Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was an insatiable theatergoer. I grew up in a family that shared the same passion, and I can’t even recall how old I was when my parents first took me to a Broadway show.
Living on Long Island, Broadway was only a forty-five–minute train ride away on the Long Island Railroad, and after that very first performance, I was hooked. I had Broadway fever.
Every year, when my parents asked what I wanted for my birthday, my answer was always the same: a Broadway show. That tradition became one of the sweetest rhythms of my childhood.
The best birthday gift of all, though, came from my husband. He whisked me away to New York for a three-day weekend, and we managed to see five shows. Among them was the unforgettable Phantom of the Opera and, most memorably, the final performance of Present Laughter starring Frank Langella. After the curtain fell, Langella himself stepped back on stage to speak with the audience. Listening to him reflect and share was an absolute delight—a moment of theater magic I’ll never forget.
Unfortunately, in recent years I haven’t made it to the theater as often as I would have liked—and one of the shows I’ve never seen live is Les Misérables. I can practically hear the collective gasp as you read that confession, and believe me, I’m just as shocked. After all, Les Miz ran on Broadway for an astounding 6,680 performances over ten years. Where was I, and what on earth was I thinking?
To right this terrible wrong, I’ll be joining the millions racing to the theater to see the movie version. The cast alone is reason enough to go. And like so many others, I plan to be in the audience on Christmas Day. My family and I are already buzzing with anticipation—we’re pumped up and ready!
