Les Miserables School Edition
at South Lakes High School

Reviewed on May 4, 2019

Howard Malc
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Do you hear the people sing? Then you're probably at South Lakes High School's production of Les Misérables!

Based on the 1862 Victor Hugo book of the same name, Les Misérables chronicles the 1832 June Rebellion in France. Originally written in French, the musical was translated to English and went on to win eight Tony awards, including Best Musical in 1987. South Lakes had big boots to fill, and they very much managed.

The story follows the redemption arc of Jean Valjean, a convict who breaks his parole but turns his life around for good. South Lakes made an interesting casting choice in Dominique Kalunga, a woman in a typically male role; however, as the show progressed Kalunga proved herself more than capable of filling the role.

As Valjean lives his new life, he finds himself still to be hunted by Javert, his parole officer determined to bring him in. Javert was played by Sam Barbaro, who really stood out in his solo, "Stars." He kept a stern disposition throughout the show, convincing the audience of his obsession with catching Valjean.

As Valjean tries to lead an honest life, he inadvertently causes a woman named Fantine to lose her life. Fantine is played by Ryleigh Line, who brought real emotion to the role. In her dying words, she asks Valjean to take care of her daughter Cosette, giving his life purpose.

Cosette, played by Mikayla Kirr, is living with the Thenardiers. Thenardier and his wife, played by Eamon Raferty-Sweeney and Meredith Kilmartin respectively, were hilarious and always a delight to see on stage. They were greasy thieves, pickpocketing anyone they could get close to, and their wisecracks provided much needed comedic relief to an otherwise dreary show. They were, however, not the best parent figures, and Cosette was better for getting away from them.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about their real daughter, Eponine, played by Margarita Gamarnik. She becomes a girl of the streets, hanging around with beggars and revolutionary boys of the June Rebellion. Gamarnik did a great job garnering sympathy for her character, and she brought tears to the eyes of the audience in her song "A Little Fall of Rain."

One stand-out performer was Andrew Serrano-Bremer as Gavroche. In the show, Gavroche is only a kid, and Serrano-Bremer is only in fourth grade. He always caught the audience's attention with his bold presence and earned applause every time he was on stage. He has a bright acting future in front of him.

Les Miserables takes place over a stretch of years and locales, which is why set design is important. Led by Burke Dizon, Elizabeth Beausoleil, Emily Rooksby, and Aaron Hutchens, the stage used a large painted backdrop of a French street, giving depth to some scenes. In another scene, a railing descended from the ceiling, meeting a staircase. This gave the illusion of a second floor without having to waste time bringing on a giant set piece.

Clocking in at a little over three hours, Les Misérables may be a little much for young children, but South Lakes High School's production is sure to entertain teens and adults alike with its classic music and deep story.

Caroline Thompson
Falls Church High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

If you had the chance to save your sister's child by risking your freedom for a loaf of bread, would you do it? If you had nowhere to go and nothing to eat would you stand with the strong at arms and fight for your fellow men or cower with the weak in the shadows? Would you take it upon yourself to become the caretaker of a young girl whose mother is about to die but whom you've known for a mere few days? For one man by the name of Jean Valjean during a time of extreme poverty, famine, and injustice, the moral choice was always the right one.

South Lakes High School's production of Les Misérables directed by Maria L. Harris follows the tale of this righteous man and those with whom his life intertwines. Though this story follows Jean Valjean for several years, a good part of it takes place in 1832 in France just after a time known as the July Revolution. The poor and downtrodden are poorer than ever and have had enough with injustice, starvation, and famine. And so, the stage is set, the curtains are drawn, and we begin our descent into the story of Les Misérables.

The cast and crew together made the show delightful and enthralling to watch. Especially noteworthy was Dominique Kalunga who played the part of Jean Valjean. With a voice that carried across the room and a presence that demanded your attention, Kalunga took a particularly diametric and heartfelt role and made Jean Valjean into the just, caring, and virtuous man he was meant to be. Another stellar performance was that of Sam Barbaro playing Javert. With much fervor and commitment, Barbaro played an intense character with conflicting morals in an admirable way.

A story is not a story without its supporting characters. Margarita Gamarnik cast as Eponine showed her talent through both her voice and acting in numbers such as "A Heart Full of Love" where she sang with the emotion and fervor of someone with true longing. The comedic relief provided by Eamon Raferty-Sweeney and Meredith Kilmartin playing Thenardier and Madame Thenardier respectively was much needed and very enjoyed by the audience.

Then there was the tech. The set was beautiful in every way. The backdrop of the town was bright with blues and yellows and had a wistful sort of hopefulness to it which was a marvelous contrast to the vengeful red and desolate black of the revolution. Though the lighting at times was slightly distracting, it never had the audience questioning who it was we were supposed to be watching.

In the end, Jean Valjean dies an honorable and noble man. Though many of us would not have acted as Jean Valjean did, there are those few who would, and it is in those people that we find the light in humanity.

Rachel Kilgallon
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

From the poverty of the Paris slums of 1815, a hero arises. In South Lakes High School's moving production of Les Misérables, the 1980 smash musical by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, the audience meets Jean Valjean, a former prisoner looking to redeem his life during the turbulence of post-Revolution France.

Dominique Kalunga as Jean Valjean gave a strong performance as a wronged man looking to do right by the people around him. Her strong belt and lower register allowed her to convincingly play the role as well as many men. Valjean's initial bitterness towards the world turned into reformed kindness convincingly in Kalunga's hands. Another standout actress was Margarita Gamarnik as Eponine, deftly playing the complexity of the street-smart girl and her hopeless devotion to her unrequited love, Marius. Her final solo, "A Little Fall of Rain," elicited audience tears as they saw the death of her character, whose devotion truly touched all of their hearts. Her voice was smooth and strong, yet still carried the emotion of her words of love for Marius, which was a highlight of the show.

The large ensemble was uniformly excellent. With their beautiful harmonies in songs such as "One Day More," "Epilogue," and "At the End of the Day," the audience was captivated by their rousing energy. Two ensemble members who truly stood out were Anand Bhandari as the Bishop of Digne and Jefferey Mouritzen as Bamatabois. Bhandari's soft voice and caring nature was perfect as he showed mercy to Valjean, while Mouritzen's brute body language effectively intimidated Fantine. Eamon Raferty-Sweeney and Meredith Kilmartin as the Thenardiers were hilarious, adding marvelous physical comedy to "The Innkeeper's Song." Noah Rice as Marius also gave a wonderful performance as the lovesick school boy opposite Mikayla Kirr as Cosette, who portrayed the character's childlike wonder with elegance and grace with amazing vocals. Sam Barbaro as Javert also left a lasting impression as he expressed the internal conflict Javert was facing in his solo "Stars." Keaton Lazar as Enjolras stood out as extraordinary among the strong cast. He sang wonderfully and played the role of the rebellion leader with bravery and determination, and truly sold "The People's Song" with his raw emotion.

Every aspect of this production was phenomenal. The bonneted ladies' long dresses and the peasant costumes were very era-appropriate. The smooth follow spots helped focus on solo character moments. The most memorable technical aspect of this production was easily the special effects. During the battles at the barricade, red lights and huge gusts of steam were used to represent explosions and looked very realistic through the holes in the barricade set piece. The sets throughout the show were exquisite, showing a large backdrop of a street in France with a building on either side of it, complete with entrances to the sewers. The enormous bridge used during Javert's suicide was wonderfully painted and dominated the stage. This scene was one of the most notable moments in the play, as a fog machine was used on a very high setting, and fog rushed down the stage, spilling into the audience, appearing like rushing water underneath the bridge. From a technical standpoint, this scene looked professional-quality and left a huge impact on the audience, accompanied by the band's flawless playing. The school's orchestra was truly unbelievable; having their music perfected and never missing a single note, they did this amazing musical score justice.

At South Lakes, we have heard the students sing, of hope, love, mercy and justice, and their version of Les Misérables is glorious! See it!

Julia Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

After 19 excruciating years of jail time, an innocent man stands facing a prison officer, one key turn away from freedom and a new chance at life. As the chains slide away from his wrists, he sheds the number branded upon him –24601—and reclaims the name that was stolen from him almost two decades ago. Last weekend, South Lakes High School shared the historical story of Les Misérables in their new and fresh retelling.

Les Misérables was published as a book by Victor Hugo in 1862. Almost 100 years after its publication, the book was transposed into a musical. The musical nicknamed "Les Mis" by English speakers features a libretto by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. Running for 16 years and over 6,680 performances on Broadway, Les Misérables has become a staple piece of theatre worldwide.

The story chronicles events after the French Revolution. Beginning in France in 1815, the story opens on a prisoner, Jean Valjean, finishing up his jail time for stealing a loaf of bread and evading the police. After he is set free, Valjean is taken in for the night by a church. After Valjean is caught for stealing silver, the bishop of the church lies to save Valjean from being returned to jail. Touched by the unexpected kindness, Jean Valjean decides to reinvent himself and become a good man. The story climaxes at the time of the June Rebellion in Paris, where Valjean can see how his generosity has impacted the lives of those around him.

Jean Valjean was powerfully portrayed by Dominique Kalunga. Kalunga shattered all expectations as she fluidly hit low and high notes and crafted a realistic character through her mannerisms. Contrasting Valjean was the antagonist Javert, who was portrayed by Sam Barbaro. Barbaro demonstrated clear character development throughout the production which climaxed at the shocking song "Javert's Suicide."

The "masters of the house," Thenardier and Madame Thenardier were played by Eamon Raferty-Sweeney and Meredith Kilmartin respectively. The duo was frequently seen hilariously causing a riot anywhere, from their establishment in "The Innkeeper's Song" to a wedding. Fantine, played by Ryleigh Line, emotionally delivered the iconic song "I Dreamed a Dream." Actress Mikayla Kirr (Cosette) seamlessly blended her outrageously high notes with other vocal parts to craft beautiful harmonies. The Bishop of Digne was played by Anand Bhandari, who had a strong stage presence and an impressive baritone voice. The large ensemble worked as a cohesive unit in their songs and contributed powerful harmonies to the performance.

The South Lakes High School Les Boum Orchestra handled the difficult music with practiced ease and even wore the red revolutionary pins that the actors did. The special effects were creatively designed by Miles Woodbury and Anna Gillespie. The most exciting effect was seen during "Javert's Suicide," where the entire floor of the stage was covered by a blanket of fog to create an eerie mood. The lighting (Kendra Griessel) created a stunning visual when the actors' fists and the revolutionary flag were raised and silhouetted by golden light.

"Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?" With power and poise, South Lakes High School's lit a spark of rebellion in their audience in their production of Les Misérables.

Sarah-Kathryn Makl
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Submitted for publication to Connection

Les Misérables School Edition is epic, grand, and uplifting. This emotional musical takes the audience on a journey of love, war, and death. The theatre department at South Lakes High School captivated the audience with their wonderful voices and excellent acting. This production of Les Misérables is definitely one worth seeing!

The school edition of Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean, who was recently released from an unjust imprisonment. Jean Valjean breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life. Meanwhile, he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert, who refuses to believe Valjean can change his ways. During his journey to become a better man, Jean Valjean adopts a child, Cosette, because her mother, Fantine, is dying. Cosette was previously in the custody of the Thenardiers, who treat her like a slave. When Cosette grows up, she finds herself in love with Marius, who is fighting in the Paris Student Uprising of 1832. This revolution nearly resulted in the death of Marius, but Jean Valjean saved the day, once again. Finally, Javert comes to the realization that Valjean has mended his ways. Javert decides to spare Valjean's life, and instead takes his own.

It was a bold and compelling choice to cast a female as Jean Valjean, but Dominique Kalunga pulled it off! While the notes may have been low, Kalunga sung each one beautifully, and, if she needed to, switched registers without batting an eyelid. Fantine, played by Ryleigh Line, not only had an outstanding voice, but portrayed the emotional depth of her character, bringing me to tears. Line's character struggle was truthful, heart breaking, and deserves a round of applause. This musical also had a large ensemble that contributed heavily to the show. They had high energy and provided a sense of excitement.

The South Lakes High School students did an excellent job with their stage design. While the set was simple, it was elegant, beautiful, and transported the audience to 1830s France. While this show may have contained minor technical difficulties, it was notably enjoyed by the audience and their uproar of applause.

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Les Misérables at South Lakes High School. This production was intriguing and communicated an important message! A great way to end the Cappies season!

Isabella Russo
HB Woodlawn Secondary Program
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

Is it possible for humanity to truly be restored in ex-convicts, or will they forever have a tainted heart? This is the weighted question tackled in South Lakes High School's production of Les Misérables.

Set in 1815 France, the musical tells the story of Jean Valjean (Dominique Kalunga), a newly released prisoner who wishes to redeem himself of his wrongdoings. Valjean decides to break his parole, but is closely followed by Javert (Sam Barbaro), a police inspector who makes it his mission to find Jean Valjean. Javert and Valjean find themselves wrapped up with various young revolutionary Parisian students who create a barricade in the streets of Paris to attempt to overthrow the government.

Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel by the same name, Les Misérables has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. The libretto was translated to English by Herbert Kretzmer. The musical has become a staple of London's West End, holding the impressive titles of longest-running musical on the West End and second-longest running musical in the world.

Sam Barbaro plays a resentful yet determined Javert, showing Javert's full character arc from a stone-faced police official to a confounded man who would take the gravest possible actions against himself. With a debonair flair and an impressive vocal range, Dominique Kalunga wowed the audience as Jean Valjean.

As Eponine, Margarita Gamarnik captured the desperate nature of her character and caused the audience to become emotionally attached through her inspiring performance. With a silky mezzo-soprano, she proved her versatility and talent as a vocalist in her number, "On My Own."

It is often said that the orchestra is like an additional character in Schönberg musicals, which makes the orchestrations extremely challenging to play. The South Lakes orchestra, Les Boum, was masterfully able to navigate this demanding music with few noticeable flubs, which is commendable with such an epic score.

Despite some microphone issues, the cast of Les Misérables at South Lakes High School was able to navigate the heavy and extensive material with skillful care, leaving the audience with a profound truth about the restoration of humanity in all people.

Naomi Bertha
Justice High School
Submitted for publication to The Sentinel

South Lakes High School's production of Les Misérables was so stunning its memory will live on "One Day More."

The musical begins with Jean Valjean's release, after 19 years of servitude for stealing bread for his family, from policeman Javert. Jean Valjean begins a new life and eight years later he becomes the mayor. He is also the owner of the factory that Fantine, a poor single mother, works in before being thrown out onto the streets to become a prostitute. Fantine's daughter, Cosette, lives with the cruel innkeepers, the Thenardiers, who also have a daughter of their own named Eponine. One night, Fantine refuses to work for a customer and hits him, Jean Valjean rescues her from jail and brings her to a hospital. There, Fantine asks Jean Valjean to take care of her daughter and she dies. Then the June Rebellion begins and Cosette and Eponine are grown up. Marius is a student in the rebellion. One night, he notices Cosette and the two fall in love, even though Eponine is also in love with Marius. As the June Rebellion progresses many men, women, and children die in the action.

As Jean Valjean, Dominique Kalunga brilliantly depicted the emotional depth of her character. In addition, Kalunga had a fantastic control of her voice especially in songs such as, "Bring Him Home" despite the difficulty of the male vocals. Likewise, Javert, Sam Barbaro, shone with his strong vocals in "Stars."

Margarita Gamarnik depicted Eponine's emotional turmoil through her beautiful voice, specifically in "On My Own" and "Little Drop of Rain." In addition, Cosette, Mikayla Kirr, had an angelic voice that made Kirr's performance simply wonderful to watch.

As Madame Thenardier, Meredith Kilmartin stole the show with her bountiful presence and energy on stage. In addition, Kilmartin had exceptional comedic timing and hilarious facial expressions in songs such as in "The Bargain." Similarly, Ryleigh Line was present in the struggle and tragedy that befalls Fantine, particularly in the moments before Fantine's death where she displayed her powerful vibrato.

Despite the large size of the cast, each member of the ensemble did an amazing job of continually being present on stage with his or her facial expressions and beautiful voices.

The set was very extravagant, especially the barricade, so the transitions of taking the set on and off were very impressive. In addition, the detail on the wall at Jean Valjean and Cosette's house was beautiful.

Overall, South Lakes High School's production of Les Misérables had beautiful vocals, a committed mature cast, and a fantastic crew and production team that brought the tragedy and struggle of this musical to life.

Emma McGrath
Clarksburg High School
Submitted for publication to The Sentinel

Life is a constant search to find oneself and establish a life worth living. Les Misérables is no different, bringing to stage a timeless story from 19th century France. South Lakes High School conveyed the search for redemption with passion and energy.

This musical has been performed in more than 40 countries and in 22 different languages. Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a former convict, who spends a lifetime trying to escape from his past and outrun Inspector Javert. The show featured a live orchestra and impressive vocals.

An important aspect of this show is the cohesiveness of the ensemble. The ensemble at South Lakes remained engaging and energetic, never allowing there to be a lull in the proceedings. With a show this large, it is easy for the ensemble to get wrapped up in the action and not remain as individuals. The performance by this ensemble showed each actors dedication to their role and emphasized the comradery of their characters.

Equally as impressive were the leads, both vocally and emotionally. With a show this taxing on the heartstrings, the ability this cast had to create a flow between calm and hectic showed incredible talent and control. Helping to carry this along were actors Margarita Gamarnik and Mikayla Kirr, Eponine and Cosette respectively. These two ladies demonstrated their amazing vocal ranges and passion for their roles.

Playing opposite these two as Jean Valjean was Dominique Kalunga, who carried this lead with grace and emotion. She never failed to show the internal battle between what's best for the future and what is best for others.

Technically this show demonstrated the crew's abilities through the impressive set that was used consistently throughout the show, with many large set pieces added to alter the location. The use of smoke during the battle emphasized and added to the chaos of the situation, with no clear ending as many ended up wounded.

Passion is an important aspect of this show, because without it, none of the characters would have achieved what they set out to do. This passion was reflected in each actor every time they stepped onstage South Lakes' production of Les Misérables.