One day nearer to opening!

We began our journey on May 28 with our first cast meeting. Less than two months later, we're getting ready to open! It's been a fantastic journey and will only get better from here.

This past weekend was tech rehearsal, the longest and most challenging part of the process. We had a good show to begin with: a great cast full of talented and dedicated actors to bring the characters off the page. But to make a good show a great show, to bring the story to life, requires much more than just the people singing and dancing.

A great show needs great music, and the Les Misérables orchestra is nothing short of phenomenal. From the harp to the piccolo, from the French horn to the recorder, from the cello to that oboe solo, the orchestra drives the show with airy lullabies and fierce beats. 

Now that we have a great show, the final elements to produce the epic wonder of Les Misérables are the lighting and sound. Gunshots, smoke, blazing lights. The world of these characters comes to life in the atmosphere surrounding them. The burning days in Paris, the cool garden night, the shadowy winter woods are constructed all by intricately designed lighting.

The lights, sounds, and orchestrations of Les Misérables ensnare the senses and catapult the classic novel into an almost tangible experience of love, sacrifice, and atonement. But don't just take my word for it. Come see for yourself!

The Cockade Pin

Perhaps one of the most iconic symbols of Les Misérables is the cockade rosette pin that the Friends of the ABC wear in the battle. They're very famous and sell like hotcakes on Etsy. But what exactly do they mean? The blue, white, and red are clearly the colors of the French flag, but the symbolism goes far deeper than stripes on a flying rectangle. 

The cockades date all the way back to the 17th Century as an identification for the various military forces in Europe. Each soldier was in charge of his own uniform and because there were no regulations on attire, many soldiers died in friendly fire. Cockades were pinned on the hats and jackets of the soldiers to identify themselves amongst each other.

By the time the first French Revolution came about, the cockade was symbolic of the people's movement. The blue and red were the regional colors of Paris; the white was the color of the king. Louis XVI pinned on of them on his lapel to show his support. Of course, the gesture was mostly for show, but those who wore the pins were thought to be followers of the cause. As the years rolled by, the cockade became an emblem of France itself. People throughout the country wore them in support of France, regardless of their affiliation. They began to appear in other forms, too, such as decoration on women's shoes.

By the time the June Rebellion came about, the tricolor pin became a symbol of the Republic. The wearers rejected the current regime and stood for "the world they longed to see." Though Enjolras and his friends took these pins to be a pledge of brotherhood, those who didn't adorn themselves with the badges lived in fear. With revolution comes bloodshed and death. The revolutionaries were viewed as dangerous radicals that threatened treason and terrorism. Think of it as our modern symbol for anarchy: with the promise of change comes the promise of chaos. Equality comes at a cost, which could destroy the lives of the students, their families, and anyone else caught in the crossfire. That's truly the heart of our barricade boys and their fight for justice and equality: freedom at the price of freedom. 

Combat Weekend

It was a busy weekend for the cast of Les Misérables. Not only did this talented group of individuals make a surprise appearance at the Midsummer Arts Faire with a performance of "One Day More," but many spent the days learning fight choreography.

Les Misérables is a very combat-intensive production. Anything involving a slap, a fall, or a teenager dying has to be careful blocked by a professional fight choreographer. Steve Looten, Jr. spent Friday night and most of Saturday teaching various members of the cast how to fall, punch, fire a gun, carry a fallen comrade, tie up a police officer, and even die safely and in the most picturesque way possible. 

Arguably some of the biggest and most challenging parts of the story to block are the battles at the barricade. The barricade boys spent most of their morning on these scenes and were joined in the afternoon by some of the girls to finish the last two battles. The way Steve has blocked these fights is comparable to a machine: each Friend and each girl is a singular piece of an intricate design. While one Friend is firing, another is reloading. Girls are tending to wounds and switching out guns. Each person does their part with such commitment to drive this machine, you have to wonder for a moment if this will be the production where the good guys win.

Of course, we all know there's no such thing as a happy Les Mis. Everyone at the barricade must fall. While it could just be every man for himself and "just die when the spirit moves you," Steve planned out the specifics of each and every death to give purpose and meaning to the bloodshed. Without giving too much away, be sure to watch how, when, and where each of the Friends is shot. You might find some poetic and distressing-in-the-good-way Easter eggs!