Les Miserables

For Valentine's, our church put on a super fun Broadway Night for all the adults in the ward. There were 5 tables, each depicting a different Broadway show. There were table leaders who were in charge of decorating their table to fit the theme of their show. The table leaders were also in charge of putting on a performance from that play for everyone else. Trek & I were asked to be in charge of the Les Miserables table. (Trek's very favorite musical!) Trek was like a little boy on Christmas morning. He couldn't wait to get the performance all put together. I did the table (thank heavens. . . Trek isn't much of a decorator. . . ha ha ha) Les Miserables is a very triumphant & sad play about the poor people of France who are treated unfairly by the French Government. They plot an uprising, & most of them die. . . but as Trek puts it "They are willing to stand up for what they believe in & try to make their lives worth living!"

So for the table, I used the theme of "RED" & "BLACK" (a title of one of the songs in Les Miserables). I put loaves of bread in the center of the table (representing the loaf of bread that Jean Valjean stole that cost him 19 years in prison), candlesticks (representing the candlesticks the priest gave him to start a new life), & guns & hats (to represent the students & poor who tried to stand up for a better life). It turned out really nice, I thought.

Trek as Jean Valjean & me as Eponine

Well, for the performance, they told us we could do anything. Most people planned a cute 2 to 3 minute song from each of the plays. I LOVED that idea, but no! Trek wanted everyone to really truly experience Les Miserables. So, he took a 3 1/2 hour play & condensed it to 20 minutes. He took 11 of the songs & cut them so there were 30 seconds here & a minute there, & then added a dialog to explain the storyline. (Like a said, a kid at Christmas) So we put on a full 20 minute musical play! We had the funnest people at our table. They were all willing to dress up & participate in it & we ended up having an absolute BLAST! We were laughing at ourselves most of the time, but it was so much fun! The audience had a lot of fun with it as well. I think it was one of the funnest nights we've had in a VERY LONG TIME!!!!

Ezechial as Marius, Marlies as Cosette, me as Eponine, Trek as Jean Valjean, Joanna as Fantine, Julie as the "lovely" Mme. Thenardier, & Tony (in back) as the infamous Inspector Javert, Paul (not pictured) was our Gavroche

"And so Javert you see it's true, this man bears no more guilt than you. Who am I? 24601!"

"And none will ever harm Cosette as long as I am living."

"This woman leaves a suffering child, & only I can intercede. . . 3 days are all I need!"

Cadence played young Cosette for us. . . "There is a castle on a cloud. I like to go there in my sleep. There are no floors for me to sweep. Not on my castle on a cloud!"

"He was never mine to lose. . . "

"Read it well, at last when I am sleeping. It's a story of those who always loved you. Your mother gave her life for you & gave you to my keeping."

"Take my hand, & lead me to salvation. Take my love, for love is everlasting. And remember the truth that once was spoken to love another person is to see the face of God!"

"Do you hear the people sing lost in the valley of the night? It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light. For the wretched of the earth there is a flame that never dies. Even the darkest night will end & the sun will rise!"

Thanks to everyone who put this night together. Like I mentioned before. We had an absolute blast both watching everyone else's performances & also performing ourselves.