The acclaimed and wildly popular musical “Les Misérables” will be omnipresent in Philadelphia in the first few weeks of 2013, owing to the 25th-anniversary production coming through town and the big-screen adaptation of the beloved story hitting movie theaters across the country.
“Les Misérables” is the world’s longest-running musical, with productions traveling the globe and being seen by millions of people. Set in 19th-century France, a nation in the grip of revolution, the story follows Jean Valjean on the run, hunted relentlessly by the policeman Javert for breaking his parole. Valjean tries to leave his past behind and keep his vow to raise the young orphaned Cosette. But with revolution afoot and Javert hell-bent on throwing him back in jail, Valjean has no choice but to fight for his life and sacrifice everything to protect the people he loves.
Jason Forbach, an out actor and singer from Kansas, plays Enjolras, the charismatic leader of the student revolutionaries in the play. Having been with the U.S. touring cast since the 25th anniversary show launched, Forbach has performed almost 1,000 shows and said landing the role was something he has always dreamed of.
“This is a role I always loved growing up as a child seeing the show,” he said. “I was so overwhelmed by his power and he has so much strength in his music and his conviction. It’s an incredibly passionate character that I find a pleasure to play and wrap my mind around. He lives and dies for a cause and what he believes in. He’s so passionate about his beliefs that he rallies these people to join him. It’s interesting in these times watching him fight for equality, rights and to strengthen a weakened middle class. These are issues that are affecting all of us still, which makes this story so real for people.”
When asked about how the movie, which opened Christmas Day, might affect attendance for the upcoming live musical, Forbach said he wasn’t concerned.
“It’s always hard to predict but I think that ‘Les Mis’ mania will just explode,” he said. “We saw the movie last week and the whole company went. We were all so blown away by how epic the movie was and how beautiful it was. We really felt like, even though we are singing it every night, we could be objective audience members and shed a tear and get involved in the story. It’s really presented so thoughtfully and so lovely and it takes into consideration all the years of ‘Les Mis’ history. It also takes into consideration a lot of elements in the novel that aren’t able to fit into the stage show. So for ‘Les Mis’ fans of the novel and the musical, it is something that appeals across the board.”
As for why audiences loved “Les Mis” for a quarter-century, Forbach said ot’s the universal nature of the stories.
“I feel like if an audience member comes up to us after a show, they have young girls that identify with Éponine and you have older people that identify with Jean Valjean, and his story is one of redemption and Éponine’s story is of unrequited love,” he said. “No matter what period you are in in your life, there is a character with which you can identify and these stories were still as real then as they are now. These people are willing to sacrifice everything for love.”
Those stories in “Les Mis” also resonate with the times in which we live, Forbach added.
“It’s still connecting with audiences and was a worldwide hit, so I feel like these are different times but with the world financial situation, it is interesting. I feel like history has a way of repeating itself. The pendulum swings back in the other direction. When we were rehearsing for the beginning of the tour, we couldn’t help but see in the news all these revolutionaries rising up in places like Libya and people willing to fight and die for what they believe in. I think no matter what the times, there will be people that will fight and die for their causes. The core of this storyline is a ubiquitous feeling and no matter what the age, I think people will connect with those emotions in that story.”
While competing for “Les Mis” audiences who have the option of the seeing A-list Hollywood talent play the beloved characters is something the stage production will have to contend with, Forbach noted the stage show has elements theatergoers will find stunning.
“What you’ll get is passionate performances, incredible voices and you will see this re-envisioned concept which appears nowhere else in the States,” he said. “It’s completely reconceived by our two directors, and the centerpiece of that design is they use these almost-3D-like digital projections which are fashioned after Victor Hugo’s paintings. It looks like you are literally going into the sewers of Paris. You’re looking out into a cityscape or the factory and they are really quite beautiful. What you see on stage is the new conceptual idea, and the film’s director saw our show when we began our tour in Chicago and he took a cue from this new version. I don’t think one will take away from the other. I think we’ll both enhance one another.”
Aside from touring with the U.S. company of “Les Misérables,” Forbach is also making a name for himself in the world of music, having recently completed his first self-produced solo album, “A New Leading Man,” and a holiday EP, “Remembering to Dream,” which he composed with writing partner and jazz pianist Joey Singer.
Forbach said he wanted his music to be an extension of his love of modern musical theater and jazz.
“I wanted it to be an introduction of myself and my voice and what I had to say artistically to the public. I call it ‘A New Leading Man’ because I wanted to show unconventional leading men in modern musical theater. These are male characters that aren’t just heroes on a white horse or villains, but like all of us are somewhere in between. That’s the theme of all the songs.”
He said he hopes to strike a balance between his musical pursuits and his theatrical work.
“I love doing them both equally. I definitely have the bug of being in the recording studio but I love being on stage. If I can keep striking a balance between them, I’ll do that.”
The Kimmel Center presents “Les Misérables” Jan. 2-13 at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5847. For more information on Jason Forbach, visit www.jasonforbach.com.