#well scene

the black knight rises

“Well Scene” and “The Bargain”/ “Waltz of Treachery,” Broadway, February, 2007. Alexander Gemignani as Jean Valjean, Gary Beach as Thénardier, Jenny Galloway as Mme. Thénardier, Carly Rose Sonenclar as Young Cosette.

Gary and Jenny’s Thénardiers are hilarious. I remember at the time that Gary got some flack for being too cartoonish in the role, and I’ll admit he’s a little hammy here and there (e.g. the over-the-top bouncing of little Cosette on his knee), but overall I think he does an excellent job. And as for Jenny, what needs to be said? We all know her from the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts: she is Mme. T. All their little slimy gestures to each other, their role-playing as kind, loving foster parents, and their cackling over the money at the end is all spot-on.

Surprisingly, Alexander’s Valjean is funny too. His increasingly incredulous, irritated expressions add very much to the scene’s comedy. Given that his more recent roles include King George III in Hamilton and Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, it’s no surprise that he should have a talent for humor, yet he does it in a subtle way that still feels fully in character for Valjean. He also beautifully shows us Valjean’s kindness, even reaching out to comfort the “crying” Thénardier over Fantine’s death (which again, adds to the humor), and giving Cosette so much tenderness, rubbing her cold little hands, caressing her face on “I will not forsake my vow,” and of course doing the affectionate nose-touch that so many Valjeans do. Especially heartwarming is the very end of the scene, where he freezes in surprise when Cosette hugs him (clearly the first hug he’s had in decades), and then seems truly overwhelmed with joy as he picks her up and spins her around, laughing.

Carly’s voice is a little too belty for Young Cosette, IMHO, but she definitely looks and acts the part well.

But Miriam also has a scene where she stutters: during the well scene, when she’s first talking to Moses. Because that’s her burning bush moment. That’s the moment when everything changes for her, the moment in which she is overwhelmed by the responsibility of trying to persuade an authority figure to help her people.

“Well Scene” and “The Bargain”/ “Waltz of Treachery,” Broadway, 2001. Nick Wyman as Thénardier, Betsy Joslyn as Mme. Thénardier, Ivan Rutherford as Jean Valjean, Christiana Anbri as Young Cosette.

The uneven camerawork and partially blocked view is especially unfortunate here, as repeatedly we hear the audience laughing at stage business from the Thénardiers that we can’t see. But the sound quality is just fine and we see enough to know that this is a good performance.

Nick and Betsy earn all the laughs they get, with their craftly little gestures to each other, their facades as kind and tender-hearted foster parents, Mme. T’s fake sobbing over Fantine’s death and obvious improvising on “If... she hadn’t... so often been... ill!”, and their cackling and fighting over the money in the end. Of course that’s mostly standard Thénardier business, but they do it well.

US 3rd National Tour, Los Angeles, February 7, 2000: Part 5 ( “Master of the House,” “Well Scene” and “The Bargain/Waltz of Treachery”)

J.P. Dougherty as Thénardier, Aymee Garcia as Mme. Thénardier, Ivan Rutherford as Jean Valjean, Stephanie Mieko Cohen as Young Cosette.

Now we reach the Thénardiers’ Act I comedy showcase scenes with the first Thénardiers I ever saw.

By this performance, J.P. Dougherty had been playing Thénardier in this tour for over ten years and he would stay another two years before finally leaving. I remember from the reviews I read as a new fan that many tour followers were thoroughly sick of his performance by the end of his run. Fortunately, I only saw him in the role once, so I can still appreciate what he does with the role. I’ll admit that compared to other Thénardiers he’s a bit lacking in energy (maybe back in 1989 and ‘90 he would have had more), but he still manages to be funny and colorful without overacting – at least apart from his goofy high-pitched wail after “Like our own, M’sieur!”

As for another complaint that reviewers sometimes aimed at his Thénardier, that he was too comic and lacking in evil vibes, I don’t think that’s a problem so far. While of course Thénardier needs to become more sinister in the later Paris scenes, I think a genuinely amiable facade is entirely fitting at first. To a lesser extent the same is true for his wife. We should believe that Fantine could have trusted this couple to take care of her precious daughter, even if we can see how slimy they really are.

Aymee’s Mme. Thénardier is excellent. Brash, crude and funny, with a big, rich, attention-grabbing voice.

Ivan’s Valjean continues to make a great impression. He knows full well that the Thénardiers are conning him and offers excellent annoyed expressions and deadpan line delivery, as well as a flash of his temper when he slams the money onto the table after Mme. T.’s verse. Yet he’s so tender and sings so sweetly with little Cosette, and his big, hearty laugh and beaming smile as he spins her around at the end is infectious. He’s truly ecstatic to become her father.