Breaking the bank, Les Mis style!

curlyhairedsoprano91 · Breaking the bank, Les Mis style!

Haha, hello all my Mizzies ...

Obviously, holiday season is over, and Cosette has a little bit of financial freedom. Les Mis-related shopping spree much????!?

Teehee. So, as a newly obsessed fan, I've only got the TAC CD and the TAC VHS. What are some of the things that no fangirl worth her stripes should be without?

Love,
Cosette

EponineMNFF

Oooh I'd suggest getting the complete symphonic recording. A warning - the cast isn't great, but it's still the entire show (without cuts) on three CDs.

One thing is that it can get a bit pricey depending on where you buy it. I'd search on Amazon for less ridiculously priced ones.

The OBC and the OLC are also good to have, but I recommend the CSR first.

Orestes Fasting

Recordings: The CSR, for completeness. The OLC, for the history of the show. The OFC and PRC if you can find them. Don't pay full price for the CSR; get it used or off ebay for half the price.

Books: An unabridged Brick. Maybe Behr's Les Mis�rables: History in the Making.

Movies: The 1958 film adaptation with Jean Gabin as Valjean. The 1978 one with Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins isn't bad either, especially for the first half of the story. Most of the other movie versions are either crappy or hard to find.

lesmisloony

Well, eBay is currently overrun with the double feature Frederic March and Michael Rennie, but both movies are just barely passable as LM...

Another neat little thing I've noticed going on eBay is the package OFC and PRC for about the same price *I* paid for the PRC alone. The OFC is very interesting, as it has a few great songs that were cut and "L'un vers l'autre," which I adore...

And you'll probably need a good top hat. Wink

curlyhairedsoprano91

Hats don't suit my face. Sad

However, I would not be averse to a top hat somewhere in my repetoire ...

Okay, so I'll try to get the CSR, OLC, and OBC in my collection at some point very soon, as well as an unabridged brick. The French albums perhaps I should save until I'm a bit more facile with the language?

Goodness, my mother is going to kill me if I buy all this stuff. She doesn't take well to obsessions. But, I suppose it's a small price to pay for Les Mis ... Razz

Love,
Cosette

mastachen

Return the VHS and buy the DVD.

lol

Orestes Fasting

The DVD's out of print; good luck finding it.

(And speaking of breaking the bank, I got my very own shiny copy of the book annotated by Maurice Allem for my birthday. The "deleted scenes" on my website were from a library copy of the same book that is currently about 400 miles away.)

curlyhairedsoprano91

Yeah, the only DVDs I found were used copies that were upwards of $50. I got the VHS for $8. Otherwise, I would have gotten the DVD.

Love,
Cosette

lesmisloony

Best. birthday present. ever.

I know I've mentioned it before, but those deleted scenes on your site are one of the best things the internet has ever brought me. I'm kind of obsessed with the one where Cosette crashes Tholomyes's wedding.

Orestes Fasting

I opened it up to a random page of notes last night and found another one on Tholomyes--something about him originally being given another name by Hugo, and a brief snippet about how, at the time of Cosette's wedding, someone managed to track him down and tell him that the kid he abandoned fifteen years ago was getting married with a dowry of 600,000 francs.

Oh, the look on his face. I can just picture it.

But I didn't note the page down, woe and alas! I'm sure it'll come up when I comb through the notes again.

Edit: Wait!

Victor Hugo avait d'abord song� � faire conna�tre au p�re de Cosette, qu'il avait appel� Lebotelier avant de l'appeler Tholomy�s, le mariage de son enfant. On a trouv�, dans le dossier des Mis�rables:

� Nous croyons devoir informer M. Gustave Lebotelier, avou� � �vreux, que sa fille, l'enfant de Fantine, s'appelle maintenant Mme la baronne Telbon, poss�de vingt-cinq bonnes mille livres de rente, et demeure rue du Hanovre, No. 17, au premier. Un citoyen honorable peut avouer et remplir les devoirs de la paternit� vis-�-vis d'une personne ainsi plac�e. �

lesmisloony

That is kind of win.

Monsieur D'Arque

Buy yourself completely accurate Cosette, Eponine and Fantine costumes. Wear them in the street and sing at people.

NOW you're a fan.

Kragey

The CSR makes up for its generally crappy cast with Kaho Shimada and Philip Quast.

lesmisloony

Hmm, I kind of hate Kaho Shimada. But I do love Philip Quast and Michael Ball. And that picture of Michael Ball on the insert.

EponineMNFF

curlyhairedsoprano91

Mademoiselle Lanoire

Timmy_Wishes he was Quast

Garry Morris rocks (IMO)....Tracy leaves alot to be desired (IMO).

EponineBarker

This is just my opinion, but...

-I think Gary Morris tries too hard to be Colm Wilkinson. Confused

-When I first got the CSR highlights, (it was the only one they had there Sad

) I wasn't much of a fan of Kaho Shimada, but I've grown to like her a lot since then. Smile

-Tracy Shayne is okay to listen to sometimes, but I can't listen to her Cosette 24/7.

-And even though I love Michael Ball to pieces, I'm kind of tired of listening to his Marius...

But other then that, (and probably a few other little things) I would suggest getting the CSR for the sake of having the entire show on cd. (Before it got revised.)

herkind

Gary Morris is okay but his vibrato is out of control in Bring Home Home and ruins that song for me. I also feel like he overacted a lot. On the recording at least. I never saw him live in the role since I was in diapers when he was playing it. Wink

I don't think Tracy Shayne is not as heinous as some make her out to be but I don't think she's all that good either. Then again, Rebecca Caine is the only recorded Cosette I've really ever liked.

Kaho Shimada is better in Japanese and Phillip Quast is God.

curlyhairedsoprano91

zombiefl12

While on that topic I personally cannot stand to listen to Kaho on the CSR: I've heard her in Japanese and she sounds good in her native tongue, but something went wrong in her English lessons. The one regret I have for not enjoying her is that Anthony Warlow is such an amazing Enjolras.

As to what to buy: I personally favor the TAC for most of the time, but I've also purchased the Paris Theatre Mogador recording from 1991 and, although I'm not fluent in French by any means I still can appreciate the beauty of Les Mis in its original language.

And as to the TAC DVD, I don't know whether it's out of print or not, but I ordered it through bestbuy.com, and while it was listed as backordered and took a couple months it eventually got here...and I'm glad it did!

lesmisloony

And there are scads or TAC DVDs on eBay.

curlyhairedsoprano91

Having listened to some clips from the CSR:

I'm not terribly a fan of Warlow as Enjolras. I think he has an amazing voice, I'm not gonna lie... but for some reason he doesn't make it as Enjolras for me. I believe he's an excellent singer ... I somehow don't believe the character through his voice. I wouldn't quite follow him into battle.

I listened to Gary Morris singing Bring Him Home... at least for a while, before I had to stop ... ugh. And I agree with the general assessment of Tracy Shayne ... UGH. Off-center pitch, misuse of vibrato ...

Eponine sounded a little awkward, but I didn't dislike her.

Michael Ball and Philip Quast are love.

Despite disliking much of the cast, I'm still considering buying it ... just so I'll have the whole show ...

Cool

Love,
Cosette

lesmisloony

Dude, you can't NOT buy the CSR... you're a LM fan, right? Smile

I actually agree about Anthony Warlow... here I thought I was the only one! He has a great voice and all, but I can't stand the way he delivers "On his funeral day we will honour his name / It's a rallying cry that will reach EVERY EAR / In the death of Lamarque we will KINDLE THE FLAME / We will see that the day of SALVATION IS NEAR..." It's sing-song and kinda... annoying. Michael Maguire, on the other hand, is love. I mean, not the best Enjolras ever born, but definitely my favourite of the English language ones on recordings... David Burt from the OLC lost me at "The men and the arms that we nnnnever can match." That makes me giggle every time.

Quique

Maguire is really good, but I prefer Anthony.

Also, am I the only one who really, really likes David Burt? He's so so on the official recording, but damn, was he passionate live (never seen him, but have heard an audio of his perf.). Bordering on maniacal, especially during the barricade scenes, lol. I like it.

lesmisloony

Upon seeing/hearing a live performance of anyone, I'd be willing to reassess my opinions. But... I'm not that lucky, for the most part...

herkind

Kragey

The thing that probably went wrong with Kaho Shimada's English was that, as far as I know, she spoke next to none of the language. Even if you don't like her voice, you have to admire the woman for doing so well in a completely foreign language. She sounds even better in Japanese.

I hate Gary Morris, but I don't really like Colm Wilkinson either (I know, I'm Satan,)...I want them to remake the CSR with JOJ. I'd die a happy woman.

I forgot about Michael Ball. =X He's a great Marius.

I was a little distressed that Warlow "changed" his voice/delivery, if that makes sense...compare his singing from the first line of "Do You Hear The People Sing" (his natural voice) to the rest of the song (the voice he puts on), and really, the former sounds better. But it doesn't change the fact that Anthony Warlow is a baritone orgasm.

And yes, Tracy Shayne is horrible. I want to punch her in the mouth.

mastachen

Kragey

curlyhairedsoprano91

Timmy_Wishes he was Quast

windbelle

I saw this thread had eventually turned into a which recording and dream cast discussion. Wink

My recommendations are an unabridged novel, TAC (DVD), CSR (not the highlights one). Then get OFC and OLC if you've got enough money. And at last get OBC, especially if you enjoy Michael Maguire as Enjolras. And there're some pretty good foreign cast recordings you might consider. I think you can still get OFC and PRC in a bundle from French amazon. I got mine a few months ago.

As for CSR, I still think it's one of the best recordings, despite its lack of chemistry between cast. Some cast are great, and some are tolerable, but overall pretty good. Philip Quast sounds much better live, but still great on the CDs.

I'm a HUGE fan of Anthony Warlow, but didn't fall in love with his Enjolras at first and I used to prefer Michael Maguire, so I completely understand those who don't fall for his Enjolras. But he grew on me (probably because I was converted to a fan soon Wink

, but seriously I think he is just one of the best musical singers nowadays) and I fell in love with his Enjolras after seeing the Australia Day Concert video, particularly for that 'until the earth is FREE' line at the end. For me his biggest problem on CSR is that there're some lines where he failed to deliver the feelings that I think should be there, such as the quite emotionless and blank rendition of 'Lamarque is dead. Lamarque! His death is the hour of fate'. His random yells never bothered me though. If you've heard his other recordings you'll find he likes to speak and yell some words and lines in his singing. It works perfect in Jekyll & Hyde, but perhaps doesn't sound as natural and smooth here.

I liked Michael Maguire more in those parts. But then after hearing quite a bunch of other recordings and audios, I've gradually lost the feelings on Maguire. He is still pretty good, but I've probably changed my taste. I just don't find his voice and interpretation that extraordinary anymore, while on the other hand deep dark and powerful baritone voices like Warlow's are rarely heard now.

curlyhairedsoprano91

Haha, it seems as though everything I touch these days rapidly degenerates into a discussion of Michael Maguire ... d'oh!

Anyway, God knows I have nothing against Anthony Warlow. I think his voice is amazingspectacular, especially on the CSR when he goes "We shall overcome their PO-O-OWWERRRRRRRR." Applause

No doubt, his voice is better than Michael's. However, I've always viewed Enjolras as one of the few parts in the show in which the physical character is at least as important as the technical voice, and I just think Maguire embodies Enjolras better.

Love,
Cosette

lesmisloony

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Breaking the bank, Les Mis style!