Les Miserables

Okay, so since we didn’t go anywhere for the long weekend, I talked Mike into catching a matinee theatre show. Only you can’t say it “thee-tur” you have to say “Thee-Ay-Tur” in a super posh accent because we are super classy and cultured people who go to the theatre.

We left it until sort of the last minute, so our first few choices (Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Grease) were all out of 2 seats together. Which is fine because I want to see EVERYTHING, and Les Miserables was definitely on my list of stuff to see. I had actually downloaded the book of it onto my Kindle (OH MY GOD, I FORGOT TO MENTION I GOT A KINDLE AND IT IS LIKE MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS – BOOKS AND IPOD – GOT TOGETHER AND MADE THE BEST BABY EVER!!) since it was out of copyright and free for the downloading. I wanted to read the book before I saw it, but that’s okay, I have a feeling I will still get a fair bit out of the book. Also, I’ve decided that since I am now working and have more expendable income, when Mike is working Saturdays, I am going to try to go see matinee shows. So I might end up seeing Les Miserables again. You never know.

Anyway, after we bought our tickets, we hung out in Leicester Square (decidedly NOT square in shape) and played tourist will all of the other lost looking people with cameras taking advantage of the decent weather and extra days off of work.

See the table with the drawings behind me. If you’re ever having a low self-esteem day, just go to Leicester Square and walk by one of these tables like you’re even mildly interested in getting your portrait sketched. The artist(s) will fall over themselves complimenting you and basically acting like you are their muse and the only reason they practice art. It’s very nice for the ego.

I have no idea how I managed to get a photo of Mike with no one in the background in Leicester Square at noon on a Saturday. That is some spooky 28 Days Later shit.

The Verruca from hell was plaguing me (basically it’s like there’s a sharp pebble in my shoe under the ball of my foot with every step I take. IT. SUCKS.), so we popped off and had a pint at a pub until the show started.

Finally! Finally it was close enough to 2:30 to go be seated.

We managed to sneak a couple of photos before the “Okay, here’s how to not act like a jack ass in the theatre” announcement came on. You can see we didn’t have the best seats, but most of the action took place behind the screen in that picture, so we didn’t really miss anything. The show itself was great. The singing was lovely (I love musicals). The lighting and other stage business was amazing – they managed to light the back of the stage, for example, in one scene where it looked like there was light streaming in through a window. Also, the bottom of the stage was a circle that turned and was very cleverly used in the show. The story itself was a bit…I don’t know. It was basically a bunch of people who were in unfortunate circumstances – some due to their own poor choices, others through no fault of their own – and how, in some instances, someone else helped them out. A lot of the time it seemed like we were supposed to feel like the characters had no other options or ways of pulling themselves out of their own poor situations and were completely dependent on the kindness of someone else to do that, which seemed a bit like a poor attitude to have. Also, the end didn’t feel very closed, which I think was the point – they open and close the show with the theme of living another day. Anyway, it was very good, even with all that, and I am very happy we went.

After the show, we went to a local pub and had some GREAT BRITISH PUB FOOD, which turned out to be mediocre fish and chips. We also made friendly with an Aussie backpacker named Kate and had a few bevvies.

Mike felt the urinals were too close together at that pub.

Now we are home and internetting it up. I am about to torture my poor foot some more, then hopefully finish Oliver Twist on my OMG KINDLE!