I know that you are probably tired of seeing all of the songs I have been posting from Les Misérables, but I just cant help it. This was the first show I ever saw on Broadway, I was 40 years old at the time and it will always be special to me. I will always remember sitting in that dark theatre, 8th Row, Center and anxiously awaiting for it to start. I couldnt believe that this small town girl was finally in the big city of New York for the very first time. I cant begin to tell you how excited I was. I remember it like yesterday . . . Right before the show started, my husband, Hank, leaned over and whispered in my ear these words that I will never forget ~ I paid to hear them sing and not you! And he was right! I am not the best singer in the world but I love to make a joyful noise (and my singing is mostly a joyful NOISE). I had listened to the soundtrack many times and tried to tell my children the story. From the first moment I heard this wonderful music, it changed my life. I love this show because it is a true ensemble show. Yes, Valjean and Javert are the big leads, but it is the people in the ensemble that make this show. They tell the story that we have all come to love. After seeing it for the first time, all Hank and I could talk about was how talented the ensemble was. Dont ever underestimate the ensemble! They are the heart and soul of a show! To me, Les Mis, as most of us fondly call it, is a story about Gods Grace and His redeeming Love. It is a story of forgiveness and of redemption. It is the story of the struggle that good people have when they are trying everything they possibly can to provide for their family and to give them a better life. It is the story of young people being willing to stand up for injustice and to make the world a better place. It is a story of hope, the promise of tomorrow, of love. This song that I am posting is probably my favorite, even though I love them all. As a parent, this song really touches my heart. It makes me think of when my three children left home for the first time to attend college. I just wanted them to be safe and to come back home to us. This song makes me think of all of the parents who have children who have enlisted in the military. They just want their children to be safe and protected while they are away from home, fighting to keep all of us safe. This song is a prayer ~ of hope, of family far away, of protection, for our way of life. This song always touches me deep down in my heart. I am so thrilled that StageStruck is finally bringing this show to life. I am very honored to be a Producer, along with Theresa Flynn and Katie Batts, for this 25th anniversary show. We have assembled a great Production Team and we have been working for several months to get things ready. Is it ambitious for us to try it? Of course it is. Are we going to be able to do it? I have faith that we WILL. Will we be perfect? Maybe or maybe not, but that is not whats important. The important thing is that StageStruck was willing to try ~ willing to take a chance ~ willing to give the children in Wayne and surrounding counties the opportunity to be in something that has never been tried before. For the past 25 years, that is exactly what StageStruck has been doing ~ we have been giving hope, the opportunity to try, the chance to experience something that can change their lives. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the visionaries who started StageStruck 25 year ago when it was just a hope and a prayer ~ to thank those who believed that a childrens theatre was needed to be in Wayne County ~ to thank those who said,WE CAN DO THIS! I am so very proud to be a part of this organization ~ proud of those who came before me ~ proud of those who will come after me. I am eternally grateful to the parents of our StageStruck Kids who have given hours and hours of their time to make StageStruck work. I am thankful for our StageStruck Kids who have participated in this organization that was created for them ~ each of you, even if you never had a lead or were only in one show ~ YOU have made StageStruck what it is today. I am excited to see what tomorrow brings and who is going to bring it home. I am thrilled that I will be able to experience this time with wonderful cast members, wonderful parents, and a wonderful production team. I am thankful that my children wanted to be a part of StageStruck and that they were given the opportunity to experience the wonders of the theatre. 25 years and the magic of StageStruck continues . . . heres hoping that it will continue for 25 more and many years after that! Shari Stewart, Past President, StageStruck
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 06:10:34 +0000