Theatre: Caleb Lagayan’s Les Miserables dream comes true

Updated: October 14, 2021, 10:18 A.M.

Vancouver, B.C.

Filipino-Canadian actor joins iconic musical in England and Ireland tour

Mildred German

“You’re good at singing, but you lack the stage presence, ” Caleb Lagayan was once told by his high school teacher.

Today, the Vancouver actor  will be joining the 2021-2023 U.K. and Ireland Tour of Les Misérables as Jean Prouvaire / 1st Cover Marius.

The news was shared via his Facebook page Caleb Lagayan Official where he  also posted that he loves to sing, act, dance, and model and was “hoping that one day he can go somewhere with the talent God has given [him].”  The Philippine- born actor has officially moved to London.

“I moved to the United Kingdom with the sole purpose of making my dream a reality. Now, I can confidently say that it’s really happening,” expressed Lagayan, who is signed with one of the top talent agencies in the United Kingdom, Global Artists.

Grateful and excited, Caleb’s goals are not only to continue to bring diversity into the entertainment industry, but also “to perform on the biggest stages in the world.”

LES MISERABLES

“Those are rare who fall without becoming degraded; there is a point, moreover, at which the unfortunate and the infamous are associated and confounded in a single word, a fatal word, Les Misérables.” 

― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Les Miserables is a novel by French poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, and dramatist Victor Hugo (1802-1885). Considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, Les Miserables was first published in 1862.

Often referred to by its French title, Les Miserables has also been widely known in such alternative titles as The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed.

The novel features several characters and their lives in a time period of the beginning and culmination of the Paris Uprising of 1892.  The novel not only elaborates on the anti-monarchist history of France but also touches on topics of romance, philosophy, and art. 

Les Miserables has been dubbed as one of the most influential literatures in history and its popularity has been reflected in the numerous adaptations such as films, musical, stage plays, and television. The novel has also been attributed to have influenced the Philippine revolution of 1896. Philippine hero and revolutionary Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), the founder of the Katipunan (a secret society which spearheaded against Spanish colonial rule and laid the groundwork for the first Philippine republic) was also noted for absorbing the moral philosophy of Les Miserables.

CALEB LAGAYAN

“I am proud of who I am, where I’ve been, and prepared for what life has in store for me,” – Caleb Lagayan

A graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program, Caleb Lagayan  recently completed his Masters Degree in Musical Theatre at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in the United Kingdom where he graduated with Distinction.

According to his official website, https://caleblagayan.com, Lagayan has received numerous awards including Performing Artist of the Year (Burnaby School Board), Outstanding Ensemble Gypsy (Joey Awards – National Canadian Award), Ovation Award (Vancouver) for Outstanding Newcomer in 2018 and Grace MacDonald’s Most Promising Dancer (Theatre Under the Stars). He also has been nominated for the Outstanding Leading Performance – Male in Bare: A Pop Opera as Peter Simmonds at the 2020 Ovation Awards and Best Actor – Male at the (Joey Awards – National Canadian Award) in 2018 for his role as Lord Pinkleton in Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Related reading:

Theatre: Caleb Lagayan stars in Cinderella as Lord Pinkleton