The music of Les Miserables holds my heart. When my son was very little – about 3 years old – I got a copy of the film version and we watched (most) of it religiously. We used to walk down the grocery aisles quietly singing “Look Down”. He was always Jean Valjean and I was always Javert. So when Broadway in Portland asked me to see the touring show of Les Miserables at Keller Auditorium I immediately thought of those times when my little boy would belt out the music with me in the car. When I told him we got to got see it he was as excited as I was.
This is his excited face:
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Featuring one of the greatest scores of all time, with thrilling and beloved songs including “I Dreamed A Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Do You Hear the People Sing” and many more, this epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. Along with the Oscar-winning movie version, it has now been seen by more than 130 million people in 44 countries and in 22 languages around the globe. LES MISÉRABLES is still the world’s most popular musical, breaking box office records everywhere in its 32nd year.
I am lucky that many of the questionable lyrics (Lovely Ladies for example) go right over my now-eight-year-old’s head so he doesn’t notice that they were quite adult. He just sees the magic of the music he knows and loves playing out on stage, right in front of him.
The cast was superb, especially Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean. His rendition of “Bring Him Home” was especially moving. So much that the full house was filled with heavy emotion that the scene commands. Another stand-out was the duo of Anthony Crane and Allison Guinn as the Innkeepers. The comedic timing is outstanding.
Get tickets for the show (running through Sunday June 24th) At Broadway in Portland and be sure to check out what’s coming to Portland next!
*Thank you to Broadway in Portland for hosting me.
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