Advertisements for “Les Miserables” were located all over the Big Apple–especially in front of the theaters on Broadway. Photo by Staff Reporter
On Oct. 8, 2014, Marcella Oathout’s English III Honors students and Kelly Paraskevakos’s English Seminar classes boarded a coach bus bound for New York.
The destination was Broadway, where the students, along with a few parents who volunteered as chaperones, witnessed a live matinee performance of “Les Miserables.”
Les Miserables is a novel written by Victor Hugo. The book has over 1,000 pages, so many prefer the 2012 film directed by Tom Hooper. The movie centers around the life of a peasant named Jean Valjean who was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Through an act of mercy from a bishop, Valjean turns from his life of thievery and chooses to do good and help others.
Throughout the film, Valjean is constantly hounded by Javert, the police inspector who first imprisoned him and longs to recapture him. There are many side stories incorporated into the film, and as the plot occurs in Paris, France during the French Revolution, there is battle on the barricade.
Students viewed “Les Miserables” because of its classicality and content which relates to both American and world literature taught in Oathout’s and Paraskevakos’s honors English classes.
Junior Emily Hamme especially enjoyed her time at the theater. “I thought [the trip] was a nice way to incorporate literature and different cultural topics. It was also a really nice reward for working hard in a higher level class,” Hamme said.
This is not the first time Oathout’s students have seen a show on Broadway. Last year her English III class saw “Of Mice and Men,” while her honors class viewed “A Raisin in the Sun.” In previous years, her classes have traveled to theaters in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
This year’s trip cost a total of $110 per person. Included in the total cost was ticket expenses and transportation fare.
Before the performance, students had a two hour time limit to eat lunch. Oathout and Paraskevakos provided suggestions of restaurants that were close in proximity to the theater, but students were allowed to choose their own dining accommodations.
Despite the six hour round trip bus ride and the fact that Ramin Karimloo’s understudy, Aaron Walpole, played Valjean, Oathout noted that her students “continued to discuss the show as [they] left the theater and in class the following days.” Evidently, the positive aspects of the day outweighed the negative.
Oathout had no worries about how the trip would go. She had “confidence in both the integrity and character of York Suburban students. They demonstrated grace and sophistication at all performances,” she added.
Oathout believes the trip benefited her students: “Many students had never had the opportunity to view live theater on Broadway. This [was] not only an excellent educational experience, but also a wonderful cultural experience as well.” She says she will “absolutely plan another trip.”