"We're having a fantastic time doing Les Miz on Broadway eight times a week," says Kober. "I had a blast taking Playbill along on a two-show Saturday, from waking up with my wife and dog, to two shows with a pizza party in between. I hope you have as much fun looking at the photos as I did taking them!"
8:57am - Good morning! It's Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend, and I'm just getting up.
Andrew Kober
8:58am - The first face I see every morning is our cockapoo, Murray, usually snuggled up between my wife, Farra, and me.
Andrew Kober
9:01am - Farra is still asleep... Soon I will wake her up.
Andrew Kober
9:28am - Yeah. I'm still in bed... I like to begin my day with a thorough chat with Murray.
Andrew Kober
9:29am - Murray and Farra share a knowing look about what a crazy person I am.
Andrew Kober
9:32am - Time for my first Twitter check-in of the day!
Andrew Kober
9:34am - Finally out of bed. In our hallway, we have signed posters from lots of the shows I've been lucky enough to work on. The Les Miz one just went up!
Andrew Kober
9:36am - Farra is the Director of Social Media for MSNBC, so she's doing a quick check in of last night's news. Murray is waiting patiently for his walk.
Andrew Kober
9:38am - In addition to my morning chat with Murray, I usually have a quick talk with our Emmy. (I say "our," but it's Farra's. I had nothing to do with it.)
Andrew Kober
9:46am - We're out the door! Murray is so relieved.
Andrew Kober
9:46am - It's a gorgeous morning on the Upper West Side.
Andrew Kober
10:10am - Two show days require the proper fuel, so it's off to Lenny's for a giant iced coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Andrew Kober
10:32am - Murray. Is. Jealous.
Andrew Kober
11:18am - I pop downstairs to pick up our laundry... Yes, we have a Les Miz laundry bag.
Andrew Kober
11:47am - After a shower, I'm ready to hit the road. Farra and Murray say goodbye for the day. (This is so posed, and I don't even care.)
Andrew Kober
11:48am - And I'm off!
Andrew Kober
11:56am - I usually ride my bike to work, but I have a flat tire I haven't had time to fix, so it's the subway for me. I get a quick glimpse of Central Park before heading under ground.
Andrew Kober
12:22pm - Hey! I'm in that!
Andrew Kober
12:31pm - Feeling a little under the weather today, so I stop into Juice Generation for a Cold Warrior. Green tea, orange juice, a TON of ginger, echinacea, vitamin c, zinc, raw agave. It's the greatest.
Andrew Kober
12:40pm - Cutting through Shubert Alley, I run into my friend and collaborator Alex Brightman, currently appearing in Matilda.
Andrew Kober
12:45pm - I arrive at my office, the Imperial Theater.
Andrew Kober
12:50pm - Walking around to the stage door, I run into Dennis Moench, who will be going on in the role of Grantaire today.
Andrew Kober
12:55pm - Matt Rosell (Jean Prouvaire) soaking up the sunshine before heading in to fight call.
Andrew Kober
12:55pm - Who's that jerk on the door? Oh, it's me.
Andrew Kober
12:56pm - Obligatory signing in photo.
Andrew Kober
12:56pm - Today's "Ins and Outs". John Rapson is so talented, it takes three actors to cover him when he's on as Thenardier.
Andrew Kober
12:58pm - Jason Forbach (Feuilly) is happy to be here!
Andrew Kober
12:59pm - Down below the stage is "Wardrobe Village." This is where we'll spend time and make all of our changes during the show. Here, on this rack, are SOME of the costumes I'll wear in one performance.
Andrew Kober
1:00pm - Steve Chazzaro Medina, one of our amazing dressers, readies the costumes for today.
Andrew Kober
1:00pm - Susan, Sarah, Brittney, and Amber are our hair department for today! Their work never stops, and they always have a smile.
Andrew Kober
1:01pm - I make it into the house. Our crew is just finishing up pre-set.
Andrew Kober
1:01pm - Earl Carpenter (Javert) looks rested and ready to go.
Andrew Kober
1:02pm - I make a detour stage left to document my favorite prop label. Only in Les Miz
Andrew Kober
1:03pm - There's not a lot of space in the wings at the Imperial, so any big set pieces that aren't in use have to fly until it's time for them to come down. It's like a giant terrifying game of Tetris.
Andrew Kober
1:04pm - Our fight captain, Max Quinlan, looks over notes before starting fight call. Or maybe he's texting.
Andrew Kober
1:04pm - I am ready to go. These are all of the weapons I'll need for my various fights.
Andrew Kober
1:07pm - Fight Call has begun. We run through all of the fights in the show for safety every single day before the performance. Here, Earl Carpenter and Ramin Karimloo rehearse The Confrontation.
Andrew Kober
1:14pm - This brick looks like any other piece of set dressing, but it's actually a piece of the set from the original production of Les Miz that our stagehands have lovingly integrated into our set.
Andrew Kober
1:14pm - These fans in the orchestra pit aren't to keep them cool. They're pointing up, to keep the stage fog from rolling down on top of them.
Andrew Kober
1:16pm - Here's an awesome opening night gift from Cliff Saunders (Thenardier) showing where everyone in our cast comes from. We're from EVERYWHERE.
Andrew Kober
1:17pm - I stop in to visit Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean). He bothers me with the made-up genre of music he plays, "Broadgrass"
Andrew Kober
1:18pm - Ramin and I make an Instagram video (http://instagram.com/p/sVKizoC-4T/)
Andrew Kober
1:20pm - The children of Les Miz (Joshua Colley, Mia Sinclaire Jenness, Mckayla Twiggs, Gaten Matarazzo, and Angeli Negron) arrive!
Andrew Kober
1:21pm - Our music director, James Lowe, ATTACKS me with notes.
Andrew Kober
1:22pm - Our incredible stage management team, Trinity Wheeler, MK Flynt, and Davin De Santis are all smiles in their office.
Andrew Kober
1:23pm - I stop by the third floor where Samantha Hill (Cosette) and Keala Settle (Mme. Thenardier) are prepping for the show.
Andrew Kober
1:25pm - On the fourth floor, I find Andy Mientus (Marius) and Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras) doing... this? I don't know what this is.
Andrew Kober
1:27pm - Almost there. There are a lot of stairs.
Andrew Kober
1:27pm - I arrive in my dressing room. This is the view outside our window.
Andrew Kober
1:27pm - Outside, folks are lining up for matinees of our neighbors, Motown and If/Then.
Andrew Kober
1:28pm - My dressing station, full of photos of family and friends.
Andrew Kober
1:34pm - We've received our half-hour call! Here are all the things I need to prep for the show.
Andrew Kober
1:38pm - We spend so much time in Wardrobe Village, Adam Monley (Bishop of Digne), composed an anthem. I went ahead and wrote out the sheet music. Please, if you are a choir out there somewhere, we would LOVE to hear your version of "Wardrobe Village"!
Andrew Kober
1:40pm - Arbender Robinson (Constable, Montparnasse) and Aaron Walpole (Champmathiu, Brujon, Loud Hailer) prep for the show.
Andrew Kober
1:47pm - Mic? Check. Dirt? Check. Robe? Check. Ready to head down to Wardrobe Village.
Andrew Kober
1:49pm - I stop by to visit my friend Caissie Levy (Fantine), who is grooming the hair of a Fantine doll given to her by a fan. Typical Caissie.
Andrew Kober
1:51pm - For the top of the show, I put on two costumes at once to get ready for the many quick changes I have in the first few minutes of the show.
Andrew Kober
1:52pm - Just in case we forget what happens in the play...
Andrew Kober
1:52pm - I bet we're the only quick change room on Broadway with a mirror ball. This one was a gift to us from Will Swenson.
Andrew Kober
1:56pm - Places!
Andrew Kober
2:11pm - Our first big group quick change of the show. Coming out of the Bishop, heading into "At The End of the Day." It gets pretty crowded...
Andrew Kober
2:25pm - Today, since John Rapson is going on as Thenardier, I'm covering the role of Bambatabois. It involves very beautiful makeup.
Andrew Kober
3:05pm - There are a lot of us, and the sound team does an incredible job of keeping us sounding good.
Andrew Kober
3:07pm - Melissa Mitchell (Ensemble) and Heidi Giberson (Ensemble) take off SOME of the makeup, but not ALL of the makeup. They take off the dirty makeup, but leave the pretty girl makeup. Makeup.
Andrew Kober
3:19pm - Gaten gets some gaming done between scenes while Mia and Josh hang out.
Andrew Kober
3:19pm - Mckayla and Angeli chill out in their room.
Andrew Kober
3:31pm - Kyle puts on the iconic Enjolras costume to get ready for the barricade.
Andrew Kober
3:22pm - Arbender applies Montparnasse's scar.
Andrew Kober
3:25pm - Emily Cramer (Ensemble) and Natalie Charle Ellis (Ensemble) enjoy some down time/chips.
Andrew Kober
3:25pm - Melissa and Heidi catch up on some reading.
Andrew Kober
3:25pm - As does Megan Osterhaus (Factory Girl).
Andrew Kober
3:35pm - Intermission. Adam reads. We do a lot of reading.
Andrew Kober
5:05pm - First show done! Love seeing our fans lined up at the stage door.
Andrew Kober
5:05pm - Kyle is quite the fan favorite.
Andrew Kober
5:24pm - After meeting fans at the stage door, I head up to the lobby for a special day. We're having a pizza party and signing posters for BC/EFA and The Actor's Fund. Angeli and Mia are off to a great start.
Andrew Kober
5:27pm - Melissa loves the Two Boots pizza!
Andrew Kober
5:41pm - Chris McCarrell (Joly) and Kyle are knocking out these posters!
Andrew Kober
5:45pm - Poster. Pizza. Party.
Andrew Kober
6:13pm - Andy just found out that we sell Les Miz chiffon scarves. This changes everything.
Andrew Kober
7:07pm - The sun is going down on the Imperial Theatre, which means it's time to get going again. (Also, I accidentally and temporarily turned on the time stamps for the photos... oops. At least you'll know I'm not lying about the times.)
Andrew Kober
7:16pm - More caffeine. Green tea is my jam.
Andrew Kober
7:20pm - Back to work!
Andrew Kober
7:22pm - Time to wake up the ladies from their nap. They are not happy with me for doing this.
Andrew Kober
7:53pm - Show number two. Engage!
Andrew Kober
8:35pm - This is what comes off of my face after playing Bambatabois. A combo of fake blood, blush, lipstick and a little beauty mark. Thinking of selling these at the flea market this year.
Andrew Kober
8:35 - Almost time for John Rapson to be the Master of the House.
Andrew Kober
9:22pm - Aaron Walpole sings from this mic as the loud hailer. He has his own mic, lyrics, and even a tiny conductor monitor. Fancy.
Andrew Kober
9:25pm - One of our incredible dressers, Sandy Wilding, helps me with one of my quick changes.
Andrew Kober
9:33pm - A night in the life of the Les Miz ensemble is all about putting on dirt and taking off makeup.
Andrew Kober
10:27pm - As the second show winds down, Nathaniel Hackmann (Constable, Foreman, Courfeyrac) and Kyle work together on a word game.
Andrew Kober
10:39pm - Weston Wells Olson, Kyle, and I get ready to cater our second wedding of the day.
Andrew Kober
10:59pm - Second show over!
Andrew Kober
11:05pm - A quick goodnight kiss on the cheek from Nikki M. James (Eponine) is the perfect way to leave work.
Andrew Kober
11:06pm - The shows are over, but the ghost light will shine on overnight. I love that tradition.
Andrew Kober
11:13pm - Caissie and Kyle greet the fans.
Andrew Kober
11:33pm - I live a very easy and short bike or subway ride from the theater. But sometimes, after two shows, I'm just too tired and I'll treat myself to a cab ride home. This was one such day.
Andrew Kober
12:01am - The end of the day. Murray and I go for our late night walk, and then both pass out. Thanks for spending the day with me!
Andrew Kober
*
The cast of Les Miz features Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert, Caissie Levy as Fantine, Nikki M. James as Eponine, Andy Mientus as Marius, Samantha Hill as Cosette, Cliff Saunders as Thenardier, Keala Settle as Madame Thenardier and Kyle Scatliffe as Enjolras.
This reimagined production opened on Broadway March 23. Read critics' reviews here. Les Miz is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, original adaption by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and additional material by James Fenton. The original orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.
The new production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, with set and image design by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections realized by Fifty-Nine Productions. Musical staging is by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt. Musical supervision is by Stephen Brooker and musical direction by James Lowe.
Visit LesMiz.com/Broadway.
