Cast members take instruction from director Lauren Scharf and pit orchestra students ready their instruments under the baton of pit orchestra director Meghan Murray. The two forces — cast and pit — will now be bound together for the first time after three months of rehearsals and performances drawing near.

A “sitzprobe” rehearsal is about to begin.

“It’s a very opera world term but it’s used in all theater,” Scharf explains. “It’s when the orchestra and the cast come together for the first time to focus solely on the music. It’ll almost be like we’re singing a staged concert — however, there’s no choreography or movement — the students will have the opportunity to sing and hear the orchestra for the first time, but do it in a lower-stakes environment.”

The confluence of the orchestra and the cast is essential in this year’s Jamestown High School musical “Les Miserables: School Edition” — most of the show is music.

Hayden Langford, portraying Jean Valjean, and Charlotte Baehr, portraying Valjean’s daughter Cosette, share an emotional moment on stage as Jamestown High School prepares for its production of Les Miserables.

“This being a through-composed production — there are no spoken lines, so in a sense just like opera –it is really imperative that we have this rehearsal because so much of this (show) is dependent on the relationship and the collaboration between the pit orchestra and the cast members.”

Jamestown High School will present the epic musical, long considered a masterwork of musical theater, on Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 15 at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Merton P. Corwin Auditorium of JHS, at 350 E. 2nd Street.

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the musical, with music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer is under the direction of Scharf, with vocal direction by Melissa Beichner, choreography created by Jennie Caruso, and pit orchestra direction by Murray.

“When selecting a show for this spring, Melissa (Beichner) and I were immediately drawn to Les Miserables,” Scharf said. “We felt we had the students and the support necessary to pull off a show of this magnitude. Our students have been working incredibly hard to be able to successfully present this show to our community this March.”

In nineteenth-century France, Jean Valjean is released from years of unjust imprisonment but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a lifelong struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert, who refuses to believe Valjean can change his ways. Finally, during the Paris student uprising of 1832, Javert must confront his ideals after Valjean spares his life and saves that of the student revolutionary who has captured the heart of Valjean’s adopted daughter.

Jamestown High School students bring the energy during a rehearsal for Les Miserables, which takes the stage at Merton P. Corwin Auditorium on March 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. and March 15 at 2 and 7 p.m.

Epic, grand, and uplifting, Les Misérables School Edition packs an emotional wallop that has thrilled audiences worldwide. This author-approved edition has been abridged to a running time of just over two hours while beautifully maintaining the integrity of this musical masterpiece.

Junior Hayden Langford portrays Valjean.

“It’s been a crazy journey, but so much fun,” said Langford. “It’s been a great experience and being part of the musical has taught me so much responsibility. I’ve learned how to manage stress being up on stage and being in front of people. Ms. Scharf always tells us: if you can do theatre you can do anything.”

Senior Brighton Lumia joined the cast this year after spending three years in the pit orchestra. He portrays Javert, the show’s and Valjean’s main antagonist.

“It’s a lot more work than other years, but I like doing things that challenge me,” he said about joining the cast. “A lot of my friends are in it and it’s a great community of people to be a part of. (Les Miserables) is a really impressive show. I’ve seen it before — a professional production — and it’s fun to watch how it comes together for us.”

A legion of parents and community volunteers have also helped bring the production to life both onstage and behind the scenes through costume creation including Frank Galeazzo, Jerry Costantini, Eric Livengood, Rob Meger, Steve Sipior, Joe and Cathy Sinatra, Jan Braeger, Cathy Miller, Karan Miller, Karen Buck, and so many more.

Jamestown High School’s musical program has also been nominated again for the Shea’s Wonder Awards. The program, which JHS participated in last year, is designed to “celebrate and support the arts in high schools, foster excellence in musical theatre, and provide valuable educational opportunities for students.”

If nominated, the students would be able to perform selections from the show on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo in May. JHS students had the chance to participate in this experience last year for their performance in Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.”

“The kids had a really good time doing this last year — their six minutes on stage at Shea’s was exciting and thrilling,” said Scharf. “To watch the kids perform and walk off the stage in that big theater house was really exciting and well worth it.”

The production includes nearly 100 students in the cast, pit orchestra, and production crew, led by student stage managers Lilly Johnson and Zoe Haskins and assistant stage managers Jaylynn Carlson and John Johnston

General admission is $10 and can be purchased at the door or online at our.show/jhslesmis with an additional service fee.

The production is presented through an arrangement with Music Theatre International.