PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two LGBTQ women of color are bringing new perspectives to a classic Tony-winning musical at the Academy of Music. "Les Misérables," based on the 1862 Victor Hugo novel, opens this coming Wednesday.
Haley Dortch plays Fantine, one of the musical’s key characters.
“I would have never guessed that someone like Fantine is a character I would have played,” said Dortch.
“Traditionally, it's just not played by people of color. And to get to sing 'I Dreamed a Dream' and play this role and have people of color, young people of color, get to see the show and watch me do this and say, ‘I can do this, and I will do this,’ is something that is extremely special to me.”
The show, set during the French Revolution, centers around several heterosexual love stories. Christine Heesun Hwang, who is a Korean American and plays Eponine, says that being a queer woman gave her the opportunity to bring more complexity to her character.
“It's been interesting trying to formulate my own reasoning,” said Hwang. “Is it really just a crush that makes me do all these things for this man? Or is there more to that story? That’s been really exciting for me, and I think part of that comes with my own queerness.”
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It's a story of empowerment for the actors, too. Dortch says she recognizes she is in a leadership position.
“Other queer people can see that we are leaders, and we are making this path forward. And you can be comfortable with who you are and still be successful,” she said.
The show takes on some big themes — love, battle, broken dreams, redemption. Dortch says she thinks today’s audiences will find a lot of connections to these stories.
“There's so many beautiful moments in the show of giving voices to the voiceless,” said Dortch. “The song ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ — we demand to have our voices heard. This piece is so timeless and can speak to so many current events that are happening today.”
Though the show's plot is complicated, Hwang says the audience can take away a simple message: “Simply put, it's about love — and how we can use love to move forward in the face of adversity.”
"Les Mis" runs Nov. 2-13 as part of the Kimmel Cultural Campus Broadway Series.
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