Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Thank you so much for joining us today, taking time out of your busy schedule with Les Mis. How's the tour going?
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Oh, it's going. I mean, it's going strong. We've been, we're well off into our third year now, so with a few breaks here and there, it's been going very strong. And, you know, we've been from coast to coast and back again.
[00:00:19] Speaker A: How long have you been with the reduction?
[00:00:21] Speaker B: So I started rehearsals in August of 2022. We opened in Cleveland in October of that year. And I've been going the whole time. Yeah.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: That's fantastic. So for those who maybe don't know, even though this has been around for, for over three decades, can you tell us a little bit about Les Mis and then what your role is and how it kind of factors into the story?
[00:00:42] Speaker B: Yeah, so, I mean, the elevator pitch, I guess, for Les Mis would be, you know, it, it's. Over the course of the three hour show, you meet several characters, all of whom are experiencing a tremendous amount of upheaval, whether it's, it's cult, private, you know, personal religion, all of it. I mean, it's, it's, it really does kind of go the whole landscape of sort of upheaval in a time where there was a great deal of unrest in France. And so, you know, while the story focuses on Jean Valjean mostly, it almost feels like it could zoom in on any one of these characters because you really do feel that, you know, you see all of their struggles and all of their suffering in a very kind of personal way.
So, you know, it's, it's basically takes place in France and you have all of these characters who are going through changes and it's, it kind of comes like top down, you know, like any, any, any society. It's, it's this sort of change with how the system is run and there's a great deal of rebellion, you know. So, I mean, to, to kind of sum it up in like a nutshell, you have Jean Valjean who's, you know, we, we find that he got in some trouble when he was younger, and then we meet him later in his life when he sort of reinvented himself and become a pillar of society and, and his story of weaving through all of these other characters who he tries to help, who he can't help, and some who are out to hinder his progress.
So it's, I mean, there's so many themes we can get into, but that's really, it's, it's his sort of story. So the way I figure into it is my, my character is Thenardier and I'm the, the innkeeper is who we, we see him. But you know, the, the, the story sort of runs over the course of like 30 years, you know, so I star as an innkeeper who's just kind of this sticky fingered, you know, thief of sorts, but also like this kind of like very entertaining scoundrel. And people love that he's kind of nasty. But then, you know, the revolution starts to happen and there's this kind of shift in society and basically comforts. And so he, when he starts to lose his business, he turns to, he kind of leans into his sort of eviler side and has this band of degenerates, you know, and so there's a lot of thieving and a lot of probably murder. It's suggested, you know, and then, and then later we see that after the revolution has kind of happened, then he's suddenly a grave robber. So he's, he's got a really beautiful story arc. You know, people just love him.
[00:03:30] Speaker A: So he really grows over the.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: He really does, yeah. He learns a lot about himself.
[00:03:35] Speaker A: So again with the show being around for quite some time, how did you approach this character? Like, how did you develop it to make it your own?
[00:03:44] Speaker B: It's a great question. I, I didn't have a tremendous amount of history with the show, of course, I always knew about it and when about, about almost 30 years ago now. I was in high school and my mentor at the time took me to see the show and that's the only time I saw it. So I was about 15 then.
So, you know, it has such a hefty history. And there's so many icon, I want to say iconic and air quotes because it is, it's iconic, but because you start to think, oh, I heard it this way, that's how it's done. And I didn't really have that voice in my head for this particular, very specific character. And you know, he's often very blokish.
And what I liked so much about the character was that I didn't, I didn't have all of these preconceived notions. And so I was just looking at the words on the page and what I kind of noticed about him as I was preparing for the audition initially was that he is wildly playful with language. He was a lot of wordplay and a lot of innuendo and a lot of sort of backheaded compliments. And because he's very clever. And so I noticed that you know, in vaudeville there's this sort of. They call it a pattersong which is just the quick, wordy almost list songs. And that was what kind of rang through to me because those are the characters I usually play. I usually do like big, broad musical comedy. So I kind of brought that to this character and I thought, you know, I can't be because he sort of almost sounds like he's kind of half asleep in some of the recordings you hear and kind of what do you know about, you know, that. That wasn't, that wasn't what the directors wanted and that really wasn't what I wanted to do. So I brought that into the room and they, they liked what I was selling. So, you know, a few months later we were in rehearsals and. And we did. We just kind of like took this role that I think a lot of people are used to hearing a certain way and we turned it on its head and we made him kind of like this very life.
Playful clown, vaudevillian in some aspects.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: That's awesome. You know. So as an actor, do you feel like. Like from rehearsal to now, do you still feel like there's changes happening to this character as you're developing?
[00:05:53] Speaker B: I guess you're going, you know, I was actually just about this a couple of weeks ago and I hadn't really thought about it because, you know, when we are at the two year mark, at least for me, or past it now, there have been a lot of developments, I think, but I think it's been gradual. So I can't even. I don't think I can even tell you what's happened. But I guarantee you if, if I was someone, I can't, I can't watch myself. But if I were. If they showed me, you know, a video of opening night, I would probably not even recognize the character, you know, because he. It is this kind of delicious playground and like, it's like a sandbox, you know, especially Master of the House. They're much prop play and so much word play and so much sort of mischief that we, me and the creatives, when we, when we worked on the staging for this, there was a lot of looseness to it, you know, in that like. All right, so here are the boundaries. Just don't color outside the lines but you know, play around and see how this. So, yeah, I mean there has been. I think he's become, I think I found over the course of these two years more of his danger. I think I started with his play, but I think I've over the over These two years, I've found that he is actually quite a threatening character when he wants to be. And so that, I think, has started to kind of find itself on the scale.
[00:07:06] Speaker A: Yeah, you know, that kind of leads into the next question where the show is. It has this really dark and serious tone, but your character is more of that comedic, funny person. How do you find the balance between those two? Because like you said, you kind of got to. You're finding this more dark side to him. But he's still. People are laughing. They tend to laugh during his.
[00:07:24] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it is. I mean, he's the comic relief. He and his wife are the comic relief. And in the novel, originally, they are just these unredeemable monsters, you know, but the writers of the musical decided that that was their clown. So they were. Because I think there is. There's this funny. There's this weird line where people kind of like to laugh at evil, you know, But I think, you know, the way I find that balance is it's just beautifully written, you know. I mean, these. These circumstances he's in, you know, between, like, clumsily sort of selling a child, you know, I mean, that's such a. Such a horrible thing, you know, I mean, there's nothing. There's nothing okay about what he's doing. But. But the fact that it's. It's pretty. It's. The framework is almost kind of. It's like over the top cartoonish or sort of in that world that it is. It's weirdly funny. You know, even, like, he drags out this. This body after the rebel, you know, after one of the big battles in. You know, in Paris, and he drops him in the sewers and he's, like, rifling through and he's like. It's almost like he's at a buffet. Like, oh, my gosh, let's. Let's get a little shrimp. You know, it's like. So I think it's the circumstances that are written that are just so extreme that I think the audiences just can't help but laugh at some of these despicable acts that he. He does. So it's really the writing, you know.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: It'S kind of like laughing uncomfortably at times, you know, just like, I'm not supposed to be laughing, but I am, because.
[00:08:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. And I do. So there are some nights where you can almost hear people testing the waters. Like, is it okay to laugh right now? Because. Point. You've seen really sad stuff, you know, And I think everyone's. And. And there's just really cool kinetic energy where people just start to kind of give themselves license to just breathe and laugh, you know.
[00:09:16] Speaker A: So how do you feel like this role has challenged you as an actor?
[00:09:20] Speaker B: Oh, well, I think a lot of that, you know, usually I play sort of the comedic song and dance man, and there's not a lot of darkness to some. To most of the roles I do. So I think that this is kind of.
This has very much encouraged and demanded the darker underbelly of a character that you have to acknowledge while still carrying the mantle of the comedy. So I think that that's been sort of my journey. My major journey with Les Mis is finding the threat under the joke.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: I was gonna say. Cause you do have an impressive comedic mighty Python. Spamalot is one of the greatest, funniest show. Yeah, there's quite a few that you just the producers and, you know, traditional comedies. And this is like, when I was kind of doing my research here, I was like, wow, this is like a. Not a comedy that he's doing now, you know?
[00:10:17] Speaker B: Yep. No, absolutely. I mean, really, that. When I got the audition for the show, I was. I did not see me having a chance at this. I thought this. That's not what I do. I'm not a great singer. You know, I can sing, but I don't sing like everybody else in this show. You know, there's definitely a little something different, you know, than I'm doing vocally, but.
But I was thrilled that they thought, no, no, no, we can. We can incorporate what you do, and we can make something out of this. So. Yeah, because it is. It's quite a. Like, a turn with what I usually do.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: What it. Do you have, like, a specific ritual to get into character, or do you just, like. Like, do you have to, like, get into the mindset of it, or do you just fall right into it?
[00:10:59] Speaker B: What I tend to like to do, within reason is, before I go on, I generally like to joke around, whether it's with my castmates or. I've got quite a few people on the crew, in props and in wardrobe and stagehands that I like to just try to make them laugh because that sort of loosens me up.
And so that's generally because he does need to go out there with a sense of ease and a sense of humor. So I find that if that's a sort of a mode and a sort of state of flow, I can get into, that really kind of helps me just seamlessly, you know, take off with this scoundrel when I Hit the stage.
[00:11:42] Speaker A: I love that.
What themes of this show do you feel like resonate the most with you?
[00:11:48] Speaker B: Oh, well, I mean, I think over the, over my two plus years now with it, that it's, it's changed so much, you know, because there are so. That's, that's the beauty of this show. And I think I was trying to allude to that in my cumbersome way of explaining what it's about is, you know, it's.
It touches on so many themes that either will or will not resonate with everybody, but it's. And it's such a broad writing, and that's, that's the genius of it. Over all these years, people can come back probably 10, 15, 20 years later and hear it completely differently because it's all so specific to experience, you know?
[00:12:30] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:12:30] Speaker B: So I personally, you know, the theme that I, you know, especially in light of recent developments culturally and socially and politically, I think one of the most important themes right now for this show is empathy. You know, I think that that's every day, every day, multiple times a day, we are given an opportunity to practice our empathy. And, you know, I would love for people to come see this show and remember, be reminded on it, and hopefully a more than just surface level that we encounter and pass by people all the time who are silently struggling and suffering and we don't know the story, we don't know their story, we don't know everyone's story. We can write a story because of what we're seeing, but we don't know. And I think that if there's ever been a show that kind of encourages you to take a second look or just take an extra beat and say, I don't know what's going on there. And if there's anything I can do, even if it's, Even if it's just a kind look, you know, empathy is, Is our only path forward. And I. And that, that's. I think that that's a recurring theme throughout the show for me, you know, and, and stronger now than it was when. Years ago. It's just like, that's. Sure, that's kind of mounted as I've. As I've worked on it, like you.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: Said, because of the way things are going right now. You feel that a little bit.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just it's. It really kind of like spikes when it shows up in the show.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: So traveling on the road can be difficult. So how do you prioritize your mental health while on tour?
[00:14:08] Speaker B: So I live in Chicago and I'VE got a wife back there and a couple of dogs.
And you know, the, the homesickness is the biggest trick for me. You know, that. And usually, you know, I think I've gotten better at dealing with homesickness. You know, I call it my witching hour in the afternoon and that's. Which is like that time where. Okay, well, I've had my coffee, I've read, I've, I've hit the, the fitness center. I've, you know, I've read my book. And so there's like that two hour window of like mental health that I really have to focus on. And that's, that usually is. Okay, we're gonna find a movie theater. Okay, we're going to find a sandwich shop, you know.
[00:14:43] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:14:44] Speaker B: The other part of it is, is a strict schedule for me. You know, I have bedtime. I give myself a bedtime every night because I'm getting to an age now where like, sleeping in isn't an option. You wake up. Yes. There's no, like, oh, I'm going to roll over. I just can't anymore. So, so if I go to bed too late, then I'm just robbing myself of hours of sleep. So early bedtime, lots of water. And, and I, and, and actually something else that really is good for my mental clarity and health is, is this wonderful app called Marco Polo where I just, I send video chats to a ton of my friends back home. And so, you know, while I don't get to talk to them all the time, I get to see them and hear them because it's, you know, it's about community now more than ever. It's about community and leaning into community.
[00:15:30] Speaker A: That's a fantastic answer. Especially the Marco Polo. You know, as a psychologist, I always wonder like, how do people. I. It's important to prioritize your mental health, especially in a job like yours that is very. You're traveling years now and, and, and.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: You know, I'm very lucky. There's a lot of good people on this show and there's a sense of community out here. But, but you know, there's, there's no replacing friendships of 25 years that are just, you know, so it sort of sometimes feels like I'm floating in outer space, you know, like I have no idea what city I'm in. Where are we?
[00:15:59] Speaker A: You know, is there anything special that you look for in the cities that you visit to do or like, like specific, like museums or restaurants or.100%.
[00:16:09] Speaker B: I always, the two things I always look for are Especially the night that I get in. I'll do. I'll research ahead, and I try to find the best pizza places.
I love pizza. I'm a pizza fanatic. I have a pizza oven at my house in the backyard. I just. I. And I love finding a good place. And I've, you know, I found dozens over the past couple of years, so that's one. And the other is I try to find the coolest record shop. During the pandemic, I became really into vinyl. Me and my wife, just like me, we found that we really love listening to records. So, you know, that's the other thing. So if you have any recommendations, pizza or records, I'm all ears for Detroit.
[00:16:44] Speaker A: I'll send you a list.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: Okay, good.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: So what is something about this production that you feel like will stick with you from now until forever?
[00:16:53] Speaker B: Something about this production, I think, you know, I've. The longest production I've ever done was Spamalot on Broadway. I did that for about a little shy of two years.
And I was a much younger man then. I mean, that show closed over 15 years ago, I think now.
And that's the longest production I've ever was a part of. So this is exceeding that by quite a bit now. And I think what I'm learning from such a long run is how to tap into a sense of play and spontaneity.
All these. All these perform. I mean, we're well over 800 performances now that we've done this show, which is just.
[00:17:37] Speaker A: Congratulations.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: Thank you. Yeah, it was just a couple of weeks ago that we hit the 800 mark.
And, you know, and it's still. I mean, I still get nervous, you know. Right. Especially Master of the House. I mean, and so that's what. And I love that. I love that I still get nervous and excited and all of those feelings, because it really is a dream job. I mean, this is. This is. I wanted to do this kind of work. I've wanted to do this work all my life. And I've been very lucky that this is how I pay my bills. And, you know, when I go to the accountant every year, I'm an actor, you know, it's a real gift. So. But I think, you know, learning how to present this show eight times a week, month after month, year after year, with a sense of freshness and spontaneity, that's. That's what I've learned from this.
[00:18:27] Speaker A: I love that.
Final question for you is just what are you hoping audiences walk away from Les Miswith?
[00:18:34] Speaker B: Well, I mean, I hope they walk away thinking, that was a great time. Yeah, I'm really glad I did that. But. But I think I do feel like, you know, like money well spent. I think.
I mean, it really depends. I think. I hope that people walk away feeling a sense of understanding, a sense of being seen. You know, I think that there's so much of this show that, again, it reaches out to very pointedly, very specific people for very different reasons. I mean, like, you know, every night, there's anywhere between 1500 to 2500 people in the house. And so that's 15 to 2500 different perspectives and experiences. And I would love to think that everybody, to some degree, walks away feeling like that they do, that they're seen, that they're understood, that they are welcome.
And again, it's just that right now, just maybe, they go home and they analyze a little their sense of empathy.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Perfect. Thank you so much for speaking with us today, Matt.
[00:19:41] Speaker B: Oh, it's such a pleasure. Thank you.
[00:19:43] Speaker A: Les Mis will be at the Fisher Theater December 4th through the 15th, so get your tickets now on Broadway in Detroit's website. Take care.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: All right. Thank you very much. You too.
