‘Les Misérables’ @ Bass Performance Hall
Photos by Matthew Murphy for Les Misérables North American Tour
—Rickey Wax
Do you hear the people sing? If you happened to be in the audience at Bass Performance Hall this week, chances are you not only heard them—you felt them in your soul. Les Misérables, the iconic musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel, has marched triumphantly into Fort Worth (presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth) as part of its North American Tour—and it’s a tear-jerking, jaw-dropping spectacle you won’t want to miss.
The show opens in 1815, deep in the bowels of a French prison yard, where we meet Jean Valjean (Nick Cartell), a man serving time for stealing a loaf of bread. It's a gritty and haunting start, with prisoners hauling chains beneath a dim, unforgiving sky. When Valjean is released on parole, he’s hounded by the relentless Inspector Javert (Steve Czarnecki) whose stern presence looms over the entire narrative.
And then it takes us to Montreuil-sur-Mer, where Valjean—now a reformed man under a new identity—is the town mayor and factory owner. We meet Fantine (Lindsay Heather Pearce), a struggling single mother who’s dismissed from Valjean’s factory and forced into destitution. Pearce’s emotional rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” is raw and piercing, reminding the audience that this isn’t just a story about revolution—it’s about survival.
And now we are in Paris, 1832. Set and image designs by Matt Kinley shift to a bustling city where scaffolding towers over the stage, complete with apartment windows from which characters peer out, gossip, sing, and scheme. The set is alive—almost another character in itself. Projected visuals created by Simon Harding and Jonathan Lyle provide a seamless flow between towns, the sea, candle-lit taverns, misty battlefields, and even the eerie tunnels of the Paris sewers. Bridges drop from above, chandeliers glimmer, and a massive barricade constructed from carts and chairs pivots and rotates to bring Act One to a close. The set design is, in a word, brilliant.
As the stakes rise, so do the voices. Enter Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras, the passionate student leader of the rebellion. His performance of “Red and Black” was one of the night’s highlights—stirring, and rich with purpose. The red flag he hoists is more than a prop; it’s a symbol of blood spilled and dreams of liberty. The June Rebellion of 1832, while lesser-known than the French Revolution, was a real uprising by students and working-class citizens. Though the revolt failed, it left behind the echoes of young idealists who fought for a better future—a legacy immortalized by Hugo and set to music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.
Comic relief comes in the form of the delightfully crooked Thénardiers, innkeepers and con artists played to perfection by Matt Crowle and Victoria Huston-Elem. Their physical comedy, sly one-liners, and chaotic chemistry made “Master of the House” an absolute hoot!
Nick Cartell’s Valjean anchors the show. His voice is both powerful and tender, and his journey from hardened convict to compassionate father is deeply moving. Czarnecki’s Javert (he subbed for Nick Rehberger at the performance I saw) was stoic and tormented, and his final solo beautifully sung; his emotional unraveling was conveyed with just the right amount of restraint. Pearce’s Fantine is all vulnerability and fight. Together, the cast is tight, committed, and vocally seamless.
The sizeable orchestra, under the baton of music director Glenn Alexander II, doesn’t miss a beat. From delicate strings in “Bring Him Home” to the crescendos of my favorite song of the night, “One Day More,” the music wraps around the audience like a warm—though often heartbreaking—blanket.
Les Misérables has been translated into over 20 languages and seen by more than 70 million people worldwide—and yet, every performance manages to feel fresh, immediate, and personal. At its heart, Les Misérables asks: Can a man change? Can the world? Can love overcome law? In a world still grappling with inequality and unrest, the story feels as timely as ever.
Act One closes with “One Day More,” a sweeping and layered ensemble number that leaves the audience breathless. In this one song, every storyline collides, every character’s fate hangs in the balance, and the revolution is about to erupt. It’s a cliffhanger in musical form—and believe me, you’ll want to come back after intermission.
WHEN: March 18-23, 2025
WHERE: Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St, Fort Worth
WEB: www.basshall.com
