Have you seen Public Television this week?

They are showing on a constant, beautiful looped repeat the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Le Miserables in London.

I am absolutely entranced, as always, by this captivating musical.

It is just as magnificent on the small screen as it was many years ago, when I saw the original in London, at the famous Palace Theatre.

I was studying there, at Richmond College, with my dear, adventurous, pop culture centric friend Mike.   He may have loved theater more than I do.  We went to see every SINGLE show in the West End over the semester.  It was glorious fun.

The music.

The transporting, haunting stage.

The tattered French Renaissance costumes.

The Victor Hugo tale of social misery in Paris and the French Revolution.

The longing, the ROMANCE.

And oh…the singing.

It is still, now after 26 years running, the perfect musical.

The show in London celebrated it’s 10,000th performance last year.  One original musician remains as the original “cast and crew” after show after sold out show.

Cast members, among the vast talent of the storied cast, have included Nick Jonas and Ashley Tisdale.

Love the fresh, young Disney stars jumping on the bandwagon, don’t you?

In my favorite scene, an astonishing 500 actors are onstage.  300 of them are singing.

Not only is the musical beyond lovely, but the book itself, by Victor Hugo is a memorable, fantastic voyage into the romantic evolution of French politics.

It took him seventeen years to realize, write and publish Les Miz.  Isn’t that incredible?

He weaves more intricate star crossed tales of love, loss, fate and deception into the 1,200 pages than an addictive Bravo series.

His home, on Place des Vosges, now a museum in Paris, is a must do when you next visit.

(six weeks and counting for me…in case you needed an update)

-Debi Lilly