When was the last time you felt that you were going to witness something epic from just the prologue?
Your gut is screaming cultural nirvana, while your eyes are busy feasting on the visually arresting images of desolate 19th-century France that roll out.
Now say thank you to the mammoth musical Les Miserables at Dubai Opera.
It’s the kind of musical that demands that you skip that fancy meal at a restaurant in Dubai or forego buying that fancy bag or dress (that you don’t need), so that you can treat yourself to an experience that’s out of this world.
With a string of melodies that will shake you to your core, Les Mis is one of those musicals that should feature on your wishlist.
Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, this musical, which has been seen by over 70 million people, is a reaffirming tale of despair, frailty, rebellion, love, hope and life.
Set against the 19th-century France that’s on the cusp of social change and political turmoil, this song and dance spectacle is bleak, beautiful and brilliant.
Jean Valjeans, played superbly by John Owen Jones, must take a bow here.
The pathos that he evokes as an escaped convict, who was imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, is heart-wrenching. His frustration at being a social outcast and a misfit is beautifully sung and enacted.
I dare you not to cry when he sings What Have I Done?
This journalist, who lives on a robust dose of Bollywood tragedies, found herself squashing a lump in her throat. There’s no place for cynicism here because the Les Mis gang will knock those steely walls down, song after song, note after note.
What makes this musical divine is the pitch-perfect casting. When actress Patrice Tipoki, who plays the ill-fated Fantine, sings I Dream A Dream, she brings the pain and the pathos alive. As she cries in despair, it’s the audience who bleed.
The scene, in which she resorts to prostitution to be able to send money to her young daughter, Cossette, touches a raw nerve, too.
Another highlight is the grace with which Hayden Tee played the virtuous police officer Javert, who is obsessed by the pursuit of escaped convict Jean Valjeans.
His inflexible attitude towards crime and punishment may make him an antagonist that you love to hate, but Tee inserts such grace into his tragic character that your heart goes out to him as well.
With the help of visual imagery and sophisticated props, the scene in which he plunges to his own death makes it a visceral experience.
The grey pallor and the sign of impending doom is beautifully supported by the set that has been carefully constructed at the Dubai Opera. You can almost smell the stench of sadness that hangs around Les Miserables.
At two-hours-and-55-minutes, it isn’t overlong. In fact, the second act hurtles at a brisk pace and credit is due to the team for condensing a gigantic novel into a snappy musical. Just as the recently-opened Dubai Opera is a jewel in our city’s crown, this musical shines bright and bombastic.
If you are going to watch one musical this year, make it this.
Don’t Miss It!
Les Miserables will be staged at the Dubai Opera until December 2. Tickets start at Dh275. For details, go to dubaiopera.com
