Chester Theater Department Sees Les Miserables
January 20, 2023
The CHS theater department had the wonderful opportunity of watching the musical Les Miserables at the Fabulous Fox theater Jan. 19. The Fabulous Fox, for those who have never been inside, is one of the most beautiful and brilliant pieces of architecture occupying the midwest. The theater itself was originally constructed in 1929 and, despite undergoing several restorations over the years, has managed to keep its time capsulesque charm.
The term Les Miserables basically translates to The Wretched or damned. The musical’s story begins and ends with a man who has been condemned to slavery by a morally corrupt police system in early 1800’s France. Many more wretched characters follow the appearance of the lead man Jean ValJean including a mother struggling to provide for her daughter, a woman stuck in a one-sided love, and the slimiest landlord to ever exist in a theater production.
The music in Les Miserables are songs of great emotion and conflict. The musical is full of applause-worthy music ranging from short and catchy songs to sorrowful majestic ballads. Songs with large ensemble singing like “Master of the House,” “At the End of the Day,” and “The Docks” received the same generous amounts of applause as the more popular songs like “Bring Him Home,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” and “On My Own.” The songs were further brought to life by the cast of the Fabulous Fox Theater with their incredible devotion to their characters. One character whose flawless comedic effect lingered with audience members was the dirtbag landlord, Monsieur Thénardier, played by Matt Crowle.
The theater department would like to thank Ms. Hodge and Ms. Appel for organizing and chaperoning the trip to the Fabulous Fox theater. The CHS theater department would also like to encourage any and all students to show support for our group this spring by attending our play An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe.
