Day 20. Tell us about your first time seeing the musical?

I will never ever forget the first time I saw the musical, not the full one, just a few excerpts and behind the scenes stuff, but enough to make me remember it all my life.

It was during our victory party after the very first Les Mis production in Cebu in March 1996. We were at the viewing room of the Abejuela's, a family so supportive of our production mainly because our Gavroche and our Young Cosette were from their family.

Mr. Abejuela showed us (it was in Laser Disc) Stage by Stage, the making of Les Mis, and I had goosebumps and tears all throughout the 2 hour special. I was 16 years old, just did a musical I wasn't familiar with, and here I am watching the same musical we just did, but done by the original cast. It was heaven for me.

And yes, until now I have a copy of Stage by Stage on my PC at home, and I've shown it to my cast as well.

Day 19. Least favourite song from the musical?

When I was younger, I hated Empty Chairs at Empty Tables because I thought it was boring. There was a time when I also hated Lovely Ladies because it was annoying. Haha.

Now I'm loving both, and all the songs of Les Mis. I can't think of any song that I hate, or least like. It's kinda funny now that I'm thinking of it. In our production, I'm so looking forward to Lovely Ladies because that's the time when I can properly do my make-up as Mayor in preparation for my next scene, Fantine's Arrest. I also look forward to Empty Chairs at Empty Tables because that's when I do my make-up in preparation for the Epilogue, which is where I finally die. Haha.

Day 18. Is there a part from the book that you wish was in the musical?

I haven't really thought of any scene or part of the book that I so love that I haven't seen in the musical. I think they have done a marvelous job of bringing the book on-stage, and compressing everything into a 3-hour musical. Yes, there are parts that were interchanged, shortened, condensed, but I don't think it diminished the beauty of the novel.

I love both the novel and the musical because it's different, and it's the same at the same time.

Day 17. Who is your favourite character from the book and you favourite character from the musical?

This is a difficult question because I love every character in Les Mis. As a fan and spectator, I love to watch Enjolras and Eponine. As a thespian, I would love to play Javert someday. As a broken soul, I love Eponine because I'm not sure I'm not the only person who can relate to her and her story. Of course, aside from the characters I've mentioned, I love Valjean and I'm grateful and honored to have played him I forgot how many times already.

Day 16. Your opinions on the upcoming movie?

This is a movie I'm most excited about in recent years. Sure I was awaiting for Avengers, and I'm excited about the Superman reboot, but Les Mis is different. It's a part of my life. I'm so excited to see even a teaser trailer, and I know from the first lines in the trailer, I'll be in tears. A flood of tears.

So far, I'm loving the cast and director, and I'm so loving the leaked photos and vids of the shoot. They're doing live singing during the shoot which is very cool, and something that's not been done by recent movie musicals. I know a lot of people are apprehensive with Russel Crowe and even Anne Hathaway, but the people involved, the director, producers and most especially the composers, they know what they're doing so I totally trust them. Hell, it's Les Mis! So whoever is playing who, I'll still be first in line when it opens in theatres in December!

And I just can't wait to the new song added for the movie. It's entitled Suddenly and it's composed by Les Mis' original composers,  Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. And yeah, it'll be sung by Valjean.

Day 15. Favourite quote or part of the book and what it mean to you?

Before him he saw two roads, both equally straight; 

but he did see two; 

and that terrified him - 

he who had never in his life known anything but one straight line.

And, bitter anguish, 

these two roads were contradictory.

This is not really a favorite part of mine, but one of the many parts in the novel that struck me. You can just imagine what's going on in Javert's mind at that time. The confusion, the uncertainty, the mindset, the belief that's been shattered into a thousand pieces.

Day 14. Favourite line or song from the musical and what it means to you?

This is one line that always makes me tear up. A very powerful yet beautiful line, it is an honor to sing this with Fantine and Eponine during the Epilogue.  

Day 13. A part from the book that makes you sad?

He is asleep. Though his mettle was sorely tried, 

He lived, and when he lost his angel, died.

It happened calmly, on its own, 

The way the night comes when day is done.

Call me bias but the saddest part for me in the book was when Valjean died. It was so simple - a somewhat fitting end to a simple, ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. It's the saddest part for me because from the start of the book, we've followed Valjean's life, from his trials to his triumph as a person, to being welcomed by angels when his mission on Earth was done.

Day 12. A part from the musical that makes you sad?

Playing Valjean, the saddest part for me is my own death. Valjean's death I mean. Call me narcissistic but it's my most favorite scene to perform. Every single time I've performed that scene, I just can't hold back my tears. From my first lines, "Alone, I wait in the shadows..", my tears start to fall down as if on cue.

I've seen so many Valjean's doing this scene, but the performance that's always on my mind is Colm Wilkinson's. Every time I do this beautiful scene, I try to channel Colm while pulling out all the raw emotions within me.

Valjean saying his goodbye's to Cosette, while being welcomed by Fantine, Eponine and all those who died at the barricade. Just beautiful ♥

Day 11. How did you first discover Les Miserables?

I remember scanning through the TV channels when I was younger, and seeing a few clips of the 10th Anniversary Concert. The songs were kinda familiar but I wasn't interested then.

When I was 15 years old, there was an audition for a local production of Les Mis, and I - without any experience of singing nor acting, and without knowing what Les Mis is - went and tried out only for experience, so that I won't have any regrets later on in life that I didn't know what an audition was like. It was for experience, no one knew me anyway.

By luck and fate, I got in and since then, I got hooked to Les Mis that now, 15 years after, I consider myself a Les Mis freak and proud of it.

Day 10. Favourite Les Amis and why?

I'm confused because each has its own characteristics which are lovable. It's a toss up between Prouvaire and Grantaire. I can see myself as a combination of the two. Prouvaire is a well-spoken romantic while Grantaire is a  cynical drunkard who believes in nothing. Though I don't see myself as well-spoken and I don't drink, I'd like to think that I'm romantic but also a passive schmuck who's very cynical.

Day 9. Favourite Grantaire and why?

Anthony Crivello and Hadley Fraser have different portrayals of Grantaire which I both love so for this challenge, I have to choose both of them as my favorite Grantaire's.

This is something I've always told my actors: Making the character your own without destroying it. Anthony and Hadley are both very effective and amazing Grantaire's, yet very different at the same time.

Will the world remember you when you fall? Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?

Day 8. Favourite M & Mme Thénardier and why?

In the longest time that I've played the role Thénardier, I've always patterned my portrayal after Barry James. From the character singing to the make up to the facial expression. Alun Armstrong is also very good, but for me, his portrayal is effective only to the Western audience. The Asian audience, most especially the Filipinos, are more visual so they should see Thénardier aside from listening to his lines. For me, Barry James is not as radical as the late Leo Burmester, and not as passive as Alun.

For Madame Thénardier, I loved Jenny Galloway in the 10th Anniversary, but was disappointed with her in the 25th. She seemed so.. uninterested and bored. Yes, she tried a different approach but it was disappointing to say the least. My favorite madame for now would be Jennifer Butt of the original Broadway cast. I love how clear her words are, and she was able to portray the character effectively without sacrificing quality and clarity of singing.

Day 7. Favourite Enjolras and why?

For the longest time, Michael Maguire has always been THE Enjolras for me. Sure, Ramin Karimloo and Anthony Warlow are close second and third, but just recently, all of them are now second to David Thaxton. I mean, this man is really amazing. I cannot forget how he flew from barricade during the final battle, just before he died. Yes, the blocking is for him to jump, but he definitely did more than that. If you watch the video, you can see how he flew instead of jump.

I just love how he blends the passion of Enjolras with the recklessness of youth as after all, Enjolras is a student leader. So there, David Thaxton's first while Michael, Ramin and Anthony are all second.

Day 6. Favourite Eponine and why?

I have to say I loved the portrayal of Ma-Anne Dionisio most. Yes, I know a lot of people don't know her. She's the second Filipina to play the role next to the great Lea Salonga, and yes, I so love Ma-Anne's Eponine. It's like combining the strengths of Lea and Frances Rufelle. And yes, Frances is my second favorite followed by Lea and Samantha Barks.

Day 5. Favourite Marius and why?

Michael Ball.

No one even close to his shadow.

Gareth Gates was also impressive, most especially when he sang Empty Chairs at Empty Tables at Michael Ball's show! Wow! Imagine the pressure singing a very beautiful but heavy song on the show of the person who originally sang it. And he was more impressive when his emotion shifted at the start of the song, so yes, Gareth Gates is a distant second as my favorite Marius.

Day 4. Favourite Cosette and why?

Although I am torn between the original London Cosette and the original Broadway Cosette, I have to go with Rebecca Caine. Have you seen her in the 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2? I mean, Katie Hall was amazing in that concert, but when Rebecca sang Cosette's lines, WOW! Just amazing.

And since we're already in the Favorite Cosette topic, I would like to say that my most fave Cosette's would be Pauline, Justine and Pia - not necessarily in that order. It has been an amazing experience playing Valjean with these three gifted young women. I love them so much!

Trying to Return

Okay, I wasn't able to continue the Les Mis Challenge nor was I able to post anything here for a month. Been so busy making history. Haha!

Now that it's just work and home for me, I'll try to return to blogging. Yes, I will try to finish the Les Mis challenge, and I will try to go back to writing (blogging included), hopefully serious writing with my sister. Wish me luck!