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Les Miserables – Broadway in Portland at The Keller Auditorium Jun 19-24th
Last night, I got the chance to see Les Miserables on stage in the Keller Auditorium, and it was absolutely breathtaking. Although it came out as a movie a few years ago, and was fantastic, nothing can truly compare to seeing it live on stage. Les Miserables is set in 19th century France and shares a story that is an emotional roller coaster. With heartbreak, love, loss, and redemption- Les Mis truly has it all.
The show starts immediately with thundering drums and the booming baritone voices of the cast singing about life as a criminal. You are then quickly taken on Jean Valjean’s (Nick Cartell) journey from becoming a free man, to a despised man, to a new man.
Soon after being released, Jean Valjean breaks his parole and steals precious silver from an honest bishop who gave him food and shelter. When caught for his theft, the bishop tells the authorities he gave Valjean the silver- and that is when Valjean is so overcome with emotion he becomes a new honest, Christian man while singing Valjean’s Soliloquy.
When Fantine (Mary Kate Moore), a factory worker who Jean Valjean let his foreman send, away is lying in bed dying, he intends to right his wrong, and promises to take her child, Cosette (Jillian Butler), in and raise her as his own- relieving her from her harsh life of living with two cruel inkeepers.
Fast forward several years, Cosette is grown, and Jean Valjean has managed to run from Javert (Josh Davis), his parole officer up until now. Just as soon as Cosette locks eyes with Marius (Robert Ariza) and falls in love, Javert is hot on his trail again. Marius begs Eponine (Emily Bautista) to help him find Cosette. And even though Eponine is helplessly in love with him, she agrees.
Just after finding each other again, the two are separated as Cosette goes on the run with her father, and Marius chooses to fight in the uprising at the baricade.
As Eponine comes to tell Marius she delivered a letter to Cosette for him, she is shot as the barricade and dies in his arms while singing one of my favorites, A Little Fall Of Rain.
The first death of the revolution weighs heavy on all of the men and women at the barricade, so they all share a drink and a song, Drink With Me. As Jean Valjean helps take watch, he looks at a sleeping Marius and realizes how much he loves Cosette, and how good he would be for her. He prays, no, commands God to leave him alone and to let him come home in the powerfully emotional song, Bring Him Home. If you haven’t cried by now, this is where you will need the tissues!
But, his prayers were not fully answered and Marius is seriously wounded, and all other med and women have been killed. Jean Valjean drags and carries Maruis through the sewers to safety and to Cosette, only to be met with Javert. Jean Valjean had spared his life at the barricade, and Jevert spares Valjean’s in return.
After years and years of being tormented trying to catch Jean Valjean, Javert has finally broken and questions his whole life and moral ending in a heartbreaking suicide.
While Valjean still believes Javert is alive and will soon come after him, he leaves Cosette in Maruis’ care and plans to leave town as Marius and Cosette are married. But, Jean Valjean becomes too ill to travel, and passes away in the comfort of Cosette, Marius, and the spirit of Fantine after making his last confessions for Cosette.
The entire story of Les Miserables holds true to its name, “The Miserable.” You are exposed to the raw emotion of heartbreak, death, and loss- b ut in such a tragically beautiful way. It is a show I highly recommend seeing on stage.
At the Keller Auditorium in Portland, OR, there are still several shows you can see
from June 19th- June 24th:
Tuesday, June 19 7:30pm
Wednesday, June 20 7:30pm
Thursday, June 21
Friday, June 22
Saturday, June 23
Sunday, June 24
Tickets can be purchased at:
www.BroadwayInPortland.com
or at Portland’5 Box Office: 800-273-1530
