A Jewish Marius

Josh Young takes the leading romantic male role in the
return of a beloved musical to Detroit's Fisher Theatre.

RONIT FELDMAN
Special to the Jewish News

11,1 hen Josh Young was 12
years old, his parents
took him to see the
national tour of Les
Miserables in his hometown of
Philadelphia. By the time the curtain
dropped, Young had realized his call-
ing. "I told my mom I wanted to do
that," says the now 23-year-old recent
college grad. Little did he know how
soon that dream would materialize.
In August, just three short months
after obtaining his musical theater
degree from Syracuse University,
Young won his first professional part.
Coincidentally, the role that's taken
him out of the classroom and into
ornate theaters across the country is
Marius in the national touring pro-
duction of Les Miz. It runs at
Detroit's Fisher Theatre Dec. 9-Jan. 4.
Jumping into the professional world
has been no easy task for Young.
Marius — the show's leading
romantic male role — demands a lot
of the talent who plays him, both
vocally and dramatically. Young must
evoke the thrill of first love and the
devastation of death, all while singing
notes that stretch from the top to the
/
bottom of his range.
Being on the road is a challOge,
too, but Young's adapted to living out
of two. suitcases. "As an actor, this is
just about the best case scenario you

could have," he says. Thinking of his
table-waiting counterparts in New
York City, he adds, "The state of being
an actor these days is tough."
Young's training began soon after
seeing that first Les Miz production,
when his mother enrolled him in an
acting class to encourage his interest.
"She didn't know where to start, so she
put me in a Meisner class," Young
says. Trying to learn "method" acting
as a youngster was no easy feat.
Then came the voice lessons, where
Young's extraordinary talent began to
emerge. "I remember at my bar mitz-

Amanda Hu'
as Cosette and Josh Young as Marius sing "In My Life" in
the national touring production of "Les Miserables."

Miss `Les

As a swing player, Betsy Werbel can perform nine
different ensemble roles in "Les Miserables."

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

A

Jewish singer from Shaker Heights, Ohio, is making a show business
career out of the musical Les Miserables, which runs at Detroit's Fisher
Theatre Dec. 9-Jan. 4, the show's eighth visit to the city.
Betsy Werbel, 29 and single, is a "female swing" in the legendary,
award-winning show, meaning she can play nine different ensemble roles

12/ 5

2003

84

vah," Young says, "I was still a male
soprano, and I got a lot of recognition
after doing my parsha."
Singing soon took precedence over
Young's other hobbies: painting, draw-
ing, sculpting and sports. He began
performing in school and community
productions, and also took part in his
Conservative synagogue's theater
troupe, the Ohev Shalom Players.
When the time for college came,
Young didn't think twice about a major.
The decision to attend Syracuse came
easily, too. He liked how the school
offered conservatory-like training with-

Josh Young: `A. part that I was perfect
for became available."

in a campus setting. He could pledge a
fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon —
"The best experience that I would
never want to do again") and still have
access to an excellent theater program.
Young spent his undergraduate
summers performing regionally with
the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in
New Hampshire and the Ogunquit
Playhouse in Maine. He also sang at
Virginia's Busch Gardens as a mem-
ber of the "Busch Street Boys," an
experience he refers to as "the best
summer of my life."
During his junior year, fear of the
"real world" kicked in, and Young
began to promote himself to the New
York theater world. He sent out a mass
mailing of headshots, resumes and
newspaper - clippings, and also included
an amateur CD recording of his most
recent show.
"I thought I would have a better
chance of them calling me in for a

in the cast of 36, including several with solo lines.
She became a Les Miz regular six years ago, after going to New York to
enter show business within a few days of her graduation from the
University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She has played in both
the New York and national touring casts.
Werbel even fell off of the famous barricades one time, and was rushed
to the hospital while the show went on. She suffered only a "whiplash"
injury. Her parents have seen her perform the various roles 28 times.
"It's somewhat unusual to be in the same show so long," she said, "but
Les Miz played New York for 16 years and was the second-longest-run-
ning show in Broadway history. Having a secure job in one show provides
stability in a tough business where it's often difficult to get any kind of
work."
Werbel's fifth-grade music teacher recognized her singing ability and
told her parents she had special musical talent. Voice, dancing and acting
lessons followed, "and I'm still studying voice," she said.