When I was little I would’ve loved to have played young Eponine or Cosette in Les Miserables. Songs completely memorized, I would have sung “Castle in the Clouds” and scrubbed those stage floors with all my heart. In junior high I did fancy myself as Eponine; along with multitudes of other young adolescent females hoping to make a high school choir, I sang “On My Own” for auditions. Good news: I made a choir. Bad news: I successfully turned my family away from that tune for the duration of eternity.
And now I’m all alone again; nowhere to turn, no one to go to…
I played that song over and over. I sang that song over and over. Yikes. Anyhow, Les Mis will always be dear to me. My favorite song is the finale to the first half, “One Day More.” It never fails to lift my spirits and make me sing.
**What’s your favorite Les Mis moment?
11 Comments
charity May 14, 2004 9:17 AM
there are too many to recount. but i love the part in that one song where jean valjean holds a really high note forever… real specific, i know. but i can’t remember exactly where it occurs. i love it all!!
in other great news… i heard that both RENT and Chicago are a part of this year’s lied center schedule! wahoo!
Liz May 14, 2004 11:21 AM
I love the song “Bring Him Home”, as well as Javert’s suicide. It’s really cool on stage to see how that works. I really like the whole musical, though. Probably one of the best works on stage that I’ve ever seen. I had the amazing opportunity to see it in London while I was there for the semester last spring. It took my breath away.
kerri May 14, 2004 4:32 PM
Okay, this may not count as what you were asking for, but my favorite Les Miz moment was when Marc and I were sitting in the theatre in NYC, about 1/3 of the way thru the first act, when I turned to him and said, “You mean there’s no talking in this? Ever?!”
Bethany was incredulous that I was not aware that everything was singing…perhaps it was the fact that we went to a matinee and there were a ton of school kids there for field trips (not the best viewing environment), but I never quite “got” Les Mis. Perhaps I need to see it again. I do enjoy pestering Bethany from time to time by making up my own “lyrics that didn’t make it into the score”,and singing them in my best Les Miz imitation, such as: “Fantine, I must go to the bathroom now!” “Jean Valjean, can’t you take out the trash without being asked?!”
rebecca May 14, 2004 5:24 PM
kerri, jeremy did the exact same thing during “jekyl and hyde” at the rococo theatre a while back! i thought he knew it was a musical (i swear i didn’t try to trick him; he doesn’t think much of musicals). we, too, saw a less-than-stellar showing of “les mis” once… st. louis at the fabulous fox theatre — left at intermission. very sad.
ct, i think “bring him home” is the song you’re thinking of. i agree with liz that it’s one of the best parts of the show — soooo good!
Renae May 14, 2004 6:13 PM
Not fair to have to pick just one, but if I must:
“But my friend, you left so early
Surely something slipped your mind.
You forgot I gave these also
Would you leave the best behind?
So, Messieurs, you may release him
For this man has spoken true.
I commend you for your duty
And God’s blessing go with you.” –the Bishop
charity May 14, 2004 6:25 PM
kerri, *LOL*!
renae – love that scene as well and thanks to your transcription i just sang the scene to joie. :)
lindsay May 17, 2004 2:53 PM
kerri, your “fantine, i must go to the bathroom now!” caused me to laugh aloud in calculus class…i suppose i should be working on antiderivatives instead.
i saw les mis in london, also, liz, but i actually thought that the lincoln tour was better. not sure why.
also: my favorite minor character is enjolras. his solos may be short, but they are always powerful.
Bethany May 17, 2004 2:55 PM
“One Day More” is by far my favorite Les Mis song.
rt May 17, 2004 3:47 PM
ah, you’re a kindred spirit, b!
Bethany May 17, 2004 4:49 PM
But of course! I’m sure you knew that ever since the obnoxious Jr High days, though, right? ;-)
rebecca May 17, 2004 5:30 PM
of course! you were by far the most faithful 8th grader i’ve ever met… THIS is why i love being a part of the same church for 13 years — lasting relationships, being able to see babies grow into teenagers and awkward teenagers into confident college students — beautiful!