Rock opera: Les Miz

Tonya Dixon as Fantine in the Shreveport Performance of Les Miz
Originally uploaded by trudeau.

Gigantic assemblages of stairs, railings, piers and beams moved from left and right to meet gracefully in the middle of the Les Miserables set, as though they were 6000-pound transformer toys. It was one example of the every-trick-in-the-book staging provided for us by the French and English designers of this Broadway feast.

What we got from Les Miz was a spectacle designed to please an enormous demographic. In addition to the mega-sets, the stage was fitted with a large turntable which provided an extra level of kineticism to the stage action. This show goes toe-to-toe with movies and hockey and is a whirling, magnetic competitor.

Raise your hand if you've seen Les Miz more than once.

The singing was capable and constant. The melodies walked the line between the unresolved cadences of operatic dialogue and sweet riffs that reminded me of Jesus Christ SuperStar. Sweet? Many of the songs were sung over progressions strongly reminiscent of the Beatles. Happily, the orchestra was admirably strong in brass and string sounds.

What I loved most about Les Miz in Shreveport, though, was the big picture. I think that
a) This freshens the Strand's status. Everyone appreciates a team that hits a homerun.
b) Downtown proved itself to a large crowd. Parking was easy, the streets seemed safe, the Strand was a beacon.
c) Some people may have enjoyed the lyrical and historic drama enough to give Shreveport Opera a chance.
d) The show was entertaining without employing the crass elements that we routinely expect in mass market entertainment.
e) The production was a textbook lesson in the power of lighting, of stagecraft and melody. I'm sure it has stimulated local directors and designers as well as performers.

If you loved this show, the Strand's got a follow-up of similar quality, says general manager Danny Fogger; it is called Miss Saigon. Fogger says Les Miz was an 8-truck show (number of giant trailer vans needed to transport the set and gear). Miss Saigon, he points out proudly, is a 7-truck extravaganza.