Broadway Les Miz Vets Populate Pioneer Theatre Staging in Utah, April 25-June 23 | Playbill

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News Broadway Les Miz Vets Populate Pioneer Theatre Staging in Utah, April 25-June 23 Pioneer Theatre Company's resident production of the epic musical Les Misérables begins April 25 in Salt Lake City, UT — and the material is not foreign to most of the principal players.

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Adinah Alexander, Max Robinson and Kirsten Wyatt in Les Mis Photo by Robert Clayton

Veterans of the Broadway and national tours of the smash are in the cast, as are newcomers to the Victor Hugo tale.

The show has been a box-office sensation for the Equity Pioneer Theatre, which extended the run of the Alain Boublil/Claude-Michel Schönberg/Herbert Kretzmer musical before performances even began. The extended run (prompted by high ticket demand) ends June 23. Previews are April 25-26.

Les Misérables has been licensed to a small number of theatres, and Pioneer Theatre Company is the first regional theatre in the country to stage a production of the Tony Award-winner.

Pioneer Theatre Company's production is directed by artistic director Charles Morey, with musical staging my Karen Azenberg and music direction by Mearle Marsh. Morey has plucked from the Broadway talent pool for the show, which features William Solo as Jean Valjean, Merwin Foard as Javert, Kelly McCormick as Fantine, Trista Moldovan as Cosette, Kirsten Wyatt as Eponine, Max Robinson and Adinah Alexander as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, and Gregg Goodbrod and Michael Halling as the revolutionaries Marius and Enjolras, respectively.

William Solo was understudy to Colm Wilkinson for the role of Valjean in 1987; he then starred in the role himself from 1989-1991. He also led all three national touring companies of the show, and has been in the cast of other national tours such as Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Camelot. Merwin Foard is a Broadway vet who has played Javert on Broadway. His credits include the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd; other Broadway credits include La Cage aux Folles; Assassins; Oklahoma!; Kiss Me, Kate; plus Jekyll and Hyde; 1776; and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He has also been cast in the upcoming Broadway musical of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Kelly McCormick, who portrays Fantine, performed the role on the national tour of Les Misérables.

Trista Moldovan (Cosette) played Sally in Me and My Girl starring George S. Irving, Seffa in Faces of War, and Rachel Revere in Paul Revere for TheaterworksUSA.

Kirsten Wyatt (Eponine) was last seen at Pioneer Theatre Company as Peter Pan in Peter Pan, and has since been on Broadway as Anna in High Fidelity, Poopsie in The Pajama Game, and Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown. Following PTC's Les Misérables, Wyatt will be joining the Broadway cast of the revival of Grease.

Max Robinson (Monsieur Thénardier) has appeared in nearly 95 PTC productions, including You Can't Take It With You, Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and this season's world premiere of The Ladies Man.

Adinah Alexander (Madame Thénardier) comes to PTC after being in the original Broadway casts of The Wedding Singer, Wicked, Urban Cowboy and Parade. Her national tours include Parade and the world premiere of Whistle Down the Wind, both directed by Harold Prince.

Gregg Goodbrod (Marius) returns to the PTC stage after having played the Beast in both PTC productions of Beauty and the Beast. Goodbrod was part of the original cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway, and has appeared as Radames in Aida, Chris in Miss Saigon, Ethan in The Full Monty and Lt. Cable in South Pacific. He also played Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden at The Fulton Opera House.

Michael Halling (Enjolras) played the role in the national tour of Les Miz. He was seen on Broadway in the 2006 Tony Award winner The Pajama Game as Cyrus, and as the understudy for Harry Connick Jr.

Also in the Equity cast are Josh Davis, Mary Fanning Driggs, Kip Driver, Geoffrey Hemingway, Justin Ivie, Eric Jackson, James Judy, Jason Kraack, Anne Stewart Mark, Meegan Midkiff, Jeremiah Miller, Daniel T. Simons, David Spencer, Lauren Thomas and David F.M. Vaughn. Rounding out the cast are local actors Vanessa Cheney, Josh Christensen, Emily Morgan Jeppson, Shanna Jones, Thomas Marcus and Ginger Bess Simons.

The role of Little Cosette will be shared by Kenzie Stinger and Emily Watkins; Alisha Watkins will play Young Eponine. Understudying the roles of Little Cosette and Young Eponine is ensemble member Elizabeth Watkins. The role of the young boy Gavroche will be shared by Ethan Swanson and Dylan Vessel.

"Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean as he is pursued by the implacable Inspector Javert through some of the most tumultuous years in French history," according to Pioneer. "The musical has won over 50 major theatre awards, including eight Tony Awards and a Grammy. It is the longest running musical in London's West End, and the third longest running in Broadway history."

The creative team includes set designer George Maxwell, costume designer K.L. Alberts, lighting designer Karl Haas, sound designer Joe Payne, hair and makeup designer Amanda French and fight director Paul Kiernan.

Top single ticket price for the production is $49.

The show is not completely sold out, but very close, a spokesperson told Playbill.com. There are more tickets left in the later weeks of the run, the week of June 16-23 particularly. There are a few scattered single tickets in the first part of the (pre-extension) run, but many nights are, in fact, completely sold out.

PTC, Utah's major non-festival resident professional theatre, performs at Roy W. and Elizabeth E. Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, located on the University of Utah campus at 300 South and 1400 East in Salt Lake City.

For more information, visit www.pioneertheatre.org .

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Trista Moldovan, Kirsten Wyatt, William Solo, Kelly McCormick and Gregg Goodbrod in the Pioneer Theatre Company production of Les Mis Photo by Robert Clayton
 
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