Shows: Les Misérables (II)

Since they first viewed the Les Misérables' 25th Anniversary concert DVD, the kiddos have been learning some of the songs on their own, with the help of Youtube. 

They started with "Castle in the Cloud"and later moving on to the season's favourite: "Do you hear the people sing?", which forms part of their performance repertoire and top-pick sing-a-long during car rides.

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Here's a video of an impromptu "rehearsal" video before bedtime:

(apologies for the blurred out faces — am trying to preserve a measure of their privacy online for security reasons)

We've watched the newly released Les Misérables' movie after Christmas, which reignited the interest in the musical.And subsequently, we listened to the Original London Cast recording (over and over again) and watched the 10th Anniversary DVD.

Some spin-offs:

Baby learnt new words. "I'm building a barricade."

Boy made me crack my head to explain his many questions about survivors' guilt, the societal stigma of being a single mother and intoxication (Don't let the wine go to your brains!), among others. He also traces all the common themes and melodies across different songs (many that I didn't realise myself), highlighting new discoveries every now and then. "Mommy, the melody for Look Down (Prologue), Confrontation and Look Down, the beggars at your feet are the same ..." His current hero is young Gavroche.


Girl drew pictures of her favourite characters and had a short history lesson on the evolution of the French flag.

I grew up on the Sound of Music, but I think my kids' favourite musical would Les Misérables for a long time to come!