5Q: Les Misérables – Matt Crowle

One of Broadway’s most recognized shows makes its triumphant return to the Orpheum stage just in time to kick off the holiday season. Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, “Les Misérables” follows its characters for a time span of more than 20 years before culminating in the Paris Uprising of 1832.

Minneapolis audiences may recognize Matt Crowle from the last time “Les Misérables” came to town. He reprises the role of Monsieur Thénardier, a money-obsessed man who first appears as Cosette’s caregiver and tormentor, giving her the Cinderella treatment of hard chores with little food or luxuries. Thénardier is often blinded by greed, extorting money from whomever he can and serving as an informant to the highest bidder.

You’ve visited the Twin Cities in this role on a previous national tour. Has anything changed in how you approach the role or what you try to bring out of the character?

It’s been a gradual development. So gradual, in fact, that I really don’t know what’s changed. All I ever want to produce with this character, every night, is a sense of spontaneity. The lyrics and circumstances of the play provide such a clear and concrete playground for Thénardier, so the opportunity to play and discover even the tiniest of moments are always bountifully present.

The Thénardiers are comedy and villainy all in one. How do you find that perfect balance?

The sheer fact that Schonberg and Boublil read Victor Hugo’s novel and decided that their comedic relief would be provided by this ruthless and conniving couple was brilliant. In such a deeply emotional and dramatic piece as “Les Misérables,” moments of levity are crucial for a balanced evening. If the Thénardiers were presented strictly as the monsters they are, without any sense of humor, that would have dragged the tone of the evening down to an uncomfortably dark place. There’s already plenty of sadness in this show; we need to laugh. So, “Send in the clowns”!

As a self-proclaimed song and dance man from Chicago, is “Master of the House” as fun to perform as it looks? What do you like most about that song?

I was delighted during rehearsals that the creative team was open to my vaudevillian take on the role. They gave me full license to dash around the inn, leap on and off tables, and toss in little whimsical jigs where there was room. I’ve always loved finding the full extent of a character’s physical vocabulary. In the case of Thénardier, and especially his “Master of the House,” I love matching his ferocious wordplay with an equally tenacious physical life.

What is one moment in this show that remains with you after you leave the stage?

Funny enough, it’s the moment after I run out of the sewers. Thénardier has just discovered a delicious and valuable secret. So, he runs out, super giddy about garnering some extortion collateral. When I get into the wings, I usually dance around with Megan Kraft, our stage-right props manager, as I hand off my bag full of stolen goods. She’s always so generous to indulge in my buffoonery.

It seems every time “Les Misérables”is staged, people talk about how the show is still a relevant commentary on current events. Overall, what do you hope audiences take away from this tour?

Well, in light of recent geopolitical developments, I would love to think that this epic tale encourages audiences to assess their empathy and where, hopefully, they can lean into it even more. Something this story does so beautifully is illustrate the fact that so many people are silently struggling and suffering. We have no idea what any given individual is dealing with. The fact that we all have an opportunity to offer empathy is one of our only paths forward. Now and forever. We owe it to our communities, and we owe it to future generations.

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“Les Misérables” runs at the Orpheum Theatre from November 19 to December 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to www.hennepinarts.org.