5Q: Les Misérables – Victoria Huston-Elem

Since this acclaimed new production of “Les Misérables” was first developed in 2009 to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, it has continued to take the world by storm with record-breaking runs in countries all over the world. Featuring songs like “I Dreamed A Dream,” “On My Own,” and “One Day More,” “Les Misérables” has one of the most recognized scores of all time.

Victoria Huston-Elem joins the latest national tour in the role of Madame Thénardier. She is quite literally her husband’s partner in crime, conning the customers at their inn and treating Cossette like a servant while a strong maternal bond with her own two daughters masks the cruelty and callousness beneath.

How do you approach adding to the legacy of a musical that’s been part of theater canon and pop culture for so long?

With great respect and great joy. There’s a level of responsibility that comes with taking on a show that so many people love: I want to give it my own spin and find new ways to make folks laugh, but I also want to honor the text and the history of the piece. Thankfully, we have a dedicated team of directors that help us mold and shape our performances to fit the world of “Les Misérables.”

You’ve spoken before about having a bit of a fraud complex and not thinking you were right for this role before auditioning. Have you settled into the role since then? How do you counter those feelings?

After a year on the road with this gorgeous production, I feel much more at home and settled in my performance, but the old fraud complex still rears its ugly head now and again. I find it easier to manage if I take a moment to breathe, be present and rely on the trust I’ve built with Matt. I’m lucky to spend every day working with someone as confident, committed and consistent as he is — it brings out the best in me. Also, he keeps me laughing off stage and that always makes everything better!

You’ve also said before that this production resonates with people, and you were even crying at the end of your first rehearsal, even though you’ve seen “Les Mis” a million times. What about this production, in particular, is so emotionally powerful?

This was the first time since before the pandemic that I sat in an audience and watched a musical of this size and scope. The first time I’d heard this many voices singing together in years, and my goodness, those voices! It’s a wall of sound I felt in my bones. It was the first time I allowed myself to feel like the theater I grew up loving was back, and it socked me right in the gut. On top of all that, this is an incredibly cinematic, heartfelt production of “Les Misérables.” It was silly of me to think I wouldn’t cry.

What is your favorite thing about playing Madame Thénardier? Has anything surprised you about this character?

There’s a wonderful quote by Carol Channing: “Laughter is much more important than applause. Applause is almost a duty. Laughter is a reward.” It is such a gift to play a funny woman in a show with so many emotional highs and lows. There’s nothing better than hearing an audience relax, take a breath and know they’re safe to laugh with you for the next few minutes.

If anything has surprised me about this role it’s how much it holds the mirror up to people: what are you willing to do to survive? How scrappy and conniving would you have to be if you were in her shoes? I used to think the Thénardiers were simply evil people, but they’re really just taking a different pathway to survival in excruciatingly difficult times.

Why should people who think they know “Les Mis,” whether they watched the movie or a live show, return to the Orpheum to watch this production?

Because there is always a reason to tell this story. There are always things we’re proud to be fighting for, and there are always people we love enough to make enormous sacrifices. Collectively, we have been through so much in the last few years. It’s healing to sit in a dark audience surrounded by strangers and let yourself be swept away by a show about love, redemption and the survival of the human spirit.

I could go on and on about the production elements (the use of Victor Hugo’s actual paintings as visual backdrops or the massive eleven-trailer set, or the costumes created with such attention to detail that you won’t find one zipper on that stage), but all of those things are designed with one purpose: to lift up the story and give it space to shine. To give audiences the best possible access to these characters. To help folks find their own versions of Enjolras’ bravery, or Éponine’s sacrifice, or Valjean’s courage — to encourage us to love fully and with our whole hearts. Who couldn’t use a little more of all of those things? Come spend a few hours with us. You won’t regret it.

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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.