I went to this show with my mom and grandmother on a very important night in my life - the next day I was leaving to spend a year away as an exchange student! As is often the case with shows I saw earlier in my "theatre-going career", I don't remember a whole lot of details from this one. I do know, however, that I was not completely perpared for everything that was going to happen. I knew most of the music, because my mom had bought me the piano book the year before, but I'd never heard most of it sung. Also, I knew the basic story from reading the novel Jean Valjean, but I was fairly ignorant of the whole student angle and of the Cosette/Marius/Eponine love triangle.
Well, suffice it to say that this show blew me away. It ranks right up there among my most profoundly affecting theatre experiences, and I rushed out shortly afterwards to buy the Broadway cast recording. Those first few notes of the show still get me every time. I cried at so many parts, and the evening just flew by. It also earned it a place among my all-time favourite shows, and, obviously, sparked a desire to see it again! :-)
"Dad? Umm...can you come pick us up a little later?"
Me, on the phone at intermission, when I realized how long the show was going to be
The cast: (in order of appearance)
| Jean Valjean | FREDERICK C. INKLEY |
| Javert | RICHARD KINSEY |
| Chain Gang | SCOTT LOGSDON ERIC BENNYHOFF CHARLES BERGELL J.P. DOUGHERTY GARY MAUER WILLIAM PAUL MICHALS MICHAEL OBERLANDER DOUGLAS STORM TODD ZAMARRIPA |
| Farmer | BRIAN LYNCH |
| Labourer | ERIC BENNYHOFF |
| Innkeeper's Wife | MARY CHESTERMAN |
| Innkeeper | DAVE HUGO |
| The Bishop of Digne | KELLY BRIGGS |
| Constables | RON SHARPE DANIEL ELI FRIEDMAN |
| Fantine | ANNE TORSIGLIERI |
| Foreman | MICHAEL OBERLANDER |
| Workers | BRIAN LYNCH TODD ZAMARRIPA |
| Women Workers | KRISTEN BEHRENDT ALLISON BRINER ANNE BUELTEMAN JESSICA SHERIDAN |
| Factory Girl | AUDREY KLINGER |
| Sailors | CHARLES BERGELL DOUGLAS STORM TODD ZAMARRIPA |
| Whores | KRISTEN BEHRENDT ANNE BUELTEMAN MARY CHESTERMAN GINA FELICCIA AUDREY KLINGER BARBRA RUSSELL LUCY VANCE JOANNA YOUNG |
| Old Woman | ALLISON BRINER |
| Crone | JESSICA SHERIDAN |
| Pimp | DANIEL ELI FRIEDMAN |
| Bamatabois | WILLIAM PAUL MICHALS |
| Fauchelevant | DANIEL ELI FRIEDMAN |
| Young Cosette | ASHLEY MICHELLE TISDALE |
| Madame Thenardier | KELLY EBSARY |
| Thenardier | J.P. DOUGHERTY |
| Young Eponine | JOANNA HOWARD |
| Drinker | BRIAN LYNCH |
| Young Couple | ERIC BENNYHOFF JOANNA YOUNG |
| Drunk | DAVE HUGO |
| Diners | KELLY BRIGGS ANNE BUELTEMAN |
| Other Drinkers | CHARLES BERGELL ALLISON BRINER MARY CHESTERMAN DANIEL ELI FRIEDMAN AUDREY KLINGER WILLIAM PAUL MICHALS |
| Young Man | DOUGLAS STORM |
| Young Girls | KRISTEN BEHRENDT LUCY VANCE |
| Odd Couple | JESSICA SHERIDAN SCOTT LOGSDON |
| Travelers | MICHAEL OBERLANDER RON SHARPE |
| Gavroche | ZACHARY LUBIN-WEST |
| Old Beggar Woman | MARY CHESTERMAN |
| Young Prostitute | AUDREY KLINGER |
| Pimp | DAVE HUGO |
| Eponine | GINA FELICCIA |
| Montparnasse | ERIC BENNYHOFF |
| Babet | RON SHARPE |
| Brujon | CHARLES BERGELL |
| Claquesous | DANIEL ELI FRIEDMAN |
| Enjolras | GARY MAUER |
| Marius | TODD ZAMARRIPA |
| Cosette | BARBRA RUSSELL |
| Combeferre | MICHAEL OBERLANDER |
| Feuilly | DOUGLAS STORM |
| Courfeyrac | BRIAN LYNCH |
| Joly | SCOTT LOGSDON |
| Grantaire | WILLIAM PAUL MICHALS |
| Lesgies | KELLY BRIGGS |
| Jean Prouvaire | DAVE HUGO |