playbill vip

 To our audience:

          On behalf of the entire student cast, crew, musicians and production staff - welcome to Les Misérables; the epic and triumphant musical work that has undoubtedly made an impression on your own theatrical experience. As Les Mis (bdway debut) just celebrated its 30th birthday, it continues to be the most produced show across the world, captivating audiences from the first two notes of the Prologue (dun DUN!). The phenomenon of this show revolves around its original conception as an opera, a completely sung-thru musical drama featuring a score that has yet to be duplicated and a story that has truly touched us all.

          Our students have once again dedicated their hearts, beings and minds to this work. As discussed in our rehearsals, Les Misérables invites all involved to consider the many truths of life; love, loss, faith, forgiveness, justice, grief, and truth itself. Through the challenging yet exhilerating score, we have examined each character, leitmotif, theme, and note of this show to fully understand its purpose and what we as artists can take away from it. From a French history session with Mr. Greene and Mr. Antosca to workshops with Mr. Craig Schulman and Ms. Louise Edeiken, we have been blessed as a company to immerse ourselves in this masterpiece from every direction.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts of this entire production has been working on the score with our students. We have all been entranced by the lush melodies, repetitive leitmotifs and hidden musical gems that we discovered through careful study. The challenge and maturity of Les Mis opened all of our ears and minds - and it was truly remarkable watching every student in our cast and pit orchestra immerse themselves in the music. 

Les Misérables has certainly become a part of our lives here at MHS, and has been a true labor of love. From the countless hours of rehearsals, Saturday mornings with the pit, late-day discussions about Lovely Lady hair and breaking chairs for the barricade - so many eager and passionate people have brought this show to life over the last few months, and without each and every one of them - we would not have had this amazing experience. And now it is up to us to reintroduce you all to a classic. One hope is that you will walk away with new memories of this iconic show or perhaps be reminded of the first time you heard or saw Les Mis. 

Monsieur Hugo said it best, and this has remained true throughout our production:

 We are extremely proud to present this piece of musical theater history and dedicate it to our families and loved ones.

Enjoy, Listen and Love,

Elyse Gellert