Jesse Green

When I was a kid growing up, I went to public school in the Bronx, and it was in the sixth or seventh grade.

I had a math teacher.

I'm sure he was a fine-to-good math teacher.

The reason, however, that I remember him most is because I recall him, vividly recall him, taking an inordinate amount of time the year that I had him to have us read and listen to the lyrics and music for the musical Les Miserables.

So instead of teaching math, he would play what I assume was the cast recording in class, and he would explain to us what was going on in the story.

And then eventually, we went to see a live Broadway performance of Les Mis.

I cannot say it wasn't.

I cannot say it was.

All I remember is, why are we not learning math here?

I feel like math will be more useful to me, this is what I was thinking at this age, than theater.

And buddies, I was wrong.

Because theater has proven much more useful to me in life than math.

At least today.

At least today.

This is the Sunday special.

I'm Gilbert Cruz.

Joining me today is Jesse Green, a culture correspondent here at The Times and a longtime theater critic for The Paper.

Welcome, Jesse.

Thank you, Gilbert.

And Elizabeth Vincentelli is the former chief theater critic for The New York Post and a regular arts and culture contributor to The Times.