the role was a lot like me. I always try to audition for a role that best fits with my personality so I can really make the character come to life.”
“It was amazing to watch the students grow as they took on these roles and made them their own,” said Bishop. “For some of our actors, this was their first experience in a musical production, so it was especially rewarding to see them find their places as singers on stage.”
One of those students was junior Patrick Wilson, who played Marius. “The most rewarding part for me was the challenge of doing something new,” he said. “We all put forth a great deal of time and effort, and it definitely payed off on opening night.”
“I hope the audience was able to appreciate that a small high school undertook the task of putting on a show of such magnitude,” said Langley. “I also hope that all who attended enjoyed the show and felt as if they saw something special.”
