Les mis

I’m culture-ly busy this year which also left me very poor-ly - a huge hole in my pocket 🤭 When I learnt that Les Mis is coming to Singapore again I know I have to go. They came in 1994, 1996 (didn’t go for this), 2016. It’s time to go again to re-watch with che-che who is now 24 and probably more mature and should understand and appreciate musicals more now than before. Last time was probably I drag them to musicals to expose them to the theatres. Need to rub this expensive influence 😂 on them. Later I noticed that only Che-che appreciates so I only buy tickets for the both of us. 

Bought the tickets last year and waited so long for this. I really love Les Mis. 

After checking thru the dates in Mr Google

All the time I kept thinking Les Mis was my first musical but it’s not! Les Mis was the second musical I watched with my friend Clarence after watching Cats[1993]. (obviously Cats was the wrong choice coz it didn’t leave much impression on me. I hated Cats coz it came to behind us and the aisle and the thick makeup scared me. The plot was also super boring about some street cats) I know I went for three musicals (Phantom[1995] was the 3rd) with him coz we both like musicals. All musicals at Kallang Theatre 😂. It was that long ago!  That time it’s not easy to find friends who have the same interest, unlike now I can just bring che-che with me. 

But probably because I was a little disappointed with Cats that I went with low expectation. I was super WOW-ed with Les Mis. Frankly it’s the only musical where I took the effort to get the scores and find the lyrics. 

Loved this that just for Les Mis, this is the 4th time I’m watching this (twice in Singapore and once in London when I was flying.) BUT the first time for this arena concert style. It is going to be a new experience for us.

This is how I keep all my e-tickets. Printed and left infront of study table, somewhere visible so that this forgetful person will know where to find it when I need it. 

The Day - 9th May (Sat) 2pm

Taking out today’s tickets. We can use the pdf tickets from email for entry. But coz I hate to fumble for the phone. I have too many emails from Sistic (ahem ahem) so will need to sieve out. Lazy lah! Also worry what if my phone die on me suddenly. So it’s always good to have the hard copy as backup 😉.

Next one - Jesus Christ Superstar in August. 

Had to set countless reminders that my tickets include a drink. Can you believe that I had forgotten to claim a programme booklet in Miss Saigon? (edited : found out on date of publishing this blog entry that we had a collectible to claim in Sunset Boulevard as well!  🤦🏻‍♀️

For the Les Misérables Arena Spectacular in Singapore 2026, the "Dream Premium" and "Freedom VIP" ticket packages include a complimentary themed drink before the show begins.

Wasn’t sure if che-che will take it coz she doesn’t like carbonated drinks, but she did. Even if she didn’t, I don’t mind lor… it’s not like some expensive drink. But I’m glad it’s non-alcoholic.

🎶 “Drink with me to days gone by

To the life that used to be 

At the shrine of friendship, never say die
Let the wine of friendship never run dry
Here's to you and here's to me”

I wasn’t sure if getting third row was a good choice. I was worried about tilting my head up if I had chosen the first row. Then Jean Valjean tore his paper and threw it on the ground. The first row people, a group of chinese teens, ran to pick up the papers. The people around us were laughing at them. I wonder what’s on the piece of paper? If all of them friends picked up, they can piece them back together. Maybe it’s just a blank piece of paper?

Although I’ve watched Les Miserables musical thrice, sometimes I may forget certain scenes in the musical. In this concert when Bishop covered up for Jean Valjean’s theft and gave him the two candlesticks, I cried. 

“But remember this, my brother

See in this some higher plan

You must use this precious silver

To become an honest man

By the witness of the martyrs

By the passion and the blood

God has raised you out of darkness

I have saved your soul for God.” 

This is the turning point, the time for redemption. The time Jean Valjean turned to be a good man. I used to ask che-che why she needs to buy books and why she has to re-read them? Her explanation was “sometimes you may miss out certain things if you need it once, read it the second time I may have a different interpretation.” Not her exact words but something like that lah! So now it applies to musicals. Haha! Meaning I must watch it many times. Wah! So expensive story telling. I shall pick up Victor Hugo’s book and read.  

Of course story is also about the socioeconomic disparity in France. So many important lessons we can learn from this story to apply to our daily lives. Of course I’m not suddenly going to be Mother Theresa Lily. So yah, I think I should read the book to have a deeper understanding. Victor Hugo wrote this book when he was in exile so maybe he was approaching story in that direction? I may be wrong. Hmm…..will I get to finish it? I have e-books in my iPad and I haven’t finished reading the book I was reading 🤣. I definitely cannot read the same book twice or thrice coz I already have problem finding time to finish the first time.

I’m not sure if anyone goes to the musical as blindly as I do. Haha! I usually don’t read what the story is about prior to it (just like I go to SSO concerts blindly), so I have to keep my eyes and ears open to see and listen carefully to the lyrics. But Les Mis coz I’ve been a few times I get to see how (1) the kiddos 被枪毙 at the barricade and (2) Javert commit suicide. He just walked away! Haha! I thought they would use the stairs and make him jump down from the 5th step. Anyway the theatrical staging has to do it that way with this concert version, just walk away. This new experience doesn’t take much away, all compensated with the staging the lights. Not forgetting the projector to see the casts faces clearly. I was in third row so can still see their faces. But I hate to think that those people sitting at the first or second level may be blocked by the whatever setup and lights. 

How he commit suicide in this Arena Spectacular?

https://youtube.com/shorts/A-0wRTtdMUw?si=-Sy41pBB0tB6z346

How is it that people can secretly record? In SIN, the ushers will go out quickly and stop. But I must admit that so far I haven’t seen audience around me stopped by the ushers coz I’m usually in the front few rows 😂. Not sure if those people at the furthest away seats sneak video taking or not.

Throughout the whole concert, the lady next to me was singing along to the songs. Wasn’t a nuisance but it goes to show that she knows alot of songs, she must be a much bigger fan of Les Mis compared to moi 🤭. But I was really irritated with this chinese ah-boy in first row when clapping after songs would raise his hands up above his head to clap. So 夸张。 I wish I can use a rubber band, fold a paper and shoot his hands. Luckily during curtain call he didn’t do that coz he was busy filming. Haha! 

Finally it was curtain call. As usual in any Les Mis the Thénardiers steal the show with their comedic acts, a break away from the emotional cry story. I need time to clear my blocked nose, if not cry somemore I must breathe thru my mouth. Lea Salonga played the role of Mrs Thénardier with Red Concepción as the greedy manipulative innkeeper. Seeing the way he played the comical character, I thought he is suitable to play The Engineer role in Miss Saigon. And lol! He did play the role before 🤣, not in the ones I watched tho.

Somehow his name sounded familiar, now I know l may have come across his name somewhere before. 

As for Lea Salonga, I was lucky to see her when she was playing Kim in Broadway. Seeing her twice is not a lot but just glad to see her in different roles.

Nathania Ong, our fellow Singaporean

I like Na-Young too!

Gerónimo Rauch (Jean Valjean) and Jeremy Secomb (Javert)

Need to give credits to the orchestra 

Heard the harp but was looking for it. So it’s blocked where I was seated, now can be seen during curtain call. It was blocked by the high platform all the time, which makes sense so that it will not be visually distracting to the audience. 

Such mesmerizing and transcendent music by Claude-Michel Schönberg

Do I like this? I think I still prefer the musical style where the stage keeps changing and people move around. It’s more visually interesting. For this concert style because of the lack of props most scenes are scaled down. Singers also sit and then come up to the mic and sing.

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10th May :

Still in this Les Mis craze. Promise, this is the last post on Les Mis. 

Came across this on YouTube, click HERE

Will I watch it once more if they come to shore? Not sure if che-che remembers what she saw in 2016, how the stage and people walking on a huge lazy susan and moving from one scene to the next. She might be keen to watch it again.  If it took them 10 years to come back with this concert style, will it be another 10 years later for Les Mis to return? If so, at 61 I need to wear adult diapers coz sure cannot tahan holding bladder anymore 🤣. Maybe by then che-che can pay for my ticket instead of me bringing her.