Les Misérables: The Musical Movie

On Christmas Eve, I had the opportunity to see the musical movie version of Les Mis and let me just say it was NOT what I expected AT ALL! You'd think that after seeing the musical on stage countless times, being a hopeless fan girl groupie during my teenage years, and my overall interest and love of Victor Hugo's classic that Cameron Mackintosh (producer), Tom Hooper (director) and his crew couldn't surprise me but this new take on the classic had me leaving the theater in awe over the way it was presented. At first it was a little bit hard to adjust to the way the movie was filmed (I'm so used to the stage version!) but once I got the idea, I was able to accept it and enjoy it as it was. (I have yet to get over the urge to clap after each song though.) The musical, with so little speaking it could be considered an opera, was changed vastly to include a different take that was more appropriate for the silver screen and incorporated many elements from the book that would be hard, if not impossible, to use in the stage version which added incredible depth to many of the characters. While it was sometimes shocking to hear songs come in fits and starts, I loved seeing more of Valjean's plight with Cosette, was pleased to see Fauchelevent and Monsieur Gillenormand pulled back into the story more, enjoyed some new bits of music and thoroughly ate up a couple of completely new songs (wasn't Valjean and Cosette's carriage ride the most adorable thing you've ever seen?), and squeed in utter delight to see things like Gavroche's elephant. While incredibly hard to watch, this movie also included one of the best plights of Fantine (Anne Hathaway) I've ever seen. It was akin to what she experiences in the book with it's vivid picture of the pure and utter grief of a woman who has lost everything and was topped off by the switched order of I Dreamed a Dream and Lovely Ladies which gave Fantine all that much more to be grieved about during her big number which she pulled off beautifully. Needless to say, I really liked the reversal of the songs and overall I enjoyed the choice change in order for many of the numbers to better fit the big screen telling of the story. While I love the musical and feel a slight loss at not seeing a more cannon version of it as expected, I feel like this new face for Les Miserables was a refreshing and completely appropriate retelling of the classic.

The movie fell short in some cases in the vocals department but it still worked because the raw emotion made up for it. I'd even go so far to say that the nontraditional, occasionally (emphasis on the occasionally) less-than sub par singing by musical theatre standards actually made the characters seem more real and improved the movie by enhancing the realism that was trying to be achieved. I noticed that when the actors were singing, especially during the main character's big emotional ballads, the camera often never left their face but remained zoomed in almost too close for comfort--you are right there, up close and personal with the character watching every emotion pass through their face as they pour their hearts out into song. The only time the singing really didn't work for me was during Jackman's rendition of Bring Him Home--I wanted it to be beautiful and it just felt like a rough patch. (It probably didn't help that just the other week I saw Alfie Boe sing it live which was absolutely JAW DROPPING. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI4jb-Aca9M) Javert (Russell Crowe) I also felt fell flat in the singing department much of the time. I love hearing a rich baritone voice singing it and Crowe just didn't have the power behind it. His acting worked for me though.

Overall, I thought the casting was impeccable although going into it, I wasn't quite sure what to expect because the cast includes many actors who do not hail heavily from the musical theatre genre. Again, once I recognized the alternate styling from the traditional musical version, I realized that the casting fit completely. Hugh Jackman as Valjean was incredible however he was very intense. I loved seeing his deep emotion but I left the theater longing to see more happiness from Valjean. Yes, it ended happy for him but I never actually saw the joy from Jackman. His intense serious side was deep, emotional, and thought-provoking, I just wish we saw more happiness to contrast it against. (I couldn't help but think: "I know Marius loves Cosette more than anything, but wouldn't Valjean scare him away regardless? Can you imagine how intimidating an in-law like him would be?) I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the incredibly talented cast as well; each one shone with a new unique side to each of Hugo's characters that they wanted to share. I thought it was interesting how the role of Enjolras (Aaron Tveit) was very much minimized while they emphasized Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone) who was just perfect for Gavroche. And as beautiful as Fantine and Eponine's harmonized lyric "To love another person is to see the face of God", I was pleased that they pulled Eponine (Samantha Barks) from the scene. I've always questioned the significance of Eponine to Valjean and wondered why she would be one of the angels coming to retrieve him from his earthly mission. The star-crossed lovers Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) were perfect in their roles, even looking their appropriate ages of 16 and 22 (depending on how you figure it), respectively. And finally, I absolutely ADORED the fact that they put Colm Wilkinson in as the bishop. It was a very sweet and tender surprise to see him play opposite of his original role and get to make that pivotal difference in Valjean's life. He had a unique take on the role undoubtedly due to the hundreds of times he has been the receiver of that incredibly merciful and charitable gift he bestows upon Valjean.

Although the musical movie version of Les Miserables was not what I expected, I absolutely loved every little piece of it. It was fun to see a new take on the classic and just as much as it was different, I learned new things from it. The production staff made some daring new creative decisions with this movie and they came off well with the most famous initiative being the decision to allow the actors more full creativity by having them sing and record live on set. This allowed the emotions and acting to come across with incredibly raw realism and for a daunting tale like Les Mis that is all about the human condition, this was a wonderful choice.

Joyful Noise Review

I had the opportunity to officially participate in reviewing a show for the first time! Joel Applegate (the other reviewer who attended this show with me) is an English major so I pretty much just contributed ideas and he wrote the review but he did a great job, don't you think? Read the review on the Front Row Reviewers Utah website: http://frontrowreviewersutah.com/?p=861

Update

Well, I'm now working as a full-fledged nurse and you'll be happy to know that I haven't messed up and killed anyone yet. :) Being a nurse really isn't as scary as I thought it'd be--the hospital where I work has many resources and safety catches that help keep patients safe. Granted, that doesn't mean I don't feel stupid constantly due to the fact that there's so much to know, only that my patients are safe. Work each night is a bit like a roller coaster--you walk onto the floor having no idea what to expect and once you're there you just hold on and face whatever comes your way. You have to just keep fighting to do your best until the magical hour when the next shift comes in and you're able to give report and leave. That's not saying every night is bad, it's just you don't know what to expect. Some nights are slow, some are busy, and some can change in the blink of an eye.

I decided to take this semester off of school but I hope to start back up in January (ugh). With the play and all, this summer ended up not being much of a break so I needed some time to get caught up on my personal things which are MANY. (It's amazing how many things you're able to neglect during nursing school.) I also took the semester off to spend time with Janessa before her mission and have the ability to focus on work as well as a few other things.

Change

Maybe it's the cooling weather or the changing leaves, but I sense change in the air and it's a little bit terrifying. In fact, I believe the gears have already been turning on many major changes. I've graduated and have moved out for good. Clint's moving on to whatever his next goal in life is. Janessa's leaving on a mission. Brownie has passed on and Sanno & Henry will never be the same little cat family. Tonight Janessa and I were talking about just how many things are likely to change before she returns from Peru and they are many! We humans can handle changes in bits and pieces but when you quantify everything that could happen over a longer amount of time it quickly becomes overwhelming. Right now I'm not really feeling the same excitement and zeal for the future that I've felt in my life up until now. These next couple of years should be interesting!

Moving Day: Of Shower Heads, Divorce and Awesome Friends

Today I moved and I realized a few things:

Shower heads that are mounted high enough for me or are at least adjustable are amazing. My new apartment has an adjustable shower head that I can easily stand directly under. LOVE! Could someone please tell me why in the world it is standard to mount shower heads about 5 feet off the ground when most people are taller than that?

Getting divorced would suck. Splitting mine and Janessa's stuff today since we will no longer be roommates was hard and emotional. And we don't even have kids! ;)

I have awesome friends! Ok, I've realized this before...today just was another testament to it.

Pioneers

When we think of Pioneer Day or pioneers in general, we generally think of those who walked hundreds of miles and suffered greatly to escape persecution and live in a place where their beliefs could flourish. While Pioneer Day is celebrated primarily to honor these amazing, stalwart individuals, I also like to think of all those other pioneers throughout history who have suffered and risked something to promote what they know to be true. I do not intend to diminish those brave souls who gave so much to settle this state in any way whatsoever--I'm am INCREDIBLY grateful for what they did so I can live in such a beautiful place where I can practice my religion without fear; however, I do want to expand our minds to other important pioneers throughout history.

I am just finishing up a book called Medical Firsts by Robert E. Adler which is a book full of the innovators of medicine throughout history, many of whom gave and risked their way of life and their honor to stay true to what they knew. Because of their persistence, mankind has been able to relieve pain, suffering, and loss of life by leaps and bounds.

My biggest surprise while reading this book was how some very good things that are now widely accepted and commonly practiced were once controversial, namely anesthesia. Did you know that some physicians thought pain was necessary for healing? Some clergy even went so far as to proclaim anesthesia a sin, even going so far as to quote the bible "in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" to claim that if God wanted childbirth to be pain free, he would have made it pain free.

So, here's my Pioneer Day shout-out to pioneers everywhere, both those who are paving the way today and those of the past who have forged the way to bless so many. What is viewed today as strange, wrong, or even unfathomable today may well be the way of good in the future.

Update

The last month or so has been riddled with changes!

At the end of April, I moved into Sparks Apartments with Janessa. It was crazy at first because I moved in halfway and then went to stay with an elderly woman for 10 days while her daughter was on vacation. It was so hard to pack everything, move it, and then pack up again before even unpacking all the way. I felt homeless for awhile because I wasn't settled anywhere. Some of my belongings were at my parents' house, some were at Sparks, and some were at the house where I was staying. Even worse? My food was spread out over all three places too which made it really hard to make anything because each location only had some things.

It felt so lovely to settle once that job ended!

On May 5th, I officially graduated from nursing school! It was such a fun day and I really appreciate all of the support I received from everyone! It was crazy to look back over my time in the nursing program--I couldn't believe how fast it went while at the same time I couldn't believe how long ago that July day seemed when I first opened my acceptance letter. I have changed, learned, and grown so much in that time! Sometimes I like who I am now but sometimes I miss who I once was. Certain aspects of life back then were so much more carefree.

All my lovely family and pseudo-family who came to the ceremony

 After graduating, I began to cram for the NCLEX. I don't know what the NCLEX stands for exactly, but for all you non-nursing folks out there, it's the name of the national test that allows nursing graduates to become licensed to actually work. You are not officially a nurse until you successfully conquer the NCLEX beast. At the end of May, I faced the beast and came off conqueror. It felt wonderful!

Employment happened almost concurrently with passing the NCLEX: the first place I got hired was with Mollen Immunization Clinics. They are a company that sets up vaccine clinics in retail locations during the flu season so although I've accepted a position there, I won't actually start working until August. The position is seasonal and goes until November. How it works is Mollen posts clinic needs on their website and their nurses can sign up for the ones they want to cover. The second place I was hired at was the hospital unit where I worked as a tech/PCT/CNA for the last year. It's a full-time nights position so once I've oriented for a couple of months, I will be at the hospital all night three nights a week. While I'm orienting, I work two nights on the floor and spend the rest of the time in residency classes or doing computer orientation.

I feel incredibly blessed to be so richly employed right out of school! I have so much to learn still so I'm also very nervous, but I'm excited at the same time. I am currently adjusting to the major life changes that accompany it: staying up all night, working full time, and pretending to be an adult! Before I graduated, I had this crazy idea that I would have free time once I finished school. Nope! I think life is even busier! This has been really frustrating to me but I'm gradually adjusting to the idea.

In the fall, I plan to attend UVU. I have a couple of prerequisites that I will complete and then I hope to enter UVU's nursing program starting in January to earn my Bachelor's Degree.

Rehearsals for My Fair Lady are going well except for I've had to miss a lot of them already due to work. I feel so bad because work obviously takes precedence, but it's still not fair to those involved in the show; I just wish I would've known what I had in store before auditioning back in March. Regardless, it's going to be an amazing show, everyone involved is SO talented and is giving so much to make it a success. We open in July and you should definitely come see it.

Thoughts on Recycling

There is a tremendous amount of waste going on and, in general, Utahns have views that are very...how do I put this? Non-green. I've noticed that people who move here from other states often have a hard time with 1. How little we recycle and 2. How inaccessible recycling is.

How can we change this?

Somehow we need to make recycling a habit for our children. It needs to become part of our culture. I grew up in a home that always recycled our aluminum cans and now I have a very hard time just throwing them in the regular garbage. I can only imagine how hard it is for out-of-state folks who are used to recycling most everything! If recycling becomes more accessible and we put forth the effort to do it, it can become part of Utah's culture too.

Tithing

Up until the last year or so, whenever I would pay my tithing, I would suddenly have more--the Lord made it easy for me to gain a testimony of tithing. One of my favorite things about tithing is that it's one of the most straightforward commandments out there--give 10% of you're income to God and God will bless you with more than you gave. If you want to gain a testimony of God, pay tithes to him and see what happens. It's one of the few commandments that you can live 100% and KNOW that you're living it 100%.

This last semester changed my perspective on tithing though. No, I take that back, it didn't change it but rather added to it.

I was SO poor. Each paycheck had to be carefully budgeted out or I wouldn't have enough. And each time I would hope to have a little extra dough the next time payday rolled around...but I never did.

One day my sister Janessa was telling me how blessed she was because she paid tithing. She currently has a full scholarship for school AND gets PELL grants on top of that--basically, she gets paid to go to school. It really upset me because it made me wonder what I was doing wrong: I was paying tithing but couldn't figure out why I was so incredibly poor. And then several days later it hit me: you are poor but you are making it because of tithing: your bills are paid, you have food to eat, a place to live, and clothes to wear. I know that it was tithing that made that possible. I was making so little and every penny had to be budgeted but it always played out that there were enough pennies to meet every necessary expense that came my way.

I Graduate NEXT WEEK!

On Life and Death

Recently I met a woman who was 101 years old. Each time I was in her presence, I felt as if I should be bowing instead of just saying hi. I had a great grandmother (Grandma Great) who lived to be 101. We were pretty good buds and I have a few very endearing memories of her even though she passed away when I was only four years old; I'd like to think that my love for the elderly began with her (which is one of the main driving reasons for me to choose nursing as a profession). Until I recently met this 101 year old woman, I never realized just how many years that is. It astounds me to think how much she has lived through: major historical turning points, pain, joy, and experiences galore!

One can only imagine...

If she were born 101 years ago, that means she was born in 1911. She would have been a teenager in the roaring 20s. She would have been old enough at the time to remember women gaining the right to vote in the United States. She probably would have married at around the start of the Great Depression and began raising her children around then. She would have had teenagers during WWII, possibly been grateful that they weren't old enough to go away to war but also nervous that the war would continue when they were old enough. Around 1950, she would have been sending her kids out into the world. Watching them go to college, get married, bless her with grandchildren, make poor choices, and learn how to survive in the world. Maybe some of her worst fears were realized when one of her children went to war in Korea. She probably watched in wonderment as man walked on the moon for the first time 1969. In the mid-seventies, she would reach retirement age. She would welcome more grandbabies into her family, and then begin to welcome great-grandbabies. She would also begin losing those she loved to the other side, ones that she may have expected to outlive her: her husband, dear friends, and then even probably her own children. Great-great-grandchildren would probably be welcomed to earth. (By this time, she probably would be having a difficult time keeping track of her own posterity.) Life would continue and maybe she would possibly wonder, 'Why haven't I been called home yet?' Did she feel blessed to live so long? Or did she want the pain, sorrow, and hardship that inevitably comes along with this earth life to end?

This is all very generalized and brief...think of everything that really could be experienced in that amount of time. It absolutely astounds me.

Death, at least of those closest to me, has left me alone for much of my life. My earliest experience I remember with death was my Grandma Great and, as I said earlier, we were pretty close. I have a few very poignant memories of her, especially for a four-year-old. I remember she loved to watch conference (which I didn't understand at the time)--she would re-watch taped sessions much of the day. I remember giving her Fruit Stripe Gum (known at the time by me as Zebra Gum since I couldn't read) and after a few minutes, she'd stop chewing so I'd offer her another piece. And then another. And another. Finally, my grandma (who was Grandma Great's caregiver) realized what was happening (the gum was just sticking to her mouth) and that was the end of that. My Grandma Great was also the person who taught me to pray, at least as far as I remember. We had a "sleep over" one night and I remember her teaching me to kneel down at the side of the bed and pray before we went to sleep. I remember praying for her on the other side after she passed away.

When I was 11 years old, death touched me again--my maternal grandmother was hit by a car and killed. I don't really remember what emotions I experienced at the time, I remember it sort of as matter of fact. In high school, two deaths hit me hard: a kid who committed suicide who was in some of my classes, and my cat Mocos who was hit by a car. With both of these deaths, I remember feeling very angry as if some great injustice had been done.

Lately, I have a much more positive view of death. True, death is a very sad and difficult thing for those left here on earth but to the soul departing, I can only imagine that it is an indescribably glorious experience. I often think about what the day will be like when I go home to be reunited with my maker. I can only imagine that it will be a wonderful day (provided I am prepared). This life is like camping--it's fun and all but going home is always greatly anticipated. The difference in this life is that we think what we have is wonderful (which is is) but we forget that what we have to look forward to is SO much better.

At the start of this year, two people I knew who were in their 20s passed away unexpectedly. It was hard and I still can't believe they are gone but I am happy for them because they have moved onto something better. Their passing made me realize that we must always be prepared to be called home because we never know when it is going to happen. It also made me realize that we need to truly appreciate those who are with us now because we never know when our time will be cut short. (This is much easier said than done, by the way.)

My work and life experiences have made me realize that there are many things worse than death. I suspect that my thoughts on death will continue to evolve and deepen as I experience more of this life and embark on my new nursing career.

I can't wait to go home but I'm definitely not ready yet!

Trials

Lately I've been thinking a lot about trials and have come to the knowledge that God will never let us experience a trial that we can't handle. Think of how AMAZING that is! Sometimes we look around at others, see what they're going through, and think: that is SO tough, I really hope I don't have to go through that! We then get really nervous that we might have the same trial in store for us but if we realize that we can handle whatever comes our way, this will bring us a great deal of peace no matter what we have in store. We probably won't have that trial that we were fearing, but if we do, we can handle it. And what's even better? The fact that trials only make us better--without them we stay just the way we are. So, come what may! I will do my best to love it while knowing that I can handle it and that it's worth it.

Preparing to Graduate

As you may or may not know, I am in the last semester of my nursing program which means this May, I will graduate which brings a mix of many feelings. I am so excited to not have homework and clinicals. I'm excited for my finances to stop heading in the negative direction. And I'm excited to take on new challenges as a nurse. But challenges are challenges. Nurses have so much to know and carry ample responsibility. I am positively terrified I am going to screw up and kill someone right off the bat.

Change always comes with hardship. It's almost always scary but exciting at the same time. I'm excited and nervous at the same time!

After graduating, I will cram my little butt off and take (and hopefully PASS) the NCLEX. (The NCLEX is the big test that nurses have to pass to become licensed.) After passing, the next step is to get hired somewhere! I would love to stay on the floor that I currently work on so hopefully there will be an open position around the right time (and that my manager still likes me, :P). And then it's just work, work, and more work to make headway on student loans.

In the fall, I will head back to school at UVU since Provo College only offers an associate's degree in nursing--I want a bachelor's. For the fall, I will be taking pathophysiology, statistics, and possibly another nursing related elective or two. Patho and stats are both beasts of classes and it's going to be so strange to go back to non-nursing classes. I am going to have to revive study skills that I haven't used in years since the way nursing tests are written are completely different than regular old GE-type tests. It will be interesting. Right now I'm so burned out on school that the thought of doing more school sends thoughts of utter revulsion into my very core. But I think the break over the summer will be just what I need and I'll be ready to take a crack at it full-force after those four months. I hope to be accepted in UVU's nursing program beginning in January.

Besides the career plans for the summer, other plans are beginning to fall into place. For one thing, Janessa and I are moving to a cute little apartment about a mile away. The apartments are adorable, we'll have a lounge and a hot tub and pool (which will be great for Awesomeness), and we're both excited to meet new people and continue to learn and grow. I also just auditioned for a Spanish Fork Community Theater's production of My Fair Lady. If I make it, that will take a good deal of my time. I'm excited though. It will be hard to balance with work, but it will be a great creative release at the end of the day (even though I will probably be getting up early again the next morning to head off to work). There are also a couple of possible road trips in the works that will be really fun.

For now, I'll just keep pushing through all this senioritis I've got going on!

Back to the Stage!

In December, I went to quite a few Christmas plays...which really made me miss being onstage. Coincidentally, almost the perfect opportunity presented itself shortly after. One of my friends who I've done a lot of theatre with was casting for a play he's directing. So I auditioned, somewhat cautiously knowing how pressed for time I usually am. It turned out there couldn't have been a better play to audition for: the rehearsal time was short, the play was simple, and I'm only in the first act so if I need to, I can be done before 8:30 on show nights.

The play is called Marriage Go-Round and it consists of two short plays, one for each act. The first act and the one I'm in is called Why I am a Bachelor. Basically, it's a bachelor lecturing as to why being a bachelor is the only way to go. He demonstrates his point by showing scenes from a couple's life: some from when they are dating/engaged and are all mushy brained and some from when they are married and arguing. I originally started with the part of The Girl (you'll see how she fits in if you come, I don't want to spoil it) but ended up with the role of the female in the couple: Heidi. It's crazy, scary, fun, and exhilarating all at once to have a leading role.

Anyway, I really hope you'll all come see it! It runs every Friday, Saturday, and Monday evening at 7:30 at Valley Center Playhouse (780 N. 200 E., Lindon, UT) until February 13th. Tickets are $7 for general admission; students, kids, and seniors are only $5. They also have family and group discounts.