Remembering Les Misérables

I don't quite know why, but for the past few days I've had a ridiculous to listen to musical soundtracks - particularly Les Misérables. I own the Original Broadway Cast recording, and I downloaded the 10th Anniversary Gala and the Complete Symnphonic recordings as well. I was thinking about when I actually saw the show live and it came as a shock to realize that it was in 1991 - 15 years ago! I saw it back when it played at the Royal Alex with Michael Burgess as Jean Valjean.

I know it came back about 5 years ago to the Princess of Wales with Colm Wilkinson in that role but I never got a chance to see it. It's hard for me to believe that I saw that production so long ago. I still remember so many fine details: my mom's friend got us the tickets for free because she worked at the box office. We were late because we were trying to find parking, and when we arrived we had to wait outside of the mezzanine until a gap in the show to be let in. I remember watching the scene with Valjean and the priest on the feed monitor. It was such an experience for me - I was only 7 years old and I don't think I've had the same wonderful reaction to watching any preformance since then. Maybe it was my young age and inexperience, but you never forget your first time ;)

I saw Miss Saigon in September 1994 at the Princess of Wales and for MONTHS I had the songs stuck in my head. I'm surprised how many people don't know that the Princess was built specifically so that Toronto could produce Miss Saigon - in particular the scene where the helicopter flies in and lands onstage. They really should bring that show back. I'd love to see it again. I mean c'mon - Phantom of the Opera is coming back next spring; Saigon is due for another run!

While I've forgotten completely about some opera productions that I've been to see (and other's I'd like to forget -__-" like Atom Egoyan's production of Salome at the COC... what crap...) I still remember all the musicals I've seen. I saw the Buddy Holly Story a total of 3 times, my cousin and I saw Kiss of the Spider Woman at the Elgin, and of course Phantom of the Opera at the former Pantages theatre.

I do regret never seeing Sunset Boulevard, Beauty & the Beast and the Lion King. Kevin has promised to take me to see Wicked this fall since I missed it last year. I want no more regrets about that one!