be in a production of Les Miserables

Last night we choreographed a fight scene between the Old Beggar Woman and the Young Prostitute in The Beggars, and all I can say is my biceps hurt where she grabs me and my knees hurt from pouncing on her. It’s a painful scene but it looks so bloody real.
I’ve got at least 20 kilos on her. It’s not possible for her to throw me off. Hey, at least I’m a soft landing.

We’ve been blocking the ensemble scenes for the past few weeks. Master of the House, The Docks (Lovely Ladies), Turning, The ABC Cafe and The People’s Song (Do You Hear The People Sing?) and we did block half of At The End Of The Day. Most of these songs don’t require Valjean or Javert but I have made pretty good friends with some of the other people – mostly girls, I realise, except for my specific sailor in Lovely Ladies (I’m Whore #1). I wonder why the boys don’t feel so comfortable around me? Is it because most of them are aware I have two boyfriends, one of whom is 6’10”? I’m not ‘interested’ in any of them, but I notice some of them find it hard to maintain eye contact with me. Is it me or is it them?
I thought I was a pretty crap whore actually but it turns out the other girls have been admiring my attitude (I appear to be a very knowledgable whore who has been doing it for a long time) and sexiness which is a scary thought considering I think of myself as specifically un-sexy.
We open in about two months.

We had our first run through of the singing of the entire show, two weeks after starting rehearsals.
That is extremely impressive.
As are the voices on all our leads, especially Valjean and Javert – man they are so cool. And Fantine ahs a particularly lovely voice as well, not jsut in technique but in sound. I nearly cried when she sang Fantine’s Death, it was lovely.

I have been cast to sing the part of Whore 1 in Lovely Ladies. I hope I get to keep the role. it is the best part in the whoel song, one of the best ensemble parts to sing (apart from Girl 5 in At The End Of The Day, otherwise known as the Factory Bitch in the Factory Song). In fact, I have been provisionally granted 4 solos/ensemble roles, which I think is the most of all the females in the ensemble… perhaps. Maybe. Not quite sure yet. I may not keep two of them: the whore, and one of the solos in Turning. But I also am the Beggar Woman in Look Down (the Beggar’s Song), and one of the factory workers in At The End Of The Day.
Hmm… I will see where this goes. I am so excited to be a part of this production. I was smiling the whole way through the rehearsal.
http://www.lesmistas.com.au
Rawr!

Two years ago I was in a school production of this. It was a condensed version of the show, produced specifically for a young cast. Everyone in the cast was under 20 years old. I was in the chorus, and my solo line (everyone had at least one solo) was during the Factory Song. I was the one who said, “It’s because little Fantine won’t give him his way” and then “If Fantine doesn’t look out watch how she goes – she’ll be out on the street!” I loved it.

And I found out just today that I have made the ensemble of an adult production. This was specifically a lot harder to get into than the other version (the only reason you were refused was if you could not sing). There are only going to be 30 people in the cast, and hundreds auditioned. People from all sorts of backgrounds – the age limit was 18-80, and heaps of people have more experience than me – dancing, acting and singing.
Actually at my audition, the director and the musical director looked kind of surprised, like they didn’t know that my voice could make that sound they just heard. And the MD gave me some tips and made me sing it again, and afterwards, he said, “That is the most relaxed voice I’ve ever heard from you at an audition.”

I am so excited to be doing this again. Rehearsals start in November.