Milan Van Waardenburg is a Dutch actor and tenor who recently made his West End debut in the iconic Les Misérables. His work has earned him recognition and a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical at the Dutch Musical Awards in 2022 and after witnessing his performance in London, he is one of the best Valjeans to ever grace the London stage.
At 30, he is a young man so he has those wonderful powerful tenor vocals and is such a graceful and tender actor. If you are a seasoned Les Mis fan, Milan will enter your top three Valjeans and if you are a first-timer to the show, prepare to fall in love with this incredible musical which celebrates 40 years this year.
We caught up with Milan to talk all things Les Misérables and his career so far.
How did it all start?
I started my Les Mis adventure as Valjean last year with the national tour in Holland and Belgium, however I’ve had a connection with the show my whole life. I saw the production when I was a kid and was amazed by Alife Boe, and during my studies at university, I sang a lot of the material. I actually auditioned for the West End production before COVID, to play Enjolras. The show has followed me throughout my whole career. My transfer to the West End has been crazy, but it’s amazing.
You recently had your West End Debut and received a huge ovation and a marriage proposal! Tell us about this special day?
It was a special day, indeed! Moving to London and then two weeks later having my debut here has been crazy. Of course, I knew the show already, but it’s in a different language and some of the staging is slightly different. Thankfully the Sondheim Theatre is blessed with a wonderful company, both cast and creatives, so it was the warmest welcome I could have wished for.
The opening night was very exciting. I managed to keep my nerves and balance; I had family and friends coming over for my debut. All I could do was focus on the show. To top off this wonderful day with my now fiancé proposing to me was the cherry on top! I’m very lucky, and very blessed. There are lots of beautiful moments happening at the moment that I’m very grateful for.
How is the British musical theatre world different to Dutch musical theatre?
One of the biggest differences in the West End is that audiences come from all over the world to see the show. It’s more international in comparison to Holland. That brings a different excitement in the audience because people have planned this trip – you can feel the electricity while performing. In my first week I met people from New York, Iran, Egypt, the Philippines – it’s crazy, that people come from all over the world to see the show, but it says something about this production and the quality of Les Mis.
What is your favourite part of Les Mis?
My favourite part of the show is that it’s an ensemble piece – we do it together. It’s not one leading man or woman carrying the show, every character is equally important to tell this beautiful story. That’s what I love about this production, we need everyone. It’s a group gathering on stage. Les Mis is about friendship, it’s about love, it’s about connecting, and we need the same thing as a company.
Les Mis is like running a marathon every day. How do you keep your body and voice sharp?
To be honest, that’s a work in progress as the body goes through different phases health wise. In general, you need enough sleep (8 hours), and to take care of the voice, with steaming and drinking a minimum of 4 litres of water a day, as well as warming up, cooling down, stretching, yoga, going to the gym and sauna. My social life is also brought down a lot, so not going out as much and skipping parties, in order to stay fit and feel great. It’s about keeping a balance.
You are a young man playing an iconic role. Tell us about the aging process of Valjean throughout the show?
Before I started rehearsals in Holland, this was the thing I was most afraid of, because Les Mis is about being real and telling the story truthfully. I spoke with our associate director about my worries and was told to trust the process in order to inhabit the piece and the role. The part is very physical, so I got to play around with the physicality in rehearsals, and I did some research and studies around physical aging which really helped me. It’s been an interesting process. The thing I was most afraid of is now the thing I love the most. I find it so important that you see him age throughout the show – in every scene something in my physicality and thoughts changes, which is amazing to be able to do as an actor.
Do you have any pre or post show rituals that you do?
Not specific rituals, but I need my stretching and warm-up. The only thing I’m addicted to is making sure I always have a lozenge in my mouth – something minty or gingery.
What are your top three musicals?
It sounds cheesy, but Les Mis has always been my number one musical. When I was younger, I did The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and still love the iconic music. I have also always loved Cabaret – I would love to play The Emcee.
What would you say to someone who wants to enter musical theatre?
Never give up your dream. If I can do it, everyone can. I come from a little village in the South of Holland where theatre didn’t really exist. I had to travel for 3 hours to get to singing classes. It’s about how important and how real the dream is. If you believe in it, and manifest it, it will happen. And you have to train, I spent all my free time as a kid training, and still do – there’s always something to improve.
What is next for you?
For now, I’m going to enjoy my time in this beautiful city – it was always a dream of mine to work and live here, so I can’t wait to experience London in the summer. I hope to return to London again after this adventure.
Discover more at: Milan van Waardenburg and london.lesmis.com
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All imagery courtesy of Les Miserables / Milan van Waardenburg.