by Lorie Lewis Ham
Fresno Lexus Broadway in Fresno’s next show coming to the Saroyan Theatre will be Les Misérables. The performances will be next week July 25-30. KRL had the chance to chat with one of the actors in the show recently, Preston Truman Boyd, who plays Javert.
KRL: Where are you from?
Preston: I was born in Fargo, North Dakota and grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. I was very lucky to have a very supportive theatre teacher growing up who helped pave the way for me to pursue this career. I also trained at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Preston Truman Boyd at Javert
KRL: When did you first become interested in acting?
Preston: I first became interested in acting at a young age. After playing the Jester in The Princess and the Pea I was hooked!
KRL: What was the first role that you ever played?
Preston: The first role I ever played was Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors.
KRL: What are some of the roles you have played professionally?
Preston: Professionally I played The Monster in the First National Tour of Young Frankenstein. I swung and understudied Big Fish, Bullets Over Broadway, On the Twentieth Century, She Loves Me, then I played Artie Green in the recent revival of Sunset Boulevard, I played Robert Grove in The Play That Goes Wrong, all on Broadway. My last time on Broadway was playing Ralph in Kiss Me Kate.
(From L) Preston Truman Boyd as Javert & Nick Cartellas Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables”
KRL: Why did you want to play this role?
Preston: I wanted to play the role of Javert because he is a complex character. There are many different corners of him to explore.
KRL: How do you see Javert? Do you see him as a villain?
Preston: I see Javert as being misunderstood. He is doing his job dutifully.
KRL: Were you a fan of Les Misérables before auditioning for the show?
Preston: I have been a longtime fan of Les Misérables. I have been in the show before — I played Jean Valjean in a high school production of Les Misérables, I played Grantaire at the MUNY, and I was on tour with Les Misérables prior to the pandemic as Javert.
KRL: What do you like best about playing this role?
Preston: The thing I like most about playing in this role is having power in stillness.
KRL: What has been the biggest challenge in playing this role?
Preston: One of the bigger challenges playing this role is to stay vocally healthy. The show is musically challenging, but it’s an honor to sing this score every night!
KRL: What have you done to prepare for this role?
Preston: In preparing for this role, I read the novel Les Misérables and tried to envision myself in those situations.
KRL: What do you like best about this show?
Preston: The thing I like most about the show is the message. Hopefully, we inspire thousands every night. It’s amazing to be a part of an entity that is so universally beloved. Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about redemption and the survival of the human spirit, and it seems to resonate now with audiences more than ever before.
KRL: What is a typical day like for you while in this touring show?
Preston: While touring with a show, on a typical day, I like to be a tourist and fall in love with all of our tour spots. I’ve been on tour before and it seems like it’s always the cities that I had never even heard of are the ones I enjoy the most, so it’s great to revisit these places. I love exploring the food scenes in different cities across the country.
Tickets are available at BroadwayinFresno.com, in person at the Fresno Entertainment and Convention Center Box Office, or by calling 800.745.3000.
Check out more local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!
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