Do You Hear The People Sing is a glorious tribute to the creative team that brought us into a new concept of musical theatre with Les Miserables [Broadway 1987] and Miss Saigon [Broadway 1991]. It equally introduces us to their lesser-known French rock opera La Revolution Francaise [1973] and the musicals Martin Guerre [1997] and The Pirate Queen [2007].
This premiere “dream concert” conducted by Jack Everly featured five veteran Boublil and Schonberg vocalists and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir in a seamless musical journey that included some 30 songs presented within the context of their conception, their development during rehearsals and relationships within the storyline of each musical work. As creators of works of social conscience, Boublil and Schonberg continue to inspire us to pay attention to the ever-present inequalities within societies across cultures and time. Yet they understand the essential aspects of good entertainment, lacing even the harshest moments with humor.
These elements shone through staging to create the mood of the song through dialogue and movement and sterling vocal and acting performances by Stephanie J. Block, Peter Lockyer, Terrence Mann, Lea Salonga and Marie Zamora. ISO players and the Symphonic Choir were top notch. This newest touring program by the ISO Symphonic Pops Consortium is the best yet in terms of a cohesive whole to show a body of work.
