Les’ Miserables – Summer 2014
I was so excited this year to be able to revisit Les’ Miserables at the SummerStage at Leonia. I made some lasting relationships and had one of the most refreshing and genuine theater experiences that I’ve had in a long time. With direction by Ray Yucis, under Executive Producer Dr. Frank Livelli and with the amazing production team we created something really special to be a part of. I especially liked getting to portray “The Factory Girl” and being onstage for all the wonderful ensemble pieces as opposed to my high school experience of Mme. Thenardier.
The cast featured Megan Larsen as Fantine, Katie Riley as Eponine, Caitlin Alongi as Cossette, Tim Larsen as Marius, with Kevin Hack as Enjolras and James Lesko and Marisa Gore as the Thenardiers. The cast is rounded out by Joel Mingo, Wayne Spector, Kerry Dunn, Stephen P. Taylor, Thomas Pflanz, Duane Granston, Christopher Milone, Kyle Dunn, John Villa, Steven H Taylor Jr., Gregory Schultz, Holly Longmore, Julie Roccanova, Jennifer Midura, Marissa Lynn Keegan, Theresa Taylor, Debora Davidson, Christa Carlucci and Fabiana Decicco with Jeff Kishinevskiy as Gavroche, Megan Gunderman as Young Eponine, and Alessandra Baldacchino as Young Cossette.
If you don’t know the story of Les’ Mis… it is set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister’s child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him by a tremendous act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade. You can read what Broadway World said about this production here.
If you are ever in Leonia N.J. you should make a point of visiting this historic building that houses the Players Guild of Leonia that dates back to 1859 as a Civil War Drill Hall and Armory.
The photography for this production was provided by Ivan Boden Photography. You can see more photos of the production here and here.