I’m going back and forth between sobbing uncontrollably over Eponine and lusting after Enjolras. Yes, I’m watching the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary special again. Right now the original London cast is onstage leading a “One Day More” encore. Colm Wilkinson, Frances Ruffelle, Roger Allam and Michael Ball are making the audience squee. RE Mr. Ball: I have a picture of my crimpy-haired 18-year-old self, smiling crazily next to him outside the Broadhurst Theatre in New York after a performance of Aspects of Love. Yeah, I saw Aspects of Love on Broadway…twice. I used to be a big Broadway musical nerd. And I had a crazy crush on Michael Ball. He’s gotten a wee bit chunkier in the intervening years but he can still belt it. (OK. I’ll be honest, he was a bit beefy in Aspects but I didn’t care. Come on, man: “Love Changes Everything”? Enough said.)
To show that I haven’t changed much in all this time, I just looked up on IMDB who played Enjolras in this concert. His name is Ramin Karimloo. Before you make any noodle jokes, it is pronounced rah-MEEN. I was disappointed, too. As to his credits, he apparently played Christine’s father in the movie version of Phantom of the Opera. (Oh man, I loved the hell out of Phantom, too. Remember the music video they did for the song “The Phantom of the Opera”? I’m not making this up! Yep. I love you, Internet.) Mr. Karimloo, and his awesome last name, also appeared a few times on …The Michael Ball Show! It was a talk show last fall in the UK and through the ever-helpfulness of the Internet, here’s a clip of Mr. Ball interviewing a gravy wrestler: yep.
So what did I learn from Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert? Marius was played by a Jonas Brother (Nick) and he held his own. All of the songs were specifically composed to send me off on a crying jag. I still remember most of the words. And I sang them out loud in my living room in between the boo-hooing.
Post-script: my friend and prom date Andrew Bogeajis and I would often perform our rendition of “Little Fall Of Rain”. Although, he would sing Eponine and I would be Marius. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. You would live a thousand years, if I could show you how…
