#dawn spence

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Featuring Dawn Spence as Demeter and Vanessa Leagh-Hicks as Bombalurina (London 1994). 

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This stock photo is dated London, July 1994 (which might make Demeter Dawn Spence?); but quite apart from the fact that this would be an amazingly good photo for 1994, it doesn’t really match up with the costume and makeup for that time - and nor do the facial features of either lady, or Cassandra’s skin colour!

I’m fairly sure this is actually Cornelia Waibel from the German tent tour, in 2011 or 2012, with Elizabeth Hazel Bell as Cassandra behind her.

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“Look Down” and “The Robbery” (plus the end of the “Waltz of Treachery”), Walnut Street Theatre, 2008. Unknown Gavroche, Jeffrey Coon as Enjolras, Josh Young as Marius, Scott Greer as Thénardier, Dawn Spence as Mme. Thénardier, Christina DeCiccio as Éponine, Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean, Julie Craig as Cosette, Paul Schoeffler as Javert.

This video shows a moment I remember reading about in reviews of this production: a creative and poignant way of conveying the time skip between Montfermeil and Paris. As Valjean and Young Cosette establish their father-daughter bond, Young Éponine comes out of the inn and looks on, holding her own doll that’s much shabbier than Cosette’s new one. Then the grown-up Cosette and Éponine appear, Cosette wearing an elegant dress in the same shade of gray as Young Cosette’s rags, Éponine in a tattered version of her fancy childhood dress, and the little girls both hand their dolls to their older selves, then exit. Not only is this an effective way to move forward in time, it also ensures that the audience knows who the grown-up Cosette and Éponine are and ensures that their past isn’t forgotten: their costumes become constant reminders of their childhoods.

The setting for “Look Down” seems more intimate and sparsely populated than in replica productions, and the set design is slightly prettier and more Romantic than John Napier’s stark brick slum walls, but the staging compensates with the grittiness of the beggars, several of whom are shown lying or crawling on the ground and some of whom are clearly disabled. There’s also a particularly strong sense of how misery makes people act like animals and turn on each other. There are exceptions, of course: we see Gavroche’s kindness when he gives the bag he’s been carrying (which presumably contains food or clothes he either stole or was given) to a severely crippled beggar man. But right away the poor man is mugged for that bag by two able-bodied beggars. The fight between the crazy old woman and the prostitute is also more brutal than usual, and in the background during “See our children fed, help us in our shame...”  a man repeatedly kicks a woman on the ground for no good reason.

Gavroche is a bit generic, but still solid. He might have made a stronger impression if his face weren’t overwhelmed by his huge hat, though. Then again, I suppose it’s only realistic that his clothes don’t fit him perfectly.

Jeffrey and Josh both make strong, rich-voiced first impressions as Enjolras and Marius, even though the camera doesn’t show them during their first lines, favoring a view of the beggars instead. Josh is also excellent in Marius’s first interaction with Éponine: friendly and fond, but with a certain formality and with clear awkwardness when her teasing leans too close to flirting. Still, in this staging he leaps to her defense when he sees her mother roughing her up, and heartbreakingly, it’s in response to this that she orders him “Stay out of this!” It’s as if she’s used to being abused and would rather put up with it than have Marius risk his safety for her.

Christina’s Éponine also makes a fine first impression: scrappy and tomboyish, yet with the wistful yearning and girlish awkwardness behind her teasing facade made clear too.

It’s a nice touch when Marius is about to give Cosette back the apple he accidentally made her drop (for that matter, it’s a nice touch to show Valjean and Cosette handing out food to the poor), only for Valjean to establish his overprotection by snatching the apple from him and handing it to her himself. Apparently to him, even being handed back a dropped apple is too much contact for Cosette to have with a young man.

Scott and Dawn’s Thénardiers are both strong, with their lines’ traditional comedy downplayed in favor of nastiness and slime. Scott slightly flubs his first line, singing “You are all here, you know your place” instead of “Everyone here, you know your place” (not a big deal, but it does sound stilted and awkward), but is otherwise spot-on. Meanwhile, Dawn’s constant rough treatment of Éponine stands out. It’s evident that Éponine has become her mother’s punching bag now that she doesn’t have Cosette to vent her anger on anymore.

I’m surprised that the staging doesn’t have Marius rescue Cosette from Montparnasse’s clutches during the gang’s attack. Instead the poor girl is trapped in his grasp until Javert arrives. I’m sure Marius must have somehow been busy on the other side of the stage. I once read about a German production that had Marius be the one to go and get Javert; maybe this was the case here too, although the camera doesn’t show it.

Paul will never be my favorite Javert (nor will I ever fully dissociate him from the role of Captain Hook), but his stern, fierce voice and demeanor still make a strong impression.

Overall, an effective and creative take on the scene.

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“One Day More,” Walnut Street Theatre, 2008. Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean, Josh Young as Marius, Julie Craig as Cosette, Christina DeCiccio as Éponine, Jeffrey Coon as Enjolras, Paul Schoeffler as Javert, Scott Greer as Thénardier, Dawn Spence as Mme. Thénardier.

Back in its day, this was one of the most acclaimed American regional productions of Les Mis.

The cast definitely gives a stirring rendition of this number. So many outstanding voices!

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“Beggars at the Feast” (plus the very beginning of the “Epilogue”), Walnut Street Theatre, 2008. Scott Greer as Thénardier, Dawn Spence as Mme. Thénardier, Josh Young as Marius, Julie Craig as Cosette, Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean.

I like the Thénardiers’ costumes in this production. They’re appropriately gaudy, but not jarringly cartoonish, and their color scheme of sickly yellow-green with accents of black and dark maroon makes them look sinister as well as comic.

Likewise, the staging of the scene lacks the slapstick found in most other productions, which is a refreshing change. The Thénardiers still have room to be colorful and funny, but never become clowns in the least. Their slimy effect is enhanced by the fact that the scene’s usually-cut lines are restored, including “When I look at you, I remember Éponine...” Seeing Thénardier fall to his knees in feigned grief for the daughter he abused and exploited makes the viewer just as eager to punch him as Marius.

Scott and Dawn are both excellently suited to their roles: colorful yet not cartoonish just like the staging. Scott accidentally sings “Beggar at the dance, master of the feast” instead of vice-versa, but that’s only a minor flub. Meanwhile, Josh’s Marius is excellent in his fiery indignance and anxious efforts to keep the unwanted guests from disrupting the party.

The brief clip of Hugh Panaro’s Valjean at the end points toward a touching finale, in distinct contrast with the dark-edged comedy of the previous scene.