What It's Like Bringing Les Misérables Back to Broadway
Tony Award-winning actress Nikki M. James talks the rigor of rehearsals and the thrill of starring as Eponine in Broadway's new revival of Les Misérables
Photo: Michael Le Poer Trench
On The Show's Roots
Les Mis runs about three hours, as befits a production based on a 1,200- plus-page novel. "The story's incredibly vivid," says James, 32, "but there are tangents that have nothing to do with the musical. I don't care about the Battle of Waterloo—what's going on with Cosette and Marius?!"
On How Preparation Makes Perfect
James and fellow cast members labor through the script in an unglamorous studio, tweaking every scene and song. "In rehearsal, we're hypervigilant," she says, "and see everything in a harsh light: If I turn my back here, some of the audience can't see me; does this emotion feel authentic? We fuss over the tiniest moments, so that once we move into the theater, all the elements can drop into place."
On Bringing Her "A" Game
Performing eight times a week requires tremendous energy, especially in one intensely emotional scene in which the actors pretend to construct a massive barricade. "We need to convey the excitement of building it," James says. "So one day the director gave us two minutes to tear the studio apart and make our own barricade. We exploded: running around, tripping, slipping, helping each other up, carrying furniture on our backs—and we internalized that rush of adrenaline to bring to every performance."
On the Fan Club
James is well aware of the pressure placed on this Les Mis (its first Broadway run lasted 16 years). "I'm the biggest theater nerd, but this show has a life of its own," James says. "After the first preview, there were easily 350 people waiting outside our stage door—singing".
Les Mis runs about three hours, as befits a production based on a 1,200- plus-page novel. "The story's incredibly vivid," says James, 32, "but there are tangents that have nothing to do with the musical. I don't care about the Battle of Waterloo—what's going on with Cosette and Marius?!"
On How Preparation Makes Perfect
James and fellow cast members labor through the script in an unglamorous studio, tweaking every scene and song. "In rehearsal, we're hypervigilant," she says, "and see everything in a harsh light: If I turn my back here, some of the audience can't see me; does this emotion feel authentic? We fuss over the tiniest moments, so that once we move into the theater, all the elements can drop into place."
On Bringing Her "A" Game
Performing eight times a week requires tremendous energy, especially in one intensely emotional scene in which the actors pretend to construct a massive barricade. "We need to convey the excitement of building it," James says. "So one day the director gave us two minutes to tear the studio apart and make our own barricade. We exploded: running around, tripping, slipping, helping each other up, carrying furniture on our backs—and we internalized that rush of adrenaline to bring to every performance."
On the Fan Club
James is well aware of the pressure placed on this Les Mis (its first Broadway run lasted 16 years). "I'm the biggest theater nerd, but this show has a life of its own," James says. "After the first preview, there were easily 350 people waiting outside our stage door—singing".
NEXT STORY
