“A Life-Changing Experience:” MCHS Summer Musical to Unite Past and Present Sentiments for Performers and Audience

All that the choir knew about this year’s summer musical was that it was going to be big, it was going to be a show they recognized, and, to quote assistant choir director Matthew Jensen, it would be “a life-changing experience” for all involved. And for some reason, they were being let in on the secret early. 

After a weeklong reveal process in which a set of possible musicals were slowly eliminated, the summer musical was revealed to be “Les Misérables” (often referred to as “Les Mis”), a well-known musical set during the French Revolution. 

“This was a year to do a big musical like ‘Les Mis,’ ” said director Ethan Pruisman. “This year it just lined up with all the people we know we would have potentially interested in [performing], as well as the talent pool we can pull from.” 

This show in particular is special for several reasons. First, the sheer volume of music needing to be learned necessitated an early reveal. Pruisman plans to start auditions sometime in April, a full month ahead of the usual summer musical schedule. 

Additionally, the music from “Les Mis” is familiar to many looking to try out for the show after the Concert Choir performed a medley of songs from the musical at last year’s Follies, MCHS’ annual variety show. 

Riley Kittleson, a senior who performed a solo within that medley, said, “I didn’t really know a lot of the songs before that, and [after] doing the medley, [I thought] the songs are really good.” 

Not only is the music familiar to the choir, but also to much of the audience. “You ask people if they know what ‘Les Mis’ is, most adults are like, ‘yeah, I’ve heard of that.’ And then on top of that, a lot of them are like, ‘Oh my God, I love that show,’ ” said Prusiman. 

Prusiman himself performed “Les Mis” in 2013 as a member of the MCHS Concert Choir, and many of that year’s alumni still attend performances. He said that after the Follies performance of the “Les Mis” medley, several told him how excited they were to hear the songs again. 

“There are people out there that were like, ‘that was one of the first shows that I’ve ever seen and it still sits with me as one of my favorites,’ ” he said. 

According to Prusiman, parts of the show may resonate personally with the performers. 

“There will be people who go through this musical and hear the words that are being sung, hear the motive and the moral… [and] really sit with that and compare it to things they might see in their real life, and what they are seeing in the news and in the media,” he said. 

“There will be people who come into this show knowing some of that and be able to sing these parts, [and] experience it through the shoes of someone else.” 

“Les Mis” revolves around the French Revolution, touching on themes such as economic hardship and systemic inequality, both hot topics in present-day America. 

“With the current state of our country, I think it kinda connects with a lot of that stuff,” said Kittleson. 

For Kittleson, a major draw to the summer musical is the community. After transferring to MCHS at the beginning of his junior year, Kittleson made connections while performing the part of Leading Player in Pippin, one of the two lead roles. 

“It’s more than a musical,” he said. “You’re all together for a really long time, and you can just talk to everybody and get to know people.” 

Both Prusiman and Kittleson are hoping for a huge audience to perform for. “A big show like this needs a big crowd,” said Pruisman. 

“Even if you have just a basic idea of the show, come see it, or if you don’t know anything about it, come see it because then you can learn about it,” said Kittleson, adding, “I’ve heard a lot of people in the past say that it was one of the best shows they’ve ever put on.”