Derek and Melissa’s Family

Les Misérables

by Derek—2006.01.21 @ 1300

My rating: 4 out of 5

Melissa and I enjoyed a date-night on Friday and watched Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables at the National Theatre. We took the Metro, which is always challenging for me, but when we emerged at Federal Triangle, it was magic. The buildings were georgous and you had the distinct impression you were walking in ancient Rome (which is what the Founding Fathers wanted, I believe).

I think the National Theatre has been around since the Founding Fathers, or at least close to it. The lobby, seats, and décor (including dust) are in a state of neglect, although locals consider that “preservation.” I was a little disappointed in how dirty, dusty, and worn the whole place was.

Despite the warping teal-green paint and thick dust everywhere, we managed to focus on the stage where the familiar red, white, and blue flag and wood-engraved picture of Young Cosette welcomed us. Our seats were in the Balcony, center section, where we had a commanding view of the stage.

As sacreligious as this sounds, it was the first time Melissa and I had ever seen the full production, although we were both very familiar with the music and staging. The cast was fantastic (with minor exceptions) and we both got caught up in the emotional drama of it all. The staging, although not as dramatic as I expected, was very well done. They used a rotating circular stage with elements rolling in from the wings. Javert’s death at the end was different than I had expected. Instead of falling through a trap door with smoke, they dropped a bridge from the fly system and he just stayed on the stage while the bridge went up, producing the illusion of falling. It worked well.

Ah, the beauty and wonder of live theatre. It really made me think that this was the arts genre I need to work in; it’s the one arena I feel the most “electric.”

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