Last Sunday, I met daughter Anna in Minneapolis where we attended Les Mis\u00e9rables at the Orpheum Theater. This is about my tenth time seeing Les Mis\u00e9rables. It is somewhere between a guilty pleasure and an addiction.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always liked musicals, in person and on stage. Film is not at all the same experience. The energy and intensity of real live human beings throwing themselves into their part, I love that. For three hours, I can be in a world that\u2019s quite different from mine on the farm.<\/p>\n
Every musical has scenes where heightened emotions come through in song. Les Mis is a musical on steroids. The entire story is sung, and every moment is emotional. It\u2019s exhausting to sit through; I can\u2019t imagine performing it. The first act sets you up to want to cry through the whole second act.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure why I want to pay for an expensive ticket just to have my emotions tossed against the rocks like that. I\u2019ve seen it enough to know everything that\u2019s going to happen, and I\u2019m still a wreck by the end. I found this synopsis at broadway.com:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story begins as Jean Valjean crosses the landscape of early 19th century France, always pursued by the righteous police inspector Javert. From his adoption and love of the orphan Cosette to the darkly funny plots of the thieving Thenardiers, from the soaring revolutionary fire of the student rebels who fight on the barricade in the streets of Paris to the final confrontation between Jean Valjean and Javert, the story is one of love, courage and redemption.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, most of the people you care about are dead, each death more tragic than the one before. If you can hold yourself together when Eponine is dying in the arms of Marius with raindrops streaming down her face, you are tougher than me.<\/p>\n
Our whole family has seen Les Mis multiple times. When the kids were home, we sang along to the music on a CD. The kitchen was our stage. Once, we lived out the famous barricade scene. We decided Pam\u2019s rule had become oppressive and we needed to rise up. We built our barricade using the couch and pillows. When Pam came home, we were ready. With waving banners, we sang:<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you hear the people sing? Our revolution was about as successful as that of the 1832 Parisians. Pam remained in power. She remains there today.<\/p>\n Long ago, I tried reading Victor Hugo\u2019s epic historical novel. Written in 1862, Les Mis\u00e9rables is considered one of the greatest novels of all time. This was back when I read more than farm magazines and box scores.<\/p>\n With its broad sweep of lives caught up in a crucial moment in history, it is an unlikely candidate to be made into a musical. The musical was originally written in French in 1980. The English version became the longest running theater production in London and New York.<\/p>\n I assume most of you don\u2019t share my obsession and willingness to pay $100 for a ticket. There was a movie version in 2012 with some big stars. I thought it was not very good. But if you\u2019re bored on a winter night, you could check it out. Just know it\u2019s better on stage.<\/p>\n If you are like me and enjoy musicals, it\u2019s a good time to live around here. In Sleepy Eye, St. Mary\u2019s High School has a thirty-year history of wonderful musicals under the direction of Julie Neubauer and now Geri Pelzel. I still remember Geri as Tinkerbell floating above the stage.<\/p>\n Being in those musicals were favorite experiences of my kids. The week leading up to productions was life consuming. For that week, they were more their character than our children, but we always got them back.<\/p>\n Sleepy Eye Public has also built a tradition of musicals under Sandy Brinkman and George Hirschboeck. George is a family friend who has more enthusiasm than anyone else on Earth. Sandy and George have also been involved in Sleepy Eye Community Theater musicals that have been great fun.<\/p>\n You can go out from here and find entertaining musicals in Springfield, the schools in New Ulm, and Martin Luther College. Add to that, productions at the State Street Theater in New Ulm. So many places to escape to Camelot, West Side, or the South Pacific.<\/p>\n One will always fall short when you list names to appreciate. These are some I know because of where I am planted. But wherever people participate in creating art on stage and lifting kids and adults to bring out talents inside of them, those people deserve large credit. It is truly a gift.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t sing or dance, although I keep trying. I\u2019ve often wished life were more like a musical. Why can\u2019t people break out into song more often? Outside of church, most of us hardly ever sing. Think how better our day-to-day lives would be if we lived in a musical.<\/p>\n I can picture going to get parts at Miller-Sellner Implement. There\u2019s usually three or four parts people at the counter. Why can\u2019t Jeff step forward to sing, while Dan and Kristie and Tony break into dance behind him? Think of Oklahoma.<\/p>\n \u201cMI-LLER SE-LLNER, where the parts come sweeping down the aisle! <\/em><\/p>\n With the oil down low and the filters high, while the chisel points are in a bin by the door! <\/em><\/p>\n MI-LLER SE-LLNER, we have the parts to work the land, and the land we belong to is grand!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n And when I come in from the fields, why can\u2019t Pam greet me like Maria in West Side Story to tell me what\u2019s for supper?<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s a meal for us, We’ll find a new way of eating I\u2019m not sure what my end time will be like. The final scene from Les Mis\u00e9rables, would be hard to beat. When Fantine comes to lead Jean Valjean to Heavens, she sings:<\/p>\n \u201cTake my hand, Excuse me while I get a Kleenex.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last Sunday, I met daughter Anna in Minneapolis where we attended Les Mis\u00e9rables at the Orpheum Theater. This is about my tenth time seeing Les Mis\u00e9rables. 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\nSinging the song of angry men?
\nIt is the music of the people
\nWho will not be slaves again!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSomewhere a meal for us.
\nPeas and meatloaf and a salad
\nWait for us
\nSomewhere.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nWe’ll find a way of dining
\nSomehow
\nSomeday
\nSomewhere!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\nI’ll lead you to salvation.
\nTake my love,
\nFor love is everlasting.
\nAnd remember
\nThe truth that once was spoken,
\nTo love another person
\nIs to see the face of God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n