By Ellie Smith
Features Editor
Starting last Friday, Westford Academy Theater Arts performed its 50th production and celebrated its 15th anniversary with the presentation of Les Miserables, based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo.
Les Miserables was last performed at WA in 2003. Some of the alumni who were in the production in 2003 teach at Westford Academy today.
Three of WATA’s alumni are participating in every performance of the show. However, on Tuesday Nov. 26, the closing night, there will be an alumni event where close to 100 alumni are expected back to perform in the big finale number, between 18 and 30 minutes long.
Les Miserables, directed by Michael Towers and student assistant director Maggie Basinas, began showing on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Westford Academy. The eight performances run through Nov. 26. On the final date, WATA alumni are invited to return for a reunion at 7:30 p.m.
The play takes place in France soon after the French Revolution. It tells the story of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who breaks his parole while trying to escape inspector Javert, and Fantine, a middle class woman working to pay for the well-being of her daughter Cosette. The plot leads to a love triangle between Marius, Cosette and Eponine, a girl of the streets.
The production will feature Nick Nudler as Jean Valjean, Thomas Mitsock as Javert , Braley Degenhardt as Fantine, Katie Sawosik as Cosette, Brandon Jurewicz as Marius, and Amy Keum as Eponine.
Actors and members of the stage crew have spent 25 to 40 hours per week for the past 10 weeks in rehearsal. The hard work of the WATA department has all led up to what will be one of the largest productions to ever take place at Westford Academy.
The show will consist of 70 actors, 25 members of the children’s chorus from Westford Public Schools, a pit of 27 musicians, as well as a tech team of close to 30 people, and a support staff of up to 20 members including some adults and professionals. In total, over 150 people are involved in the show.
When choosing which production to perform for the fall season, director Michael Towers said he decided on Les Miserables because he wanted a challenge for the actors while picking a show that would celebrate the last 15 years of WATA.
“It seemed like the right show. We certainly have the right cast,” said Towers. “I wanted to pick something that would be a challenge for [the actors], but also that is in their wheel house.”
Senior Nick Nudler, who plays Jean Valjean, feels that this production has been the most challenging show the cast has ever taken on.
“Les Miserables is without question the toughest challenge we have had to face yet,” said Nudler. “The set, sound, lights, and the fact that it is a 2 1/2 hour opera makes it incredibly difficult to pull this show off.”
With very few spoken lines throughout the show, most of the production will be dedicated to music. A total of 31 pieces will be performed by the orchestra during each performance.
“There’s music underscoring every part of it. It is basically music from the very beginning to the end,” said conductor Ken Culver.
Though the play was previously performed at WA, a different version of the show will be performed for the upcoming production. In 2003, the shortened school edition of the play was executed. Now in 2013, the actors will be displaying the new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Les Miserables in full opera.
“Everything is different because it has to be different,” said Towers. “I have to approach it with a new lens and reinvent it in my mind.”
Because Les Miserables is the biggest production to ever be performed at WA, the cast, crew, director and music department have faced many challenges as they approach opening night, according to Towers.
“It’s not easy,” said Towers. “There have been more hurdles with this piece than anything else, but it’s the hurdles that yield the great reward. Right now, it’s the most challenging thing we’ve ever done.”
