A Star Is Born

Rochester Hills' Jeffley Hyke snags the role of Gavroche
in the touring compony of "Les Miserables,"
and his dad gives JN readers a behind-the-scenes look.

STUART C. HYKE

Special to The Jewish News

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3/20
1998

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change of heart led to a
change of lifestyle for my
son, Jeffrey Jacob Tauber
Hyke, and our family.
Last December,.my wife, Susan
Tauber, a reporter for the Observer 6.
Eccentric newspapers, read about an
open audition for the children's roles
of Gavroche, Cosette and Eponine in
the dramatic musical Les Miserables,
the adaptation. of Victor Hugo's 19th-
century novel of the same name.
Our son Jeffrey, 11, was the right
height and age for the role of
Gavroche, the tough Paris street
urchin in dirty rags whose character
brings a chuckle to the audience with
his tough-guy heroics. The laughter
turns to tears, of course, when
Gavroche dies on the barricade while
trying to aid the student revolution.
Jeff said he'd like to audition but
later decided not to. It wasn't until 9
p.m. the evening before the tryouts at
Detroit's Fisher Theatre that he told us

Above: Jeff is transformed into Gavroche.

he wanted to audition after all.
If he hadn't, Jeff and Susan would
still be living at home with me and
our other children, Fred, 17, and
Rebecca, 15, and our three dogs and
two cats.
He'd still be going to his fifth-grade

Right: The family gathers around Jeff after enjoying his opening night performance
in "Les Miserables." Left to right are brother Fred, 17; grandmother Florence Hyke;
dad Stuart Hyke; sister Rebecca, 15; and mom Susan Tauber.

Jeffrey Hyke.

Stuart Hyke is the proud father of

class at Hamlin Elementary School in
Rochester Hills and attending religious
school at Congregation Shir Tikvah.
Instead, Jeff and Susan are traveling
with the national touring company of
Les Miserables. Jeff was hired less than
a month after his audition to replace
Ryan Rumbaugh in the role of
Gavroche; Rumbaugh had grown too
tall for the part (Jeff's still got 2 inches
to go).
Jeff's transformation into Gavroche
was a quick one. He was offered the
role on Dec. 28 and by Jan. 11, Jeff
and Susan had moved to Chicago. He
began rehearsals Jan. 13.
Jeff's training before opening night
included music instruction with the
musical director, Steve Mallardi, and
only four rehearsals. Mostly he learned
the role while "trailing" one of the two
boys playing Gavroche during perfor-
mances. He never rehearsed in cos-
tume nor with the orchestra prior to
his first performance on Jan. 27.
Although opening night has come
and gone, Jeff continues to fine-tune
his performances in understudy
rehearsal. He's still working
on perfecting his "dirt," the
stage makeup he applies to
his face and upper and lower
body to give the look of a
poor child living on the
streets.
And, at a very young age,
he's learning what it means to
have a job with responsibili-
ties six days a week. He has
to be at the theater for every
performance, along with
Jason Mays of Florida, with
whom he rotates as Gavroche; the two
alternate performing on stage and
working as the understudy.
Jeff's already experienced many joys
from this newfound commitment.
He's experienced some funny
moments on stage when things don't
go quite as they're supposed to. And
he's had to learn not to giggle when
someone's stomach grumbles or when

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