Ashwaubenon-native actress says "Les Misérables" resonates with people from all walks of life
APPLETON – "Les Misérables" has been a core part of Ashwaubenon-native Kelsey Denae's theater experience since the time she was a child.
Now, at age 34, she will get to perform the show in familiar territory as the national tour comes to Appleton.
Denae, who plays the ensemble role of the wigmaker and understudies the factory girl and Fantine, joined the cast of "Les Misérables" in 2018, then was rehired when the musical returned to the road after the pandemic. The tour's stop at Appleton's Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Feb. 20-25 — and the week before, at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison — is the first time she gets to perform with the tour in her home state.
"It's been a long time coming for me," Denae said.
"Les Misérables," based off Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, tells a story of redemption and the power of love, weaving in the storylines of multiple characters in early 19th-century France. After former convict Jean Valjean experiences the mercy of a bishop who he tried to rob, he decides to turn his life around, breaking his parole to live under a new name. Police investigator Javert spends years hunting down Valjean, but comes to question his black-and-white understanding of good and evil as he sees Valjean's good deeds. Other characters' lives weave together, and culminate in an 1832 student-led revolt against a government they feel is neglecting the poor.
Since its premiere on the West End in 1985 and on Broadway in 1987, "Les Misérables" has become one of the most well-known and widely beloved musicals. A star-studded movie musical in 2012 brought the show to an even wider audience. The current North American tour first kicked off in 2017 but was prematurely closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. It returned in 2022.
At some performances in Appleton, Denae said she will get to perform as Fantine, a woman who resorts to prostitution after she is kicked out of her job at a factory and falls ill, making her dying wish for Valjean to care for her daughter, Cosette. It's one of the show's leading roles, and Denae said she has friends, families and mentors in the Fox Cities who will get to see her perform the role for their first time.
"It's just really special to have so many loved ones come see the show," Denae said.
One of the things that makes "Les Misérables" appeal to such a wide audience, Denae said, is the variety of characters people can relate to. "Les Misérables" was an important part of Denae's upbringing in musical theater, and the show she has spent the most time with in her professional career.
"As a little girl, I related to Young Cosette — I was like, 'there's a role I could play as a child.' And then, you go through sort of an adolescence and, you know, I related a lot to Eponine then — just feeling that unrequited love, as you go through your crushes, and middle school and high school," Denae said. "And then you get older, and you have someone like Fantine, and there's a whole new story to connect with, and a whole new journey. Then you have the ensemble, which sort of represents like, every man and woman. ... I think, for anybody in any age, any generation, any walk of life, any season of life that people are in, there's something for them."
"Les Misérables" was a part of Denae's life from an early age — it's her father's favorite musical, and the first one her mother took him to see after they got married. And Denae saw it for the first time decades ago, when the musical came to the Weidner Center, before the Performing Arts Center was built.
After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2012, Denae moved to New York City. The first professional gig she booked after graduation from a New York audition was none other than "Les Misérables" at The Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, back in Wisconsin. She played the factory girl, and understudied Fantine.
Denae recalled that as an especially meaningful experience.
"It was actually very special for me, because it was shortly after my grandpa passed away. So I got to be home and be with family and, but then also get to tell this wonderful, beautiful story," Denae said. "My whole family does music and my grandfather sang, and so it was a really cathartic healing process to get to do this show at that season of my life."
Besides getting to finally perform at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, where Denae said she has seen "so many shows," Denae also said she is looking forward to taking the stage at the Overture Center in Madison, because she had the opportunity to perform there as a high schooler, with Honors Choir and All-State Choir.
Although "Les Misérables" is set in 19th-century France, the musical has themes that resonate with today's world, Denae said. She said watching the show, audiencegoers reflect on themes like survival, second chances, fighting for a common cause and extending kindness to others.
"As an actor, we play make-believe — but there's so much truth in this show," Denae said. "And it's a really powerful thing to be in a position to tell a story like this that can move people and really change lives."
Tickets for "Les Misérables" can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, or by phone at 800-982-2787, or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760. The PAC ticket office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Kelli Arseneau can be reached at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Ashwaubenon-native actress says "Les Misérables" will resonate at Fox Cities PAC
