It happens...you know it happens. You start with one video, which leads to another and another and before you know it, you've been sucked into the Youtube vortex. You've spent an entire evening skipping around watching who knows what!
It didn't start out here, but every so often, I need to get my Les Miserables fix. I know, I know ...really??Les Miserables?? Yes, really. Les Miserables.
These boys were a surprise...it gets really good towards the end.
And really...you just can't go wrong with this. The finale gets me every.single.time.
P.S...I think I would die of excitement and happiness if I ever had the opportunity to be in the "back-up" chorus at a concert like this. Holy crap...that would be the most amazing thing ever!
Thanks to very kind and generous friends and family, I got to see this performed live...twice! He is so amazing. I have seen both him and John Owen-Jones sing this amazing song live.
It was definitely a difficult week but it ended on a high note. I got to go to the UCTE (Utah Council for Teachers of English) Conference in Salt Lake on Friday. We had some pretty incredible guest speakers, as well as break out sessions. I heard from Francisco Stork, Shannon Hale, Teri Lesesne, and Taylor Mali. I left the conference with quite the long list of books I need to pick up, new strategies for teaching my students, and generally re-energized to go back to the classroom next week. The day ended by Taylor Mali performing some of his poetry. I had never heard of him before but I am now a huge fan. Some of his stuff is a bit bawdy but there are a couple that I absolutely LOVE!
After battling a horrible cold/flu/chest thingy all week, I admitted defeat. I went to school long enough to get my afternoon classes covered then came home. I'll be the first one to admit that I'll call in sick when I can. Yet, there is something about being a teacher that makes you NOT want to call in sick unless absolutely necessary. I woke up Friday morning feeling like I had been hit by a train but still went to school. It was in between coughing fits that I realized; I need to go home. I spent most of the weekend in bed or on the couch. I even missed going to Boise with Lisa to see Les Miserables. Now you know just how horrible I was feeling! AND, I don't think my fellow theater goers would have appreciated all the coughing and phlegm...just sayin'. However, I am feeling much better and sound semi-normal. Which means...I'll definitely be heading to school tomorrow!
My first month of teaching in my own classroom has definitely been an adventure! I come home most nights with a whole host of funny/frustrating/weird stories about my students. I keep saying that I'm going to write them all down. Perhaps I will, eventually...when I'm caught up on my grading and planning and all the other things I need to so. So that means probably not ever. It's too bad...they're really funny.
And because I didn't get to see Les Miserables this weekend...
Ah man...that note at 1:31...chills my friends, chills.
I LOVE the musical Les Miserables. I mean I really love it. I've seen it done regionally twice, the touring company four times (three in SLC, once in LA), once on the West End in London, the high school production once and the 25th Anniversary O2 concert in the theater. I saw it again tonight (or last night, rather) with my sister and my mom. To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the shows opening, they redid the staging, costumes and sets just to update the overall show. It was so wonderful. Have I mentioned that I like this show?
It all started when I was about ten or so. My sister and her friends were obsessed with Phantom of the Opera. I'll let you in on a little secret here...I adored my older sister growing up, even if she was a little scary at times. I wanted to do everything she did. She collected cat figurines, so I collected bunnies. She would wear her hair a certain way and I would try to copy it. She liked Jewel so I liked Jewel. It's a lot of why I started dancing and pretended that I could write fiction. It was lucky, however, that I ended up loving to dance... we don't talk about my attempts at fiction. Anyway...I wanted to be like her but I knew that if I said I liked Phantom she would get angry. But we had a tape cassette of highlights from Les Miserables and I had a Walkman. I remember sitting at our tank of a computer playing solitaire or Oregon Trail and listening to that tape over and over and over again. I didn't quite understand the story of what was going on but I fell in love with the music. When I got older I understood the story more and it is such a powerful story of redemption and love. I could tie all sorts of gospel analogies here but I'll refrain.
I saw it for the first time when I was around 12. It was magical to me. I cried when Eponine died. I cried when Valjean prayed for Marius at the barricades. I was hooked. I've almost lost count the number of times I've seen it and people look at me askance when the hear how many times I've seen it, but I don't really care that much.
Last week Lisa asked me why I like it so much. I've never really thought about why I love it so much before so I couldn't really give her a good answer. She attributed it to the fact that I've been listening to it for over a decade...almost two decades. I'm sure that plays a part but I don't think that's the only reason I love it. I love it because I can listen to the recording and still get chills. It still makes me cry. I love the story of a man that spends his entire life trying to make up for single mistake of his past. I love the love story and the sacrifices made. It's just good music. I love it because of this...
How often have we all heard that line...? I know it's not "cool" to like country but I do. I like it because there's a lot of soul and faith in country music.
No offense Mr. Darcy or anything but I think that Mr. Knightley totally kicks your butt. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the book and we can't forget the iconic A&E movie adaptation but it's been bumped.
The 2009 Masterpiece Theater version of Emma with Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley and Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse. Romola Garai is Emma and does a much better job than Gwenyth Paltrow (no offense, again). Emma is one of my least favorite of Austen's novels but this movie made me want to watch it again. It captures all the wit and humor of the book and the secondary characters are charming and obnoxious as the occasion calls for it.
I think Masterpiece Theater should redo Pride and Prejudice...don't you?
