Les Miserables Manila

I’ve wanted to see Les Miserables live on stage ever since my sister told me how good it is. (I’m a late bloomer!)  Then the movie came out in 2013 which made me want to watch it live even more. I said, I’ll watch in London, West End. 

Good. 

So I put it in my bucket list. And it has been there for the longest time because London is just not happening. It’s not gonna happen anytime soon. Bummer. 

Les Miserables in Manila

News of Les Mis coming to Manila filled my Facebook timeline last year. I checked the dates. I calculated my leave days. There’s a chance I can catch it there! Better grab the opportunity, right? Plus, our very own Rachel Ann Go is performing. That’s something I shouldn’t let pass. 

Going. Not Going. 

Unexpected things happened. My plans were not going to materialize. I accepted the fact that I will not be able to catch Les Miserables in Manila. Then, tables were turned. We will be going home after all. 

I asked my friend Sol to help me book tickets. With limited time and budget, it wasn’t easy to finalize this thing. I opted for Row C, Seat 1. This is a R/V (restricted view) seat.

Whatever. I’m going to watch this. It’s now or never. 

The Theater at Solaire (Solaire Resort & Casino)

We left home with enough time to spare because Solaire Resort & Casino is at the other end from where we live. North to South. An hour and a half would be enough, we said. Waze confirmed that we’ll get there by 730 pm. 

We arrived 750. My friend Sol was still stuck in traffic. I beelined to The Theatre, not minding the beautiful interiors of Solaire. I reached the lobby just a few moments before the lady announced that the show is about to start. 

My seat wasn’t hard to find. It was just right at the door. Seat 1. Row C. I knew I was going to be seated near the right side of the stage. I didn’t realize I’d be literally by the stage. 

My knee was touching the stage. I was [that] close! It was restricted view alright. The right side of the stage was blocked by props. I placed my hand on the edge of the stage just so I can peek a little bit more. That was a bad move. Valjean almost stepped on my hand when he re-emerged on the stage in one of his solos. 

Photography was not allowed during the show so I took the advantage of taking photos inside while on intermission. Sol came up to me during the break. She missed some parts of the prologue (darn Manila traffic!) but was able to slip in the theatre after a few minutes. 

The orchestra was just below us so the music was so intense. I love it. 

Since photography wasn’t allowed, I had to do ninja moves just to take this photo of Éponine singing “On My Own”. This is one of my favorites. One other part that moved me was “A Little Fall of Rain”. 

[The lady beside me was no ninja. She took photos with flash “on”. She was reprimanded. Four times.]

It was goosebumps all over when the cast started singing the Finale. Watching Les Mis is definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made. Now I can cross it off my bucket list! 

Or maybe, I should make West End happen. Even Broadway. It’s just something I would be willing to watch over and over. 

Which is why when I found out that Les Miserables is going to be in Dubai, I immediately made plans. Yep. I’m watching it again in November. 🙂