In a stunningly passionate production, Suffield High School’s Drama Club put on the acclaimed musical Les Misérables on March 6, 7 and 8. In this iconic story known by millions, the convict Jean Valjean breaks parole to become a new man after being freed by prison guard Javert, played by Nayandeep Tummalapally, who vows to bring him to justice. “It was definitely an insane physical and emotional rollercoaster.” said Jack Tautic, who portrayed the main character, Jean Valjean, “The work that we’ve done, the heart and emotion that we’ve put into this production, and the end product of it all is absolutely magnetic.”
Few cast members have been more prepared to put on a production of this difficulty at the high school level. Even after missing a day of rehearsal during the week of the show due to a snow day, the cast rehearsed at home and worked hard to bring this show to life.
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The cast poses during the song “At the End of the Day.”
This production would never have been what it was without the skills of the ensemble. From playing factory workers, to lovely ladies, to students of the revolution, this versatile ensemble has put in hours upon hours of work to inhabit their roles. “I would say it was very entertaining,” says brand new Drama Club member Jeremy Ivanov, “Some days were long, but most days were very fun.” His roles of the Foreman of the Factory and revolutionary Courfeyrac add essential elements to the plot as each ensemble member does in their own unique way.
On opening night, in an alarming turn of events for the cast, senior Devon Root-Blanchfield who portrays the character Fantine was afflicted with a chest cold and was worried that she couldn’t perform. However, she gave a new meaning to the age-old adage “The show must go on” as she proceeded to give a fantastic performance every night, especially in the iconic song “I Dreamed a Dream.”
An interesting new aspect of this production was behind the stage in the costume department. Sophomore Olivia Nicora and senior Amelia Hosack worked hard curating amazing outfits for over 30 actors, each having at least two different costumes. “It was definitely really fun, and it was really engaging, which I enjoyed. I like a good problem to solve.” explains costume assistant and senior Amelia Hosack, “It was really satisfying seeing everything come together and seeing how our hard work had paid off.” This sentiment was also shared by the costume manager, sophomore Olivia Nicora, “I think that costuming such a big cast was actually a really fun experience because I got to meet a ton of new people and there was never a boring moment.”
Selling over 600 tickets over the three performances, this incredibly successful show is but a precursor of incredible things to come with the 2026-2027 Drama Club season. With upgraded tech and stellar actors, the next productions are bound to be the best ones yet. While the seniors, such as myself, won’t be able to participate, they will still come out and support the current thespians by seeing the performances, which are bound to get even better by the year.