Saturday, September 23 is a big night at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts when Ivan Rutherford comes to town to sing his one-man show, More Than Broadway. Rutherford has performed the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables over 2300 times on Broadway and national tours. “Castro Valley Arts Foundation is very excited to bring an artist of this caliber to our stage,” said Vice President Mary Ann DeGrazia.  He will sing theater, film and pop.

In a telephone interview, Rutherford spoke about the challenges of playing the same role eight times a week, week after week. “I knew that half of my audience had seen the show before and the other half was attending Les Miserables for the first time. My goal was to meld this complex character with my personality. I always tried to dig deep to find the nuggets of truth in the script.  And for those seeing the show multiple times, I tried to continue to grow with the character.”  He remarked, “Some see Jean Val Jean as saintly, but he struggles with his flaws in the anthem, “Who Am I?” Rutherford says, “Above all, an actor must be a good storyteller!”

Rutherford joined Lea Salonga on Broadway in the 20th anniversary Les Misérables revival. He was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Valjean at the First Annual National Broadway Theatre Awards, held at the New York Supper Club in NYC. Rutherford has also starred in South Pacific, Titanic, and West Side Story. He played alongside Andrea McArdle at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine.

Rutherford currently performs with orchestras worldwide as a concert soloist and cabaret artist. He lives in Irvine, California, and has a busy online teaching schedule when not touring. Castro Valley Center for the Arts (19501 Redwood Road) is a little over a mile from the Castro Valley BART Station. Parking is free. For tickets: cvartsfoundation.org