The Heart of Valjean – Nick Cartell on Fatherhood, Loss, and 1,200 Nights of Les Mis
Nick Cartell steps into the spotlight, alone on stage. For the audience, it’s a performance. For Cartell, it’s personal. After more than 1,200 performances as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, this role isn’t just a job — it’s a mirror. Every night, Cartell finds something new in the part: a glance, a note, a reaction. Each moment is a reminder that Valjean’s story is also his own.
It’s that kind of energy, authenticity, and vulnerability that audiences can look forward to when one of Broadway’s most iconic musicals, Les Misérables, comes to Louisville in October.
“If you haven’t seen the show yet, take the leap. Come and join us,” Cartell says. “You’ll come away thankful that you did, especially with everything happening in our world right now. An audience can come together, sit in one space and connect with these characters. There is a collective energy that comes with seeing theater.”
A Tale of Survival and the Human Spirit
Les Misérables is a sweeping musical set against the backdrop of post-revolutionary France, exploring themes of justice, love, and redemption. At its heart is Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who embarks on a lifelong journey to find peace and purpose, all while evading the relentless pursuit of Inspector Javert. Valjean’s story is one of transformation, as he seeks to atone for his past and protect those he loves in a world filled with turmoil and hardship.
Cartell’s journey with Valjean began in grief. Just days after losing his mother, he first stepped into the role. “When I started in 2017, I came to the show from a day of grief,” he says. “I lost my mom to ovarian cancer, which she’d been battling for five years. She’s the strongest woman that I’ve ever known.”
Today — now a father himself — his connection to Valjean has deepened. “I know what it feels like to have your heart outside your body,” he says, speaking of his daughter, who watched the show for the first time when the tour stopped in Montreal. “She was two-and-a-half when I started the show, and she’s four now.”
It’s this personal connection that keeps the role fresh, raw, and real. As Cartell puts it, Les Misérables is a story not only about love, redemption, and sacrifice, but also about the survival of the human spirit. In addition to processing his own grief and becoming a father, Cartell acknowledges the role that the pandemic has played in how he approaches the role.
“We went through the collective pandemic,” he says, “which challenged everyone one way or another. You can connect in ways you never thought about before.”
People are fighting for a better life, fighting for rights for education, fighting for causes they believe in. Is the stage world of Les Misérables really that different from our own, Cartell asks? “Audiences want to hear the music,” he says. “They expect to hear the iconic score, but they’re taken off guard by how connected they are to the characters and stories. Yes, it’s tragic, but we challenge our audience, ‘Will you join in our crusade?’ ”
Light Finds Its Strength in the Dark
In Les Misérables, Valjean is an outcast of society who is shown compassion by just one figure, the bishop. Through that singular experience, Valjean’s story becomes a journey of connecting with people and making their lives better.
“If Valjean was alive today, it would be the same story,” Cartell says. “He’d find a way to help his fellow man, his community. Maybe he’d be a teacher, maybe a minister. Maybe he’d work in a soup kitchen or philanthropic situation. Valjean is a leader, though he doesn’t want to be, but he becomes this man who is a leader – and I’ve taken a lot from that idea of making the lives of those around me better, making people feel included. I’ve felt more connected to my wife, my daughter.”
It’s this message of hope and resilience that resonates with audiences, new and old, young and new. Before Les Misérables opens in Louisville, the tour is in Boston, where a student group attended the show for a high school field trip. “Whenever we have a student group watch the show, there are students who are already familiar with Les Mis in general or have seen the movie” but haven’t seen the show, Cartell says. “Well, there’s a moment on the barricade where a character dies, and you heard all these students gasp and scream ‘No!’ They’re just so connected to the story. It energizes everyone on stage because we know the audience is invested in the story.”
Indeed, Les Misérables has stood the test of time. The musical premiered September 1980, which means it will be just fresh off of its 44th birthday as it visits Louisville, and yet, it still affects audiences in ways that are quite profound.
Another Story Must Begin
With over 1,200 performances under his belt, Cartell still feels the responsibility of paying homage to the men who have played Valjean before him, from Colm Wilkinson to Hugh Jackman. Yet, it is a show that reinvents itself. “Production gave me the freedom to create my own Jean Valjean,” Cartell SAYS. “Audiences probably have their favorite Valjean, but I’m not trying to carbon copy other performances. I don’t have to play somebody else’s version; I get to play my version. It’s cool that I’m given that opportunity to do that every single night.”
From the incidental moments in-between the big numbers to the iconic moments like “I Dreamed a Dream,” Les Misérables is a riveting production for audiences of all ages. And as Cartell says, it’s a story meant to go with you, to be continued by audiences beyond the confines of the theater and into the fabric of our very lives.
Les Misérables runs October 1-6 at The Kentucky Center. Tickets are available by calling 502-584-7777 or online at louisville.broadway.com.
By Daniel Chioco
