I Dreamed A Dream

The big news for me this week wasn't Prelude to a Kiss and it wasn't Lea Salonga, it was about eating in the theater. No, not really (though that was close to the top of the list, of course). It also wasn't how bad "You're the One That I Want" is, though I could probably go on about that for days. It was actually the fact that Daphne Rubin-Vega will not be returning to Les Miz after what was scheduled to be a short "leave." Now, if I was in reporter mode, it would have occurred to me weeks ago when I heard about Lea that her casting meant no more Daphne (Lea would certainly not do just a few weeks), but, I have to admit, it didn't. I cheered Lea in my mind and then moved on, went away, thought no more of it.

I don't know how many of you remember this, but, after the opening night of Thou Shalt Not, Craig Bierko, who received horrible reviews (after the Broadway community had embraced him for The Music Man), said he had been injured during the opening night performance (supposedly Norbert Leo Butz, who received positive notices, had hit him in an incorrect way) and was out for a little while. At the time, I questioned the coincidental timing of this, but I knew somewhere in my heart that was unfair of me because he probably was hurt... and I'm too cynical... blah, blah, blah...

I still think, and this is backed up by zero proof, it was probably part injury to the body and part injury to the soul. I believe that is the truth. This time, I am going to choose to believe something that might not be true, but I don't care. I am going to choose to believe that this Daphne thing is part them not wanting her to return, but also part her not wanting to do it anymore. I know that very well might not be true. But I am going to choose to believe it--I don't want to hear any info to the contrary. Stop emailing me about it. I like Daphne, I always have and that's it.