Radio Workshop

Interview with Diana Kaarina (Transcript)

by Nancy Farghalli

They can relate to every single character in the show, and really really identify with their journey. The process in trying to change yourself for the better, and becoming a better person, not being who the world designates you to be. And, especially with the world events that happen around you, people can relate with the struggle to trying change the way things are in the world. The students' revolution. There are so many aspects of it. And, people constantly tell me that they relate to this song, that song, or the music. It makes them feel.

Soundbite of Les Miz

Are their some songs that are your favorites that you sing?

On my own. I love to sing that song.

Do you mind performing a few notes on my own?

On my own, pretending he's beside me, all one, I walk with him till morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me. And, when I lose my way, I close my eyes, and he has found me.

You are one of 21 Eponine that has been on Broadway.

Wow really.

In terms of being the final Eponine, what does that mean to you?

Well, I don't think it is actual hit me that I'm the final epinione. I have been playing the role almost five years. So, It is just part of my job with Les Miz. But, when I think about it. It really is a huge responsibility because she's such a well loved character. I think people relate to her because of the unrequited love because everyone has been in that situation, you know, having loved someone and not having it returned. And, I also think that she spends a lot of the show confiding with the audience. She does

more siloquies. She turns to audience and tells them how they feel?

Where do you think Broadway is going, in terms of the end of these big Broadway musicals?

It's funny because the Broadway community seems to be noticing more a trend of toward making movies into musicals which was sort even more prevalent. We have Urban Cowboy coming out and Hairspray. Before that we had Fame

and we had Footloose. All of these different movies are being performed on stage, which is quite interesting, I think, because there is not a lot of that actual creative process of creating a brand new story for the show.

When you sing your final on my own and you sing one day more, what do you think you will be feeling when you are looking out at the audience?

Just recently we did a performance at a benefit. We did the final song of the show, one day more, and we had everyone who has ever appeared in Les Miz come back and step on and sing the song with us. It was an enormous group. And, the emotion was so overwhelming that half of us couldn't sing all the way through. We just broke down and started crying because it was a huge huge, thing to sing with every person in Les Miz. And, think it is going to be similar to that. It is going to be really hard to get through. But, hopefully we'll still do a good show.

Sound bite: One Day More

Closing: Dianna Kaarina final turn as Eponine will be on May 18th when the curtain falls on Les Miserables, after 6, 684 performances on Broadway.