Jonathan O'Maille and Wilder Long are buddies in real life.

In the Hempfield High School production of "Les Miserables," the relationship is reversed.

Jonathan portrays Jean Valjean, the man whose tale of redemption is at the heart of the story. Wilder plays Valjean's nemesis, Javert.

"Jonathan and I are best friends," said Wilder, who is a senior. "But in the show, we are enemies. We hate each other. I'm relentless. I'm trying to get him under my thumb to keep him there. My character is very hard-headed. He's very black and white. He is married to the law, and he believes he's doing the right thing, but he doesn't see himself the way he wants to. He's not as good of a person as Jean Valjean is, so he wants to take control of this character to make himself feel better."

Jean Valjean, on the other hand, is working hard to make up for lost time. "He starts off being in jail and has been there for the past 20 years," said Jonathan, who is a senior. "The big thing is that he's given one chance to change himself in the beginning from a bishop. He takes that chance and becomes this person who's always giving to others, doing his best, and trying to always do the right thing morally."

Hempfield High students' performances of "Les Miserables" will run from Thursday, March 5, to Sunday, March 8, at the Hempfield Performing Arts Center, 1555 Kauffman Road, Landisville.

March 5 is Senior Citizen Preview Night, sponsored by the Hempfield Foundation. The show, free for Hempfield residents age 65 and older, will start at 7 p.m. No tickets are required.

There is reserved seating for the remaining four performances: Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 7, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m.

Go to http://www.hempfieldsd.org/activities/performing-arts/ticket-information to purchase tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door, but it is recommended that theatergoers go online to reserve seats.

Director Alejandro Ramos weighed three factors when choosing this spring's musical.

"Number one, it's one of my favorite shows," he said. "I've let the other directors pick the last six years. It's my time to get the rotation. Number two, we have the students to do it, the students you need for the show to be epic. They need to be bold, and they need to be powerful. And that's our cast. Three, (the high school is) going to be under renovation for the next couple of years. In anticipation of that, we really wanted to go big. We really wanted to have sort of an epic conclusion of Hempfield as we know it."

Jonathan was immediately intrigued. "As soon as I got the script, I really fell in love with it," he said. "I learned it in two weeks. I very much enjoy the role that I've been given. I think that kind of took away some of that burden that you might feel when you get such a big role."

Junior Adelynn Aument will portray Fantine. "Fantine works in a factory, and then she gets fired," Adelynn explained, noting that her character experiences hardships. "Fantine does everything for her daughter, Cosette, and it's the hope that leads her through these hard times and forces her to keep trying. And although the hope dies at times, she finds a way to bring it back."

Junior Miriam Janisewski is a member of the stage crew and acts as a quasi-assistant director. "There's less on the stage crew side, because most of the sets are just big walls, and there's not a lot of moving parts. Mostly the actors do it," she said. "It's less on our end physically, but director-wise, we have to figure out how we're going to work with a limited set and how that's going to come across."

Junior Ayla Vieland is the dance captain. "Within the show, it's more of an external role, so I'm there at rehearsals to assist the choreography and help people if they're struggling," she said. "To me, that is being more of a role model in the ensemble and being somebody that is reliable, that people can come to if they have any questions or concerns about."

Jonathan is confident guests will enjoy the production. "A big thing that Mr. Ramos said when he talked to me about choosing this show was that it's one of the titans of musical theater," he said. "We've done other ones that are very popular. ... (This show) brings a new challenge to a bunch of very talented students. ... I think that this show was a perfect way to showcase all of the great voices that we have. Beside all of the lead characters, I believe there are 36 other solos throughout the show of just little one-liners that people give, so everybody gets to kind of feel important and heard. I think that that's something that is really important nowadays."