Voices Soar in Operatic Les Misérables at DPAC
This article was published by Triangle Review on 16 July 2025.
The Durham Performing Arts Center's July 15-20 presentation of Les Misérables, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, is nothing short of American Opera. I can imagine it being performed at the Sydney Opera House, with The Three Tenors in the leading male roles. Not only are the vocals the kind you hear at a church cathedral concert, but the set is akin to those of the Paris Opera at the turn of the 19th century, which isn't too far from when Les Mis is set.
The musical Les Misérables is based on Victor Hugo's iconic 1862 historical novel of the same name. It debuted in Paris in 1980 as a concept album by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, who together had produced the first-ever staged French rock opera, entitled La Révolution Française, in 1973. In 1985, an English version of Les Mis opened in London's West End, where it has been playing ever since; and starting in 1987, the musical performed on Broadway for 16 straight years and began playing to over 60 million people around the world.
In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean -- a man imprisoned for stealing bread -- seeks redemption and a new life after his release, while being relentlessly pursued by the police inspector Javert, all against the backdrop of violent social unrest in 19th-century France. Valjean befriends a prostitute (Fantine), who suffers an untimely death, leaving her child (Cosette) in Valjean's care.
Contrary to popular belief, the plot is not set during the French Revolution (1789-99), but during the subsequent July Revolution (1830). The latter uprising was sparked when King Charles X restricted freedom of the press and dissolution of the legislature -- sound familiar? Protests and demonstrations escalated into armed conflict in Paris, with Parisians erecting barricades and clashing with royal troops. The 2022 national tour of Les Misérables utilizes a museum-quality, life-size replica of one of these barricades and gunfire and explosive effects worthy of a historical battle reenactment.
I am sure the second act was just as exhilarating and confusing for preteen audience members as it was for me when I saw Les Mis for the first time. Given the confusion surrounding the street fighting in the second act and the vibrato of the actors, who sing every line, knowing the plot and even the lyrics to some songs ahead of time will enhance their (and your) experience.
Although I read a few articles and watched some informational videos before going to the show, I went to DPAC expecting a musical.
I wasn't prepared for the operatic experience that awaited me. Which turns out to be quite appropriate, given that Les Mis composer Claude-Michel Schönberg grew up wanting to be an opera composer and had never even considered writing for musical theater until he met Alain Boublil in 1973.
Nick Cartell has portrayed Jean Valjean over 1,500 times(!), so that he embodies the character almost involuntarily on stage. His stage presence is magnetic; and his voice is booming and powerful at times, and mesmerizingly angelic at others, particularly when he sings "Bring Him Home," which alone makes the show worthwhile.
Nick Rehberger evokes the ominous police inspector Javert in form and in sound, his deep tremolo voice conjuring dramatic darkness and foreboding in every scene.
As Cosette's love interest Marius Pontmercy, Jake David Smith provides harmonious accompaniment in beautiful duets, trios, and group numbers.
On Tuesday night, Juliette Redden (subbing for Lindsay Heather Pearce) and Delaney Guyer portrayed Fantine and Cosette, respectively, with somber grace and voices that literally take you to the rafters. Delaney Guyer's voice is reminiscent of Albanian opera singer Inva Mula in the 1997 film The Fifth Element, such is her range and crystal-like quality.
The group numbers are holistic and professional-recording quality -- especially impressive given that all the actors are singing their lungs out.
Matt Kinley's set expertly combines life-size video backgrounds with giant physical structures, providing a multimedia experience. Within this bustling atmosphere, prominent characters are illuminated in shafts of light emanating from the back of the theater as if from the Heavens.
DPAC's presentation of Les Misérables is your chance to experience contemporary opera in English and right here in the Triangle. Before you go, do yourself a favor and learn a little about the production's history. Click here for a good place to start.
