SPHS Drama Students Preparing for ‘Les Mis’

Severna Park High School drama students were running around throwing on costumes and warming up their vocal cords Friday afternoon in preparation for their big opening night of Les Misérables.

The cast and crew of Les Misérables, also known as Les Mis, entered tech week last Friday and will open their fall musical Friday night.

“This is our tech week starting today. We are working with the orchestra and the tech crew and then on Sunday we will add sound, light and sets,” said director and SPHS teacher Angela Germanos. “They are doing very well; it is a very challenging show musically. We are just trying to mesh all these vocals with the orchestra and have it all come together.”

Including the cast and crew, the show involves between 75-80 students total. Auditions started in August and they have been working ever since, all in preparation for the opening weekend.

The show, Les Mis, recounts the struggle against adversity in France during the 19th century, but Germanos said the message behind the story is simple.

“Love changes everything,” she said. “And love conquers everything. The meaning is summed up perfectly in my favorite line from the show—‘To love another person is to see the face of God.’”

While the message behind Les Mis is a powerful one, Germanos also said the talent of those participating in the show will also touch show-goers.

“They are going to be shocked at the amount of talent honestly,” Germanos said. “I feel really lucky to be at this school. I went here too, but when I was here it wasn’t like this. These kids are really talented. It is so impressive to see how talented they are.”

Germanos said one of her favorite parts of the whole show has been watching the kids really dive into their parts.

“Seeing the kids finally grab on to their parts—big ones and small ones—instead of just going through the motions,” Germanos said. “And they have really just connected with the message, which is great to see.”

Les Misérables opens Friday at 7 p.m. at Severna Park High School. The show will also run on Saturday at 7 p.m. and then Nov. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. with a matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance, or on the day of the performance.

Check back with Patch for video interviews with the cast of Les Misérables at Severna Park High School.