21st Anniversary in London: 7:30pm

olly · 21st Anniversary in London: 7:30pm

So who's going? Those of you who've read the other thread have seen that I have booked the final two, 'restricted' seat tickets.

I don't care anymore - I've got tickets to the anniversary, so there's no need to be apprehensive about the view Confused

Who else is going, and what seats are you sitting at?

Thanks.

Ian UK

I'll be there. We have Dress Circle E16 & 17. Very Happy

and

for you getting your two tickets.

Lazarus (Adam G)

Tell us how it is....

You lucky bastards.

nortonj71

Managed to aquire a pair of tickets from Ebay yesterday from someone who could not attend. Very nice person who put them up as face value on a buy now with no profit or costs apart from p&p. Felt very chuffed especially when I saw another pair of tickets go last night for �330.

I just cant wait...

olly

Tracy

I am going with my mom and my friend and we are also sat upstairs in dress circle Row C over on the side 21-23 I think.
Tracy

nortonj71

The buy it now price was 100 pounds for 2 tickets including PnP. Tickets are upper circle row B (4-5 I think) silly me cant remember at the moment.

Very chuffed I was bidding on the other 2 in row H but after it hit 125 I gave up. I just happened to go back a page and hit refreash and the other 2 appeared. They had only been up 4mins when I bought them Smile

I call it blind luck.

Anyways its been a really good week for me Smile

its my 35th birthday this sunday (8th of october what a day to be born!!) I got these tickets and today managed to get my complete score as well.

So happy

Cheers

Jay

javertsw

Have fun! I remember standing outsite the Queen on the 20th Anniversary and the ques must have started at like 10am or something... madness.
I wish I were going. Ho hum.

eponine5

I'm going with my family (we're going to have to literally drag my dad along) and we're sitting on Upper Circle row A somewhere near the centre! We booked almost 3 months in advance so we just got them for the normal price I think.

I haven't seen Les Mis for 3 months!!!!!!! There was a point before that where I went 1 each month, but I guess that time has past Crying or Very sad

Oh well, now I'm going to be hyper all week. Mr. Green

gavroche_rox_my_sox

MademoiselleMusicals

^^^ Hear hear.

I hope y'all have a grrrreat time. It was on BBC News tonight about the fact it's gonna be the longest running musical ever.

Keep us posted.

olly

I am a little concerned that my tickets haven't arrived, however if they don't, I can just pick them up at the door... Hopefully...

Marcellus

Be sure to print out your confirmation email, or if that is not possible, at least have your confirmation number and seat assignment info, if that was in it.

olly

I can't - I booked it by phone. However I have a reference number that I wrote down and slipped into my wallet!

flying_pigs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_5410000/newsid_5414800/bb_rm_5414826.stm

Interview and rehearsal footage for tonight.

olly

Hahaha, Colm Wilkinson looks like Nosferatu!

Pshhness

For those of us who can't see it... is there a way to record the radio show via internet? Laughing

eponine5

Okay, I saw it last night and........

Should I brag?

Should I brag?

It was amazing! I hadn't actually seen the rehearsal video that was posted so I wouldn't be disappointed, I hadn't been expecting anything other than the performance! First of all, the actual show was amazing (as usual) and the beggars at the feast was the funnyest I'd seen (the drunk guy standing in the middle of the stage and copying Madame T when she stole the silver and blamed the sky (he started jumping up towards the spoon he was holding), Madame Thenardier spinning right off the stage -and I mean into the wings off the stage- and a man catching the bouquet and screaming "I got it!")
I cried 18 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crying or Very sad

By the end of the prologue I had already cried twice and by the end of the 1st act 7 times!

But anyway, I know you guys probably want to hear about the finale. Basically the show ended as normal, except the cast came back for curtain call a 3rd time (there was a complete standing ovation, even in the upper circle) and then the barricades came on again. Once they were concealing the other side of the stage, it spun around to reveal.....
The original London cast- Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Rebecca Caine, Frances Ruffelle Very Happy

etc. They sang Bring Him Home up until "and I am old and will be gone" and then Colm Wilkinson finished it solo!!!

Should I give some-one else a turn to say what happened?

Ian UK

What an absolutely f*****g fantastic evening!! Very Happy

Apologies if I use far too many superlatives in the following Very Happy

As eponine5 says, the show was amazing. Definately by far the best I've seen from this cast. Everybody was totally on top form!

The finale, wow!! After the current cast's 3rd curtain call, they turned and called for an ovation for the barricade as it came back on stage, which then turned to reveal the original cast. Colm Wilkinson finishing Bring Him Home was amazing. Colm made a speech and introduced Trevor Nunn, who seems to be quite a funny guy, his speech focussing on what was probably his initial approach for the show - "OK, what do you think - we have an idea for a musical with the word miserable in the title, there's twenty nine stage deaths, it's a musical with no dance routines or sequins, it's produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, oh, and it's all about French history. Do you think it will work?"

Trevor introduced Cameron Mackintosh on video from New York, who sung Happy Birthday with the new Broadway cast (I assume), then he announced one other part of the ceremony as Les Mis took over from Cats as the longest running musical - the barricades parted and Elaine Paige, as Grizabella sang Memory before taking off her Grizabella coat and handing it to Little Cosette. As she walked off the Cats music segued into One Day More and the original cast were joined by the current cast for one last finale. Fantastic.

Oh, and somewhere in all that lot, Patti Lupone came on stage to sing I Dreamed a Dream.

Forgive me if I haven't got everything in the right order - I've just had a four hour drive home and two hours sleep!My brain has not woken up properly yet

Like I said, an absolutely amazing night. I wish Les Mis could be 21 every day!!! Very Happy

eponine5

Patti Lupone sang I Dreamed a Dream up to "shame" after Trevor Nunn's speech and the Happy Birthday to Cosette thing (that was the last thing I expected, when a screen came down. I was waiting for them to burst into Do You Her The People Sing? or One Day More, and then they simply started the "Happy birthday to you..." It was hilarious).
When they sang one day more, everyone cheered whenever some-one new sang. The original London cast sang up to the chorus part of the song (did they skip Javert's part because he wasn't there? I don't remember it) and then the current cast came on stage again from behind the barricade. Each person stood behind the original of their characters (joj behind Colm Wilkinson, Sabrina Aloueche behind Frances Ruffelle) and completed the song together.
Right at the end there were lots of bangs and flashes and confetti fell all over the audience (even the upper circle, yay!). Now my life is complete, I've now seen Frances Ruffelle sing in character (sort of) as Eponine live!
Applause

Oh yeah, before the show we also saw a guy climb up the ladder to the front of the theatre and shine the red, white and blue lights on the huge Cosette logo. He also turned on a smoke machine to make it look exactly like the logo!

olly

Wow! Just... Wow! I ended up standing throughout the whole production of it, as I had a complete view then. It was phenomenal! This was a production that really stirred emotions in me: the acting, singing and atmosphere was just fantastic! This cast, I felt, was far better than the last.

I will give a very brief outline of my views on the main cast.

John Owen-Jones as Jean Valjean
A brilliant production as always. He came across as far more emotionally involved as usual. His voice was in top form and I couldn't find a fault. 'Bring Him Home' was beautiful and it received a 30 second clap and cheer at the end of it. Having him and Colm singing together during One Day More was breathtaking. 10/10

Hans Peter Janssens as Javert
A mixed feeling about Janssens. Though I feel his voice is phenomenal: the deepness, the richness, the tuning were all on top form. I dislike his style of singing, which really dissappointed me in some way. He cuts his notes far too short, and it almost comes across as though he isn't really singing properly, and as though he is cheating in some way. For instance, at the beginning of 'Stars', his first few words: "There, out in the darkness"; rather than singing it in melodic legato, he sang it more stoccato-ish. Having said that, when he did have to his those long high notes (like at the end of 'Stars') he his them very well, and the resonance in his voice evokes the best of Javerts. Likewise, having Roger Allam coming back was fantastic: slightly annoyed that I didn't get to hear his singning completey as when he did have his bit in One Day More, it was drowned from applause! 8/10

Sophia Ragavelas as Fantine
Beautiful Fantine. Her voice was soft, yet strong and I felt really drawn in with her performance. I find it hard to rate especially with Frances in the same room! Her scenes in 'Lovely Ladies' were very convincing and her I Dreamed A Dream was one of the best I've seen. I should say now that I don't know the women's roles as well as the male ones, as I prefer the male ones far better, so one who enjoys the female roles more should give a more in-depth analysis. 9/10

Chris Vincent and Tracie Bennett as The Thenardiers
Very convincing: I preferred Chris' depiction of Thenardier than Barry James' last year. For one, Chris' singing was far stronger than that of Barry's and I feel he evoked a far more 'realistic' idea of Thenardier such as finding the balance between comedy and seriousness. Tracie, like last year, was very convincing. There's not much to say about them other than their singing was on top form and their acting was convincing. As Ian said, Beggars at the Feast was one of the best I've seen in a long time. As I was standing up at the back of the Upper Circle, the sound was inevitably slightly weaker, though. Overall, a strong 8/10

Sabrina Aloueche as Eponine
A strong performance from Sabrine. Very emotive with a strong voice (but noticeable not as strong as Lupone's). Her acting was very good, and I could see her emotions nicely. Her 'On My Own' was fantastic, but not the best I've seen. 9/10

Gina Beck as Cosette
Though not my favorite of characters or songs, I felt Gina was very strong in the character's role. Her acting was good, and her voice was strong (though could have been stronger). Her A Heart Full Of Love was convincing, and this was her best song I felt. 7/10

Jon Lee as Marius
Hmm... Slightly disappinted with this performance. His voice was noticeable not 'mature' enough (but is this a good thing?) His voice made him sound seventeen years old, but as I say, could this be a good depiction. Personally, I disliked it. His voice slightly wavered in some songs, and his expressions were painful. I don't rate his acting very much. However I feel that he performed to his epitome last night, which is why I'll give him 8/10.

Simon Bailey as Enjolras
Likewise, a fairly weak-voiced Enjolras than what I'd prefer. I felt though, he was emotionally involved in the role and that his physical features fitted the role very well. Don't get me wrong, I don'e think he was overly weak; he didn't waver in his songs, his voice just could have been stronger. 8/10

The Rest of the Company as The Rest of the Company
I felt the Company as a whole worked very well as a group. The students, chain gang, the lovely ladies, whores were very good. Excellent voices among them. Jeff Nicholson and Stephen John Davis especially stood out to me. 9/10

Now for the Finale.
I knew that there would be a specific finale, and it was fantastic. The way they did this was very good. The cast came on for their third curtain call and they congregated at the front of the revolve. The barricade proceeded to come on again with the orhcestration of Look Down playing in the background. The present cast started waving at the audience as the revolve moved around and unveiled the Original London Cast taking the positions of the present cast, waving. They started singing Bring Him Home, which Colm beautifully finished off.

Colm moved to his speech (in the place of Cameron who was relaunching Broadway's version). His voice surpised me: I hadn't really heard him speak: he sounded American with a bit of Irish thrown in. Can someone tell me his nationality? He thanked various people, including the audience. He passed on to Trevor Nunn who taked about the musical in society: how it became so popular etc (see Ian UK's post). He then brought down the screen where we saw Cameron and his Broadway Company singing 'Happy Birthday dear Cosette'.

He then said "And now, another ceremony", exited stage right, to let the barricaed part, with stage smoke, to give way to Patti Lupone singing 'I Dreamed A Dream'. The cynic on us would notice the occasional very slight mistune! But it was fantastic. God, it was weird hearing the brilliant voices from the recording on a London stage.

She then turned around and faced Elaine Paige who sang 'Memory' from Cats, marking the taking over of the longest running musical. This was beautiful. After this, she turned around and walked back to back stage as the music evolved into One Day More, and the new cast came on stage to start singing One Day more.

Every one of the new cast stood behind the actor who played the role in 1985. To Hans was behind Roger, Jon behind Michael, John behid Colm, David behind Simon etc etc.

As you can imagine, the sheer power of the singing, the atmosphere of everything. Having 'Colm and John' singing in unison and 'Hans and Roger' singing in unison was inevitable the best version of One Day More I have every heard in my life. Confetti etc was then exploded into the audience. When they went off stage. I was standing, awestruch at the beck, not believing what I'd just experienced. I was so so so lucky for being able to get tickets, and will remember that one-in-a-lfe-time experiecne for the rest of my life.

After the show, I was at the stage door, and shook Michael Ball's and David Burt's hand and got their signiture. I also saw Patti and a couple of others. I missed Colm, John, Roger and Hans which frustrated me: but I have nothing to get resentful about! Thank you God, for giving me this oppertunity, lol! I will always remember it.

This review has taken me 50 minutes to write, so enjoy!

Many thanks,

Olly.

duva

olly

Hmm... I just took it to be him because I've never seen what he looks like. Who, then, was the Original London Cast member who played Enjolras?

Moci

flying_pigs

Olly, by the way, LuPone played Fantine and Ruffelle played Eponine. It seems as if it's the other way around in your review.

EDIT: Colm's Irish by the way.

Pshhness

olly, your review turned me green.. =(..

I'm so glad that you shared the experience here, now I can pretend I was there through your review! Smile

phantomphan85

Oh my God, that sounds absolutely AMAZING!! I love Les Mis so much.

Ian UK

olly

olly

Aimee

It sounds so brilliant! I so wish I'd not been in a show last night. I made the matinee which was a great show but *shakes head* soooooooooo wanted to be there last night instead!

Milleh

OMG YOU LUCKY THINGS!! I am green with envy and am listening to the Radio 2 recording of Les Mis atm. I saw it in Feburay with John Owen-Jones and Tracie Bennett, and it was fanastic. I had never seen it before, only sung the music but I was in love with it.

Omgosh - how lucky are you... Mad

but good you had a good time Very Happy

Jordan

The image now being shown before the show and during the interval.

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21st Anniversary in London: 7:30pm