Les Miserables

It’s no exaggeration to say that the music for the Broadway musical Les Miserables was the soundtrack to my high school years. I cannot remember how it started. But somehow my friend Debbie and I acquired the soundtrack …on cassette tapes. We listened to it constantly. Everywhere we went, that music played. We memorized every word. We sang along …loudly. When I saw the production for the first time at TPAC right after graduation, my life-long love for musical theater was cemented. Debbie and I spent money we didn’t have to purchase season tickets. We didn’t even consider the cheap seats. We saw so many great shows during our college years. Grand Hotel, Annie Get Your Gun, Guys and Dolls, Phantom of the Opera.

At some point, I quit going. It wasn’t a purposeful decision. I got married, had kids. Discretionary income and babysitters were hard to come by. I sold a car and accidentally left 2 of my Les Miz CD’s (I had replaced the cassettes) in it. I mourned the loss but never bothered to replace them.

Life went on without Les Miz until one afternoon when I picked the kids up from school. They had seen the 25th anniversary concert in choir class and they were hooked. I ordered a new set of CD’s and rediscovered my old flame. Oddly enough, the new production was returning to TPAC. I bought us tickets and began anticipating.

When the day arrived, I got lost in Downtown, as usual. It’s like a tradition really. We finally made it to the theatre and found our seats. The lights dimmed and the show began. The production was different but the experience was the same. What I love about Broadway is the consuming experience. When I sit in the audience, I am completely focused. I am not worried about anything. I am not even thinking about anything. That’s a pretty rare experience for me.

And while the ticket prices at TPAC are not friendly enough to allow me to take the whole family often, seeing the look on Anna, Kaylee and Savannah’s faces as they watched was worth every penny.