Articles

BRING HIM HOME
It took a command performance from friends and family to convince Colm Wilkinson to reprise the role of Jean Valjean.

In Theatre Magazine
August 28, 1998


Colm Wilkinson is seated at a piano in his Manhattan publicist's office, tickling the ivories, and I can't resist asking for a song. " 'Bring Home Home?' Hmmm, could you hum a few bars?" he jokes, breaking into a dramatic rendition of "chopsticks." "That's it, isn't it?"

Clearly, he is kidding. The man who originated the role of the repentant convict Jean Valjean in the London and New York productions of Les Miserables hasn't forgotten a single note of the score. In fact, after an interview-turned-Le Miz 101 lesson, I am convinced Wilkinson could teach a course. He quotes verbatim from the Victor Hugo text, points out pivotal plot descrepancies in the recent movie version of the novel, and analyzed "just what is it about this show that keeps people coming back." Himself included: He's just agreed to play the part in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre through November 29.

On February 25 through May, he'll star in Les Miz in at the Point Theatre in Dublin. It took quite a bit of convincing to lure him back: "I felt like, 'Done that. Been there. So why do it again?' " In October 1995, he agreed to a single concert performance at Royal Albert Hall in London - the now legendary 10th Anniversary Les Miserables that frequently airs on PBS. But he had no desire to return to the show full time, despite offers and fan urgings.

"Home was now Toronto - I'd been there for nine years, since I did Phantom. Broadway seemed too far away." So in a move that Wilkinson refers to as "bringing the mountain to Mohammad," he was asked if he'd be interested in Les Miz's return to the Toronto stage (it premiered at The Royal Alexandra Theatre in 1998.) He said yes - with his family egging him on - and agreed to also do the show in his native Ireland. His name on the marquee drove advance ticket sales in Toronto to more than $10 million, setting a record for a return engagement. The Dublin show anticipates an equally quick sell-out.

Our interview took place only weeks before his first preview, and Wilkinson was pensive - maybe even a little frightened - about returning to the role that made him a star.

How does it feel to be going back?

A bit strange, I'll admit. I thought it would be like second nature to me, but the show has changed a little, and I've change a lot, so it's like starting from square one. I'm looking at the man Valjean through a different person's eyes. There are also a lot of memories and emotional baggage that comes with taking Le Miz on again. Some people I knew in the show are no longer with us.

In what ways have you changed?

I'm older, I hope wiser, definately grayer! I'm a father to two girls and two boys, ranging in age from 14 to 27; I'm a husband, and I've experienced so much more since I last played him. I like to think I'm at a stage in my life where I can relate to Valjean - at 54, I'm more his age now.

Does it all come back to you?

I think so - thank God the memory is still intact! It's a hard sing; that's why I'm tentative about doing it again, physically and vocally. But I'm just going to do it. It's a full year and eight shows a week. Even when I was 10 years younger, I found that tough to do. I feel like I'm in training for the Olympics or something!

How do you get inside Valjean's head?

It's actually all there for me if I look for it. It comes from what Hugo put down. It's the bible, and I go back to it and read it often. You can smell the character, he's so powerful.

Do you identify with him?

Yes, and I think all people identify with him and the adversity that he faced in life. He overcomes. With us all is a yearning and ambition to be a man of such strength of character. He does these great things in life and we all aspire to him. His spirituality never ceases to amaze him. But if you want to know the truth, I don't think he's the star of the show at all.

No? Who is?

The bishop. It all stems from him. Valjean keeps going to back to him for inspiration in the book, even though he is dead: "The bishop would approve of this."

Is there a common denominator to all of the the roles you've played: Judas in Superstar, Che in Evita, the Phantom, Jekyll & Hyde on the concept album?

In a word? Passion.

Did you know when you were first doing Les Miz at The Barbican in 1987 that it would become a worldwide hit?

I had no idea. We knew when we were rehearsing it that is was something very special. But I was absolutely convinced that the show was too spiritual and too righteous for people to hold on to. At the time, people wanted song and dance musicals, and Les Miz is anything but that. It is very forceful and dark in places - I couldn't envision that audiences would be enamored with it.

And the London critics weren't exactly kind. Brutal! Some described it as "Hugo in the garbage heap." Cameron Mackintosh wasn't even going to transfer it to the West End. They were so vicious. But is was the audience that kept us going and made us a hit. They stood up every night and cheered. It just touched a nerve with people. When you put it all together - wonderful emotional music, finely crafted characters, and the political undertones of the down-trodden vs. the privileged class - it's something for everybody. But I'm getting very philosphical now.

What was the Broadway response like?

The complete opposite. When I came over here, it was like it was a different show. The reviews were wonderful. Newsweek called us the show of the century. We opened to the biggest advance on Broadway at that time ever.

You were offered the role of the Phantom on Broadway as well. Yes, but I was contracted to do Les Miz,and that's what Cameron wanted me to do. He said, "If Les Miz fails you can do Phantom." Obviously, it far from failed.

But I always loved that part, and when they were opening the Canadian production in '87, and I was finished with Le Miz, Garth [Drabinsky] asked me to do it. At first I thought, "Canada: Backwater! Pass." But I came to city and I saw the Pantages Theatre, and I fell in love with it - it's my home now.

I agreed to do it for six months, and I wound up in it for four and a half years on and off.


Ironically, that's how the Canadian audiences know you.

Yes - not at all for Valjean. To them, I'm the Phantom who's now playing this French guy!

You were reluctant to do Les Miz again.

To the say the least. I didn't even want to do the annivesary concert three years ago. I thought "Let's leave well enough alone," but my wife convinced me. She said, "You've got to - you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't." And I'm glad I did it. We went back to London where it all began, full-circle. What I wanted to know was, where were the guys that said it was rubbish? Where are those crits now? Eating their words. My family convinced me to do Toronto. It's where my family is, so it's easy. And Dublin - well, that's where I was born, so that's something I owe my people there.

Do you ever think you'll do the show again on Broadway?

No, I don't think so. So go see it in Canada or Ireland!

Do you ever get tired of singing the songs?

I do. I get weary of it. Everyone asks me to sing "Bring Him Home" and it's become my song. It was written for me. The role was originally intended for a baritone, but when I came in they started jumping everything up an octave. I guess it would drive me crazy if that's all I had to define me, but luckily I do other things.

Such as?

I write songs, and I fantasize about writing a musical one day. I am always looking for ideas, always jotting down titles, always strumming a guitar. But I wouldn't know where to begin to put it all together. It's one thing to write a song, but to write a musical? That's a different story completely. Look at Paul Simon. He's a great writer - but there's a lot more skill than just writing involved, which is why The Capeman didn't work.

Do you have any role models?

Boublil and Schonberg, of course. And Andrew. People tend to trivialize Andrew Lloyd Webber, but he has an amazing gift for seeing the big picture. I cannot for the life of me make sense of critics who consider Phantom or Les Miz second-class music. Billions of people around the world continue to be touched by these stories and these songs, yet there is still this snobbery. I have never understood that and, as I continue to sing the roles, I never will. Why do people hate success? Do you have to be starving for people to appreciate you?

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