Shawn's Online Journal after working hours: Les Miserables Manila 031516

(photo credit:google images)

Bucket list checked! The last musical I wanted to watch in my life time finally came here in Manila!! Growing up being a fan of stage plays, (and of course Ms. Lea Salonga), I dreamed a dream of watching some of it live. Miss Saigon was the first one in my list then a few years back, CATS made my jaw dropped. I never thought I would ever see the last musicale in my list though I did't see our very own Tony Awards winner Lea, still excited to experience the grandness of Les Miserables.

I've been a fan of the play since I cant remember when lol. We had a VHS tape of it then I had the CD then was thrilled to watch it as a movie. A few months back, I've read online that fate granted my wish to finally check the last play in list. I immediately sent a message to a friend who was a colleague and I know is also a fantard of Les Mis lol. Rachel. We didn't missed a beat and got out tickets in the soonest possible time. It was just a few days since the tickets were released for sale and oh my, almost sold out.

Weeks passed and we were so excited! However, on our scheduled date, I overlooked the ticket and err.. good thing I was early, I dropped off in a different hotel / theater. :) Rachel called and yeah hahahaha said I was epic lol. It was almost 10 minutes before 8 when I arrived in Solaire theater.Catching my breath while gossiping with Rach and her sister, then.. first beat aired.

Again, having seen the musicale from VHS to big screen to yourube, I must admit, I had a little expectation. Looking forward for the highlights and the parts that I liked.

(photo credit: Mr. Jory Rivera)

"Look down.. look down.." oh I tried not to sing but my mouth can't help it. I was "dubsmashing" lol. 24601 ohh goosebumps!! My eyes were closed as I feel the music envelop me with the experience of finally being there. When I opened my eyes, I just noticed that the stage was a little too tight for the extravagance but hey there's nothing impossible in showcasing the magnificence of Les Miserable.

Jean Valjean (played by Simon Gleeson) and Javert (played by Earl Carpenter) opened it with a blast! With all the buzzfeed of the portrayal of Fantine by a proud Filipina siren Rachelle Anne Go, I personally believe that the audience looked forward to it. Uhm.... I thought there will be a standing ovation after the spotlight, It seemed like, we all agreed to give it a loud round of applause.

(photo credit: Mr. Jory Rivera)

The cast played great justice to the highlights of the play and we were impressed on how they were able to over come the challenge of space restrictions. And the Orchestra.. oh the orchestra is divine. The stage design.. wow. That's one of my favourites. Very creative and very impressive. Thenardier and Mrs Thenardier 's parts were hilarious and it's like the sugar of the night. Even though it was comic, I believe it only shows how a mind works in that kind of era where you need to go what you need to do to survive (well, minus the greediness lol). Tears fell in my eyes when I heard "Bring him home". and yeah not just once but twice. As expected, I got the Last Song Syndrome (LSS) with "On My Own".

(photo credit: Mr. Jory Rivera)

Chills for "One Day More" and "Do You Hear the People Sing". I also like the scenes in the barricade and I find it cute when they move it. They transform like magic! The time when Javert jumped off... oh wow. really. wow. It really looked like he was falling to a pit! great effects!

(photo credit: Mr. Jory Rivera)

Overall, uhm.. well being familiar with the grandeur, I say they did the best they can do and deserved a standing ovation at the end. I was fairly satisfied with what we watched but the experience is priceless. It was delightful also to see the casts enjoys taking pictures with the fans and hey as for me, I didn't miss the chance of bringing home something from the gift shop lol.

Les Miserables by Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg is a must watch for those who are really into musicales. The love story, the pain, the agony, the comedy and theatrics will be greatly appreciated by everyone for sure.