SMHS presents 'Les Miserables'

San Marcos High School is putting on a production of the beloved musical “Les Miserables” this weekend performed entirely by students of San Marcos Consolidated ISD.

Victor Hugo first published “Les Miserables” in 1862. In Paris, Hugo witnessed slavery, injustice, and rampant poverty. With the passion of an artist, he committed everything to the page: the struggle, heartbreak and triumph of the human spirit and 157 years later, the story of “Les Miserables” remains as relevant as ever.

San Marcos High School Theatre Director Step Rowe, who is directing the musical production,  said she’s not someone that necessarily enjoys musicals, but “Les Miserables” had qualities that set it apart from the rest and ever since she first saw it, she has wanted to do a production of it.

“Musicals are really usually cheesy,” Rowe said. “Somebody would talk for a long time and then burst into song and that was jarring to me. But ‘Les Miserables’ takes away some of the cotton candy effect of it. And it's a story that's got history packed into it and it's a story that shows kind of the ugly side of things. But it's a beautiful and redemptive play.”

Rowe originally taught at Miller middle School before taking over the theater at the high school. So when her dream of performing “Les Miserables” started coming to fruition, she thought to include middle school theatre students in the production.

“When I was first hired here I was asked to collaborate with more fine arts to create a musical so that we could bring in more kids to this whole idea,” Rowe said. "And that is happening here at our high school, but I thought with a production like 'Les Miserables,' we could actually also involve some of our area middle schools.”

The musical production includes choir and theatre students from both Miller and Goodnight middle schools and San Marcos High School. Talent includes Troy Rogers as Jean Valjean, Alexander Nesbitt as Javert, Jillian Botello as Fantine, Lucy Anderson as Eponine, Christian Young as Marius, Micaela Gutierrez as Cosette, Jess Irvin as Enjolras, Carter Aguilar as Gavroche, Cade Maverick as Thénardie, Daylan Sillero as Madame Thénardie and many other students. 

The San Marcos High School will hold three performances of “Les Miserables” with showings on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and student tickets are $5. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling the SMHS Theatre Department at  512-393-6847 and reserving tickets or they can be purchased the night of the play, if not sold out.

The San Marcos CISD production of “Les Miserables” has been selected to enter the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards. The awards are hosted by the Long Center in Austin and culminates in an awards ceremony in April where more than 500 high school students take to the Meredith Family Stage to perform in front of a sold-out audience and share of $35,000 in awards, scholarships and grants.