When "Les Miserables" settles into the Capitol Theatre this week for its eighth visit to Salt Lake City, five cast members will probably be commuting from their own homes instead of being lodged in a nearby hotel. There are five Utahns in the production's national touring company.
The national tour will temporary shut down following the Salt Lake engagement, then it will regroup this fall and head back out on the road. (The Broadway production closed its lengthy run last month.)
By the time "Les Miserables" closes here on June 15, it will have played a total of 21 weeks in Salt Lake City during eight separate stops over the past 12 years. More than 340,000 people have seen the show in Salt Lake City alone. Worldwide, the total exceeds 47 million patrons. (It's been playing in London for 18 years.)
Here's a brief look at the five Utahns currently in the U.S. touring company, all interviewed last week during separate telephone conversations — four in Denver, where "Les Miz" was nearing the end of a two-week engagement at the Buell Theatre, and one in Utah (Nicole Riding, who was to rejoin the show in Portland before returning to Salt Lake City).
DALLYN VAIL BAYLES, who auditioned in Salt Lake City almost a year ago, was hired on the spot. He joined the company in Lubbock, Texas, spent two-and-one-half weeks rehearsing, and made his debut in Forth Worth. "I started off playing Fuelly, toured with the show to Shanghai, then took over the role of Enjolaras when we returned to St. Paul, Minn."
He had auditioned for the show on three earlier occasions — twice in Salt Lake City and once in New York. He did have one prior offer to join the company, but at that time he was performing in the LDS Church's production of "Light of the World" at the Conference Center during the 2002 Winter Olympics, "and I had to turn it down."
When "Les Miz" goes on hiatus after the Salt Lake engagement, some of the performers are considering rejoining the company. But Bayles has some unfinished business — completing his degree at Brigham Young University.
Also his wife, Rachel, is pregnant with their second child. After graduating, the Bayles' may head for New York "and continue my career."
ERIK TOLMAN WARD played only a handful of performances as Winthrop in Hale Centre Theatre's production of "The Music Man" before being whisked away to play feisty little Gavroche in the "Les Miz" tour. He is "pretty excited about coming home. I can't wait to get up on the Capitol Theatre stage."
His mother — one of several family members who've switched off as chaperones during the tour — says, "We're ready to be a family again. It's been wonderful and challenging, but at some point you have to do what's best for the family. Erik needs to get back to his soccer team and his church, but we wouldn't have traded this experience for anything."
During his year on tour, Erik has turned into a pint-sized history buff. He's been to museums, Civil War battle sites and other educational places during his 29-city journey. "I've seen tons of museums, plus the Alamo and Colonial Williamsburg," said Erik. "Half of the stuff in my social studies book, I've already been to."
But he was excited to "go back to being a regular kid in a regular school."
That will be Adelaide Elementary in Bountiful.
The "Les Miserables" touring company — just like the circus and other big touring productions — have a full-time tutor who travels with the show. Daily classroom sessions are scheduled, linked up via computer to "On Location Education," which takes care of all the scoring and grading for youngsters on tour throughout the country.
Erik got to leave the show briefly in April, to be home for the birth of his newest sibling. The Utah lad will be in the opening-night cast — and you can bet there will be lots of friends and relatives in the audience. (Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Erik and the other "Les Miz" kids, and the performers who play the Thenardiers, will be featured in an assembly at Redding Elementary School in Centerville, where Erik's grandfather is the principal. They'll talk about what it's like to be in a Broadway musical on the road.)
ASHLEY JARRETT, who is understudying Cosette, has been with the show for about a year and a half. The South Jordan resident has performed at several Wasatch Front venues, including Sundance ("Gypsy" and "Funny Girl"), Hale Center Theater Orem and the Grand at Salt Lake Community College.
After the show closes here, Jarrett has some major plans — marrying another cast member (Matthew Teagmiller, a Marius understudy) in August in Hawaii. After that, "We may go back on the road or move to New York. There are a lot of options."
BRIAN NEAL CLARK, who plays Combeferre, the Foreman and understudies Javert, grew up in Pocatello and Soda Springs, Idaho. His family now lives in Ogden, while Clark and his wife, Allison — also an actor — have a home in West Jordan.
The Clarks played Curley and Laurie in Tuacahn's production of "Oklahoma" in 2001. They've also performed together on cruise ships and in other productions.
Clark first auditioned for "Les Miz" eight years ago — and the role finally opened up in January. "It's amazing how long people stay with this kind of a job," he said. "The person I replaced had been with the show for five years. When this came up, it was a dream come true."
Clark's wife now teaches kindergarten at the Challenger School.
"When the tour starts up again in August, I'd like to continue with them, but they haven't shown their cards, yet," he said. "Allison could also go on tour then, but if that doesn't happen, we'll do more auditions."
"Salt Lake has been such a great venue for the show. It speaks volumes, especially how the LDS community has latched onto the show. It has a very spiritual base to it, with the theme of justice and mercy. It speaks to the human condition."
Clark and his wife met when they were both in the Showtime Company at Ricks College. Clark's first professional gig was performing in "Music USA" and his own show at Pioneer Village, both at Lagoon.
NICOLE RIDING, who was an Eponine understudy with the tour for two years (2000-02), left the show last August to graduate from BYU.
Riding grew up in Walnut Creek, Calif., but her family now lives in Mapleton. "I didn't get involved in theater until I was about 16, and had most of my training at BYU," she said. "I had planned on staying home for the summer, but this is perfect timing" (going back into the show for just a couple of weeks). After the tour closes, she'll still have some time to visit her parents, who are serving an LDS Church mission in Africa.
If you go . . .
What: "Les Miserables," national tour
Where: Capitol Theatre
When: Through June 15; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
How much: $21-$61
Phone: 355-2787
Phone for groups: 359-9592
Web site:www.arttix.org
E-MAIL: ivan@desnews.com