Les Miserables

Last night, Mom called and said, "Les Mis is on PBS, if I record it, will you want to watch it while you're here?"

"Do pigs like mud? Do cows moo? Will cockroaches survive an apocalypse?," I responded. (Just kidding, I don't talk to my mom like that -- I said "sure!")

After we got off the phone, I cruised on over to PBS -- sure enough, The 25th anniversary concert was on. I'd missed my favorite part, the first act, but I love the whole show, and Ken was kind enough not to tease me (much). He has laughed at me many times for having multiple favorites, so I've gotten in the habit of saying "...one of my favorite authors, books, teas..." However, I can safely say that although I've seen some amazing musicals, Les Mis is far and away my favorite.

I can't believe it's been around for 25 years. I first saw it over 15 years ago in Tucson with my friend Terry's boyfriend, Johnny. Yeah, that sounds weird. Let me 'splain: the three of us had been to several musicals together, part of Terry's attempt to civilize me. That night, Terry happened to be sick or out of town or something, so she asked Johnny to take me instead. From the first chord, I was enthralled. Since then, I've seen it twice more on stage: once here in Austin, and once in London, which I still consider one of the highlights of my life (thanks, Ken!). I also own the 10th anniversary DVD, and I used to own the CD set, but I listened to it so much that it got scratched up and started skipping. That's OK, though, because I could probably sing the whole thing on my own. So, yeah, I love this musical.

Though it has many depths, layers, and other characters, I continue to be moved by the story of Jean Valjean and his relationship with God. He chooses to accept God's redemptive grace and lives a life helping others even though he is an escaped convict. He's contrasted by Javert, the police inspector who is always trying to recapture him. Javert has a narrow and legalistic view of God - seeing only His law and wrath. There is no room in Javert's world view for grace and forgiveness. He lives a sad and lonely life. Valjean makes mistakes, but understands God's love and life-changing power. He knows that God changes our hearts, and though he can't make up for the wrong he's done, he can move forward and be a force for good, living in God's love. It is a beautiful story, told in a deeply moving way. It never fails to uplift me, and remind me of God's grace.

Someday, I should read the book, but until then, I'll be enjoying the music - I highly encourage you to check it out.