It would take a huge role like Jean Valjean in Les Miserables to get Andy Beesley back on stage, so Judy Russell made it happen.
Russell finally got the rights to the classic Broadway musical, recently adapted as a feature film starring Hugh Jackman as Valjean. This is the first time the rights have been made available for amateur theatre productions to take on the musical drama. It's been a 20-year wait for Russell.
"I couldn't be happier to present Les Mis this summer, and I couldn't imagine any other person taking on the role of Jean Valjean but Andy Beesley," said Russell. Les Miserables will run at the Prince George Playhouse from July 16 to Aug. 3.
The huge role requires some downsizing and, like he did before, Beesley is undergoing a major physical transformation for the part. So far he's dropped more than 50 pounds to play Valjean. Beesley has been down this road before, shedding more than 100 pounds for the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar.
The getting in shape goal for Beesley is a bit different now than it was when he had to strip down and get hung on a cross for Jesus Christ Superstar more than a decade ago. Back then he did the starvation diet thing.
"Because I felt it was important that we didn't have a big fat Jesus," laughed Beesley, who now walks on his treadmill desk for many hours a day while he works.
Jean Valjean is a character with superior strength, so he can be a bigger huskier fellow, he added.
"So, I'm not taking the same approach at all," said Beesley. "This is extremely healthy, genuine lifestyle changes that I'm making and incidentally, I was making them anyway."
Just before Christmas he had started making some significant changes, he added.
Beesley said there were only a couple of roles left that he would put his life on hold for, and Jean Valjean was at the top of the list. So all that combined has made him more focused to stick to the plan.
Beesley doesn't have a weight loss goal specifically, but would like to shed another 20 or 30 pounds. Part of that plan is to not focus too much on pounds lost, rather trying to feel healthy and comfortable in his own skin.
"I can tell you I've definitely lost more than 50 pounds and I have no clothes that fit anymore, which is a nice problem to have," said Beesley, who said he's never felt like this about diet and exercise before and is determined to keep off the pounds permanently.
Beesley has cut out all processed food and sugar from his diet.
"So that leaves you with vegetables and berries and meat," said Beesley, who is following the paleo diet. "The difference from when I was losing my JC weight is that I was starving, feeling deprived 100 per cent of the time and what's been weird with this one is I felt horrific the first week to the point that it scared me. So, I went online and did some research and it's really no different than getting off drugs. The sugar and carbs and the chemicals in the food have to get out of your system. So, I stuck it out and two or three weeks later, I felt great and I can honestly say that at age 55, I've never felt better in my life."
Way more energy and zero cravings for food are the benefits of his new lifestyle change, he added, knowing he'll need every ounce of that energy on stage.
"When somebody like me is given the opportunity, even though it's amateur theatre, to take on such a big role, I cannot help but feel the weight of the entire production on my shoulders - in a good way," said Beesley. "But I don't think it's fair to say yes unless I am prepared to put myself in 100 per cent and by 100 per cent, I mean 100 per cent in all aspects."
Beesley was quick to point out that the "amateur" production has a lot of professionalism to it.
"In the case of Les Mis, the cast is unbelievable," said Beesley. "I've never heard such a chorus before and such a strong cast. We're still at the beginning stages and some of the big numbers - you already get chills down your spine listening to them."
Members of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra will make up the performance orchestra that is such an essential part of the show, he added.
"So it's ranked amateur but done as professional," Beesley said. "The show's been out for 20 years now, so people like me have seen it several times - professionally on Broadway - and, of course, the movie just came out. The challenge that I've got for myself and for the whole cast and crew is that we have to do it so well. And if we do a seven out of 10, we fail. We're going to have to do a nine or a 10 because so many people have seen world-class good, so it's a tremendous challenge that we have to really knock ourselves out and leave everything out on stage so people say 'That's as good as it gets in Prince George.' And I gotta say, I'm pretty pumped because that's exactly what it's going to be."
There's a whole other side to the preparation that goes into the role for Beelsey. The vocal artistry that is required can be daunting.
"The panic attack came when I realized that of all musical theatre that I am aware of, probably the hardest role vocally is Jean Valjean," Beesley declared with a nervous chuckle. "It is a relentless, impossibly intense role. I counted, I think, 22 scenes I have to sing in, sometimes intense singing, very emotional and with a ridiculous octave range from very high to very low. And there are so many talented people who have taken on the role I finally just said 'Oh, what have I done? This is overwhelming'. So, probably the biggest transformation I have done is the vocal training."
Beesley was in rock bands in the past where he said he could get away with murder. He said if he couldn't hit a high note he would just yell it.
"I've kind of had to reinvent my whole style of singing," said Beesley, who spends hours practicing each day. "I've really had to struggle and work harder at this than at any other thing in my whole life. It's part of the honour that I feel about being asked to do the role. I feel I have to do everything I possibly can not to embarrass myself, the cast or Judy and to hopefully make the people who come to the show happy that they came to see it."
