Donna Ruth Duggan Lile
October 2, 2012
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October 5, 2012
Despite his childhood affection for Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker, Andrew Varela was surprised to find himself playing Inspector Javert in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables.
The French lawman spends much of his stage time doggedly pursuing Jean Valjean, the musical’s lead character.
“I had originally auditioned for Valjean, but they saw something in me that they wanted for Javert,” Varela said. “The director let me make him a human being. They let me show a man who is just trying to do his job.
“My job is to show I am trying to do what I have been tasked by society to do and, if I don’t do it, society is at risk,” the actor said. “So, by not playing him being willfully mean, it makes it harder for the audience to write him off as the bad guy.”
Based on poet Victor Hugo’s novel by the same name, Les Mis is set in 19th century France. Revolution is in the air as the chasm between the government and the people continues to grow. Students, factory workers, ladies of the evening and other outcasts provide an entertaining backdrop to Valjean’s struggle for redemption.
Les Mis’ staying power is attributed to the power of the story, Claude Michel Schonberg’s music and Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel’s lyrics.
“This story could be applied to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement or any of the great political movements that have happened across the country – actually, anywhere in the world,” Varela said. “It is a story about the human experience, but it transcends geopolitics and time. It is about a man who wants to change himself, but the world won’t let him. And then there’s love and revolution and redemption.
“Les Mis is just a story that is too big to contain in one time period.”
The recent Les Misérables tour is the most successful production ever, Varela said. It has been selling out theaters across the country for the past two years. “We’re selling out everywhere we go,” he said. “It speaks to the quality of the show. It still has that impact. It is an incredible experience to be part of.”
Finding Varela’s name listed among the cast is not new. Some years ago, he appeared as one of the students in the Broadway production.
“Here I am now a good 25 or 30 years older and the responses are still the same,” he said of the audience’s reception of the show. On Broadway, Valera also tackled the role of Valjean, often described as the most difficult role for a male in music theater. He appeared onstage in the role 300 times.
“I was a strapping buck then,” Valera said. “You are onstage for two and one-half hours. Then, at the end of the show, you have to lift a 160-pound man, plus there’s the fighting and aging and the music. When you are done with it and you are taking that final bow, you are just spent. You have nothing left.”
Although Javert’s character is onstage only a third of the time as the leading role, Varela said delivering a believable, ultimately compassionate character is a challenge. “I try to expend as much of myself in the time I am in front of the audience,” he said. “It is a challenge in its own way. A challenge you impose upon yourself.”
The anniversary tour of Les Misérables arrives at New Orleans’ Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts Oct. 31 through Nov. 4. And Valera promises a production like no other.
“If you have ever wanted to see Les Mis again, then you definitely want to come see this production because it is a great production of a great show,” he said. “If you have never seen music theater or never seen Les Mis, then what is wrong with your life?
“You have got to get out and see this thing because it will reaffirm your faith in humanity.”
And one final piece of advice: “Get your tickets early because we’re blowing box office records,” he said. “This show’s truly been selling out everywhere we go.”
The play runs from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4 at Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, 1419 Basin St., New Orleans. Tickets cost between $45 and $125, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.mahaliajacksontheater.com.
Thénardier and his wife, two of the primary villains in Les Misérables, blame society for their sufferings. “Master of the House,” sung along with their drunken customers at the pub, and “Beggars at the Feast” are showstoppers.
Andrew Varela, pictured as Inspector Javert, originally appeared in the Broadway production of Les Mis as a student in the revolution.
