On April 4th the Bald Eagle Area High School Drama students went to New York City to see LES MISERABLES. I was lucky enough to go along.
It was a very full day, starting at the high school at 8:00 A.M. and ending back at the high school at 4:00 A.M. The bus was full (55 students and adults) and after some welcoming words from Drama Coach Eric Brinser, everyone sat back to watch the movie Frozen.
After one stop for a lunch break, we reached New York City with time to spare so the bus driver drove around the city while Mr. Brinser played tour guide. This was the first wow moment for me; the bus driver wove that big bus through the snarls of traffic as if it were a go-cart. It has been a few years since I have driven in NYC and I was very impressed.
The real action started with an improvisational workshop for the students. Jane, the instructor, was very good at getting the students to feel at ease. It must have been a little intimidating for the younger attendees to be in New York City, on Broadway, in a professional rehearsal hall and with a stranger asking them to improvise bits of business. They were terrific. It did not take them long to get into the swing of the exercises and for them to show what a creative group they are. I wish that I had learned Jane’s last name. She was good.
The session ended with the appearance of Cathryn Basile, a member of the LES MISERABLES cast. Ms Basile is a swing in the show and not always sure that she will be going on until the last moment. After a brief sharing of her life in the theatre, she opened the floor for questions. Shortly before we left the rehearsal room,she came bursting back into the room with the news that indeed she would be in that evening’s show. This gave all of us someone that we knew to watch for.
After dinner, we finally made it to the Imperial Theatre to see the new production of LES MISERABLES. This is one of my favorite shows and having seen it several times, I was eager to see the new version. Naturally the story sticks to Victor Hugo’s original novel and the score was the same beautiful music and lyrics that we all know. The impressive sets seemed to be richer than I had seen in the past and some of the changes in directing were beyond brilliant. I especially loved Javert’s suicide scene. If you go to see the show, watch for it.
Most of the cast was new to me; quite a few were making their Broadway debut, but I expect to hear more of them. Ramin Karimloo ranks with the best Jean Valjeans that I have heard. It is worth the trip to New York and the price of a ticket to hear his “ Bring Him Home”. I also want to see more of Will Swenson who played Javert. His credits are extensive so I should be able to check out his other roles. As usual Petit Gervais, played by Gaten Matarazzo, was a big favorite of the audience.
By four o’clock in the morning, I was beat. Would I do it again with these kids? You bet! I have to admit that they really were the most impressive part of the trip. Now I have proof that there are many, many fabulous teenagers out there. The world will be in good hands.
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