Backstage set for revolution

At 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, "Les Miserables" stage manager Bryan Landrine runs through the IU Auditorium, watching stagehands assemble the set for the thousandth time. Landrine and his crew have only seven hours to make sure the set is assembled before curtain.\nBut is he breaking a sweat at the pressure of bringing this show to a new community? Nah.\n"We have it down to a routine," Landrine said. "The cast still gets butterflies, I'm sure, but our talent is exceptional, and we have an amazing group of men and women who work for us. So I am not worried."\nLandrine is the production stage manager, which means he assists in running the show. Although he has been working in stage production for five years, Landrine started his work with "Les Miserables" on stage, as an actor. For him, running eight shows a week with little sleep and almost no days off is a thrill.\n"We still have a good time (despite all the hard work)," Landrine said. "There is no attitude here. I have never worked with a greater group of men and women."\nMeanwhile, Chief Wig Designer Barry Ernst is combing Cosette's wig downstairs. The wigs were shipped to Bloomington in a large trunk, and not all arrived undamaged. Working on Cosette's wig, for example, will take Ernst five hours to wash and style.\nAlthough only half the cast wears wigs during the show, Ernst and his assistant, Janette, are busy for most of the show.\n"From about a half hour before the show until intermission, Janette and I are constantly working," Ernest said.\nErnst said all the wigs are handmade for the actors, and some principal characters, such as Jean Valjean and Javert, are glued into their wigs to keep them from falling off.\n"If the wigs are properly cared for, they will last about a year, and that is doing eight performances a week," Ernst said. "Eventually the lace wears out and the hair falls out."\nSomewhere on the other side of the stage, Wardrobe Supervisor Kathleen Melcher is directing her crew as to where an ironing board will be placed. It must be out of the way so the cast can dress. Melcher, who has been with the touring company of "Les Miserables" for three years, oversees a staff of three full-time employees and 14 local dressers who have been hired to help with the show.\n"There will be a fight for space tonight," Melcher said. "Right now the most important thing is organizing and getting everything done."\nThe actors costumes are kept in large closets, two actors' wardrobes to a gondola, except for the understudies, who have a gondola to themselves. Although the costumes are worn every night, most are 10 years old.\n"It is difficult to go out and shop for this show because it is so period," Melcher said. "All the costumes are made in London at MBA Costumes, but we do have some extra stock in New York if we need it."\nThe men have more costume changes than the women in "Les Miserables," and Melcher said she thinks the men are the most fun to dress.\n"Javert, who is played by Stephen Bishop, has a lot of period, very specialized looks that are fun," Melcher said. "Monsieur Thenardier is also fun. He is kind of raggedy, but he wears a lot of interesting pieces."\nLeaving the Auditorium at noon, one can watch the bustle of the stage crew as they work to bring this performance to life. When the curtain goes up at 8 p.m., they hope a new audience appreciates.