BW grad Eden Mau happy to launch 'Les Mis' tour, follow father's path

For Baldwin Wallace University graduate Eden Mau, 22, a passion for performing in the epic "Les Miserables" has passed from generation to generation.

The musical phenomenon is a real family affair, considering that Mau, a member of the new "Les Mis" cast relaunching the North American tour Friday at Cleveland's Playhouse Square, is following in her father, Gary Mauer's, footsteps.

He played Enjolras in the third national tour of "Les Miserables" in the early 1990s and also performed the role on Broadway at two different times in the 1990s. Now, his daughter is helping to bring the story to life again as a member of the show's ensemble and an understudy for Cosette, played by former Baldwin Wallace student Addie Morales.

It's all happened quickly for Mau, who graduated with a musical theater degree in May, moved briefly to New York and now is excited to return to Northeast Ohio to launch the "Les Miserables" tour.

"My whole life was like an acting class and a singing class," she said by phone from New York on Sept. 22, the day before the "Les Mis" cast flew to Cleveland for tech week.

You could say touring is in Mau's blood.

She actually grew up on tour with two musical theater stars: Dad Gary and mom Elizabeth Southard co-starred as the Phantom and Christine in the Music Box tour of "The Phantom of the Opera" in the early 2000s.

Mau remembers well touring with them and her older brother, Nick, from about age 3 to 7. She took ballet class from one of the ballerinas in the "Phantom" cast, spent lots of time with the ballerinas in their dressing room and even wore a mini Christine costume that the tour's designer made for her for Halloween.

Theater Review:‘Frozen’ an ecstatic show through spectacular effects, beautiful storytelling

Mau, a New Jersey native, said her parents urged her not to get into the "crazy" theater profession. But at age 13, seeing her parents practice a triple-time tap step together in a hotel room before performing a Christmas concert with other Broadway stars in Omaha, Nebraska, made her realize she wanted to study dance, voice and acting seriously.

"They were just practicing some of their stuff and I got the bug," she said.

'Les Mis' music at home

Mau grew up in a house where her tenor father sang his Enjrolas music all the time, belting the high part that the student revolutionary character sings from the barricade.

"He was always saying how epic that role was and how powerful it was to be able to play that," Mau said. "The way he talked about it, it makes me want to play Enjolras."

Interestingly, the actress had never seen the stage production live before she joined the "Les Mis" cast. But now, in rehearsal for the tour, she's seen firsthand what a special role Enjolras, played by Devin Archer, is.

Mau has always asked her parents, who now live in Dallas, to weigh in on her selections when she's sent self-tapes or video auditions for college or shows, including "Les Miserables."

"They always give me the best critiques, the best suggestions," she said. "I respect their critiques immensely."

"They're just so helpful to this day with my theater journey."

The blockbuster "Les Miserables" has drawn generations of theatergoers and new generations of talent since it debuted in 1985 in London. "Les Misérables," the world's most popular musical, is the sixth-longest-running Broadway production of all time.

The reconceived 25th anniversary production of the show toured North America from 2017 to March 2020, when it was shut down by the pandemic. Now, producer Cameron Mackintosh and original creatives Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg are in Cleveland as "Les Miserables" performances begin again.

More:'Les Miserables' actor stands tall

Tour alum Nick Cartell, who starred in "Les Miserables" when it toured to Cleveland in 2018, has returned to the lead role of Jean Valjean.

Theater Review: 'Les Miserables' is a musical and visual stunner at Playhouse Square

The auditions

Mau first got a video audition for the Cosette understudy role and then went for a live "Les Miserables" audition in the morning of July 15. After that, she was asked to go home, change into a dress and come back for a final callback the same day. Her work session was recorded and sent to producer Cameron Mackintosh and his team in the United Kingdom for approval.

A week later, Mau learned she'd booked the tour.

"I've always wanted to tour. Because of my upbringing, that's always been a dream of mine," she said.

She FaceTimed her parents to tell them the great news and both were thrilled.

"I knew you were gonna get it. I just felt it in my bones," her dad said.

Mau's proud parents are flying in to Cleveland on Friday to see her perform opening night. Her New York friends are also flying in and her Baldwin Wallace teachers will see her in "Les Miserables."

Playhouse Square calendar:Hot shows from 'Hadestown' to 'Six' part of seven-show Playhouse Square lineup for '22-'23

"I'm really, really excited to be back. I loved Cleveland. I love my four years there," she said.

In rehearsal

The whole "Les Mis" casting process went fast, the actress said, with rehearsals starting Aug. 22 in New York.

"The second I walked into the rehearsal room you just felt the warmth and the love that everybody had for this production and all the people in it, and it was awesome," Mau said.

Other Ohio graduates in "Les Miserables" are ensemble members Ethan Rogers, a 2021 Baldwin Wallace graduate, and Steve Czarnecki, an Otterbein University graduate. Mau also is happy to be touring with her boyfriend, Carnegie Mellon University graduate Ben Cherington, who's a swing.

Mau said she's lucky to have gotten a theater job so soon after graduation, and especially with a show that's so beloved across the world.

"It's tried and true. Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it," she said.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

Details

Musical: "Les Miserables"

When: Opening Friday, continuing through Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays

Where: State Theatre, Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

Onstage: Starring Nick Cartell, Preston Truman Boyd, Matt Crowle, Christina Rose Hall, Haley Dortch, Devin Archer, Christine Heesun Hwang, Gregory Lee Rodriguez, Addie Morales, Cora Jane Messer, Hazel Vogel, Harrison Fox, Gabriel Lafazan

Offstage: Claude-Michel Schönberg, music; Herbert Kretzmer, and Alain Boublil, lyrics; book, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil; based on the novel by Victor Hugo; Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker, orchestrations; John Cameron, original orchestrations; James Powell and Laurence Connor, directors; Matt Kinley, designer, inspired by paintings by Victor Hugo; Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, costumes; Paule Constable, lighting; Mick Potter, sound; Finn Ross, Jonathan Lyle and Fifty Nine Productions, projections; Brian Eads, music direction

Cost: $29-$129

Information: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Baldwin Wallace grad in 'Les Mis' has epic show, touring in her blood