I suppose a little back story is necessary. Hubs and I are musical people. We both did them in high school and our iPods are full of them. Hubby is a Les Mis guy. The music really speaks to him, and he's always been a fan. I think he could probably listen to the music every single day and never, ever get tired of it. We were planning to go when we lived in Wisconsin, but moved right before it came out. He was seriously heart broken- it's not often that it tours. I said we'd find a way to catch it at some point, but honestly, I doubted it would happen. Then, as if directly from above, the tour randomly involved NC. So, the second the tickets went on sale, I snatched 2 up.
So, on Wednesday, Hubby picked me up from work, we went out to dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, and headed over to the theater. Talk about impressive. As soon as we pulled up, we saw the images of Cosette and the logo projected onto the theater with the bright red lights underneath. Pretty damn awesome way to start the night.
We got into the theater and saw where our seats were. I was hoping the seating chart was misleading, but no, we really were in the second to last row. No matter. We figured even if we couldn't see, we'd be able to hear it.
That turned out not to be a problem. We had a PERFECT shot of the stage. No obstructions, and we got a chance to sit higher and see more of the absolutely amazing and intricate sets. We sat immediately behind 4 adorable old women who had no idea what type of show they were about to see. They asked the youngest in their group (who was probably in her 30s) what the show was about and she gave a very shotty, half-imagined synopsis. The older 3 women (who were all at least 70) seemed a bit confused, but interested to see the journey they'd be going on that night.
Then, the first note rang out. The excitement was palpable. There wasn't a single empty seat in the entire theater, and even if some weren't aware of what they were about to see, it was clear it would be epic.
And epic it was. This cast was unlike any I've ever heard. I've had the Les Miserables Original London cast soundtrack since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. We have the DVDs of the Original Broadway Cast and the 25th anniversary cast. The people performing in front of us blew them all out of the water. And I swear, I'm not just saying that. They were flawless.
Let's discuss the man who played Jean Val-Jean, shall we? His voice was flawless. For those of you who are not familiar, there is a song called Bring Him Home. This is a pretty high pitched song, even in lady terms, and it's not uncommon to see a man struggle with this since to be done correctly, you need pretty amazing control of your voice. This song came spilling out of this man as smooth as butter. It was completely effortless. His emotion was so evident in his voice, but he never wavered. He was born for this role, and I assure you, that is the highest compliment I can imagine.
Then there is the incredibly handsome Marius. The man who played him not only had a nice butt (let's face it, it was nice.) but his voice, too, was unlike anything I've ever heard. Michael Ball originated this role in London back in the day, and I'm a pretty big fan of his. This guy though, put Michael to shame. His haunting version of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" hit all of the right notes, literally and figuratively. He had me in tears as his spoke to his friends who had all been killed fighting for the people, while he was alive. The emotion was absolutely overwhelming, and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
I could go on and on about each and every member of the cast. There was no small role. Even the chorus was full of perfection. But I would be completely insane if I left out 2 of the things not many people would consider: the set design and the orchestra.
The sets were just, wow. They had a digital screen far in the back that would move in time with the actors on stage. For instance, in one scene ("Do You Hear the People Sing?") the characters march down the streets of Paris singing their song of resistance and beckoning for the people to stand and fight. During this time, the set moved in time as the people marching in place on stage, making it truly feel as if they were marching down the streets in Paris. On the sides were 3-story sets that rotated from different churches, to a bridge over a river in Paris, to an Inn. They were so elaborate that I honestly don't know how they possibly got everything in there. Keeping up with all of that had to have been a project for at least 30 people. I bet they did it with 3 though. I imagine they were just that good.
The orchestra was not your typical musical fare. They were a fell damn symphony. Everything from strings to tympani. They didn't hit a single sour note and kept everything rolling along perfectly. They were just as important at the main characters, yet we didn't get a chance to see their faces.
I guess the point to this entire post is that even if you are typically not a Les Mis fan, please, for the love of everything you hold dear, go see it. Do not miss your chance to see this cast. If you don't like it, I will personally fly you to my house so you can punch me in the face. THAT'S how good it is.
It's exactly what the Doctor ordered. We desperately needed this. And, it's amazing to see what good music can do for your soul. True, this is not a happy musical (only 2 characters are alive at the end) and there isn't a single story line that doesn't involve heartache, it's something that speaks to you on a level you can't even control. I've never fought in a war, I've never dealt with any of the things the characters do, but I relate on an emotional level and it's just good.
And now, I leave you with some videos of some of the different casts over the years. Enjoy!
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