Thank you all for joining us at the beautiful Dey Mansion for this production of Les Misérables: School Edition. It has been a joy to have been brought on board as the director for the production and I want to thank Lisa for the offer to join the Aspire family! Like many of you, the arts are such a huge part of our lives. For the last year and a half, the arts have had to find different ways to be created and thrive. Even in the darkest times, the arts found the light and hope to bring people together, even from a distance. As we begin to emerge from that darkness, we see hope for what the future will hold for not just us, but for the world at large.
I have always been a big musical theatre fan. Even as a young actor, I would listen to all the different cast recordings that I could borrow from the library or buy at the store. This was my way of escaping from the world for a bit. Living in the stories of others. Hearing their struggles, triumphs, heartaches & more. With all the musicals out there, Les Misérables has always been one I keep coming back to. For me, it’s more than just the sweeping score and lush vocals; it’s the relevance that the show still has today and how it comments so daringly on the world around us.
As you enjoy this performance, please think about the themes of this show. The themes of love and compassion, redemption, the need to fight for your beliefs, righteousness, and the hope for a brighter tomorrow. Throughout the rehearsal process, we had discussion on all these themes and how they connect with each of these characters in one way or another. As heavy as some of the topics discussed are, this didn’t stop the students from doing the work to find the truth to each of their roles. With the way that that the world is right now, there has never been a better time to have these discussions. Each of us has a stake in making a better tomorrow. Even in the darkest times for these characters, they still hope for that, pray for that and demand that.
I want to thank my amazing cast for their dedication and hard work over the last two months. You have all climbed Everest with performing this show. You should be extremely proud of yourselves, I know I am. Next, no director is complete without a strong production staff, and I have the best here! Thank you all for coming in with ideas and thoughts on how to make this show shine! I want to give a special thank you to Charles Santoro, our fantastic musical director, for his enormous job in teaching this score to the students. His passion, focus & ability to inspire has made this process something magical. Last, I want to thank all of you, the audience. Without your support, the messages of our show would not be received. Thank you for taking the time to join us and spend some time at the barricade.
In closing, I want to leave you with the lyric that has stayed with me since my first time listening to the cast recording:
“To love another person is to see the face of God.”
- Scott Baird
