by Father Robert Lauder
I AM EMBARRASSED to confess that I never heard of The Josephine Foundation until last August. That I heard of the foundation when I did enabled me and eight others to have an experience of the theater, which was not only exceptionally enjoyable but also inspiring.
This would not have happened if I had not overheard a conversation that took place at my residence, the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston. I heard someone refer to a production of Les Miserables that was going to take place within a day or two at the center. I could hardly believe that I had not heard of the production previously. After learning of the dates and arranging to get tickets for some friends, who, as I do, think that Les Miserables is the best musical ever, I found that the production was being put on under the auspices of The Josephine Foundation.
The following is the description of The Josephine Foundation in the program for Les Miserables:
“The Josephine Foundation: Through its annual events and works, the Foundation raises money and distributes 100% of the funds to its mission. The mission is to support special individuals and programs, with no regard to race, color, creed, gender, age or financial status, by giving them the chance to achieve their goals in life by providing opportunities in the arts and sports. Our annual grants help many people follow their dreams. The Foundation issues these grants at its Annual Gala in the spring. In addition, the Foundation will use its performing arts projects to raise funds and support various 501(c)(3) charities, providing support for medical, quality of life and disaster relief throughout the world.”
Before seeing the production of Les Miserables, I was a little nervous that I had invited my friends to an amateur production. Though getting together for an evening with friends can be a joyous occasion, I wondered if the enjoyment of the evening would have anything to do with the production or whether it would just be that friends had gathered. Not to worry. The production was terrific. It was so good that I have decided to try to keep informed about future productions of The Josephine Foundation.
My first experience of Victor Hugo’s novel on which the musical was based took place many years ago at Xavier H.S. in Manhattan. When I was in my third year, we read sections of the novel in my French class. I believe the section that was in our reader was titled “The Bishop’s Candlesticks.” I recall liking the selection very much and also not finding the French especially difficult. At Xavier, I was also studying Latin and Greek. Compared to those two languages, French did not seem so tough.
Deeply Moved
When I saw the musical on Broadway, though I enjoyed it and thought it was a nice show, I was surprised at the curtain calls by the enthusiasm of the audience. Many were giving a standing ovation. Some people were cheering; some were crying. I did not dislike the show, but I was stunned by the reaction of so many people in the audience. Why were so many people deeply touched by the musical?
About a week after I had seen Les Miserables, a friend gave me a CD of the show. I listened to it and was amazed. I had missed almost the entire show. It went right over my head. When I listened to the CD, I began to suspect that Les Miserables was a very Christian show. After several viewings over the last 20 years, I have come to believe that Les Miserables is the most Catholic musical ever. Furthermore, I believe the recently released film version of the musical is the most Catholic film musical ever created.
On the Saturday evening that my friends and I saw The Josephine Foundation production, the reaction of the audience was similar to the reaction of the Broadway audience the first time I saw Les Miserables. There was a standing ovation and cheering. Everyone I spoke to after the show was enthusiastic about the production.
Christian Dimension
I wish that I could have interviewed people with some questions about the Christian dimension of the story. Les Miserables even has a resurrection scene. Of course, probably no one who believes in God and in the mystery of love will forget the great line in one of the songs near the end of the play: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
Recalling this wonderful evening, I feel a strong sense of gratitude toward anyone who contributed to the production, from Victor Hugo to the composers, from members of The Josephine Foundation to anyone who helped in any way to present a magical evening in the theater. Those who create art are gift-givers.[hr]
Editor’s Note: To learn more about The Josephine Foundation and its upcoming productions, call 516-334-1536, visit www.thejosephinefoundation.org or check them out on Facebook or Twitter.[hr] Father Robert Lauder, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn and philosophy professor at St. John’s University, Jamaica, writes a weekly column for the Catholic Press.