Song-and-dance man Matt Crowle takes on crooked innkeeper Thénardier in 'Les Miserables'
As a child, Chicago-area theater artist Matt Crowle wanted to be Mikhail Baryshnikov.
One of his instructors had something else in mind. She thought he might enjoy tap. But when she suggested it, he balked. Too cacophonous, he thought.
He changed his mind in junior high school after he discovered dancers like Ray Bolger, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. And a song-and-dance man was born.
"It was the crispness (of tap), the celebration of it," said Crowle, who wore out countless VHS tapes of classic musicals re-watching dance numbers.
A regular on area stages since he arrived from New York 15 years ago, the dancer/actor/choreographer has played a number of comic roles: the nebbishy Leo Bloom in Mercury Theater's "The Producers"; loyal squire Patsy in Drury Lane's "Spamalot"; Bert in Paramount Theatre's "Mary Poppins"; and, in a rare nonmusical turn, disgruntled elf Crumpet in Goodman Theatre's "The Santaland Diaries."
Now he's taken on the dark, yet still comic, role of crooked innkeeper and con-man Thénardier in the national tour of "Les Miserables" (currently playing Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre), a show the Joseph Jefferson Award-winner said was never on his radar. But when the opportunity to audition for the tour arose, he took it.
"The challenge remains exciting," Crowle said.
A nonchalantly graceful performer, Crowle approaches every role from a dancer's perspective, finding the character's physicality, which then informs their inner workings and their voice. That includes Thénardier, who shows up after highly dramatic, emotionally wrenching scenes when the audience is ready for a few yucks.
"We're all going to take a breath and we're all going to laugh ... especially coming out of what we just experienced," said Crowle, who describes playing the character as exhilarating and intimidating.
A thrilling evening of theater is how Crowle describes the show, which he says is one of the best-sung productions he's experienced.
"I feel I should pay admission to listen to these people sing," he said, adding, "If you haven't seen 'Les Miserables,' this is the one to see. If you have seen it and you know what you're in for, you'll still be surprised."
"I feel spoiled every night," he continued. "The vehicle that moves this story forward is a stunning, curated, considered masterpiece from every lighting cue to every piece of fabric in the costumes."
The show's enduring popularity reflects its brilliance, Crowle said. The rebels' grief, their loss, their survival continues to resonate with audiences, he said, adding "without changing a single lyric it remains so trenchant and relevant."
In recent years, he's shifted from demanding dance roles to playing more character parts, like Crumpet in director Steve Scott's "The Santaland Diaries," which he names as a career highlight.
After 20 years in the business, he's had the good fortune to play most of the roles he wanted to play, although Harold Hill in "The Music Man" remains his holy grail.
"As you get into your 40s, your body says 'we have other plans now,'" he says with a laugh. "Your knees start to tell you you can't do that anymore."
About 10 years ago he began choreographing and has since moved into directing.
"I like the process of putting a show together," he said, "but it's got to be material I adore living with."
That said, he doesn't intend to stop tapping.
"I can't imagine a life where I'm not performing anymore," he said. "It's always been my first love."
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"Les Miserables"
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, through March 5
Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com
Tickets: $56.50-$260
COVID-19 precautions: Masks recommended