By Cailin Acosta
SAN DIEGO – “Do you hear the people sing?” They did on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the San Diego Civic Center Theatre in Downtown.
The night was aglow with the “Broadway in San Diego’s 48th Season presented by Cameron Mackintosh and acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg’s Tony Award-winning musical, Les Misérables.”
Les Misérables is based on the novel written by Victor Hugo in 19th-century France. Jean Valjean undergoes many sacrifices to stay alive and hide his identity. He suffers punishment, prison time, and even fakes his own death. He changes his identity and meets young Fantine, who has a child out of wedlock that the corrupt innkeepers, the Thenardiers, are abusing. Fantine is thrown into prostitution and ends up becoming very ill. Valjean vows to Fantine on her deathbed that he will find Cosette, Fantine’s daughter, and will take care of her.
Valjean finds where Cosette is living and pays the Thenardiers to release her to him. They gladly agreed. Years later, young adult Cosette meets Marius, a member of the Friends of the ABC, who are students engaged in civil unrest during the Paris uprising. They fall in love, and Valjean finds a note of Marius’ love and commitment to Cosette. Valjean goes uncover to help with the revolution and saves Marius by escaping into the sewers while all the other students were killed.
In the end, Valjean brings Marius back and reveals to him, before he marries Cosette, that he was the one who saved his life.
There was one Jewish note I caught, in the wedding party scene, the Thenardiers, disguised in costumes, try to blackmail Marius. Monsieur Thenardier points out the many couples dancing and says, “Look, there’s a Jew and look there’s a queer; I might try that one out for a spin.”
Soon after the wedding, Valjean is near death, and Marius consoles Cosette as Valjean is reunited in heaven with Fantine, the priest he stole silver from at the beginning of the story, and all of the brave students who died fighting for Paris.
The musical ended with “Do You Hear the People Sing?” as a reminder that life is a circle and how sacrifice leads to redemption. It serves as a reminder that your past should not define you.
I was amazed by the talent we witnessed from the singing, the orchestra, and the set productions and effects. The sexual gestures had us giggling, and the young boy “flipping” off the general Javert was humorous as well. Many of us were singing as we were making our way to buy souvenirs.
Review and thoughts of my 13-year-old daughter: “I was amazed with the singing, costumes, and set designs. The scenes of the revolution seemed very real, and the effects made me jump. I was also amazed by how the students who got shot one by one did not move, and the focus they had to stay in their roles. During the intermission, I went and looked down at the orchestra pit and enjoyed seeing all the different instruments and seeing where they all were seated below the stage. It was an amazing musical and I am inspired to see more plays in the future”.
Les Misérables will be playing until Sunday, Sept. 21, at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Click here for more information.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.