Here are some pictures from when the Europe 2009 group viewed Les Miserables in London. As time permits, I am planning on writing about the things we did on our trip.
Before we left for Europe, all of the students stayed after school from 2:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. to listen to the musical in its entirety. There is something powerful that happens when you listen to the whole thing in one sitting. Every child was given a libretto and pizza 
! Some of our Europe 2010 and 2011 joined us to prepare for their trip. It’s always interesting to me what students take away from the story. Some find themes of friendship, to others it’s a romance and some find a religious meaning. Some cry and everyone laughs at the Thernardiers! So by the time we get to London, they’re prepared!
At the theater, we have gotten to know Inch, one of the sales representatives. Every year since we started in 2003, we purchase shirts for the students. Inch has been so helpful in making sure we have the correct sizes for our students. We are so appreciative for her help! We got her to pose for pictures this year.
The seats we were able to purchase this year were the best we’ve ever had. Even though we had been traveling for nine exhausting days by the time we saw the musical, almost everyone stayed awake the entire time. It was so engaging that even students who were skeptical about enjoying it, did. As Joshua said to me, “I thought I wouldn’t like it and that I would fall asleep. I was nervous because you were sitting next to me, what would happen if I did fall asleep? But I really liked it and stayed awake the whole time!”
Some of our students sat with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson who joined us in London this year on the trip (next year, they’ll join us in Paris). Mr. Thompson shared with them how he didn’t understand it the first time he saw it years ago and how he learned more about it this year. We were glad they were with us.
As we flew home, I had many demands for my iPod because I have the whole musical loaded on it. Several students wore their shirts right away, washed them and wore them to school the next day. We are planning a group picture for next Friday with our shirts so check back!
Also, I received this email from John Tyler in London who works for Dewynters Ltd, the company that supplies the Les Mis shirts. Be sure to read his comment on this post as well! Thank you, John for taking the time to write to us!
“We all know how exciting it is, especially when you’re young to visit key cities such as Paris and London which are drenched in history. But maybe that aspect of what a place has to offer isn’t so appealing at that age, when today and tomorrow are of more interest than yesterday. Being born and lived in London all my life it’s too easy to take it for granted and to focus on all the down sides of 21st century metropolitan living – social deterioration, litter, crime, bad manners, incompetent public services (the archetypal “It wasn’t like this when I was a lad” syndrome – but maybe that’s the story of every modern city). However, every now and then, the continuity of centuries strikes you and it’s difficult not marvel at the realisation that Londoners have stood in a spot or walked along the same streets for two thousand years (e.g. our offices are in Leicester Square which 500 years ago was the edge of a forest and was the gathering point for the Tudor nobility to set out hunting – until Elizabeth I gave the land to her favorite, the Earl of Leicester; or to walk down the Strand from Trafalgar Square to Aldwych in the knowledge that it was first a Roman road and then became the thoroughfare for cattle and livestock going to market from Saxon times around the 500’s right up until the 18th century – [Wyc was the saxon word for market, hence Aldwych was 'The Old Market']; or walking past the Banqueting House in Whitehall and imagine that January morning 350 years ago when Charles I was led out onto a balcony outside a first floor window and beheaded in front of a nervous crowd; the lists go on and on. Standing on a spot suddenly makes it all the more real and that unnerving feeling that one day in 500 years time more than likely someone will be standing in the same place wondering what life was like here in the romantically distant 21st Century.”
Wow! This made me really think about where I was! Thanks again John!
What an exciting trip this must be for you every year. I imagine it must be highly satisfying (and probably highly stressful in equal measures) to expose the kids to such a dynamic experience, knowing that it’s something that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives and that, like all travel, will, either papably or subtly, influence their attitudes and opinions through adulthood. It must be most rewarding for you especially if it is their first visit to Europe. I’m sure it opens up an appreciation of alternatives and options that they might otherwise not have considered (which I guess is rather the point of education in the first place).
I’m pleased Inch is looking after you at Les Miz. She has been running our in-theatre merchandise sales for 30 years (!) – she managed ‘Cats’ from beginning to end of its 21 year run – and is well known and much loved as a character in the West End. Unfortunately, Inch doesn’t have an email address at the moment, so I’ve printed out the shots and have sent them to her at the theatre.
Till next year
Best regards
John Tyler