•32nd Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival• •All-State Production Information•

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Announcing the

Kyle Marquette, Director John Hersey High School Timothy Heck, Vocal Director John Hersey High School Mark Begovich, Producer Leyden High School Carl Meyer, Music Director Glenbrook North High School Tony Gibson, Choreographer John Hersey High School Tim Conway, Set Designer/Technical Director Highland Park High School Eric Garneau, Co-Technical Director Deerfield High School Joann Langley, Costume Designer/Coordinator John Hersey High School Mary Luckritz, Associate Director Rolling Meadows High School Andy Sinclair, Associate Producer Maine East High School

2007 IHSTF All-State Production:

Les Misérables

Please read this information VERY carefully!

IMPORTANT ALL-STATE DATES

April 21, 2006 Musician Application materials due

May 19, 2006 Actor and Tech Crew Application materials due

June 10-11, 2006 Actor Auditions @ Champaign Centennial High School, Champaign

June 17-18, 2006 Actor Auditions @ John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights

June 25, 2006 Actor Callbacks @ John Hersey High School

All-State Rehearsals August 11-13, 2006 (August 9-13 for Tech Crew) September 2-4, 2006 October 7-9, 2006 November 24-26, 2006 December 15-17, 2006

All-State Performance Week January 2-7, 2007 @ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•32nd Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival• •All-State Production Information•

- 21 - An event produced by the members of:

Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables was published in 1861. About the novel he wrote, “Les Misérables is written for a universal audience. It addresses England as well as Spain, France, as well as Germany... the republics that harbor slaves as well as empires that have serfs. Social problems go beyond frontiers. Humankind’s wounds, those huge sores that litter the world, do not stop at the blue and red lines drawn on maps. Wherever men go in ignorance or despair, wherever women sell themselves for bread, wherever children lack a book to learn from or a warm hearth, Les Misérables knocks at the door and says ‘open up, I am here.’” The revolutionary quality of the novel made it a financial success in its own time and for succeeding generations. However, critical acclaim took a long time in coming. Looked down upon by the church and governments, Les Misérables (roughly translated to mean the downtrodden or oppressed) the novel accomplished what the content of the novel preached: those that are despised by the powers that be can overcome that oppression through the love and devotion of the common man. Les Misérables, translated into many languages, has been read and loved by people across the world. With its epic scope, Les Misérables’ characters and events have the ability to endear themselves to the reader and foster an impassioned response. In an immensely complex and convoluted text, Hugo created the simplest of commentaries to his audience: “to love another person is to see the face of God.” From this simplest of human needs: to love and be loved, Hugo created a text that twists and turns until almost all of the major characters have sacrificed themselves for the person they love. Those who cannot make this conversion are doomed to suicide or a life in the sewers. It is this message that resonates with generation after generation and makes this one of the best selling and most loved novels. In the late 1970s, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, a French composer and lyricist, undertook the task of turning this epic, 1,200 page novel into a musical. Their first attempt was considerably shorter and less detailed than the product we now know. The story ended at the barricade; Javert’s suicide and Cosette and Marius’ wedding were left implied. However, the French audience, knowing the novel so well, was able to piece the rest together. In 1981 Cameron Mackintosh, a British theatre producer, was given the French album, adorned with the now famous Cosette logo, and was instantly enrapt. “It was an instant combustible decision. By the fourth track I was wildly excited.” For the next four years, the creation of Les Misérables the Musical would be his obsession. On October 8th, 1985, the musical opened in the Barbican theatre in London and mirrored the reception of the novel. It played to standing ovations, but the reviews were anything but flattering. “A witless and synthetic entertainment.” “The music is adequate if conventional and unmemorable, the lyrics uninspiring and at times bathetic.” Mackintosh thought about cutting his costs, closing down the production, and dooming the musical to be forever unknown. However, the musical proved to be every bit as resilient as the novel and once again showed that the love of the people would overcome those who were perceived to be the “experts” or the powers that be of theatre. After moving to the Palace

LES MISÉRABLES Performed entirely by students A musical by ALAIN BOUBLIL and CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG Based on the novel by VICTOR HUGO Music by CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG Lyrics by HERBERT KRETZMER Original French text by ALAIN BOUBLIL and JEAN-MARC NATEL Additional material by JAMES FENTON Orchestrations by JOHN CAMERON Original London production directed and adapted by TREVOR NUNN and JOHN CAIRD Original London production by CAMERON MACKINTOSH and THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY School Edition specially adapted and licensed by MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL and CAMERON MACKINTOSH

•32nd Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival• •All-State Production Information•

- 22 - An event produced by the members of:

Theatre in London, Les Misérables played to sold out shows and standing ovations for more than five years and has been translated and played to audiences in countries throughout the world. It is the people’s passion for this story that has made it “The world’s most loved musical.” As we embark on this mission to bring this remarkable piece of theatre to the Festival, it is that same passion that drives us: the passion to serve the story, the passion to dedicate oneself to the cause, the passion not only to dazzle with song, but also to impel with thought. From its earliest origins, theatre has been a tool not only to entertain but also to educate, to be an impetus to action, to be a spark to change, to be a means to improve not just your life, but also the lives of those with whom you work and those who see the final product. The powerful final words of Les Misérables echo this ideology: “Will you join in our crusade?/ Who will be strong and stand with me?/ Somewhere beyond the barricade/ Is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing?/ Say do you hear the distant drums?/ It is the future that they bring/ When tomorrow comes.” We, the directors of Les Misérables, are looking for people who are willing to passionately dedicate themselves to this cause.

Les Misérables requires strong vocal performers who have excellent physicality. Due to the demanding nature of the show, the more vocally demanding roles will, in all

likelihood, be double cast to preserve voices. All other considerations are being taken to ensure that no voices are damaged. In addition, the crew needs to be full of problem-

solvers. Our instrumental musicians must have endurance and be of symphonic caliber.

Our hope is that the experience of this audition will be a valuable learning tool for everyone who auditions or interviews. We encourage you to have your best students look over the enclosed materials and plan to apply. They need to be aware of:

• Audition Dates • Deadlines for mailing completed forms

PLEASE NOTE: Musician materials are due in April; Actors & Crew in May.

Actors will have live on-site auditions at Centennial High School or John Hersey High School. Musicians will not have live on-site initial auditions. Tech Crew applicants will not have live on-site interviews.

This information and more is also available to students online, at: www.illinoistheatrefest.org

Sponsors: it is extremely important that you be totally honest with your valued comments about your students. Select your best students to apply. The experience for musicians will be a combination of Symphonic and Broadway styles; there is no limit to the number of students you send. We want this to be the best experience for everyone involved.

Directors and/or students are encouraged to email if they have any questions

about auditions, the application process, rehearsals, etc.: kyle.marquette@d214.org or mbegovich@leyden212.org