Peeking the audiences through the curtains, I saw my friends sitting at the 1st few rows...
Jing Wen senior, Kai Sze, Fook Hee, Siao Ching senior, Shu Qin, Dickson.... (O...o)
LES MISERABLES 2nd performance, I'm more nervous...
Besides that, my voice is more "sexy" today, I'm afraid that I couldn't sing as good as yesterday......
LES MISERABLE Musical UPM was divided into 4 parts, Part 1 happened in the year 1815; Part 2 and 3 happened in the year 1823, while Part 4 happened in the year 1832.
Alright, here comes the 1st scene. In 1815, convict Jean Valjean (Abade Burhan) is released on parole by prison guard Javert (Kung Yen) after serving a nineteen-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread and numerous escape attempts. Valjean is driven out of every town, because of his paroled status. He is offered food and shelter by the Bishop of Digne (Taylor) but steals his silver during the night. He is captured by the authorities, but the Bishop tells them that the silver was given as a gift, securing Valjean's release. Moved by the Bishop's grace, Valjean breaks his parole, vowing to start a new life under a new identity.
A small accident happens during this scene, the hoe that one of the convicts holds was breaking, but luckily it never influences the whole performance. Perhaps the audience thinks that the government is too poor to get a good hoe for a convict.
The second scene happened 8 years later, Valjean has become a factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Fantine (Li Yuan), one of his workers, is discovered to be sending money to her illegitimate daughter and is dismissed by the foreman (Taylor). In a desperate attempt to support her daughter, she eventually became a prostitute. She is arrested by Javert after she attacks an abusive customer (Jacky) but is saved by Valjean, who has her hospitalized.
Alright, here comes the 1st scene. In 1815, convict Jean Valjean (Abade Burhan) is released on parole by prison guard Javert (Kung Yen) after serving a nineteen-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread and numerous escape attempts. Valjean is driven out of every town, because of his paroled status. He is offered food and shelter by the Bishop of Digne (Taylor) but steals his silver during the night. He is captured by the authorities, but the Bishop tells them that the silver was given as a gift, securing Valjean's release. Moved by the Bishop's grace, Valjean breaks his parole, vowing to start a new life under a new identity.
A small accident happens during this scene, the hoe that one of the convicts holds was breaking, but luckily it never influences the whole performance. Perhaps the audience thinks that the government is too poor to get a good hoe for a convict.
The second scene happened 8 years later, Valjean has become a factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Fantine (Li Yuan), one of his workers, is discovered to be sending money to her illegitimate daughter and is dismissed by the foreman (Taylor). In a desperate attempt to support her daughter, she eventually became a prostitute. She is arrested by Javert after she attacks an abusive customer (Jacky) but is saved by Valjean, who has her hospitalized.
Later, Valjean learns that a man believed to be him has been arrested. Unable to accept that an innocent man is condemned in his place, Valjean reveals his identity to the court before returning to the hospital, where he promises the dying Fantine he will look after her daughter. Javert arrives to take Valjean into custody, but after a brief fight, Valjean runs away.
Part 3 happened in Thenadiers house. Cosette (Maya), who lives with the unscrupulous Monsieur Thénardier (Andy) and Madame Thénardiers (Rean). Valjean pays the Thénardiers to allow him to take Cosette and promises to be like a father to her. Valjean and Cosette flee to Paris.
Believe it or not, this is the most dynamic scene in our play.
Part 4, the part I involve, was happened in Paris 9 years later. Although the old government has changed, poverty in Paris is still increasing. Jean Maximilien Lamarque, the only government official sympathetic towards the poor, is nearing death; therefore a large group of young revolutionary students, known as the Friends of the ABC, plan a rebellion against the French monarchy. The students consist of Marius Pontmercy (Alex), Enjolras (Fadzly), Gavroche (Farahanna), Grantaire (Me), Combeferre (Teck Wee) and others.
Marius later catches a glimpse of Cosette (Fiona/ Didi), now a young woman, and instantly falls in love with her.
The photos below are the scene at ABC Cafe, where we sing Teck Wee favorite RED AND BLACK.
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The time is near
So near it's stirring the blood in their veins!
And yet beware
Don't let the wine go to your brains!
We need a sign
To rally the people
To call them to arms
To bring them in line!
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Marius, wake up!
What's wrong today?
You look as if you've seen a ghost.
Some wine and say what's going on!
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A ghost you say, a ghost maybe
She was just like a ghost to me
One minute there, and she was gone!
I am agog!
I am aghast!
Is Marius in love at last?
I've never heard him 'ooh' and 'aah'
You talk of battles to be won
And here he comes like Don Juan
It's better than an opera!
It is time for us all
To decide who we are
Do we fight for the right
To a night at the opera now?
Have you asked of yourselves
What's the price you might pay?
Is it simply a game
For rich young boys to play?
The color of the world
Is changing day by day
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Red: the blood of angry men!
Black: the dark of ages past!
Red: a world about to dawn!
Black: the night that ends at last!
Had you seen her today
You might know how it feels
To be struck to the bone
In a moment of breathless delight!
Had you been there today
You might also have known
How the world may be changed
In just one burst of light!
And what was right seems wrong
And what was wrong seems right!
Red: I feel my soul on fire!
Black: My world if she's not there!
Red: The color of desire!
Black: The color of despair!
Marius, you're no longer a child
I do not doubt you mean it well
But now there is a higher call.
Who cares about your lonely soul?
We strive toward a larger goal
Our little lives don't count at all!
Red: the blood of angry men!
Black: the dark of ages past!
Red: a world about to dawn!
Black: the night that ends at last!
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Listen everybody!
General Lamarque is dead!
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Lamarque! His death is the hour of fate.
The people's man.
His death is the sign we await!
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Viva La General Lamarque!!!
Enjolras rallies the students as Lamarque's death is announced.
After that was a sad scene, Éponine (Shamala), Marius' friend, leads him to Cosette, where the two profess their love for one another. Lamenting that her secret love for Marius will never be reciprocated, Éponine fatalistically decides to join the revolution. However, I couldn't understand why the audience could laugh at this scene.
It's sad to hear Eponine sing On My Own, it seized my heart every time I listen.
Although Shamala plays the sad Eponine, we all know she is always a happy go lucky girl behind the scene. She laughs a lot when she practice and rehearsal.
Finally, the most spiritual part in LES MISERABLES, singing my favorite DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING. I want to dedicate this song to our beloved government too, no matter how darkness is the reality, there is always fight, dream, hope, and love exist.
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
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The students interrupt Lamarque's funeral procession and begin their revolt. Javert poses as a rebel in order to spy on them, but is quickly exposed by Gavroche and captured.
During the ensuing gunfight, Éponine saves Marius at the cost of her own life, professing her love to him before she dies in his arms, which leaves Marius devastated at the loss of his close friend.
When Valjean intercepts the letter from Marius to Cosette, he goes to the barricade to protect Marius. Unfortunately, the rebels thought he is a spy like Javert.
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After saving Enjolras from a sniper, he is allowed to execute Javert.
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However, when the two are alone, Valjean frees Javert instead, telling him to run as he fires his pistol at a wall to convince the students he killed him.
With the Parisians not joining the revolution as the students expected, they resolve to fight to the death.
Everyone has killed except Marius, who is saved when Valjean drags his unconscious body into the sewers but was confronted by Javert. Valjean begs for one hour to take Marius to a doctor; Javert refuses and threatens to shoot him if he does not surrender.
Yup, unlike the movie version, LES MISERABLES Musical UPM ends here. We end up with the song DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING.
Here is the full show!
I think I 'm more handsome than Dickson.
No girls reject Grantaire.
Combeferre's travel to 2013 to meet his new comrade for the next revolution!
If I were a boy, I must be very narcissistic!
No matter what, LES MISERABLE Musical has come to the end...
Thanks to the director - Hann Ong giving me this chance to act in this theater. Of course, thanks to everyone in The Miserables cast.
I completely touched after the LES MISERABLE musical......
Not because it was over or our performance was excellent...
However what touch me is Malays, Chinese and Indians work together to make this musical successful.....
After the end of the musical, we don't care what races we are including foreigners, we gave each other a hug of gratitude ......
Prime Minister phrase "SATU MALAYSIA" cannot fully describe the harmony we have here ......
Recent elections, many sensitive topics have been widely spread, such as Chinese are not patriotic, Islamic State policy matter, the Indians being marginalized, there is no unity among races and so on. In fact, these are just the way of propaganda of the election parties ......
Leaving aside the politics, we are living in harmony!
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