Atlanta's Theater of the Stars just concluded a two-weekend run of the smash-hit Schönberg/MacKintosh/Boubil musical Les Miserables - affectionately known to its die-hard fans as "Les Mis."Handling the lead role of the noble parole-jumpingthief and the play's hero, Jean Valjean, was Rob Evan. And here's the kicker - the Broadway sensation was a walk-on player for the UGA Bulldogs in 1986 as a kicker alongside contemporaries John Kasay and Steve Crumley. Evan even sang "Thanks for the Memories" at Vince Dooley's 1989 farewell gala.
Since then, his star has steadily risen among the Broadway elite, and he's tackled some of The Great White Way's most challenging roles. He performed the incredibly difficult lead in Jekyll & Hyde for more than 1,000 shows, portraying the extreme vocal range of the good doctor and his evil twin.
Evan's performance at the Saturday matinee was outstanding. He was tapped to play Valjean two years ago in a Broadway revival, and he definitely brought Broadway chops to the Fabulous Fox. His football physique came in handy as he played the character whose size and strength gives him away to his relentless pursuer, Inspector Javert. And his carefully controlled falsetto was spot-on during Valjean's signature song "Bring Him Home."The former Dawg brought down the house, and there was no doubt when the crowd came to their feet at the end of the performance that for this kicker, it was good.
1 comment:
This is very cool. Here's a fun fact. My grandfather, the late William C. Hartman, Jr., was his kicking coach while at UGA.
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