Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| bigR |
london new cast... anyone knows them?There's still no valjean, javert or enjolras, but appart from that the 2008-2009 london cast is nearly complete. I don't know any of these people, so I have no idea what i should think about them.Any of the british people around here has any clue? Allyson Brown - Fantine (Ensemble) Jackie Marks - Mme Th�nardier (Principal) Jimmy Johnstone - Th�nardier (Principal) Jon Robyns - Marius (Principal) Nancy Sullivan - Eponine (Principal) Leanne Dobinson - Cosette (Principal) Katy Hanna - Factory Girl (1st cover) Matthew Gent - Ensemble (Ensemble) Keith Anthony Higham - Ensemble (Ensemble) Gavin James - Bishop (Ensemble) Katy Hanna - Swing (Ensemble) And since there is no javert yet... from what I've seen on video, i would love it if drew stayed over here next year to play him... |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
Jackie Marks was Patti LuPone's replacement as Fantine.
Allyson Brown was in one of the concerts as Eponine. |
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| Vanessa20 |
Jackie Marks also played the Factory Girl in the TAC. | ||||||
| lesmisloony |
Wait, so you mean they actually cast a former Eponine as Fantine? They do that? ... |
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| bigR |
Yes 
But from what I've seen googling everybody's names, the actress playing �ponine is 39 years old, so maybe for once it isn't an age issue and they are just giving an ex-�ponine a different role to play |
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| Quique |
YIKES!!! 
Can you say, old HAG!!! |
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| bigR |
I might be slow today but, after the OLC video I'd better make sure... are you serious or just kidding? |
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| Quique |
Well, 39 years old is pretty old, considering she should be all of 16 years old! I don't mind a slight deviation of age, but, oh jeebus...39 is like an old yenta!!! | ||||||
| tommo2k |
Don't think Nancy Sullivan is that old(not that 30s are old - just old for Eponine)! She was apparently one of the people on "I'd Do Anything" that didn't get through to the final.
Leanne Dobinson was in "How do you solve a problem like Maria" Jon Robyns was in Avenue Q I think. Jimmy Johstone has played Thenardier on tour before and is currently in Phantom as Joseph Buquet. |
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| bigR |
So. let's be clear on this: 1. Drew Sarich and John Owen Jones can play in their early 30's a 60 years old man (deviation of age, HELLO!!) (i've read some people complain that drew does not look old but I've never read anything similar about JOJ and from what I've seen from his 1st valjean he does not look anywhere near valjean's age) 2. Everybody jumps at my throat because I don't like the idea of a bold black Enjolras. 3. And now 39 is too old to play �ponine? I really would love some clarification. |
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| tommo2k |
Get over it!
You all have the wrong nancy sullivan anyway, the one you are on about is an American actress. The one playing Eponine is from London and I am sure she is in her twenties. |
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| Quique |
Yikes!!! I was giving y'all a hard time. I was only kidding. Don't get yer panties in a twist!!!! 
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| bigR |
That makes sense. I don't know any Nancy Sullivan so I just googled her name. But clarification still needed. Because just a month ago everybody in the forum seemed happy to see a fat old man playing Enjolras and I was told stuff like: "It's theatre. It's not realistic in the first place- can you not believe in the characters because the costumes they wear aren't entirely accurate to the period? Or that they're singing songs written in the 1980s which wouldn't have a place in 19th century France?" "If suspension of disbelief is such a huge problem for you, you must get really out of sorts during the final battle when all the barricade boys start succumbing to invisible attackers in slow motion" "Do you also have a problem with fat old people? If he was good, I really wouldn't have a problem". "Can you not just sit down and accept that in the efforts of the production team to cast the roles with the most talented people" "do you really think theatre is for you? I mean if you can't willing allow yourself to enter this world of (When put plainly) "make believe" and willingly suspend your disbelief for an hour or two then don't bother". |
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| bigR |
Sorry, Quique...
I didn't see your last post before posting mine... 
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| Quique |
Oh, no problema, paisana. 
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| lesmisloony |
I don't know if anyone needs any clarification from me, but here ya go:
When I complain about the ages of Cosette and Eponine, I'm talking movie cast. I don't have any opinion on stage age. The first time I saw Miss Saigon, the woman playing Kim was in her early forties or late thirties, and it was only weird when one of the twenty-year-old strippers said "She's just a little girl!" Her performance was great, so I didn't fault her for being old. Stage age doesn't bother me. Movie age really does. And. My constant bitching about Eponines and Cosettes playing Fantine is just because I'm miffed that Fantine doesn't have a fanbase. I think lots of Eppyboppers get Fantine and Eponine confused somehow. And casting former Eponines as Fantine just further cheapens Fantine as a character and turns her into... like, Edna from Hairspray or something. Just spectacle. Come see Michael Ball in a dress! Come see your favourite girl from the TAC--yes, she's still alive! Not saying they didn't do a good job in the role (or Lea did, at any rate). Just saying... Fantine deserves fame in her own right, Ruthie-style. |
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| bigR |
I knew what you ment LML!
But I think that the problem with Fantine and �ponine does not come from the age of the actresses who play them. It's just than teenage girls can "totally identify oh my god I'm just like her" with �ponine while ,since Fantine is a mother, they don't think about her as a girl. They just put her on the "mother shelf" and forget about her... If it is any consolation I think that Kaho Shimada was back in Les Mis a couple of years ago in Japan and they did not cast her as Fantine. She was �ponine again. |
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| eponine5 |
I have to say that I was quite amused about all the worries about the new Eponine's age. 
I'm fairly sure that this is the Nancy Sullivan in the cast: http://uk.castingcallpro.com/u/92506 I agree about the apparent lack of originality in the casting of Fantine. I guess that because today it seems that Eponines and Cosettes are usually at early stages in their careers when they are cast, when someone wants an actress to return to Les Mis she simply gets cast as Fantine...whereas the male parts in Les Mis often have returning actors, as those characters don't have to appear as young as Cosette and Eponine. If anyone gets what I'm saying. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Well, at least it's a nice change of pace to have a former cast member come back as Mme Th�nardier instead of Fantine. And an OLC member too! Awesome. 'Bout time--they've already brought back half the OBC and TAC people over the past few years...
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| Elin |
Allyson Brown was in one of the concerts as Eponine.
She was in the 2003/2004 Danish tour (performed in English). It was not a concert version. Leanne Dobinson was in Les Mis as a child. (There's a program from her run on ebay now. Yeah, I'm the seller ... )
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| EponineMNFF |
I agree with this so much it hurts. So, so true. |
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| Elin |
Leanne Dobinson article:
http://tinyurl.com/46pea5 Earl Carpenter will be playing Javert: http://tinyurl.com/3hdpgm |
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| The Pirate King |
Awesome. Now I have assurance that in the next five years when I make the London trip, I get to see someone who isn't Hans Peter Janssens. Hopefully. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Resurrecting this thread to say that I have it on good authority that David Thaxton will be the new London Enjolras.
This is something that should've happened years ago. |
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| Moci |
I've heard that as well, although it might be the same good authority it's coming from. For anyone UK-based whose been watching 'I'd Do Anything', the person playing Eponine is the same Nancy Sullivan as featured in the early episodes. Apparently she auditioned for both Nancy and Eponine at the same time and when she found out that she was in 'Les Mis', she withdrew. |
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| eponine5 |
^^
If this is true...then OH MY GOD yes! I spent those entire two years while he was the understudy reading reviews about how amazing he was, but I never got to actually see him in the role. It would even make up for getting Drew as Enjolras when I saw the revival. 
I'm getting really excited about the next cast.
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| LesMisForever |
Well, looking forward to Enjolras. We didn't have a good one in ages.
I didn't mind HPJ as Javert. I thought he was good, if not excellent. But, it is nice to have someone new. Is Drew staying as JVJ? Btw, i met Ruthie at the stage door last Saturday. You can read the review about Marguerite (the show she was in) in the West End forum. I didn't really enjoy the show that much, but Ruthie was excellent. I don't really do stage door. I have done it only once before few years ago, but i made an exception for Ruthie. She looks smaller in person. She signed, and posed for photos. I just handed her my "Les Miserables" copy opened on "Fantine" and asked her to sign it. I told her that she is great in everything, but Fantine will always be my favourite. She said she gets that a lot, and it was great role. |
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| EnjolrasForPresident |
The entire cast (almost) has been announced:
Drew Sarich - Jean Valjean (Principal) Earl Carpenter - Javert (Principal) Allyson Brown - Fantine (Principal) Jackie Marks - Mme Th�nardier (Principal) Jimmy Johnstone - Th�nardier (Principal) Jon Robyns - Marius (Principal) Nancy Sullivan - Eponine (Principal) Leanne Dobinson - Cosette (Principal) David Thaxton - Enjolras (Principal) Greg Castiglioni - Swing (Ensemble) Natalie Caswell - Whore (Ensemble) Lucinda Collins - Madame (Ensemble) Killian Donnelly - Swing (Ensemble) Mark Dugdale - Courfeyrac (Ensemble) Emma Dukes - Whore/Urchin (Ensemble) John Jo Flynn - Montparnasse (Ensemble) Matthew Gent - Feuilly (Ensemble) Lorraine Graham - Old woman (Ensemble) Katy Hanna - Swing (Ensemble) Mark Hedges - Swing (Ensemble) Keith Anthony Higham - Brujon (Ensemble) Gavin James - Bishop (Ensemble) Gavin James - Combeferre (Ensemble) Sophie Josslyn - Factory Girl (Ensemble) George Miller - Bamatabois (Ensemble) George Miller - Claquesous (Ensemble) Brenda Moore - Swing (Ensemble) Gareth Nash - Joly (Ensemble) Helen Owen - Whore/Urchin (Ensemble) Rebecca Seale - Crone (Ensemble) Simon Shorten - Babet (Ensemble) Alastair James Taylor - Prouvaire (Ensemble) Tabitha Webb - Whore/Urchin (Ensemble) Jonathan Williams - Lesgles (Ensemble) Richard Woodford - Factory Foreman (Ensemble) Richard Woodford - Grantaire (Ensemble) |
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| bigR |
Am I the only one who's never heard or seen David Thaxton Enjolras? (clips anyone?) Although by the sound of it it seems that I will be getting new plane tickets for london after the summer. I seems that I can't miss him and I really want to see drew again before he leaves, so there is no other option I guess...
Is he that good? |
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| Moci |
From what I've heard (never seen him), he's very good vocally and acts the role well, which is a change for London Enjolraii, (the only principal Enjolras this decade who I'd rate is Ramin Karimloo). |
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| Orestes Fasting |
David Thaxton was the understudy Enjolras in London from 2005-2007. And yes, he's that good. Commanding and in-charge, to the point of bossiness, good-looking, and he has a great voice that he likes to show off. There was a lot of outrage when he got passed over as principal Enjolras in favor of Simon Bailey (who by most accounts was a total waste of space).
There are a few incomplete recordings of him, but nothing on YouTube. Most of it's pretty rare. |
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| Moci |
I've got a three minute clip somewhere of Simon Bailey Vocal Fail. I must try to remember where I have it saved, cause it's hilarious.
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| lesmisloony |
Oooh vocal fail! Always a good thing.
For us. Not the actor. |
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| EnjolrasForPresident |
Vocal fail can be made of win. Depends on how crap it is.
David Thaxton in One Day More: http://youtube.com/watch?v=v86w_SZ0F0c |
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| LittleGavroche |
Oh, even more reason for that trip to London.
And my baby, Drew Sarich. I know most don't like him, but I love his Jean Valjean. And his Quasimodo. <3 |
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| bigR |
Yes! Finally an enjolras who sounds like enjolras!
When I bought the tickets I was more excited about Rotterdam than the West End, but now I really want to go back to London. |
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| jackissensational |
I deffinately thought the title was "lolcat news..." for a split second. lol | ||||||
| starmelace |
I just got to see the show in London. Brilliant cast, the swing for Valjean was excellent. And Javert! *huggles* | ||||||
| bigR |
Oh, please, please, please... could you write some kind of review? (the longer the better)
*makes big (very BIG) puppy eyes* |
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| starmelace |
Lol, I would be glad to. Hmm, where to start. Oh, i know! From the beginning!
Alright, here goes: Prolouge: Brilliant, first off. The guards were perfectalways threatening to hit the prisoners over the head. Valjean (played by one of the swings) was so good already. A pity he isn't the actual Valjean. And then the awesome Belgian entered! Ok, Javert ( whom of course i love already) gave an awesome first delivery. At first I thought he was trying to use a French accent. But nope, I decided that it was real. So of course i bugged me the whole time (in the best way possible) I looked it up. Yep, Belgian. Sooo, anway
Bishop, Freedom, blah blah blah: The bishop was interesting. Tall skinny guy with shoulder length hair. Definitly not how I imagined him. I must prefer the guy from the 1998 movie. But never mind all that. He had a nice voice, so it was alright. And I so felt for Valjean. *tear* Poor guy. That's right, rip up that stupid yellow paper! At the end of the day: So this scene was rather dissapointing. I wanted a full out cat fight. But the foreman was cool. Very sleek and disturbing. Poor, poor Fantine. Who was asian! Whooo! I thought that was neat. She had gorgeous hair(before it was cut obviously) I dreamed a dream: Very powerful song. She had a great voice. Not much to say, not a lot of action, you know? Lovely Ladies: Excellent scene. The staging was brilliant. I don't know how lovely the ladies were though lol. But they were all great. Ugh, and then we get to the jerk who nearly gets Fantine sent to jail. Montmarrse, or something like that...And then, there was Javert again (so yes I am biased, seeing as i adore the character) Very powerful delivery. Very cold and forward. He isn't one to mince words. And then low and behold, Valjean shows up! They did an excellent job of making him look older and cleaner. And for once, he has power over Javert!!
Who am I: *swoon* An excellent performance. He was very good at showing his internal conflict. And the end was just fabulous. Man, it would suck to have a number burned onto your chest. Haha, he showed Javert! Fantine's death: Beautiful and tragic. Poor Fantine seemed a little not with it(on purpose of course) I nearly cried (nearly, I almost never cry at shows) Valjean was so gentle and so wonderful with Fantine. ( I am still a hardened Valjean/Fantine shipper. Hush) Confrontation: Ok, so I loved this song before I ever saw this. Now I worship it. Counterpoint singing!!! So powerful and great. And then, Javert gets knocked out! Haha! The scene was great, you could feel the anger pouring off both men. Thenadier: Why do I love such a creepy character? How can't I? And Mme. Thenadier was black, which for some reason really worked. (not being racist here!) Master of the house was wonderful, there were so many things going on. And Mme. Thenadier was so great. Thenadier is so enthusiastic, while his wife was like: I really, REALLY don't care. And the waltz...Oh, i almost died laughing. And Valjean was getting SO p/oed. God, just give him the girl! Paris: Look Down was very powerful, a great opening to ten years later. Not a pleasent place to be, Paris. And then, Javert and Thenadier are back! *huggles them* Oh, Thenadier is so sly lol. And then enter Stars. God, I love this song. And it makes Javert a bit more likeable. (Not that he needed help!) I mean, this is his life. (And he has a bit of an obsession) ABC cafe: I LOVED this Marius. He wasn't as much of a pretty boy! (I hate the Marius from the concert) And Enjorlas was black and bald, which was fantastic. He had an amazing voice and was so dedicated to his tragic cause. While Marius only cares about a girl who he just saw on the street. (sigh) Red and Black was amazing, very powerful and emotional. Do you hear the people sing: This is such a moving song. And all the characters were wonderful. You felt they really were revolutionaries. I always wish they split the acts here. I nearly got goosebumps. In My Life/ Heart Full of Love: Poor Eponine  But Marius and Cosette sing beautifully together. Wonderful duet. And Cosette was actually likeable.
One Day More: I love this song. ( I know, everyone does.) The mixture of voices was stunning. These actors know how to carry a solo, dang. I envy their talent. A wonderful way to end the 1st act. Your heart is left pounding! Barricades: So, these all get mixed up in my heads ( yes I know On My Own is in there) But we all know eventually they all die (except Marius and Valjean) But anyway, the battle scenes were very well done. And all the gun shots made me jump I almost cried when Gavroche was shot! Noooo!
On My Own: Sadly, not that rememberable. She had a fairly nice voice, but nothing compared to Lea Salonga. It could have also been that I have heard that song way too many times. *shrug* A Little Fall of Rain: And then Eponine pulled it together and gave a remarkable performance. It was so sad and beautiful. She and Marius harmonized wonderfully. She coughed from her wound and everything. *tear* A wonderful and tragic scene. Drink With Me: Poor scared school boys. Not even the wine took away their fear. And Marius, still obsessed with Cosette. Their voices left us all wondering what would happen to all of these young men (even though we all knew the story) Bring Him Home: Oh wow. Valjean was...incredible. He gave such a passionate plea for this boy he didn't even know. Javert is so wrong about him. This man is more dedicated to other people than anyone else. And the actor brought that out. Untitled scene: So I don't know the name to this scene. But Javert is shocked to find Valjean releasing him instead of killing him. Both men gave another great performance for this scene. And I have to agree, Javery does talk too much. Sewers: Oh, Thenadier...*shakes head* He's still at it, and the actor gave a little light to the dark situation of the barricades. This actor was just so perfect for this role. Very much like the one from the concert
Previous scene: Oh yes, forget the scene before the Sewers. It's the one with just the music of Bring Him Home. Poor Javert... And then he figures it out. And can't lift the sewer lid. Lol. The actor gave a great performance of sadness and contemplation. Javert and Valjean's last confrontation: Ok, so these two actors just work wonderfully together. And i love the end of it. ("Look down, Javert! He's standing in his grave.) Poor Valjean though, having to drag Marius all around. Javert's Suicide: Wahh! An remarkable scene. The actor's performance was incredibly powerful. I loved both his voice and interpretaion. And the accent (for some reason) was the icing on the cake. And the way the river was done was just genius! The Wedding: The final appearance of the Thenadiers. Still doing what they do best. And Marius isn't fooled one iota. The two actors gave a heck of a performance in their final scene. You could tell they were truly enjoying themselves. Valjean's death: So sad and beautiful. And I love Fantine and Eponine bringing him to Heaven This last scene was just wonderful. End: Do you hear the people sing once more. I had goosebumps. Brava to all the actors!!! So I hope that was satisfactory. I hope I didn't ramble to much. It was my first time seeing the show live, so I didn't pay as much attention to detail. |
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| bigR |
Err..., when you said that you had just come back from Les Mis I thoughT that you had really just come back. From seeing the current cast, I mean.
But I guess that "just" meant "at least a week ago", since you obviously saw the old cast. Oh, and don't take this the wrong way, because you have been very nice and you answered my post so quickly, but this being Les Miserables forum, we kind of already know the plot by heart and we know what the show looks like...  by a review I meant something a little bit different. But thanks for trying anyway.
Also, a few objective facts and corrections:
-Hans Peter Janssens does not have a french accent. For the simple reason that his maternal language is not french but dutch!
I am tempted to say that Baruwa's ugly voice and boring performance are also objective facts, but I'm starting to think that I am being too vicious with the poor guy (oh, but I hated him SO much), so I'll drop the subject and go directly to: you call democracy a tragic cause??!!
Now, really, are you sure you went to see Les Mis�rables? Because I don't remember a single schoolboy on stage (yeah, Javert calls them that, but do you know what "irony" means? Javert has a wicked sense of humour). What I remember is a group of commited and brave revolutionaries ready to die and fight for what they believe in. 
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| mastachen |
I think you should be a little easier on her.
It's her first Les Mis experience! |
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| starmelace |
Sigh...sorry if it sucked. This is why I never post on any of these sites. Did the cast change since June 20th? Wow, that was recent. I had no idea. I really did try with my review, i just get a little distracted. Trust me, i saw les miserables. I was joking, I admire those guys. I am a passionate fighter for causes I believe it.
With Hans, I didn't mean the FRENCH was real. Sorry about that. I mean, he wasn't british. He had an accent I didn't recognize. No. I love democracy. What I MEANT was how tragic it ended. |
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| bigR |
And yet, somehow, she has already decided that the revolution was a lost cause and the Amis were nothing but poor scared schoolboys!
I didn't want to be mean, really. But some things make me wonder whether they sell alucinogenous drinks at the Queens. 
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| mastachen |
I wished they would've served some of those drinks at the Broadhurst Theater. Maybe then I would've enjoyed Megan McGinnis and Gary Beach's performances more. | ||||||
| starmelace |
Really, I didn't mean it seriously. *sigh* I WAS kidding. Like I said, I admire those characters. 
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| bigR |
Sorry if I was too hard on you, starmelace
I know what you meant with your post. You don't have to admire the guys and their fight. You are perfectly entitled to think the way you want. That's not what I meant. What buggs me about the "poor scared boys" is the way the message of the story gets twisted once and again. Hugo thought the guys were admirable and their cause was worth fighting for. He never intended to portray poor scared young things who made a wrong and silly decission. That should be clear. Of course, once you've understood what he wanted to say, as a member of the audience/reader, you are perfectly entitled to think that Hugo was a silly old man, that his ideas are completely stupid and all his characters are total nutcases (which is kind of true). But that's a totally different thing. |
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| starmelace |
It's alright. You're forgiven.
Sadly, I haven't read the novel yet. (Please don't hurt me!) I want to, need to, should....I have to make myself go to the library. And from what I can tell with the musical, if he's a nut case, then so am I. I just felt bad for the young men who gave their lives. That's really what I meant. I mean, unless you interpret Drink With Me another. Which IS perfectly fine! |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Aw, bigR, it's not tne n00b's fault the musical gives a twisted spin on the barricade scenes. All this idiocy about "They were schoolboys, never held a gun" and "Can it be your death means nothing at all" and "Where's that new world now the fighting's done" and "Don't ask me what your sacrifice was for." Is it any wonder that people get the wrong idea with only that sentimental dreck to go on?
By the way, it gives me immense comfort to know I'm not the only one who gets really bothered by the endless parade of Amis who had no idea what they were fighting for, knew nothing of combat, and apparently marched off into a pre-doomed losing battle because they thought Enjolras' vest was pretty or something. Oh yeah, and a republic is apparently some far-flung and pointless ideal that can never realistically be achieved but they're getting killed for it anyway. Because Enjolras has a pretty vest and he told them to go build a barricade and now they blame him for their completely pointless and preventable deaths. Come on, give the boys some fricking credit. |
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| starmelace |
I take it the novel makes them seem a bit braver and passionate about their cause? I can see that, even in the movie they seemed not as scared. Great, now I HAVE to read the novel.
I always have to try and think Enjolras in a different way then the TAC, because he drives me nuts. I don't know why...I much preferred the Enjolras that was in the cast I just saw. (Yes, know I now, the cast that just ended) |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Yes, you do have to read the book. Hugo's depiction of Enjolras is very different from the TAC, or from almost any actor in the musical. (Aaron Lazar came very close.) He talks about him at length, but I think the most concise description is from one of the early drafts: "Enjolras, cold, fanatical, and sad, with the complexion of a girl, the smile of a virgin, and the sweetest blue eyes that could have existed in the world." Cold, driven, and completely devoted to his cause.
As for the depictions of the barricade scenes, here are a couple choice excerpts: From the scene that would become "The people have not stirred / we are abandoned by those who still live in fear": [Enjolras said,] "As for the populace, it was seething yesterday, to-day it is not stirring. There is nothing to expect; nothing to hope for. Neither from a faubourg nor from a regiment. You are abandoned." These words fell upon the buzzing of the groups, and produced on them the effect caused on a swarm of bees by the first drops of a storm. A moment of indescribable silence ensued, in which death might have been heard flitting by. This moment was brief. A voice from the obscurest depths of the groups shouted to Enjolras: "So be it. Let us raise the barricade to a height of twenty feet, and let us all remain in it. Citizens, let us offer the protests of corpses. Let us show that, if the people abandon the republicans, the republicans do not abandon the people." Enjolras makes a rather lengthy speech after they've sent away the fathers and supporters of families (with great difficulty--nobody wants to leave), and this is how the speech ends: "Oh! The human race will be delivered, uplifted, and consoled! We affirm it on this barricade. Where would the shout of love begin, if not from the summit of sacrifice? Oh my brothers, this is the junction between those who think and those who suffer; this barricade is made neither of paving stones, nor of timbers, nor of iron; it is made of two mounds, a mound of ideas and a mound of sorrows. Here misery encounters the ideal. Here the day embraces the night, and says: I am about to die with thee, and thou shalt be born again with me. From the heavy embrace of all desolations springs faith. Sufferings bring their agony here, and ideas their immortality. This agony and immortality will mingle and make up our death. Brothers, he who dies here dies in the radiance of the future, and we are entering a tomb all flooded with the dawn." And from the final battle: One assault followed another. The horror of the situation kept increasing. Then there burst forth on that heap of paving-stones, in that Rue de la Chanvrerie, a battle worthy of a wall of Troy. These haggard, ragged, exhausted men, who had had nothing to eat for four and twenty hours, who had not slept, who had but a few more rounds to fire, who were fumbling in their pockets which had been emptied of cartridges, nearly all of whom were wounded, with head or arm bandaged with black and blood-stained linen, with holes in their clothes from which the blood trickled, and who were hardly armed with poor guns and notched swords, became Titans. The barricade was ten times attacked, approached, assailed, scaled, and never captured. [...]They fought hand to hand, foot to foot, with pistol shots, with blows of the sword, with their fists, at a distance, close at hand, from above, from below, from everywhere, from the roofs of the houses, from the windows of the wine-shop, from the cellar windows, whither some had crawled. They were one against sixty. [...]Bossuet was killed; Feuilly was killed; Courfeyrac was killed; Combeferre, transfixed by three blows from a bayonet in the breast at the moment when he was lifting up a wounded soldier, had only time to cast a glance to heaven when he expired. Enjolras, of course, gets a special death scene, but it's very different from the musical and I don't want to spoil it. |
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| Catherine |
Ahhh the book is so amazing! I've nearly finished it! All the barricade boy's deaths were sad, but Prouvaire's was the worse for me, I felt a sob in my throat when I read that...
But I just imagined his mizzie and it made me feel better. =] |
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| Quique |
Hmmm. I've never gotten the impression that the students were anywhere near frightened or not passionate for their cause in the musical. Sad outcome, yes, but definitely not a waste. | ||||||
| starmelace |
I guess it's how it's presented in each musical and how each person interprets it. *shrug* I know that people don't always agree on what a song is meant to say.
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| bigR |
I am with Quique on this.
I agree with Orestes about the idiocy of "They were schoolboys, never held a gun", etc. but while these lines may wrongly convey the opposite message Hugo wanted to convey (there is no point in fighting for what you believe in), i still don't understand how anyone in the audience can get the impression that the barricade boys are frightened little things or not passionate enough about their cause. I think that the musical is quite faithful to the brick in this. I mean, they have the temper to make jockes about the witty girls who went to their beds, they refuse to surrender several times, they fight with each other to be the one who jumps to the other side of the barricade to get ammunition no matter how dangerous it is, and what about all the "let them come with their legions and they will be met", "and if I should die in the fight to be free where the fighting is hardest there I will be", "let us die facing our foes", "make them pay through the nose" or "let others rise to take our place"... Well, there is ONE barricade boy who sings "could it be you fear to die" and he kind of is there because Enjolras is pretty. But why does the audience have to pay more attention to him than to the whole male cast of the musical is a real mistery. |
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| starmelace |
I guess...maybe for me it was that the battles all happened so quickly....I think that's what it was. When you're seeing it for the 1st time, it all happens so fast. One moment, they were singing and yelling about killing the enemy. Next thing you know (not literally, just how it felt) they were dieing. I do want to see the musical again (yes, already) and pay more attention. 
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| bigR |
Actually it isn't your fault. It's the bloody cuts. They make the barricade feel awfully rushed.
You know, the musical used to be some 20 minutes longer, but one fine day CamMack decided to butcher it and that's the result. The cuts don't affect the plot at all but they alter the rythm of the show a lot. In fact, I've just realized that some of the lyrics I typed in my previous post aren't in London anymore (for some unknown reason all the "we pledge ourselves to hold this barricade" wasn't cut in Broadway but it is cut in London). As I say, it is not that they cutted anything important for the plot. Just short dialogues and songs that gave the audience the time to breath and pause and understand what was happening. Now, it is too rushed. And although I've promised up here that I would let him rest, I have just realized that you saw Baruwa's Enjolras. And Baruwa DOES play a somehow frightened and totally overwhelmed by the circunstances Enjolras. Thank God he's gone to play Gary Coleman in Avenue Q. |
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| starmelace |
There we go, it makes a bit more sense now. So i wonder why they cut those parts from the London version? I like that part! I agree, the plot was not lost. Just rushed.
I agree, Baruwa didn't seem as convinced by his cause as some. (Especially compared to the one in TAC...whose name I completely forget) |
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| Catherine |
But... but... the vest was pretty!! |
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| Paula74 |
That sounded soooooo very wrong.
I think the cuts are what...for a time...lessened my love for Les Miz. I never lost the love, but there was a period where the whole thing just seemed to lose something vital and, the last time I had a chance to see the tour here, I didn't even bother. |
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| Catherine |
That's because you have a dirty mind, my friend. XD You're on the Drew Sarich board, right? |