I saw Les Miserables for the sixth time lastThursday. Yeah, that's right, the SIXTH time. (I saw it for the first time at age eight in Denver, Colorado when I had a broken leg encased in a giant full leg cast and crutches.) The funny thing is, I wouldn't even call it the best musical I've seen. Though, I don't know what my favorite is, I've seen a lot of good ones, Lion King, Oliver!, Wicked, In The Heights, Phantom of the Opera, 42nd Street etc, but there is something about Les Mis, that keeps me from turning it down, from saying no, from thinking, "Eh, I've already seen it a bunch of times, I'll pass." Because I've seen it so many times by now.
But this last production was one of the best I've seen. I thought the singers did really well (even if they didn't sound like the original cast recording we grew up listening to); and they compensated for having a small stage my mixing in video for special effects (like when Jean Valjean is taking Marius through the sewers); and I totally embarrassed myself (good thing it's dark) because I couldn't hold back tears at some parts (I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Little Drop of Rain, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables).
Wait, did I just admit that I was crying during Les Mis? Uhhh, yep. I did.
I think it's the swelling melodies that illicit emotions out of people. Maybe I keep coming back because I can't wait to be overcome by emotion? I don't know, but whatever the case is, I will probably keep going back and I'll probably wake up the next day with a sore throat from all the tear control I was attempting the night before.
