Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...I’ve never heard a Marriott show better sung. Broad swaths of the cast have done the show on Broadway or elsewhere. John Cudia, who plays Valjean, has played both the Phantom and Valjean on Broadway and delivers the vocal dexterity you expect — but also the rich emotional center that doesn’t necessarily come with that same territory. The Chicago star Kathy Voytko, who plays Fantine, just gets better and better with every show."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...you might very well be knocked out by the splendidly staged, ravishingly sung production of the show that opened Wednesday at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. The Marriott is one of just five theaters nationwide to be given the rights to produce "Les Mis" in its initial post-Broadway incarnation, and director Dominic Missimi has pulled out all the stops in this tremendously effective, emotion-charged production that features a number of Broadway veterans."
SouthtownStar
- Highly Recommended
"...to my incredible delight, Victor Hugo's exalted epic of 19th century France, under Dominic Missimi's extraordinary direction, soars to new heights of heart-piercing passion and soul-stirring emotion at the Marriott."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Director Dominic Missimi's stripped down, simplified version of the massive--some would say overblown and overhyped--international hit by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg is a revelation. Unencumbered by the boggling array of stage and special effects that accompanied the Broadway and touring productions, Missimi relies on his actors, who rise to occasion. Every voice is strong and clear, every performance flawless."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...This is thrilling, emotionally exhausting theater of the finest caliber. And in terms of sheer storytelling, the Marriott's intimate space is a vast improvement over the cavernous halls Les Miz played previously. In Lincolnshire, you can hear every word of every lyric with exquisite clarity."
Gay Chicago Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...Once in a great while a cast comes along with such tremendous chemistry and collective abilities it is impossible to deny each their obvious gifts. Marriott, working its third miracle, has amassed such a cast. John Cudia (Jean Valjean) is emotionally naked, vivid in his expressive telling of Hugo’s story. “Bring Him Home,” performed over a sleeping Marius before the battle of the barricade, is nothing short of heartbreaking, indeed a gentle prayer in his hands. He is perfectly juxtaposed by Richard Todd Adams, as the tenacious Javert. At once grainy and resolute, sophisticated and inflexible, he is the perfect counterpart to Cudia’s tenderness. The list goes on and on, from Anne Letscher’s fragile, tough Eponine to Michael Accardo and Catherine Smitko, cunning and hilarious as the thieving Thenardiers; from Patrick Cummings’ and Chris Peluso’s arousing portrayals of the high-minded Enjolras and Marius to Fred Inkley’s simple, moving portrayal of the Bishop of Digne, each depiction is a work of art."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...How do you adapt a spectacle like “Les Miserables” to an intimate in the round stage? First, you hand over the production to a creative director like Dominic Missimi at the Marriott Theatre. Then you hire a superb cast of singers and actors, provide them with countless period costumes, and let the power and sweep of the story take over."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...If anyone has any doubts as to why Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is considered the "premium" regional theater, seeing their latest production will change their minds. I was a bit apprehensive on how they could stage a major massive musical piece like "Les Miserables" on their small theater in the round stage. Anyone who has seen this show knows that there is a massive set and a large cast, but director Dominic Missimi and his staff have absolutely defied all the naysayers with the most startling production that I have ever seen at this theater. From start to finish, this production is "perfection" and every member of the opening night audience left the theater with high energy and waiting to tell their friends and family about this marvelous production."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...The first-ever Chicago-produced Equity Les Miz is undeniably recommendable to even the most casual of the show’s fans. Under the musical direction of Brad Haak, Boublil and Schönberg’s unmatched populist entertainment—few musicals that have been seen by this many people are this good—Victor Hugo’s daunting novel about a responsible citizen fleeing his troubled past across war-ravaged France remains accessible and thrilling. And as the conflicted male leads, Adams’s haunted constable Javert and Cudia’s hero Valjean take full command of the evening. (Cudia’s “Bring Him Home,” usually a flashy falsetto falsie, is now the evening’s highlight, an arresting antiwar ballad.)"
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...Les Mis is another example of how epic musicals can become more powerful on smaller more intimate stages. This production is among Marriott Theatre’s finest to date. Get to Marriott Theatre to experience a rare theatrical event—Les Miserables. You’ll be amazed at the quality you’ll get for only $45 per ticket."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...A certain amount of Divine inspiration and talent have assured this Marriott premiere to be a major event. The casting is amazing, so much so that one almost expects Colm Wilkinson and Patti LuPone to drop in for cameo appearances. Fresh off the starring role of "The Phantom of the Opera," which he headlined at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, Broadway veteran John Cudia is a mesmerizing Jean Valjean. His Christ-like visage, soaring tenor voice and serene stage presence are all ideally suited to this demanding assignment."
