Dare to Dream-Les Miz

 

'Do you hear the people sing?'

Les Miz rolled into The Kennedy Center this past weekend for its 25th Anniversary special. I had first heard it was coming around back in August, when my husband and I saw Wicked. Having seen it before, years ago and watching the  London Cast-and a Jonas brother-perform the show on the local public station earlier this year from my hospital bed, when I spotted that ad in the back of the playbill I knew I had to go. Of course would we actually go? Probably not.

We had tried to get tickets for the show on Saturday night, since we had a date planned that night, but the tickets where either too expensive or sold out. With hockey season and school the odds of us going looked quite slim to none. And so I resided in the fact that seeing it once was enough for me.

Or was it?

I have to say, I love my husband. Who on Monday morning happened to be surfing Kennedy Centers website when he comes across 5th row seats, to Tuesday nights performance. This would mean I would have to miss class, but 5th row. Dead center, you couldn't ask for better. And the price was practically a  steal. I fought with myself knowing I shouldn't miss class, and yet the temptation poking me at every second. Finally my husband bought the tickets, giving me no other option. And so last night we found ourselves heading down to Washington DC, taking our seats and preparing to enjoy the night.

And we did more than enjoy it.

It had been so long since I had seen it, and they had changed a few things that for a moment it was as if I hadn't seen the show at all. The stage was amazing, I loved the new aspect of the paintings behind the cast. In most of the scenes it enhanced it and made the stage come alive. And the voices...lord I wish I could sing like that. I will say I thought there were times when the actor who played Javert was at times a hit or miss, but they were few and far between. Jean Valjean was so amazing, I thought the audience was going to give him a standing ovation when he sang Bring him home alone. I can't blame them, he totally deserved it. It was clear they knew what they were doing when they casted...Bravo to them....


I can not rave enough about the show, the cast and the scenery. Words can not express how moving of a story this is. Having never read the book I fear to now, after seeing and enjoying the show twice now I fear it would not live up the expectation I have of it.

And while they are celebrating 25 years of Dream the Dream, I say bring me 25 more years of doing so.

'Singing the song of angry men.'