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EponineMNFF

Can somebody explain this to me?

So I was on the LesMis LiveJournal community and found this: http://www.bbonyc.com/shows/lesmis/

Does this mean what I think it means or is it old news that I'm rereading and misinterpreting? O.o Sorry for being dumb, I just saw it and was unsure of whether or not to get excited.
Orestes Fasting

It means what you think it means, and it's brand new.
mastachen

YES!
YES!

Although I am a little worried about what 'newly conceived' means. I mean, we all know 'newly conceived' did wonders for the revival.
The Very Angry Woman

Re: Can somebody explain this to me?

EponineMNFF wrote:
So I was on the LesMis LiveJournal community and found this: http://www.bbonyc.com/shows/lesmis/

Does this mean what I think it means or is it old news that I'm rereading and misinterpreting? O.o Sorry for being dumb, I just saw it and was unsure of whether or not to get excited.


The email blast for this went out this morning, so yes, it is new.
EponineMNFF

Whoaaaa I'm so excited. Wow that just made an awful day a little bit better.

Have they specified more on how much new conceiving is going on? Haha. Like how they changed the revival slightly or is it going to be completely different? It's hard to imagine it'll be so different, since Cameron Mackintosh will be involved, but there you go. I'm excited for this.
Fantine

Will it be completely recast do you reckon?
The Pirate King

JFKLSDNAVKIEAUOWI!


YES!

Equity?

So we can assume that the basic blocking and staging will be the same (at least mostly), but it seems like the set/costume designs may be altered? Sounds great to me.

This is almost two years away, and hear how excited I am. -_-
Quique

I was sort of hoping they'd not change the design, cause I saw the newly designed Miss Saigon in 2004 and it was bad. Looked like a high school production.

Nevertheless, I'm excited about this. The original, though simple, was still large enough that it was very expensive to mount. I'm all for new, fresh staging...as long as it doesn't suck or look tacky, hehe.

The show can still fill theatres, so the original version can make back its investment. Cameron is just trying to cut even more costs...sigh. Oh well.

And I'm pretty sure this new version will have the revival orchestrations.

Btw, those pics on that page are amazing. Especially the Finale one.
eponine5

So I guess this time it took four days for the 'She's Back' signs to start appearing again. Laughing
The Very Angry Woman

The Pirate King wrote:
So we can assume that the basic blocking and staging will be the same (at least mostly), but it seems like the set/costume designs may be altered? Sounds great to me.


I think so, given that there are options for 2-night stops. I don't think that was possible in the past given the size and logistics of the set.
Quique

I wonder if they'll still include the turntable. Interesting to see how they stage it if they don't.

The automated barricade has always been a pretty useless thing. I don't mind at all if they completely change or simplify it.

I hope they keep the original look of the main set though. I love how the lights and the colors of the costumes look against the washed out, grayness of it all.

The costumes should remain the same, imo.
lesmisloony

Quote:
I wonder if they'll still include the turntable. Interesting to see how they stage it if they don't.

When I read that, my eye did this HUGE twitch...

*deep breath*

IcouldacceptLMwithouttheturntable.

Yeah. I guess I could...
EponineMNFF

Les Mis - turn table is like the most depressing idea to me.

The thing about the turn table that I love is that dead bodies don't have to get up and walk away. Sure, blackouts can handle that, but the turn table makes it more seamless.
lesmisloony

Quote:
The thing about the turn table that I love is that dead bodies don't have to get up and walk away.

Ever been in the balcony? Wink
Orestes Fasting

lesmisloony wrote:
Quote:
The thing about the turn table that I love is that dead bodies don't have to get up and walk away.

Ever been in the balcony? Wink


I've seen dead barricade boys get up and walk away... from the third row of the mezz. The Broadhurst had some weird sightlines, I tell you.

(Also, is it sad that I have a whole concept planned out for how to stage the show without a turntable?)
The Very Angry Woman

lesmisloony wrote:
Quote:
I wonder if they'll still include the turntable. Interesting to see how they stage it if they don't.

When I read that, my eye did this HUGE twitch...

*deep breath*

IcouldacceptLMwithouttheturntable.

Yeah. I guess I could...


Sacramento Music Circus tried that, with mixed results.
EponineMNFF

I saw a student production without a turn table--I mean it was a student production so it's not really comparable, but there were some problems without the turn table.

They had this thing during the orchestrations after all of the barricade boys have died when the loved ones who left came to like "claim them" and lifted their spirits. And they walked off. Eh. I didn't like it.

And Gavroche just ran off stage and sang from off stage. It wasn't quite as sad, but then again that Gavroche was pretty awful.

But, anyway. Here's to hoping for a turn table!
flying_pigs

It's nice to see their keeping Les Mis 'alive' in America! Did anyone else watch the video? I'd never seen most of it before, only seen ATEOTD and MOTH. Anyone know the cast?
Timmy_Wishes he was Quast

It's a mixture as far as i was aware...MOTH and ATEOTD are from the Stage By Stage Video which makes them late 80s/early 90s London Casts...the Thenardier is Barry James and Mme. Gay Soper.
The Very Angry Woman

flying_pigs wrote:
It's nice to see their keeping Les Mis 'alive' in America! Did anyone else watch the video? I'd never seen most of it before, only seen ATEOTD and MOTH. Anyone know the cast?


The first montage (before ATEOTD) is the Aussie revival cast.
http://www.geocities.com/rachaelbecksite/rblesmiscast.html
Quique

The last montage appears to be the Berlin cast. I could be wrong.
LesMisForever

Orestes Fasting wrote:
lesmisloony wrote:
Quote:
The thing about the turn table that I love is that dead bodies don't have to get up and walk away.

Ever been in the balcony? Wink


I've seen dead barricade boys get up and walk away... from the third row of the mezz. The Broadhurst had some weird sightlines, I tell you.

(Also, is it sad that I have a whole concept planned out for how to stage the show without a turntable?)


I have seen Enjolras arranging himself on the barricade. It is kind of take the shine out of moment when the barricade turns to reveal him, which is one of my very favourite moments, eventhough it is highly theaterical.
But, hey it costs me only �12.5 (now �15).
The Very Angry Woman

Quique wrote:
The last montage appears to be the Berlin cast. I could be wrong.


Most of that is definitely Berlin, but I think that's Rachael Beck in the "Come to Me" scene, so there could be mixed Aussie/Berlin clips. I couldn't tell from some of the crowd shots.
Quique

Anyone else hate the altered lighting in the Stage By Stage video clips? Especially "At the End of the Day." It looks NOTHING like that onstage. I know they have to brighten the lighting for the camera, but it's not even close to the way the scene is supposed to look. It even looks like they brought the two barricade halves closer together for whatever reason.

And why are the shuttered windows lit during "Master of the House"? And that ugly blue light hitting the main set wall is tacky. I guess they just wanted to make it look "prettier" for television. And of course the lip-synching is awful. XD I think the only scene that isn't lip-synched from the CSR is Linzi's rendition of "On My Own." Though it uses the same orchestral track.

The other scenes are kinda over-dramatic, but cool nonetheless.

As for the new tour, the fact they are booking for 2 night stops distresses me. Only really cheapy tours do those kind of stints. I'm not expecting this to be anything opulent, but just concerned it will look tacky, like the 2004 Miss Saigon non-equity tour.
Glissando

Ok...so...what? I'm totally missing what that said...
The Very Angry Woman

Quique wrote:
As for the new tour, the fact they are booking for 2 night stops distresses me. Only really cheapy tours do those kind of stints. I'm not expecting this to be anything opulent, but just concerned it will look tacky, like the 2004 Miss Saigon non-equity tour.


The Little Women tour was a NETWorks Equity tour, and although I heard they cut corners, you couldn't really tell on stage.
EponineMNFF

Wait, does that mean it's planning for SOME two night stops or ONLY two night stops?

*Angst*
The Very Angry Woman

EponineMNFF wrote:
Wait, does that mean it's planning for SOME two night stops or ONLY two night stops?

*Angst*


Some. It's an option.

From the email blast (which WAS pasted into the Les Miz LJ community, for those who are inclined to research):

Full 8-performance week: $300,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses
2 performances (Tues & Wed): $80,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses
4 or 5 performances (Fri � Sun): $230,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses
EponineMNFF

Oooooh I totally hadn't understood that earlier. *Facepalm* I totally get it now. Sorry. ^^;;

Well that's a relief, right?
Electricity24601

*hums* This is the show that never ends, it goes on and on my friends. Some people started watching it, not knowing what it was, and they'll keep on watching it because... This is the show that never ends!

Haha. Not that I'm really complaining, but Cammack does seem to determined to absolutely squeeze Les Mis until its totally dry. I really wish they'd just give it a rest for a while instead of coming up with these new "innovations" which really just degrade the original quality of the show. I'm already sad that I never got to see it in its original b-way or Palace theatre (London) glory, and now the chances of ever seeing something close to that is diminishing rapidly... oh well.
Trevor reincarnate

"One Tour More"
mezzo_soprano

Another tour, another destiny.
The Very Angry Woman

Gosh, you guys should be copywriters for Dewynters.
kozafluitmusique

Can I say I wish I had more talent?
Eponine93

Whoa... I wasn't looking... saw Les Mis is returning in 2009, somehow missed the tour part... and I thought they were announcing another revival.

Dont't get me wrong or anything, but that was pretty scary.
Mistress

Maybe it'll all be redone completely, like the revial of Sweeney Todd...minus the ten-person cast and lack of an orchestra, of course-minimalism wouldn't work for Les Mis.
Fantine

Mistress wrote:
Maybe it'll all be redone completely, like the revial of Sweeney Todd...minus the ten-person cast and lack of an orchestra, of course-minimalism wouldn't work for Les Mis.


Could be interesting though.
mastachen

I hope Marissa McGowan is gonna be in it!
herkind

mastachen wrote:
I hope Marissa McGowan is gonna be in it!


Me too! She's so talented and very sweet. She was a wonderful Eponine.
Pounce

The Very Angry Woman wrote:
From the email blast (which WAS pasted into the Les Miz LJ community, for those who are inclined to research):

Full 8-performance week: $300,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses
2 performances (Tues & Wed): $80,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses
4 or 5 performances (Fri � Sun): $230,000 plus 10%, 70/30 split after local expenses

How do those figures break down? Does the local theater have to pay the $300,000, etc and 10% of what? And is the 70/30 split from ticket sales and who gets what cut? And what are considered "local expenses"?
The Very Angry Woman

I believe local expenses would be ushers, janitors, security, etc.
Quique

Think they'll ship the 3rd national tour set to China?

I hope they do a cast recording, though I doubt it'll happen.
InspectorDani

The idea of the new tour is exciting, but I'm worried they will ruin the original show.

Like, did you all hear about ALW making a sequel to Phantom!? Is he mad!? (but it was histerical that ALW's cat erased the entire score. I love that cat right now!!) I don't know what everyone is doing now with revisons and sequels. Just keep the show as is. Its bad enough they change the lyrics 20 times. Each time I see a show one of the big songs always has the lyrics changed.
The Very Angry Woman

InspectorDani wrote:
The idea of the new tour is exciting, but I'm worried they will ruin the original show.


They sorta already did that with the revival, so they can't go much further anyway.
InspectorDani

Well, I was unable to catch the revival cast before it closed. Though my buddy Robert Hunt made it as Javert. (I saw him in Philly and was glad to see he ended up in NYC)

What was it that ruined the show with the revival cast?
lesmisloony

Quote:
What was it that ruined the show with the revival cast?

Not the cast, the score. It had unbelieveably crummy orchestrations.
The Very Angry Woman

InspectorDani wrote:
What was it that ruined the show with the revival cast?


Gary Beach didn't help.
lesmisloony

^^That too. Smile
Kragey

The Very Angry Woman wrote:
InspectorDani wrote:
What was it that ruined the show with the revival cast?


Gary Beach didn't help.


I like him, but he can't do Thenardier in any way, shape, or form.
lesmisloony

*finger dances*

Wink
EponineMNFF

lesmisloony wrote:
*finger dances*

Wink


I was talking to this about my mom tonight. How much I DESPISED that stupid finger dance. Stupid stupid stupid! Every time he did it, I flinched.
Orestes Fasting

Conga fingers!
Quique

Gary was great when I saw him do the role back in 1989, though I'm glad I got to see Chip Zien last July.
curlyhairedsoprano91

Chip Zien ... as Thenardier?
How was that?
Fantine

Finger dancing? You lost me.
lesmisloony

Gary Beach did this awful, ridiculous little finger wiggle thing during Dog Eat Dog.

Because, you know, why *not* destroy the one serious moment his character has?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH-6cOLkQ3I

^^I think you can see it there.
Fantine

OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(I literally shouted that out loud. What must my roommate be thinking?)
lesmisloony

Quote:
What must my roommate be thinking?

If I had a nickel for every time the fandom inspired me to say that... Laughing
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