Les Miserables - Dallas Summer Musicals

For all of you folks out there that think we Texans don't actually like things like musicals, well you're terribly wrong.  My mother, poor thing, attempted to make me a well rounded child.  She succeeded, but I'm fairly certain the process was not as enjoyable for her as it was for me.  There were several instances at the Houston Symphony where I elbowed her awake (rarely for snoring, but because she was missing Beethoven and Handel.  She's also responsible for my love of ballet.  I was enrolled in ballet classes when I was six or seven, but didn't really enjoy it.  I am not keen on small children in large numbers, and was not when I was a small child.  That same year, she started my collection of Christmas nutcrackers, the first having two tickets to The Nutcracker tucked in the box.  One could say that I probably, most definitely nerded out.  She lives vicariously through me, because she claims she can't sit through anything that long anymore.  Psssh.

This was my first time seeing Les Mis, and I have to say I absolutely enjoyed it.  A previous boyfriend was (and still is) quite fond of the show, and purchased the version with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, which was nice, as musicals turned movies go.  It certainly didn't catch my heart then, but this time was certainly different.  Pretty certain I was not the only person sniffling when Fantaine sang I Dreamed a Dream.  There was sniffling on and off on my part.  It's hard to get into the recording of a musical when you've never seen the whole story play out on stage.  It is just so different than seeing it on a screen.  And I have to say that Allison Blackwell, who played Fantine last night was quite lovely and her rendition was touching and I think I must have really heard the song for the first time.  She made it resonate.

Nehal Joshi played Jean Valjean, and again, I was really touched by how spirited his performance was.  Joshi was animated, passionate and I truly felt for him as he struggled with accepting his second chance at living a worthwhile life.  Elizabeth Judd was a very sweet and precious Eponine.  It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the elements of the story--being happy for Cosette and Marius, but the Eponine element broke my heart.  Judd gave a perfectly sassy and heartfelt performance.

Costumes were on point, a mix of modern military gear for the prison guards and lovely frippery for the more colorful characters. In short, I loved everything and am already dying to see it again!