“to love another person is to see the face of God.” – jean valjean, les miserables (victor hugo)

i think this post is way past due, but better late than never, right?
i also don’t know if the following words can do the justice they need to.
but here’s the thing people.
see this?

i am obsessed with it.
well not the picture.
but the music, the story, everything.
yes this is coming out because we just went and saw the movie.
this will not be a movie review.
but i will say this.
it was a great movie. i would highly recommend it. it does get graphic, and i’ll be honest, my mother probably wouldn’t like parts of it. but she always told us to fast forward through those songs when we watched the version we owned where people stand and sing on stage. i didn’t think it was over the top. i think that it gave me a greater understanding for the real hell that these people lived through. (please excuse my language)
that said, it didn’t take the place of my beloved 10th anniversary edition, even though my beloved colm wilkinson (i want him to be my grandfather) made an appearance.
here’s the thing. anyone that knows me (or has lived with me) knows about this obsession i have.
once upon a time, my sister emily brought this vhs home.
{children, a VHS is a big tape that you put in a VCR and watch movies. it was how life was before DVDs}
it was a video of the 10th anniversary performance of Les Miserables, as performed live by the “dream cast” in London at the Royal Albert Hall.
the video was literally of the singers.
there was no acting done by these singers.
there was a rotating stage that you catch a glimpse of a total of 5 or 6 times during the entire performance.
the rest of the time, you are watching the faces of the singers.
sound boring?
not. even. close.
i watched it every single day that summer, and probably every summer.
literally.
every.
single.
day.
i didn’t just turn it on and do other productive things while i listened to it.
nope.
i sat there, on the couch, with my eyes glued to the screen.
it probably drove my mother crazy, but it kept me from going crazy, i guess.
i had this great, great friend during that time.
her name is natasha butler.
she lived two doors down and we were pretty inseparable in the summer.
she thought i was crazy and didn’t understand this strange obsession i had with a very boring singing performance.
yesterday, i got this text from her:
”i just got back from seeing les mis and i wanted to let you know that i finally get it. i finally understand now why you were so obsessed with it. you had good taste for a pre-teen, and i only wish i had paid more attention when you had it on every single day i was at your house! ;)”
see? every day. no joke.
because of my constant exposure, i picked up on a lot of things. for example:
i can tell you when the singers mess up.
i can tell you the names of the main singers.
i can tell you when the splicing is wrong.
i can tell you when the singers jump.
i can tell you that colm wilkinson’s (valjean) left thumbnail is abnormally long.
i can tell you when our VHS would get fuzzy because it was so old.
i can tell you when the camera gets shaky.
i can tell you how many different shots we see of the choir in the back. (2)
i can tell you that lea salonga who was eponine is also the voice for mulan and jasmine.
i can tell you that judy kuhn who was cosette is also the voice for pocahantas and makes an appearance in enchanted.
i can tell you that the bishop’s long hair is a wig, but that’s totes obvi.
i can tell you that my favorite valjean (from when the valjeans from around the world sing together) is the one from ireland.
i can tell you where most of the valjeans are from.
…
yeah. i watched it a lot.
at first, i thought the orchestra director did all the singing because he mouthed all the words. i figured the microphones were just for show. (yeah i was kinda dumb. whatever)
i swore unknowingly for the first time while watching it.
well, i technically didn’t swear. i was referring to a female dog that could bite, but i realized that that word was very bad after my brothers gasped in horror.
i thought michael maguire (enjolras) and the orchestra director were brothers (still not convinced they aren’t).
i thought a lot of other absolutely ridiculous things, but those were mostly because bret had weird ideas and passed them off to me. he’s a silly boy.
but here’s the thing. i loved that vhs.
when it broke, so did my heart. (way corny, but so true)
my loving mother found it on dvd and ordered it for me.
oh how i love that woman.
i’m actually listening to it right now.
this dvd has quite literally gotten me through some hard times.
i just pop it in and sing my problems away.
no joke.
and i can’t listen to just any version of it.
i can’t stand any other cast than my beloved dream cast.
colm wilkinson, philip quast, michael ball, lea salonga…
they are just the best.
i would give…a lot to go back in time and be there at this performance.
i’ve gotten past roommates obsessed, and they were sad to see me go because we loved taking naps while listening to this phenomenal music.

i’m probably not the biggest les miserables fan there is.
but i consider myself an obsessed person.
but you know? i’m ok with it.
the story is also amazing.
i haven’t actually read the story, but it’s definitely on my bucket list.
i just love jean valjean’s character and all the change he goes through.
he does so much for others, and as soon as that little girl entered his life, it wasn’t just about him anymore.
it also helps that i compare valjean to my dad.
not that my dad was ever in jail, nor is he being chased by a cop.
but he’s a good man, and is constantly thinking of others.
also he has white hair.

so there you have it.
i don’t think i gave a good enough explanation for my deep love and appreciation for this story/music.
but here’s the thing.
i don’t think there really is a good explanation.
it’s just a fact of life.
peeps are disgusting. nicki manaj looks like colorful cotton candy. les miserables is the most perfect musical there is. no doubt about it.
if i ever wore a hat, i would take it off to cameron makinstosh for creating the most amazing musical i have ever experienced using the most perfect cast and an orchestra that was just as phenomenal.
also for changing my life. nbd :)