Revolution in the PAC
Even Victor Hugo’s imagination fertile might not have reached as far as our corner of the Ojai Valley—much less to the year 2008. Could he have envisioned that an operatic adaptation of his novel might take wondrous shape in the foothills of the Los Padres, in a state that was just a decade old when Les Misérables was first published?
Even Victor Hugo’s imagination fertile might not have reached as far as our corner of the Ojai Valley—much less to the year 2008. Could he have envisioned that an operatic adaptation of his novel might take wondrous shape in the foothills of the Los Padres, in a state that was just a decade old when Les Misérables was first published?
La question n'a aucune importance—The question is moot, for whatever the answer, on the last weekend of February, over seventy students (and a handful of urchinesque faculty children) put untold hours of rehearsal to the test, bringing their version of Les Misérables to an audience whose members were jaw-droppingly astounded at the range of talent and scope of stamina. As Steffi Star effused, “I knew it was going to be amazing.....but it was just....indescribably prodigiously awesome.”
The third longest-running show on Broadway, the operetta draws on the big questions—Who am I? (as Valjean sings) How do mercy and justice operate for the greatest good? What is the nature of love? Of charity? What rouses men and women to their best selves?—and its action spans the several years during which Jean Valjean reclaims his humanity. Three hours in length, with nary a spoken word, and the challenge formidable of reenacting a piece of the French Revolution, it’s a bear of a show to mount. And in the hands—and voices—of teenage, it’s likely an iffy proposition, perhaps especially when they attend classes, do homework every night, and participate in sports or ride horses five out of seven afternoons.
But with this year’s Music Maestro-Man James Ockerman urging each student (regardless of his or her starting point) to a higher level of dedication and performance, Les Mis took to the stage, mesmerizing each evening’s audience—until, that is, they were on their feet in a standing ovation that wouldn’t quit.
Long after the final curtain came down and the smoke cleared, the campus was still buzzing—and not just because the bees are pollinating the first of spring’s orange blossoms. Understandably so. “Everyone will comment on the depth and breadth of talent among the lead roles,” said Jake Jacobsen, former Drama Director, “but I was also impressed with the exceptional focus and energy of the chorus—all the roles. Their concentration and commitment to those large scenes were extremely important to the success of the show. Their passion matched that of the lead cast.” Said Sarra Wynn '10, “Les Mis was amazing. I was absolutely blown away. I am so proud of all the people in it: it was great to see people I see everyday in a different light. It will be one of my great Thacher memories—it was just that good.” Senior Kelsey Harrington, who reserved a PAC seat for every night of the run, was also astonished: “It was perhaps the most technically excellent musical I have seen at Thacher yet. The raw talent on stage blew us away, especially since many of the actors are underclassmen.” For sophomore Albert Perez, it was a revelation to see classmates transformed: “I have never seen so much talent on one stage. There are people who I never thought could sing so well. Nobody in that musical was near average. It was really good!!!!!!!!!!!” In a case of the echoes, 9th graders Colin McMahon and Carson Land both pronounced Les Mis "by far the best musical I've ever seen here." (Both are facbrats-now-students, so have some basis for judgment!)
Even within the ranks, students marveled at what their schoolmates brought to the tavern table and how they grew through the collaboration. “Master of the House” Jack Eastburn '08, unwigged, said, “I was stunned by the amount of talent participating. Everyone did a great job giving it everything they had and making it truly a class act.” (Actually, every class was represented among both leads and smaller roles.) Sam Meyer '10, a.k.a. Marius, a.k.a. Mr.-the-show-must-go-on (even when the smoke alarm is screeching and strobe lights are pulsating), said, “I feel like I have grown so much as an actor and a singer. I also developed many new and close friendships with people who were in the cast, and I know I will still hang out with them even though we don't have rehearsal. Mr. Ockerman really raised the bar with this musical!” Ethan Nonomura '08 praised the actors’ professionalism—“some fabulous recoveries from near catastrophes!” And Ellie Wilkinson '08 loved the personal stretch demanded by her role: It was fun to get in touch with my ‘mean, letter-stealing factory girl’ self-- just for a little while! "Les Mis" was a great opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and throw myself into a new role.” For Eunice Ruiz '10, the show was nothing less than “six weeks of sweat, tears, and blood. It required the most dedication and hard work that I have ever put into anything. I enjoyed every minute of it!”
Students who’d never known a lick of greasepaint before this production agreed that there’s no business like show business. From Trudy Park '10: “Les Misérables was the first musical that I’ve have ever been in, and although I had to work very hard, the result [more than] compensated for it. Being in the show widened my [span of] emotional expressiveness.” Bryanna Lloyd '11 called working backstage “quite an experience, going on to say, “I had lots of fun and made some new friends—and I appreciate all of the work that goes into the details a lot more. I'll never take a prop for granted again!” Her classmate Trevor Mulchay, also a techie, agreed, saying, “The show never grew old. I must have seen each part of the musical seven times over, but I felt invigorated and uplifted every time.” Lightboard operator Wils Dawson said that “working with the two pros was a blast and a great learning experience—although I felt a little bit out of place telling the professional, who had just done a show for Liza Minnelli, which lights to turn on!”
As for lasting take-aways, Cynthia Santos '11 said, “For once, I actually enjoy having a song stuck in my head. Les Mis was THAT good. I'm even looking up the song on youtube just so that I can hear it all AGAIN! Going twice just wasn't enough.” For sophomore Michael Stenovec it’s the other side of the same coin—and perhaps the best that Mr. Ockerman could wish for: “I learned to love singing, and I'm sure this will follow me around for the rest of my life.”
Cast
Jean Valjean—Alex Kaneko ’08
Javert—Josh Jackson ’09
Bishop of Digne—Kyle Dietrich ’10
Fantine—Annie Sawyer ’08
Foreman—Logan Kroloff ’08
Bamatabois—Will Rutter ’11
Old Woman—Rita Walton ’08
Pimp—Clinton Henderson ’08
Fauchelevant—Michael Stenovec ’10
Thenardier—Jack Eastburn ’08
Madame Thenardier—Alessandra Waste ’08
Eponine—Grace Lowe ’11
Enjolras—Cameron Kemp ’09
Marius—Sam Meyer ’10
Cosette—Taryn Van Vliet ’10
Gavroche—Claudio Ferrari
Little Cosette—Madeleine Mazzola
Little Eponine—Hannah Kent
Constables—Will Callan ’11, John Cowles ’11
Farmer—Jackson Berler ’10
Labourer 1—Will Sturgeon ’08
Factory Girls—Leandra Cooper ’09, Alex Simon ’09, Kristen Findley ’10, Eunice Ruiz ’10, Ellie Wilkinson ’08
Girls of the Night—Laura Ammons ’10, Lauren Bosche ’10, Leandra Cooper ’09, Alina Everett ’08, Kristen Findley ’09, Paige Gribb ’10, Victoria Lowe ’08, Lauren Rosenfeld ’10, Sarae Snyder ’10, and Barrie Sterling ’08
Onlookers—Paige Gribb ’10, Maggie Miller ’11, Sarah Boneysteele ’10, Shawn Keyani ’10
Street Urchins—Hannah Kent, Kai Lin, Madeleine Mazzola, Griffin McMahon
ABC Society:
Combeferre—Kyle Dietrich ’10
Feuilly—Will Sturgeon '08
Courfeyrac—Logan Kroloff ’08
Joly—Ryan Winter '09
Prouvaire—Jackson Berler '10
Lesgles--Will Callan '11
Grantaire—Will Rutter '11
ABC Society Men: Chris Ammons '08, Jeffrey Chen '08, John Cowles '11, Kyle Dietrich '10, Clinton Henderson '08, Shawn Keyani ’10, Michael Stenovec '10
Sentries: Brandon Green ’11, Scott Lee ’11
Gang of Thenardier
Byron—Clinton Henderson '08
Babe—Jeffrey Chen '08
Cloaquesous—Chris Ammons '08
Montparnasse—Ryan Winter '09
Ball Room Dancers at Wedding
Domo: Brandon Green ’11
Chris Ammons '08, Laura Ammons '10, Jackson Berler '10, Leandra Cooper '09, Kyle Dietrich ’10, Kristen Findley '09, Paige Gribb '10, Will Rutter '11, Alex Simon '09, Barrie Sterling '08, Will Sturgeon '08
Chorus
Chris Ammons '08, Laura Ammons '10, Jackson Berler '10, Sarah Boneysteele '10, Lauren Bosche '10, Will Callan '11, Jeffrey Chen '08, Leandra Cooper '09, John Cowles '11, Kyle Dietrich ’10, Alina Everett '08, Kristen Findley '09, Brandon Green '11, Paige Gribb '10, Clinton Henderson '08, Shawn Keyani '10, Scott Lee '11, Victoria Lowe '08, Maggie Miller '11, Alexandra Montague '09, Trudy Park ’10, Julie Park '10, Laurel Poolman '10, Lauren Rosenfeld '10, Eunice Ruiz '10, Will Rutter '11, Kristen Sawyer '10, Alex Simon '09, Sarae Snyder '10, Barrie Sterling '08, Michael Stenovec '10, Will Sturgeon '08, Rita Walton '08, Will Waste '10, Ellie Wilkinson '08, Ryan Winter '09
Director & Set Concept—James Ockerman
Assistant Director--Audra Lee
Choreographer—Gallia K. Vickery
Orchestration—Ben Bloxham and David Arana
Technical Director & Set Designer—Claire Kendrick CdeP 1999
Student Director—Cameron Kemp ’09
Stage Manager—Chris Allison ’09
Assistant Stage Manager—Morgan Krey ’10
Light Design—Richard Casarez
Light Board Operator—Wils Dawson ’09
Sound Design—Desmond Warren
Sound Assistants—John Neville '08, William Peterson ’08
Costumes—Costumes Holiday House, Inc.
Costume Mistress—Sarina Patel ’10
Hair/Make-up/Costume Crew—KellyJoy Brown-Lewis ’09, Eliza Childs ’09, Annie Ford ’09, Gaby Karefa-Johnson ’09, Lindsay Oliver ’08
Backstage Crew: John Callander ’09, Charles Hancock ’10, Iona Hughan ’10, Hampton King ’10, Morgan Krey ’10, Trevor Mulchay ’11, Sean Park ’08, Joe Tobin ’09
Props Mistress—Sienna Courter ’11
Props Assistants—Bryanna Lloyd ’11, Leeah Stickelmaier ’11
Special thanks to John Syder, Susan Hardenbergh, Sandy Jensen, Ellen Winter, Cynthia Rutter, Louanna Van Holten, Marcus Kettles, Amber Young, Bodhi Young, the Freshman Drama Class, the Acting Class, Jennifer Finley, Hidden Treasures Thrift Store, Nicholas Homans Wilder ’09, Susan Ockerman, Sara Edwards, and Richard Maxwell for très bons refreshments.
View the gallery of Christopher Land's Les Mis photos.
Back
La question n'a aucune importance—The question is moot, for whatever the answer, on the last weekend of February, over seventy students (and a handful of urchinesque faculty children) put untold hours of rehearsal to the test, bringing their version of Les Misérables to an audience whose members were jaw-droppingly astounded at the range of talent and scope of stamina. As Steffi Star effused, “I knew it was going to be amazing.....but it was just....indescribably prodigiously awesome.”
The third longest-running show on Broadway, the operetta draws on the big questions—Who am I? (as Valjean sings) How do mercy and justice operate for the greatest good? What is the nature of love? Of charity? What rouses men and women to their best selves?—and its action spans the several years during which Jean Valjean reclaims his humanity. Three hours in length, with nary a spoken word, and the challenge formidable of reenacting a piece of the French Revolution, it’s a bear of a show to mount. And in the hands—and voices—of teenage, it’s likely an iffy proposition, perhaps especially when they attend classes, do homework every night, and participate in sports or ride horses five out of seven afternoons.
But with this year’s Music Maestro-Man James Ockerman urging each student (regardless of his or her starting point) to a higher level of dedication and performance, Les Mis took to the stage, mesmerizing each evening’s audience—until, that is, they were on their feet in a standing ovation that wouldn’t quit.
Long after the final curtain came down and the smoke cleared, the campus was still buzzing—and not just because the bees are pollinating the first of spring’s orange blossoms. Understandably so. “Everyone will comment on the depth and breadth of talent among the lead roles,” said Jake Jacobsen, former Drama Director, “but I was also impressed with the exceptional focus and energy of the chorus—all the roles. Their concentration and commitment to those large scenes were extremely important to the success of the show. Their passion matched that of the lead cast.” Said Sarra Wynn '10, “Les Mis was amazing. I was absolutely blown away. I am so proud of all the people in it: it was great to see people I see everyday in a different light. It will be one of my great Thacher memories—it was just that good.” Senior Kelsey Harrington, who reserved a PAC seat for every night of the run, was also astonished: “It was perhaps the most technically excellent musical I have seen at Thacher yet. The raw talent on stage blew us away, especially since many of the actors are underclassmen.” For sophomore Albert Perez, it was a revelation to see classmates transformed: “I have never seen so much talent on one stage. There are people who I never thought could sing so well. Nobody in that musical was near average. It was really good!!!!!!!!!!!” In a case of the echoes, 9th graders Colin McMahon and Carson Land both pronounced Les Mis "by far the best musical I've ever seen here." (Both are facbrats-now-students, so have some basis for judgment!)
Even within the ranks, students marveled at what their schoolmates brought to the tavern table and how they grew through the collaboration. “Master of the House” Jack Eastburn '08, unwigged, said, “I was stunned by the amount of talent participating. Everyone did a great job giving it everything they had and making it truly a class act.” (Actually, every class was represented among both leads and smaller roles.) Sam Meyer '10, a.k.a. Marius, a.k.a. Mr.-the-show-must-go-on (even when the smoke alarm is screeching and strobe lights are pulsating), said, “I feel like I have grown so much as an actor and a singer. I also developed many new and close friendships with people who were in the cast, and I know I will still hang out with them even though we don't have rehearsal. Mr. Ockerman really raised the bar with this musical!” Ethan Nonomura '08 praised the actors’ professionalism—“some fabulous recoveries from near catastrophes!” And Ellie Wilkinson '08 loved the personal stretch demanded by her role: It was fun to get in touch with my ‘mean, letter-stealing factory girl’ self-- just for a little while! "Les Mis" was a great opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and throw myself into a new role.” For Eunice Ruiz '10, the show was nothing less than “six weeks of sweat, tears, and blood. It required the most dedication and hard work that I have ever put into anything. I enjoyed every minute of it!”
Students who’d never known a lick of greasepaint before this production agreed that there’s no business like show business. From Trudy Park '10: “Les Misérables was the first musical that I’ve have ever been in, and although I had to work very hard, the result [more than] compensated for it. Being in the show widened my [span of] emotional expressiveness.” Bryanna Lloyd '11 called working backstage “quite an experience, going on to say, “I had lots of fun and made some new friends—and I appreciate all of the work that goes into the details a lot more. I'll never take a prop for granted again!” Her classmate Trevor Mulchay, also a techie, agreed, saying, “The show never grew old. I must have seen each part of the musical seven times over, but I felt invigorated and uplifted every time.” Lightboard operator Wils Dawson said that “working with the two pros was a blast and a great learning experience—although I felt a little bit out of place telling the professional, who had just done a show for Liza Minnelli, which lights to turn on!”
As for lasting take-aways, Cynthia Santos '11 said, “For once, I actually enjoy having a song stuck in my head. Les Mis was THAT good. I'm even looking up the song on youtube just so that I can hear it all AGAIN! Going twice just wasn't enough.” For sophomore Michael Stenovec it’s the other side of the same coin—and perhaps the best that Mr. Ockerman could wish for: “I learned to love singing, and I'm sure this will follow me around for the rest of my life.”
Cast
Jean Valjean—Alex Kaneko ’08
Javert—Josh Jackson ’09
Bishop of Digne—Kyle Dietrich ’10
Fantine—Annie Sawyer ’08
Foreman—Logan Kroloff ’08
Bamatabois—Will Rutter ’11
Old Woman—Rita Walton ’08
Pimp—Clinton Henderson ’08
Fauchelevant—Michael Stenovec ’10
Thenardier—Jack Eastburn ’08
Madame Thenardier—Alessandra Waste ’08
Eponine—Grace Lowe ’11
Enjolras—Cameron Kemp ’09
Marius—Sam Meyer ’10
Cosette—Taryn Van Vliet ’10
Gavroche—Claudio Ferrari
Little Cosette—Madeleine Mazzola
Little Eponine—Hannah Kent
Constables—Will Callan ’11, John Cowles ’11
Farmer—Jackson Berler ’10
Labourer 1—Will Sturgeon ’08
Factory Girls—Leandra Cooper ’09, Alex Simon ’09, Kristen Findley ’10, Eunice Ruiz ’10, Ellie Wilkinson ’08
Girls of the Night—Laura Ammons ’10, Lauren Bosche ’10, Leandra Cooper ’09, Alina Everett ’08, Kristen Findley ’09, Paige Gribb ’10, Victoria Lowe ’08, Lauren Rosenfeld ’10, Sarae Snyder ’10, and Barrie Sterling ’08
Onlookers—Paige Gribb ’10, Maggie Miller ’11, Sarah Boneysteele ’10, Shawn Keyani ’10
Street Urchins—Hannah Kent, Kai Lin, Madeleine Mazzola, Griffin McMahon
ABC Society:
Combeferre—Kyle Dietrich ’10
Feuilly—Will Sturgeon '08
Courfeyrac—Logan Kroloff ’08
Joly—Ryan Winter '09
Prouvaire—Jackson Berler '10
Lesgles--Will Callan '11
Grantaire—Will Rutter '11
ABC Society Men: Chris Ammons '08, Jeffrey Chen '08, John Cowles '11, Kyle Dietrich '10, Clinton Henderson '08, Shawn Keyani ’10, Michael Stenovec '10
Sentries: Brandon Green ’11, Scott Lee ’11
Gang of Thenardier
Byron—Clinton Henderson '08
Babe—Jeffrey Chen '08
Cloaquesous—Chris Ammons '08
Montparnasse—Ryan Winter '09
Ball Room Dancers at Wedding
Domo: Brandon Green ’11
Chris Ammons '08, Laura Ammons '10, Jackson Berler '10, Leandra Cooper '09, Kyle Dietrich ’10, Kristen Findley '09, Paige Gribb '10, Will Rutter '11, Alex Simon '09, Barrie Sterling '08, Will Sturgeon '08
Chorus
Chris Ammons '08, Laura Ammons '10, Jackson Berler '10, Sarah Boneysteele '10, Lauren Bosche '10, Will Callan '11, Jeffrey Chen '08, Leandra Cooper '09, John Cowles '11, Kyle Dietrich ’10, Alina Everett '08, Kristen Findley '09, Brandon Green '11, Paige Gribb '10, Clinton Henderson '08, Shawn Keyani '10, Scott Lee '11, Victoria Lowe '08, Maggie Miller '11, Alexandra Montague '09, Trudy Park ’10, Julie Park '10, Laurel Poolman '10, Lauren Rosenfeld '10, Eunice Ruiz '10, Will Rutter '11, Kristen Sawyer '10, Alex Simon '09, Sarae Snyder '10, Barrie Sterling '08, Michael Stenovec '10, Will Sturgeon '08, Rita Walton '08, Will Waste '10, Ellie Wilkinson '08, Ryan Winter '09
Director & Set Concept—James Ockerman
Assistant Director--Audra Lee
Choreographer—Gallia K. Vickery
Orchestration—Ben Bloxham and David Arana
Technical Director & Set Designer—Claire Kendrick CdeP 1999
Student Director—Cameron Kemp ’09
Stage Manager—Chris Allison ’09
Assistant Stage Manager—Morgan Krey ’10
Light Design—Richard Casarez
Light Board Operator—Wils Dawson ’09
Sound Design—Desmond Warren
Sound Assistants—John Neville '08, William Peterson ’08
Costumes—Costumes Holiday House, Inc.
Costume Mistress—Sarina Patel ’10
Hair/Make-up/Costume Crew—KellyJoy Brown-Lewis ’09, Eliza Childs ’09, Annie Ford ’09, Gaby Karefa-Johnson ’09, Lindsay Oliver ’08
Backstage Crew: John Callander ’09, Charles Hancock ’10, Iona Hughan ’10, Hampton King ’10, Morgan Krey ’10, Trevor Mulchay ’11, Sean Park ’08, Joe Tobin ’09
Props Mistress—Sienna Courter ’11
Props Assistants—Bryanna Lloyd ’11, Leeah Stickelmaier ’11
Special thanks to John Syder, Susan Hardenbergh, Sandy Jensen, Ellen Winter, Cynthia Rutter, Louanna Van Holten, Marcus Kettles, Amber Young, Bodhi Young, the Freshman Drama Class, the Acting Class, Jennifer Finley, Hidden Treasures Thrift Store, Nicholas Homans Wilder ’09, Susan Ockerman, Sara Edwards, and Richard Maxwell for très bons refreshments.
View the gallery of Christopher Land's Les Mis photos.
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A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.