Philadelphia native Steve Czarnecki returns home this month in the national tour of Les Misérables. In addition to his role in the ensemble, Czarnecki serves as the production’s fight captain and understudies the role of Javert. I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve during the tour in 2022. We caught up on what he’s been doing and life on the road.
[Academy of Music on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, 240 S. Broad St] August 27-September 8, 2024; kimmelculturalcampus.org
DD: What did you do between the last tour and this one?
Steve Czarnecki: Between October 2022 and now, I have been traveling across North America with the Les Mis tour. We perform 8 shows a week, 6 days a week. The show is always in high demand so there aren’t a lot of breaks, but it has taken us all over the country to amazing cities. I’ve also trained for and ran marathons in San Francisco and Indiana while on tour. Looking forward to another one this spring in Boston!
DD: As the understudy for Javert, what is the process for going on for this role?
SC: The process can really vary as you never know when you will find out that you are on. You can know ahead of time if there is scheduled time off or you can find out during a show if someone gets sick. Either way, you just need to trust that you have put in the work and are always ready to step into the role, deliver a performance that will leave the audience thrilled, and tell the story in the best way possible. Generally when I am on, I like to have a little fun and record some backstage videos as Javert or “JavJav”, as I call him. The videos range from backstage Q&A to Haunted Theatre stories to wishing all the Mom’s a Happy Mother’s Day from Javert!
DD: Describe a typical day on tour.
SC: What I think is important to know is that a day on tour is anything but “typical.” There is constant adjustment to being in a new place and having new problems to solve like whether to eat out or cook breakfast.
My usual first day in a city involves a long run on the local running path and around town. It’s such a great way to get your bearings and see a city. From there, it’s time to feast! Eater and Thrillist are my best friends so I can find the best burger joint or Shawarma place in a city and chow down. After that, maybe a little nap and then a vocal warm-up before arriving at the theatre for our company meeting and sound check. This is when we do a walk through of the space and talk about any changes within this space. Then it’s time to open the show! Luckily, we have played Philly before and it’s such a stunning space. We are all thrilled to get back to the Academy of Music.
DD: This is a repeat question as I’m curious if the answer has changed. If you could only pick one Barricade Boy to go into battle with, who would it be?
SC: I love this question and I’m not sure who I said the last time I was asked! I think if I had to choose one at this point, it would be Grantaire. He is sort of the antidote to the seriousness of it all, and always has a nice bottle of wine at hand.
DD: You chose Grantaire last time, as well!
DD: Where’s the one place you have to go when in Philly?
SC: My family is from Philly and they would be beside themselves if I didn’t go to Termini Bros for tea biscuits at Reading Terminal Market. My mom still special orders them to Michigan and keeps them in the freezer for special occasions. I am also always on the hunt for the best Pork Roll breakfast sandwich I can find. The one at Middle Child currently holds the blue ribbon for me.
Les Misérables will play at the Academy of Music, on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, from August 27-September 8, 2024. [240 S. Broad St] kimmelculturalcampus.org