singedsun

This morning I bought tickets for one of the two theaters in town showing the Staged Concert version of Les Miserables. If you're not aware, the normal show on the West End was suspended for reconstruction to the theater building. In that downtime, a staged concert version of the show moved across the street. They brought back several long-time on-and-off Les Mis performers like Michael Ball, Alfie Bo & Carrie Hope Fletcher for the concert. The theater version that I went to see this morning was the recording from the very last night of the concert.

I grew up listening to Les Miserables, first on CDs borrowed from the local Library and the later when I bought a double CD set for myself. I wasn't allowed "popular" or "secular" music at home after I was about 7 or 8 (though I definitely snuck it quite often). But allowances were made for musicals, as long as they didn't sound too much like rock music. Because of this, I listed to a lot of Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Ragtime, since they were what I could get from the library.

I've in the time since been able to see a variety of the travelling versions of the shows I've loved so long (except for Ragtime, they don't travel that one much since it didn't last very long). But I've never felt so up close and personal like to some of these shows. Despite not being there in person, the way the staged concert is presented just feels like you're up in the front row.

The show was amazing to watch, and if you're like me and have no way to get to the West End and watch some of these amazing performers, check out website to see if the staged concert is coming to a movie theater screen near you. But if you love the show as much as I do, make sure to take some kleenex or something. I cried like a dumb baby near the end.

After the show, because it was their very last one of that concert, they brought up the actor who will be taking over the role of Javert from Michael Ball. Michael handed him a Javert coat of his own in their coats, they sang a duet of "Stars" that was just lovely. And then four other actors who have played Val Jean joined Alfie Bo on stage for this really amazing version of "Bring Him Home".

At the very end there were a few nice words from the original director and the original composer and it was just a really lovely moment to feel a part of. I loved seeing how people have aged into different roles, like Carrie who was once Eponine playing Fantine was just a lovely change, or like Enjolras moving into Javert, knowing that even Michael Ball was the original Marius. It's really cool.

The theater I went to was pretty empty (but that could've been the early Sunday morning time). I hope that other people are getting out to see it. But I also hope they put this out on a DVD given that it's such a special company.