Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Les Misérables 🎭 national tour from Broadway Across America & Seattle Theatre Group. Golden voices. Glorious ensemble. Seamless scene transitions. Judicious use of projections & spotlights. Even the guy behind me was barely containing his excitement. “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
See it if you’re okay with visually dark musicals.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, this is probably the 5th time I’ve seen this musical. I last saw the national tour at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably not … 5 times is enough for me.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a convict on the run whose only crime was stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Set against the turbulent backdrop of nineteenth-century France, the story weaves together the struggles of the “miserable” downtrodden working class with the idealism and tragedy of the June Rebellion of 1832.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Still the world’s most popular musical. Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award®-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISÉRABLES. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “LES MIS for the 21st Century” (Huffington Post), “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph) and “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune). Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption–a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.”
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None, but you’ll probably appreciate this more if you read the book.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actor(s): All
Total Actor(s): Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s)
- Ensemble: The full ensemble numbers were consistently the show’s most thrilling moments. From the grim urgency of “Look Down” to the glorious “At the End of the Day,” Each full-cast sequence carried the sweeping weight you’d expect from an epic musical.
- Magical Transitions: Scene transitions were seamless, never pulling focus from the real action. The blocking itself felt almost magical at times when actors materialized out of nowhere like when the wedding scene opened, or when characters eerily emerged from the sewer. Where many national tours lean too heavily on projections as a crutch, projection designer Finn Ross and 59 Productions created them with restraint and imagination. It was particularly clever when they zoomed the projection in and out to simulate movement through the sewer or village while actors marched in place creating a simple illusion that worked beautifully. The standout moment was during a fall into the water with an actor suspended mid-air against a crashing-wave projection backdrop.
- Female Leads: Lindsay Heather Pearce brought radiant clarity to the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream.” Her voice was as golden as her signature locks. Jaedynn Latter matched her in pure emotional power with a stunning “On My Own,” building to a climactic moment that sent the audience wild. The only thing stopping her extended ovation was the cast and orchestra pressing forward into the next scene. The brief, sweet harmony shared by Fantine and Eponine near the show’s close felt like the perfect finishing touch. The electricity in the house was palpable throughout the show. And the man seated behind me was practically vibrating with restrained enthusiasm, clearly fighting every instinct to cheer at full voice out of respect for theatre etiquette.
Rant(s)
- Ground Action: The production made frequent use of low, ground-level movement as actors crouched, crawled, or collapsed in anguish. At many venues, this would have been read as striking movement design. But, at the Paramount Theatre, it became a persistent frustration. All the seats in the Paramount Theatre are infamous for its shallow slope. Anyone seated in the orchestra level will spend much of the show staring at the backs of heads when so much action unfolds at the stage foot level.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- The Look and Sound: This musical is notorious for its deliberately dark, austere aesthetic by Matt Kinley. While it’s not my taste, I can appreciate its intent. The gloom did create a practical frustration though. At stage distance, distinguishing actors’ faces is already a challenge, and the shadowy palette compounded this further.
Yet the darkness earned its merits. The lighting design by Paule Constable found real power against such a somber backdrop. For example, the single quiet shaft of light through the church window carried unexpected weight. Plus, the brightness of the wedding scene felt genuinely celebratory by contrast to the rest of the show. And the spotlights during the rebellion sequence were deployed with stark clinical precision as each beam isolated a fighter at the moment they were shot, so the audience felt every death individually.
Meanwhile, the audio was nothing short of spectacular. The voices, music, and sound design were an almost ironic counterpoint to the visual restraint. The audio was rich and expansive while the staging was dull and dreary. It was bold artistic tension.
- Fire: Speaking of the rebel fight sequence, the production made the bold choice of using real gunpowder and open flame onstage. The acrid smell drifted through the audience to add a visceral and immersive edge to the chaos. I didn’t know whether to count it as plus for atmosphere or a negative for second-hand smoke health hazard!
- Speed and Punctuality: This production was unusually preoccupied with a sense of punctuality that I’ve rarely encountered, including on Broadway. The show started just two minutes after the scheduled time, which is virtually unheard of these days. Most shows don’t get going until at least 5 minutes past. The consequence was real as a significant number of latecomers scrambled to find their seats. The resulting commotion of flashlights, glowing phone screens, and “excuse me” chatter was jarringly distracting during one of my favorite moments (“At the End of the Day” song).
The clock-watching didn’t stop there. Intermission ended with the same brisk efficiency, which again is unusual for any production, let alone on opening night. A few numbers like “A Little Fall of Rain” felt slightly rushed, as though the cast were racing the clock rather than letting the music breathe. Additionally, the production seemed almost allergic to extended ovations, cutting off the applause before the audience had a chance to fully express itself.
There’s something to be said for respecting people’s time, but a live theatrical experience has its own rhythm. Being too rigid or lax with the clock has its own costs. It’s a tight balancing act. - Child Actors: Cute children on-stage have always struck me as a crutch. It’s a cheap way to pander sympathy from the audience who mistakes sentimentality for genuine theatrical merit. Regardless of the child actor, year after year, the national tour always seems to introduce young Cosette with a cutesy baby voice that is as gratuitous as Gretl von Trapp from The Sound of Music film. I won’t be fooled!
- A Puzzling Triumph: This musical remains an enigma to me. It’s baffling how a story steeped in misery has become one of the most enduring hits in theatre history. Audiences surely attend theatre to escape their troubles, not to have their troubles reflected back at them in song. Somehow it works with Les Misérables.
This production brought its own quirks to the table. The innkeeper’s wife was delivered with what can only be described as a faint American country twang. It was an unexpected curious choice, but not ruinous.
However, my longest-standing frustration still persists after at least five viewings – I still cannot understand the final choices made by both protagonist and antagonist. The reasons for their ultimate actions seemed inadequate for the gravity of their choices.
Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group
Venue: Paramount Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price Range: $85.60 – 230
Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees/students are still eligible for an organization discount.
Seating: Assigned Seats
Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the former Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.
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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:
- https://us-tour.lesmis.com/
- https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/les-miserables/
- https://www.stgpresents.org/events/les-miserables/
- Program
Photos: See production photos below by Matthew Murphy or Evan Zimmerman.
Cast and Production Team: See after photos below.
