Les Mis

The mysteries and intricacies of the human soul are unveiled in the simple, and not so simple, melodies and lyrics of a Broadway musical.
- Sarah Toller

Whatever happens in my life, I can always express it with a song from a musical. Need a picker-upper? "Put on a Happy Face" from Bye Bye Birdie. Ready to change my life? "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. Day-dreaming about the perfect man? "Til I hear You Sing" from Love Never Dies (I'm totally in love with the Phantom. Don't judge.)

My life has been filled with Broadway CDs, cassettes, and YouTube videos. But alas, my list of musicals that I've actually seen is rather short. It took me five years after discovering Wicked to finally see it live. And it took me seventeen years to see The Phantom of the Opera. But today, I saw another show I'd been obsessing over for the first time: the wonderful, emotional, spine-chilling Les Miserables.

True, it was a high school production and not a Broadway or West End performance, but I was still amazed. It was wonderful to finally see all the little details of the story. I've known the basic plot for years, but I loved seeing Javert sing "Stars" and Marius asking Eponine to some PI work for him about Cosette. You see that in the concert or the Dennis Quaid movie. Les Mis was now real. It was tangible.

For a high school production, it was amazingly good. They had custom soundtracks, intricate lighting (they turned the ceiling of the auditorium into a starry sky), and beautiful, detailed sets. But the talent was superb. Jean Valjean nailed his falsetto solos. Javert was convincing. Gavroche (played by my adorable cousin, JD) stole the show. But the two actors that made the play for me was the boy who played Marius and the girl who played Eponine. Marius's voice was perfect. It was robust, yet full of emotion. "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was heart-wrenching. I was locked to Marius's face the whole song. He had me hook, line, and sinker. And then Eponine. Since she is my favorite character and sings some of my all-time favorite ballads, the actress's portrayal of Eponine would either make or break the entire performance. She did not disappoint. Her "On My Own" was solid, though I think she could have been more passionate in the final stanza (but that's a subjective comment, technique-wise, she was great).

I could write all night about the insights I made from Les Mis, but it's 2:40 in the morning and I think it would be beneficial for me to get some shut-eye. So to sum it up, I was impressed by my first performance of Les Mis. It definitely beat my already high expectations. I cannot wait to see it again.