Les Mis with Miss Lea

My brother Aldwin lived in London for like a year or two some years ago, and he's bragged about the musicals he watched over and over and over when he was there. Since then, i've dreamt of watching real musicals. Since i was in highschool though, i have already been dreaming of watching Miss Saigon, what with all the hoopla over a filipina playing the lead and all. And i got hold of a cassette tape with the Original London Cast singing the songs and i played it over and over (this is when i was in highschool, as you know, i play songs over and over until now, hehe) and to this day, i know all the lines....even the dialogues.

Now, i've seen quite a number of musicals, (thank Gawd i'm in NY!) here and when I was in the Philippines(I was so happy having to watch They're Playing Our Song, Rent,Miss Saigon etc. back home, imagine my excitement coming to NY), but everytime i enter the theater, i still feel the goosebumps and the temporary high I get whenI realize that I am actually living that dream i once had.

And now to the main story. (Dami pang intro, nyuknyuk)

As soon as we heard that Lea Salonga (been a fan of this girl eversince I was a kid. I remember playing soup opera with my cousins, and i always finish the skit with me singing...Little Star, little star. My one dream, is to be where you are....which i loved and memorized 'coz of Lea) will be performing as Fantine in the Les Mis comeback on Broadway, i was ooo excited to go. I harassed my friend Stephanie (who's American by the way and had no idea who Lea was, and is never into musicals...eh, kids, she's 20) and one of my filipino coworker to come with me.

The play was scheduled at 8pm but after work we decided to go straight to the city and do some shopping before we relax and actually watch. So we did. (Hence the pictures taken at Macy's) Was a tiring day, (you could notice my dark circles and dreadful tired face on the pics) but we had fun. Twas really a dream come true watching Lea on Broadway.


Twas the first day of spring when we went so Macy's was having their annual flower decor all around the store. This methinks was the giraffe (masyado matangkad so only half of it can be shown, hehe) made of leaves, petals, little orchids, etc. Really nice!
And this one are the beauteous pink white and red flowers on top of the glass thingies where they put the jewelries. Stephanie, the one at the back, was trying to annoy me and pretended she didn't know that i was taking a picture.




And here's the cool zebra. I swear, they are made of flowers and leaves and er...hay? Ewan. But don't they look really kewl? It smelled like you're in a forrest though.

And here's me and Steph, just waiting for them gates to open.

And here's Lea looking sooo fabulous at 30 something. I don't know if it's make up, but she sure looks pretty even right after the play.

The cast seemed to have gotten used to the tons of people lined up for Lea outside the theatre after a show. Surprisingly, it wasn't just us, Filipinos, but there were foreigners too. It's nice to know, a talented Filipina, is really well known internationally, in a field, as sophisticated/ highbrow as the musicals. I've seen the Les Mis 10th Anniversary production in London on DVD where she played Eponine and I can't help but compare that with the one who played the part in the show. She was also good, but Lea was absolutely better. As Fantine, she's great...and i mean...grrrreat! Hehe.

And looky, she signed my Playbill, whee!!!!

I read the book like 5x when i was in college. It wont hurt to watch the play 5x too. Hehe. I'm planning on watching it again. Seriously.