Woodrow Wilson High School is known for staging high-quality productions that seem to defy the age and experience of the participants.
“It’s not your typical production,” says parent Diane Pitts. “It’s nothing like I ever saw in high school.”
But this year, music teacher Sean Morrison and theater teacher John Beaird chose to test the limits and talents of their students even further by performing “Les Misérables.”
Few high schools would attempt the musical because of its length, cast size and vocal requirements, Beaird says.
“It’s a very, very large show,” he says. “This is the first time Woodrow has attempted a production that is sung from beginning to end.”
A cast of 100 would not be unusual for a Woodrow production, Beaird says, but most shows use a large chorus and maybe 10 to 15 soloists. “Les Misérables” requires about 40 singers strong enough to sing alone.
“It’s a major undertaking,” Pitts says. “Everything is sung, even the dialogue. It’s like an opera.”
Woodrow is staging the musical’s school edition, a licensed version edited to run just over two hours.
Beaird says the students are excited about attempting something out of the norm. But the show requires extensive preparation. Students are rehearsing in class and after school. Beaird and Morrison are working 30 to 40 hours each week outside of school time.
“Les Misérables,” based on the novel by Victor Hugo, tells the story of Jean Valjean, who spent 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. He changes his name and becomes an honest man, the mayor of a prosperous town and a loving adoptive father.
But his pursuit by a relentless police inspector exposes his past, forcing Valjean to flee with his daughter. Only years later, on his deathbed, does he confess everything to his daughter.
Many people view the story as depressing, Beaird says, but it possesses an inspiring message about the shared human experience.
“We are really emphasizing the hope in the script and the spirituality that is inherent in the story,” he says.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 14-16 and 2:30 p.m. April 17. Tickets sales for the general public begin about April 1. Tickets can be purchased at Lakewood Minyard’s or by calling Debbie Crabb at 214-823-3267. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $12 for reserved seating.
