This post is brought to you in partnership with Broadway in Portland. I received complimentary tickets to facilitate my post. Opinions are my own.
Do you hear the people sing? (And more importantly, are we listening?)
Last night, the Keller Auditorium was transformed by the Tony Award®-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables. Often heralded as “the world’s most popular musical,” this production proves exactly why live theater still holds a kind of magic you simply can’t replicate anywhere else. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams, unrequited love, and the relentless survival of the human spirit. With an unforgettable score and a narrative that challenges your very worldview, it remains a timeless testament to the power of mercy, sacrifice, and redemption.
Les Misérables pulls you into the story, inviting you not just to watch, but to wrestle with your own ideas about justice, mercy, and redemption. While this is a story set against the backdrop of a revolution, it becomes clear that the most meaningful one isn’t happening on the streets of France, but within us. Because Les Misérables is, at its core, about the revolution that takes place in our hearts… in our worldview… and in our quiet beliefs about who people are, and who they’re allowed to become.
You can devote your entire life to being “right”… and still miss what matters most. Because while law and order demand to be upheld, they are not what endure. What endures is love. Mercy. Compassion. In Les Misérables, Javert (played brilliantly by Hayden Tee) spends his life in relentless pursuit of “justice” – of law and order, of rigid accountability – and yet what his story reveals is not just the strength of that conviction, but the cost of it.
Jean Valjean’s (played flawlessly and beautifully by Nick Cartell!) entire trajectory was changed with a single act of grace. His world was expanded. Deepened. Redeemed. In a worldview absent of grace, Javert’s life became its own kind of prison. Javert’s rigid devotion to being “right” left no room for grace. And while Jean Valjean ended up knowing a life full of love and connection, Javert ended up alone, unable to make sense of a world that valued love and mercy over law and order.
When we stop allowing room for grace (for humanity to be humanity), it doesn’t just shape how we see others or how we view the world. It changes us. Fundamentally. It shrinks us. Holds us back. Causes us to forget what truly matters.
Javert’s pursuit of Jean Valjean forces us to wrestle with something deeper: do we believe people can actually change, and if they do, are we willing to see them differently? His rigidity becomes its own kind of prison; when there’s no room for grace, there’s no room for people to grow, no space to acknowledge that someone can be more than the worst thing they’ve done, and that kind of thinking doesn’t just affect others—it shapes us too, narrowing us, hardening us, leaving us holding tightly to being right even when it costs us connection, compassion, and the ability to see clearly.
This story highlights two very different men and the way grace shapes a life. One life was changed by a single act of grace: expanded, redeemed, set on an entirely new path full of love and purpose. The other was shaped by an unyielding pursuit of justice: hardened, diminished, and ultimately undone by an inability to bend. And it leaves us with a question that’s hard to ignore: When given the opportunity to choose “justice” or compassion, will we act like the bishop or like Javert? Will we be a person who gives grace or a person who withholds it in the name of being “right?” Because the answer won’t just shape how we see others. It will shape who we become and how we spend our lives.
That is the beauty and power of theater. Theater has the power to challenge our thinking, move our spirits, and bring communities together. I urge you to go see this incredibly powerful and moving production (with an absolutely DYNAMITE cast!)
I could not write a review of this production of Les Misérables without mentioning the stand-out talent of Jaedynn Latter as Eponine and the heart (and VOICE!!) she brought to this character. Eponine reminds us that while love may not always be reciprocated, it is what carries us, what makes us brave, and what ultimately proves that the most powerful form of love is the kind that gives without ever demanding a return.
One of my favorite things to do as an audience member is to watch the ensemble cast. The principal and minor roles often receive more attention – but a strong ensemble adds depth, richness, and heart. And let me tell you – this ensemble was crazy talented. EVERY SINGLE PERSON that opened their mouth could SING! Their background acting was absolutely on-point and I was so impressed with this stellar cast.
And maybe it’s because my husband is a high school drama director and choir teacher, but performing arts kids tend to be my favorite kids – and this show featured some absolutely INCREDIBLE young talent. The future of theater is BRIGHT. This performance featured four absolutely amazing child actors and kids – we are so very proud of you. We were blown away by young actor Rocco Van Auken and we know this will not be the last time he takes the stage.
Les Misérables will be in Portland at the Keller Auditorium through April 5th. While tickets are limited, you still have a chance to see this incredible show. Any remaining tickets can be found HERE.
If you can’t make it to Les Misérables , next up at the Keller Auditorium is The Phantom of the Opera! The Phantom will be at the Keller (and perhaps inside your mind 😉) April 29th – May 10th. You can purchase tickets for The Phantom of the Opera HERE.
And don’t miss out on the FABULOUS upcoming 2026/2027 Season from Broadway in Portland! Get ready Portland – it’s going to be an incredible year at the theater! This year’s lineup includes some fantastic new shows coming off Broadway and a few long-time favorites (that I can’t wait to see again!) To learn more about the upcoming season, visit: https://portland.broadway.com/subscriptions/. See you at the theater!
