Do You Hear the People Sing? I Do

Wonderful memories popped up when I recently glanced through some choral music called “Les Miserables Medley.”

In 2014, suddenly out of nowhere, I was given the role of a lifetime as the priest in Les Mis. Director Chris Jones asked me to send him a trial recording of my solo as he built a cast for The Prizery Summer Theater production.

I worked on it hard with my piano/voice teacher and landed the part. My only other experience in the theater had been in the previous year’s “Oliver,” in which I was an old drunk who was kissed every night by two young women. I was sold on theater!

Chris told me recently, “Les Mis was the best show I ever staged. Many people told me it was too large a show for our stage. I didn’t think so!”

The read-through of this summer stock production was a concert of its own. Larry Jennings recalls it as being  “like an opening night.”  The locals were all bowled over by the wonderful cast of recruits from a Southeastern U.S. audition event. What a month-long experience, hearing Jacob Waid singing “Bring Him Home” maybe 10 or 15 times.

I remember Ken Vaiden, who twice played Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” performing and helping with props and costumes backstage. Inspector Javert was played wonderfully by Fergie Philippe-August, who later went on to play James Madison and Hercules Mulligan in “Hamilton” on Broadway. And Allison Streeter, who was local, was a scream as as Madame Thernardier.

I was nervous coming on stage to bless Waid’s Jean Valjean, a thief who had been caught stealing from the church. I told the police, played by Evan Snead and Jacorey Jones , to let him go. In fact I gave him some more valuables.

Chris told me this was the turning point in the play, the moment when Valjean becomes an honest man.

I had a great deal of trouble with this: Would I really give the burglar more treasures after he stole a bunch of mine? This was a reach.

There was only one big lapse in my performances, when I dropped a verse out of my song once. Amazingly, the music director, April Hill, got the recorded music track to catch up with me.

The high point for me was when we all got on stage and sang “Do You Hear the People Sing?”  as Waid and Ryan Burch were carried around the stage.

After Les Mis, I became typecast as a priest. Do I look like one? I was the bishop in “Anything Goes” and promoted to God (or the starkeeper) in “Carousel.” I was supposed to be the priest in “Mamma Mia” until I suddenly needed a stent for a blocked artery.

Though most of the casts were quite young—college students and local high schoolers—Chris wanted some “age on stage” to give the shows depth, with people such as  Gladdy Hampton, Ken, Larry, Charlie Simmons and myself.

There are also wonderful experiences like this going on now at Halifax County Little Theatre, the Roxboro Little Theater, the Clarksville Community Players and 246 The Main in Brookneal.

But I decided after “Into the Woods” that I was done with acting. I kept forgetting lines and had to be coached by kids young enough to be my grandchildren. As the baker’s father, when do I pop onto the stage? After Jack sells the cow? I kept forgetting. And schedules were too grueling for an old man.

But maybe if they needed a priest again…

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Among other locals in the show: Austin Bowen, Jordan Cliffod, Rosie Anderson, Breyona Coleman, Gia Erichson,, Dorian McCorey, Shea McCuller, DeAngelo Renard, Jennifer Pagano, Tylor Nobles, Shaina Toledo, Daniel Casker, Gracie Berneche, Jason Fitts, Elizabeth Brogden, Isabella Lamonica, Bella Munley, Sarah Brogden, Sydney Cash, Amber Harris, Katie Holland,