A Few Words About Les Miserables
-First off, I can't believe you guys couldn't figure out from my hints that I was talking about Les Miserables. I mean, I thought I was being pretty obvious but... hm, guess not. Maybe you guys just aren't big theater fans?-Recent, regular commenter The [Cherry] Ride said this on the previous post, and it brings up an excellent point: "Is that shit still on Broadway?" What I'm taking that to mean (for the purpose of this conversation) is, "Why go see Les Miserables on Broadway in this day and age? It's been out for a million years and there's a ton of other shows out there, many of which include nudity." Fair points all, but here's my reason for wanting to see it: Girlfriend. As it turns out, Girlfriend was, in high school, obsessed with Les Miz. Like, she would reenact the entire show with friends during sleepovers; that kind of obsessed. And yet, she'd never gotten to actually see Les Miz performed live. Bad timing, too expensive, etc... it just never happened. So when a client at my job offered me free tickets to any show on Broadway, I figured... hey... guess what three-hour show about the French Revolution just happens to be playing in the town where we live. Needless to say, she was thrilled. I'm hoping scoring these tickets will in some way make up for all crap that I put her through on a daily basis.
-The guy who played Jean Valjean looked like a cross between Sawyer from Lost and an unwashed junkie and he had a voice like a Broadway-version of Robert Plant. Needless to say, he was just crazy hot. Like, I don't find myself actively man-crushing on the male leads of musicals very often but... and I mean this in a totally straight way... I would so hit that.
-Is it just the catchy tunes and showy sets that make the French Revolution so interesting, or is it actually interesting? If the latter, does anyone know any good books about the French Revolution that aren't a bajillion pages like the Victor Hugo "Les Miserables?" Because I'd really like to know more about the subject, but I don't want to lug around a book that's going to take me an entire sports season to read.
-I'd forgotten, what with Les Miz's long-standing reputation as a "tourist" show, that... surprise, surprise... it's actually really good. Great, even. Let's just say some tears were shed, and not just by my over-the-moon Girlfriend.
And finally...
Ways To Update Les Miserables For The Coming Generations
Les Miz in Space - Space barricades, the alien revolution, dramatically hoisted laser guns... hell, there's already a song in the show called, "Stars." Seems like a natural fit.
An All-Male Les Miz - Because nothing adds thick layers of meaning to a show like a rejiggering of it's sexual subtexts.
Les Miz, Starring ME!!! - I could play any part in the show better than just about anyone, and I include Cosette in that statement. My Fantine would have you all crying your eyes out.
posted by Clinton at 8:42 AM
14 Comments:
Les Miz is the one "big" musical I've never seen. And it was just here at our local outdoor opera house amphitheater thing, as the closing show of the season. Our local amphitheater thing which happens to have FREE SEATS at the back. But I didn't get to go, because it's been like, literally over 100 degrees here every day for a week now. And also, my husband was like, "Why would you wanna go see that junk?" Yeah.
But I'm glad you liked it! *is bitter, but not at you*
Les Miz is a great show, but Miss Saigon takes the lead as favorite.
Of course...Clinton...hearing you sing Castle On A Cloud (is that the name? Bah. Can't remember) would be hot.
You should have said it has smelly European people in it, then we would have known right away.
Why the big red flag are they communists or is that the rag they used to clean up the guillotine?
I think the character of Eponine could easily be a male part. C'mon, Marius's gay friend who crushes on him while helping him find heterosexual love.
Or, Les Miz...in leather.
How about an all female cast staring Lindsay Lohan and her wacky sidekick. It can be called Lez Mesmerables.
No no. I'm a fan of Les Miz...in leather. Way to go, Girlfriend!
OOH! Or.
Les Miz...as presented by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in drag.
Too much? Yeah? Oh. Sorry.
I would totally pay $115 to see an all-Clint version of Les Miz! Where can I find those tickets?
Did you hear the people sing? Were they singing the song of angry men? Was it the music of a people who will not be slaves again? Did you join in their crusade?
I dreamed a dream in time gone by, when hope was high and life worth living, I dreamed that Clinton would star in Les Mis!
p.s. Drew Sarich (the guy you saw playing Valjean) is sooooo hot! When I saw it last year, he was playing Grantaire, the student who is drunk all the time, and I totes fell in love.
p.p.s. what most people don't realize about Les Mis is that it's not about the French Revolution. It's about a student uprising about 40-50 years after the French Rev.
p.p.p.s. I'm done being a theater geek now. I hope you will still be friends with me.
Giggleloop... I highly recommend checking it out if it's through that way again. Good stuff.
Moxie... Just ask my neighbors. I sing it, loudly, in the shower every morning.
David... I think they chose red because they thought it was "the prettiest."
Girlfriend... Definitely would make it more of a draw in the West Village.
Ross... I'm working out a deal with Ticketmaster.
Kabak... Yes, yes, yes, and no, I was feeling lazy.
Brooklyn... Dare to dream, Bk. Also, I didn't know that it wasn't about the French Revolution; very interesting. Also also, theater geeks are very welcome here.
Benjamin--- i had that same bit all planned out and you had to go and steal it!
Nice work!
ok, I'm totally confused, because I still think you went to see "Cats," so none of this is making sense.
i wish i could say that i read this post or this comments thread, but i can't because i didn't. instead, i've been singing the soundtrack from beginning to end much to the chagrin of those within earshot.
day dreaming of my castle on a cloud. i so would've been a perfect child cosette. but i was busy dreaming about trying out for kids incorporated.
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