It is no surprise that “Les Miserables” is one of America’s longest-running musicals—there is something in it for almost everybody. The three-hour musical includes a dramatic love story, battles and a tragedy that doesn’t run dry.

The show starts out very slow. It’s hard to pinpoint who everyone is. The actors are constantly changing as everyone is growing up, which leads to the first half being very confusing, especially if you have no background on the play. Nonetheless, the transitions through the play are so seamless that I was caught abrupt realizing it ended so soon.

The Orpheum Broadway actors do an excellent job of teaching you to love each member of the cast, some bring comedic relief and others bring emotion. Each actor truly brings out the deep essence of their character. Nick Cartell, who portrays Jean Valjean, a man who wants nothing more than to have a normal life, demonstrates this perfectly. Cartell does such a terrific job portraying the role it as though he actually is Valjean. Through his numerous songs, his emotion comes pouring out, you feel as though Cartell is legitimately going through the pain Valjean is.

A very interesting element of the play is involving kids in the story. There are four kids on the tour, three of them making their Broadway national tour debut. Although they were all excellent, Parker Dzuba, who plays Petit Gervais, stood out. Dzuba is a perfect fit for someone like Petit Gervais, a fearless, lovable and hilarious kid. The moment he came onstage, he was great. Just like his character, it didn’t seem like there was a single ounce of fear inside of him, he was just having fun.

The most important step to setting the tone of the story is the set. The set of “Les Miserables” set the mood for each song perfectly. Dark colors and dim lights were used to emphasize the pain and fear that was happening. A spotlight would shine on the victim of a bullet and fog would fill the ground every time something mysterious was going on.   

“Les Miserables” has been running for over 40 years and will hopefully run for 40 more. The performance itself is amazing but the singers, musicians and crew is the reason why the recreation of “Les Miserables” is unforgettable.

“Les Miserables:” ★★★★☆