Capital District high school students have been given a rare opportunity.
Beginning Jan. 4, Cohoes Music Hall will be one of only two places the other being Broadway where audiences can catch aa stage performance of the Victor Hugo classic `Les Miserables.` The difference is the Cohoes version features a local teen cast.
CR Productions, which puts on the twice-annual children’s productions, has gone all out for this one. Local teenagers from 20 different area high schools will be able to attempt the feat that is a full-blown `Les Miserables` production, from the mid-production costume changes to the revered turntable set.
`We were very lucky to get ‘Les Mis.’ We wouldn’t have gotten this for our professional production because it’s on Broadway,` said Jim Charles, CR Productions’ artistic director. `This is the only other opportunity for people to see ‘Les Mis’ other than Broadway.`
If October’s casting call turnout is any indication, chances are the actors and actresses in the show know how rare the opportunity is as well.
When the call went out, 250 children showed up at the music hall’s doors, only 30 were chosen for the production, said Charles. Many of those that show up are aspiring professionals, who commit themselves 100 percent to their pursuit, he said. It shows when they set foot on stage.
Just like their professional counterparts on Broadway, the cast does not use microphones, instead relying on the music hall’s acoustics to carry their voices to the audience. The production is as real as it gets, down to the set and professional orchestra.
That professionalism is what is expected of CR Productions, and it’s what brings hundreds of children each year to try out for their productions. It is also the reason it wasn’t a surprise that so many turned up for casting call upon hearing the production this winter was ‘Les Mis.’ Because of the production’s costs and size, no school will go near it. For many high school age students, this is their best shot at performing in the show.
`Some kids come back; 95 percent are new to us. We try not to call all the same people for our major rolls. The principles this year are new to us. They are really talented,` said Charles.
Work on the production began immediately after casting in late October. Since then, the 30 students have been rehearsing three times a week, Charles said. Some of the cast has been driving from as far as an hour away.
This is the sixth year CR Productions has been at Cohoes Music Hall and has offered its C-R Kids after-school program. The staff puts on two productions during the year, once in the spring, for elementary and middles school aged children, and once in the winter for high school students.
C-R Kids offers unique opportunities and enriching experiences. Participants
learn a variety of new skills and are rewarded by their accomplishments and are also given the opportunity to work with regional and visiting artists and theater professionals.
Featured in this season’s cast are: Shenendehowa seniors William Boyajian as Jean Valjean, Kelsey Poore as Fantine, Stephanie Gray as Mme. Thenardier, and Cara O’Brien as Eponine. Other schools represented: Colonie High School junior Bill Hennings as Inspector Javert, Columbia High School senior Taylor Collins as Enjolras, Academy of the Holy Names junior Brittany Boivin as Cossette, Shaker High School sophomore Charles Franklin as Marius, and St. Pius X’s seventh grader Christopher Flaim as Gavroche.
Les Miserables will open Friday, Jan. 4, and run until Sunday, Jan. 13.
Friday and Saturday evening shows begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
For tickets or information call 237-5858.“