Miserable

Miserable. That pretty much sums up the past week or so in multiple ways, though not necessarily how you might think.

The first of which is the fact that I've had some sort of allergy/sinus/cold mess for the past several days and it has truly made me miserable in just about every sense of the word. Because of it, I have actually had some unscheduled cheat days, because sometimes when you're sick, you just need those certain comfort foods (I submit to the jury exhibit A: hot and sour soup). I've been treating and medicating just about every way I know how because of the second connotation of miserable...

Yes, friends, this Friday, July 19th, the much-anticipated production of Les Misérables that I'm involved in will officially be open. This production aims high and will raise the bar for on-stage talent, technical and scenic design, and overall experience for the audiences of our region.

If you're not familiar with the musical, the recent film starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, or the original 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, here's a rough, pieced together description from a few various sources:

Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister's child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him to, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade. Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption - a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.

Sounds pretty epic, right?? Well it definitely is. Here are some of my castmates (and possibly me) to tell you a bit more...

For anyone interested in coming to see us on stage, you can visit Encore Theatrical Company's website at www.etcplays.org for tickets.

Unfortunately that's all I really have to share with you this week. Sorry there's not much in the way of food, but I've barely been home at all and definitely haven't had time to cook, especially with the way I've been feeling. But, I'll have a few days off from the theatre next week, so hopefully I'll be back with more things to share after I've had a trip to the grocery store. Until then...

Much love to you all,

Jon