Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| flying_pigs |
I have to admit that, with this cast, I think I prefer a lot of the understudies to the principal. Not because the principals are bad, but just because most of the understudies are amazing! | ||||||||
| riverdawn |
Ah, thanks for this. I didn't realize there were four Gavroches. I know there is one blond one who I don't like as much because he sings with a very very heavy accent that is quite difficult to understand. I'm pretty sure Jamie is also the one I like the most (and was referring to when I said "the dark haired Gavroche) 
Also, it's good that you got a chance to gush to Killian. |
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| MizzieFan |
If I am completely honest - I would prefer JVJ understudies to the principal. And the same with Javert - I just don't have a feeling that those two are on the same level as the most of other principals (like David, Rebecca, etc.).
And I really hope Killian doesn't leave in June and so I hope for Mark. They are just AMAZING. But on the other hand I wish Bowman and HPJ would go. Jeff and Jonathan deserve to be principals as they are long time u/s. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
flying_pigs, I know exactly what you mean. And it makes me almost sad to think that if a few understudies were principal, this could be ... one of the strongest casts Les Mis has had. Jonathan, Jeff - maybe Killian in a few years, I'll give him that -, Natalie, Antony, David, Nancy, Emily, Martin and, well, I guess I don't care whether it's Lorraine or Rachel. It would be mind-blowing.
I think there is one blond Gavroche that is completely new. And I like him a lot, but I haven't seen him that often, which is odd... the other blond one sounds a bit too much like a Disney cartoon character for me, then there's George, who's got a wonderfully fitting voice for Gavroche, and Jamie, who is awesome. Tristan was in a different league, though. He was so good... |
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| riverdawn |
Hmm... I may have seen Tristan, because I saw the show at least twice before the end of October... but I really don't know, because those were the first two times I'd seen the show. I wasn't really paying a lot of attention to the Gavroches.
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| pastaeater |
Finally got the sound to work on my computer! What a day for it not to work - I've been seething with rage unable to hear the recordings of Killian....
But working at last......OMG - he sounds fantastic! Just a couple of random questions: how did he react to the stage door gushings, and was he clean shaven to play Javert? Just wondered! Many thanks! |
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| Elbow |
Aye, he'd had a shave. And he seemed very pleased that so many people thought he was great and just seemed very excited to be playng the part. That man needs a principal part. I know he's too young for Javert at the moment but gosh. Amazing. | ||||||||
| riverdawn |
Oh, I'd been wondering about the beard thing as well.
I've been thinking about this all day long. It's does feel kind of insane that someone this good is a swing (albeit St. Killian the Super-Swing)! I mean, my goodness! And of course I don't mean any offense to Swings by this, naturally. It's just that Killian totally deserves a role of his very own. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
This is a very selfish reason, but I'm happy to have Killian as a swing. Yes, he deserves to be principal and have a role of his own, but he owns every part he plays. He's an amazing Montparnasse, Feuilly, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Brujon, you name it. It's incredible. And he said that it's fantastic to be a swing at Les Mis, because you really get to do so many different things, as every role is completely different... unlike many other musicals where most of the ensemble is simply the same, a crowd of people... and there are so many different ensemble roles, too, as the story moves over so many years and settings.
Obviously, I still need to see him as Enjolras, as everyone. But that would be an option, after cast change... he's definitely got the right voice. |
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| riverdawn |
I suspected you might say something like that, Eppie-Sue.
Of course I think it's awesome that he gets to do all those different roles, and he is definitely absolutely incredible as a swing, and we are all lucky who get to see him in that capacity. That being said, I still think he deserves a role of his very own.
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| mm10 |
Hi everyone, this is my first post and have really enjoyed reading all your posts.
I have been a huge fan of Les Mis since way back when it was first at the Palace theatre. I can still remember the profound effect it had on me the first time I saw it and I can honestly say I have never seen anything since that has had the same effect. Way back then I didn�t have the internet so I felt as though I was the only person in the world that was so obsessed about it. It is great to see the show still has a massive following and I am reliving my excitement all over again through all your posts. 
I tend to be more of a lurker but the reason I�m posting is because of all the negative criticism of Simon Bowman. I first saw Simon as the original Chris in Miss Saigon and thought he was brilliant � I have looked out for him ever since. I saw him play JVJ a few years ago, it was a complete surprise as he was only filling in for a few weeks and I thought he was excellent again. When I heard he was taking over the part for a longer run I knew I had to see him again and again I wasn�t disappointed. Apologises for not quoting specific people but I been making my way over 100 pages of posts but one comment I read was about how he grinned throughout the scene where he purchases Cosette, the night I saw him I felt the expression he had was more of someone trying to hide his obvious disgust for the Thenardiers and I felt that he would do whatever it took to get her away from them. Another comment was about him not buttoning up his shirt, I can honestly say I never noticed or at least never attached any significance to it. Similarly I never noticed that he kissed Fantine�s neck after she died (or if I did I didn�t think of it in a �yuk� sort of way). Also the comments about his hands during BHH � is this to do with the praying motion he makes towards the end � do all the Valjean�s not do that? I have never read the book so I cannot comment on JVJ�s personality as Victor Hugo wrote it, but I�m sure it is hard for each actor to try and make the part their own and not just copy the person who has gone before. Also I have no musical training so I cannot comment on the technical aspects of how SB sings, I only know that I like the sound of his voice. I take it that he has been ill recently so maybe that accounts for the weaknesses in his voice. I get the feeling from reading some of the posts (not just here but also on WOS board) that the issues with SB are more to do with the fact that people feel that the understudy should have got the role. I think it is great that you are all so knowledgeable about the show and can offer such insight into all the characters, not just the leads, but with that comes a tendency to compare one with another. If you were seeing SB for the first time without having anything to compare him to would he seem quite so bad? I hope I haven�t offended anyone and this post has gone on far longer than I intended. I do have two questions � has anyone spoken to SB at the stage door, is he approachable, has he ever offered any insight into why he plays it the way he does? My other question is, are the leads contracted to do all 8 shows or is there some sort of rota? |
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| Eppie-Sue |
First off, congrats for fighting your way through this thread! It's always great to have other fans join the forums.
I believe I have criticised all of that, and I will try to explain. I never get the feeling that Bowman's Valjean is disgusted by the Th�nardiers, sadly. That would be amazing, alas, he seems to enjoy himself a lot and looks almost entertained by them. It's the problem I've got with his characterisation again: Valjean doesn't strike me as a funny guy at all. Not even remotely. He doesn't have any reason to be amused at any point. And you can bring humour to the stage without laughing yourself. And I didn't notice the open shirt the first few times either, but the fact is that it's there and that it's wrong. It would be the same as Marius not wearing a ring on his finger all the way up to "Dog Eats Dog". It wouldn't make sense at all, but I doubt anyone would notice. Still, it wouldn't be right. Think for your character. Same goes for the scenes with Fantine: Even if you don't notice the kiss he gives Fantine, it's still there. My cousin, for example, was convinced they would have become a couple if she hadn't died.
Nah, it's when he goes for the "If I dieeee", etc. It's hard to explain, maybe someone else will try. And I honestly don't think it's the fact that we think Jonathan Williams should have been promoted. Obviously, there was a certain sense of disappointment, as we have always enjoyed his performance, but at least I was excited about the prospect of a new lead at the Queen's, given he would be amazing. I don't think Jonathan Williams is the perfect Valjean, but I think he is bloody amazing. But I was looking forward to maybe getting this perfect Valjean, someone, who brought new energy to the stage and knew the character, was secure in his singing and his entire performance. Sadly, that wasn't the case. I've never talked to him myself but have seen him being quite nice to fans who asked for a photo and an autograph. The thing is, I'm always going to be honest, here and at the stage door, so I can't really approach him and say anything, can I?! It wouldn't seem right. Oh, and there is no rota for any character. David Shannon had his Mondays off from June on, and it worked well, so I guess you can put it into your contract, but every actor normally plays every show. |
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| operafantomet |
Do they ever promote understudies, though? It seems to be a CamMack thing, probably because if they keep the understudies where they are, they'll have someone covering a regular track and also a lead role. Demands more rehearsal to find a replacement for this than if you bring a new (or old-timer) into one of the leads. And as for David Shannon, it seemed necessary he played less performances than your average Valjean... Whereas he has a lovely voice, he doesn't quite seem to have the stamina. I don't think he would handle 8 performances a week (doing the Phantom now, he seems to hold back a lot, as to save energy and/or voice). I don't think they'll ever introduce the principal/alternate status again unless absolutely necessary. Not to say it won't happen, but it sure won't happen just because a talented understudy deserves to go on more often. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
David Thaxton, Emily Bull and Rebecca Seale are all former understudies for their roles... obviously, the situtations were a bit different, as the leads left in the middle of the season, but generally speaking, they do promote understudies. I hope they're planning on promoting Antony in June, to be honest. |
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| riverdawn |
I can't speak for anyone else, but I can say a few things:
First, I'm not comparing Bowman to any other specific Valjean, as I think I've only seen the show once or maybe twice with another Valjean, and these were the early times I saw it so I wasn't quite paying as much attention. So I'm definitely can't be "accused" of being someone who loved a specific understudy and wanted him to be Valjean. I don't even know who it was that I saw as Valjean the other times. Second, I admit I don't find his characterization as bothersome as other people do. There are parts where I quite like it, including some of the more sarcastic parts which other people don't fancy. So I'll give him that in all fairness. Third, again - I don't know what other people mean when they talk about the hands in BHH, but this is what I mean: throughout all of BHH he holds the gun and sings, and that's fine, and quite understated and nice. And then he gets to "If I die, let me die" and he drops the gun to the crook of his elbow (so it's now sitting there in this totally awkward position), lifts up his hands, and holds them, with all the fingers spread out, pointing at his face. It is, I'm sure, meant to be some form of praying or entreaty - but what it actually ends up looking like is like a crazy person, or perhaps someone with a mild mental disability. And then he keeps gesturing with the hands like this. I find it extremely distracting. I believe the other Valjean/s I've seen have done other things with that song. I seem to recall one of them singing part of it standing up and then kneeling to pray at that part. But I could just be making this up because, again, I don't have a very clear recollection of the other Valjean's I've seen. Finally - there is one other thing that bugs me that I've mentioned, and that's his tendency to over-enunciate words in certain parts of the show. I've said this before: it's a little much when he goes: "one word from him and I'd be bacKKKK, beneath the LLaSH upon the racKKKK" and especially "he told me that I have a souLLLLLLLE (and yes, I know there is no E in soul. I put it there because that's what it sounds like)." So to sum up, I'm not criticizing him because I have another specific Valjean in mind, as I don't. I also think there are parts of his performance that are quite good and that I enjoy. However, there are other parts which I find quite annoying and sometimes ruin lovely moments for me. Those are my two cents. |
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| mm10 |
I can honestly say I never felt he was trying to be funny. I agree that he does play it very confidently, I don't know if that is how JVJ should be but it works for me. There is a fine line between appearing confident and apearing arrogant - John Barrowman being the perfect example. In the scene where he realizes he is responsible for Fantine's downfall I did get a feeling of real remorse from him.
It seemed from reading all your posts that understudies were a regular occurance - I guess that's just down to the bad weather and all the illness around at the moment. I have to say I really want to see it again as I realize now I have not payed nearly enough attention!!! I will be in London at the end of the month but didn't intend going again as I saw it a couple of weeks ago but now I think I will have to (would want to see SB though - sorry!!  )
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| flying_pigs |
I think it's also because Bowman seems to flub a lot of lines! I mean, I can't actually really judge him as I am still yet to see him. | ||||||||
| operafantomet |
Understudies as such is a regular occurance (or has been the last couple of months, due to extreme weather, swine flu quarantines and "regular" illness). But when David Shannon played the role of Valjean, he only performed 6 out of 8 performances each week. I think he's the first West End Valjean to not do all 8 shows, and as mentioned above I think it was due to his lack of stamina (he was an excellent Valjean, though). |
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| flying_pigs |
I assumed it was because he was rehearsing for Phantom?
Maybe not. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Mondays are only one show. 7 our of 8 performances. And I thought it was because of Phantom, too.
He was an amazing Valjean, believable, humble, real and he delievered the best "Soliloquy" I can imagine. Bloody hell, I miss him. And Earl.  Killian reminded me of how good Earl was.
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| flying_pigs |
And I think Shannon looked right for the part as well, especially when you're in the front row! | ||||||||
| MizH |
Earl and David were great. Unfortunately, I only got to see them perform together once. I've seen David as Phantom too. He was good, but I prefer him as Valjean. I really like HPJ as Javert. I want to see Simon Bowman, just to see what everyone's going on about! |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
'Twas a good show tonight. Jeff was indeed on as Javert and Killian and Greg were covering him, Antony, Simon and Dylan between them, so there were some 'economies', e.g. just 2 judges, 1 convict too few etc., but nothing too noticeable.
Believe it or not, this was my first time seeing Jeffert, I've been waiting ages, and he didn't disappoint. His entry in Fantine's arrest was truly awesome, I loved Stars and the Suicide, and there were times when I really felt I was watching THE Javert. Especially in the Runaway Cart for some reason. He pointed a couple of times and I lol'd at how long his first finger is! Bowman seemed particularly into it tonight, which worked well in some places and less well in others. I think the Prologue and Soliloquy are his weakest bits, which is unfortunate, because it just encourages me to pick faults in the rest of his performance. I think I might have annoyed the people next to me because there were quite a few moments when I, er, sniggered (for want of a better word) quite loudly. The worst was probably after 'just for stealing a mouthful of bread', where Bowman whacked the stage REALLY hard with both hands (also at the MARK of Cain, thanks to Eppie-Sue. Talking of Markfeyrac, he almost dived right off the barricade trying to catch Gavroche's bag which got a bit of a laugh from the audience). Overall, though, this was far from Bowman's wortst performance - he was in good voice and there were parts I actually enjoyed quite a lot. Rachel was of course on for Mme T (and Daniella was off so we had both Katy and Brenda, and I've got to say how much I love Katy in certain scenes). I don't know if I prefer her to Lorraine or not. In general, the character has to be done very well for it not to annoy me, and I just felt that Rachel was trying too much to be a carbon copy of Lorraine, but I don't think that what works for Lorraine necessarily works for her, and vice versa. She also seems to have lost her voice a bit, which goes to show what playing Mme T for a week and a half does to you  .
Having seen the show many times, I no longer get so emotional, or at least tear up as much, partly because I concentrate less on the principals and the overall story, and partly because it inevitably loses a bit of its impact when you know exactly what's going to happen. However, there's usually one bit, different each time I go, that's extra special and really gets to me, and I'm pleased to announce that today it was Alistair's ECAET. I don't really no why, but I had tears pouring down my face at that point. I do think that Alistair should get the award for Most Improved Performer. EDIT: One of my favourite parts of Jeff's performance was when Valjean let him go. Where HPJ looks a bit scared, or at least unsure of what's going on, Jeff remained totally dignified and I could imagine him saying, "I find this embarassing. I'd rather you killed me." |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
[Sorry for double post - my phone only lets me do 1000 characters at a time]
... loudly. The worst was probably after 'just for stealing a mouthful of bread', where Bowman whacked the stage REALLY hard with both hands (also at the MARK of Cain, thanks to Eppie-Sue. Talking of Markfeyrac, he almost dived right off the barricade trying to catch Gavroche's bag which got a bit of a laugh from the audience). Overall, though, this was far from Bowman's wortst performance - he was in good voice and there were parts I actually enjoyed quite a lot. Rachel was of course on for Mme T (and Daniella was off so we had both Katy and Brenda, and I've got to say how much I love Katy in certain scenes). I don't know if I prefer her to Lorraine or not. In general, the character has to be done very well for it not to annoy me, and I just felt that Rachel was trying too much to be a carbon copy of Lorraine, but I don't think that what works for Lorraine necessarily works for her, and vice versa. She also seems to have... |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
...lost her voice a bit, which goes to show what playing Mme T for a week and a half does to you .
Having seen the show many times, I no longer get so emotional, or at least tear up as much, partly because I concentrate less on the principals and the overall story, and partly because it inevitably loses a bit of its impact when you know exactly what's going to happen. However, there's usually one bit, different each time I go, that's extra special and really gets to me, and I'm pleased to announce that today it was Alistair's ECAET. I don't really no why, but I had tears pouring down my face at that point. I do think that Alistair should get the award for Most Improved Performer. EDIT: One of my favourite parts of Jeff's performance was when Valjean let him go. Where HPJ looks a bit scared, or at least unsure of what's going on, Jeff remained totally dignified and I could imagine him saying, "I find this embarassing. I'd rather you killed me." |
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| Elbow |
Yes. I didn't realise how lucky we were to have two such strong leads. There are so may little things that I miss. The way Shannon used to almost growl "RUUUuuun" in The Confrontation. The "rest" he added in Fantine's Death. And Earl's evil little laugh in The Final Confrontation and not to mention his low "Chaaaiiiiiin". And so much more. Gaaah. |
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| ecaet |
Hello everyone, great to have found this board, you all seem to know so much about the London production which I have unfortunately not seen since around 2006/2007.
Just a note about David Shannon unsure why he went down to 7 performances a week but I would assume it wasn't because of Phantom as he only rehearsed for that once he left Les Miserables. From what I've read elsewhere he is off a lot at Phantom aswell but doesn't have an alternate there. What days usually have the best availability for tickets in London? |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Well... if you book in advance, you shouldn't have any problem at all, it's rarely sold out beforehand. If you go on the day, I don't advise Friday or Saturday, but normally you're able to get good tickets right before the show on all the other days. | ||||||||
| ecaet |
Thank you for your prompt reply Eppie-Sue I would probably be aiming for mid week anyway.
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| beyondthebarricade |
Okay, can anyone please tell me when the cast change this year is? I can't quite remember if it's June 19 or 22. Or even a completely different date. Also, do they make a big hooha about the changing of the cast like the changing of guards or do they do it quietly backstage? | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
The last performances of the current cast are on the 19 June, a Saturday, the first performance of the new cast is on the 21st.
And, well, I'm not sure how noticeable it is for the normal audience, for those that don't have a clue, but there are very likely going to be "muck-ups" in the matinee - people changing their lines a bit (other years have had Prouvaire singing "Here's to pretty boys who went to our head", etc.), sometimes just small things like last year: Tabitha Webb with a French accent at "My rooms are full and I've no supper to spare...", John Jo suddenly as an Italian Montparnasse, the crowd gasping loudly after the Bishop sings "That is right." and other bits. For the evening show, well, it's going to be awfully emotional, as every year. It already was on the 10th Oct when only Shannon, Earl and Katie left. And it will be unforgettable. Nancy already announced she will be "a wreck", and she won't be the only one... Sad times. And I do think those that are leaving get an extra bow or something...? Gosh, it will be the end of me. ETA: Also xD
I KNOW RIGHT? Makes me giggle every time now. Aw, Mark.
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| aquirkofmatter |
My two-pence on the David Shannon thing...
Actors can put whatever they want into their contracts. at WWRY Ricardo Afonso [who was Galileo last cast] didn't do the Monday shows (because he had had an injury) and the understudy became alternate; at the moment when they have the monthly Wednesday matinee the u/s Scaramouche does the matinee show and u/s Galileo [Richard Woodford! ] performs in the evening. You don't know the nature, he may have had personal reasons that stopped him from working Mondays that he didn't want publicised, it's unfair to assume it was because of stamina. Absolutely anything can be put into contracts if it's agreed by both sides.
And I personally don't think you can compare a performance as Valjean to a performance as Phantom, they're very different roles. Phantom's the smallest leading male role in the West End.
I completely agree!! I absolutely love his performance now, he's grown so much since I first saw him in August His ECAET always makes me tear-up a little bit now.
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| beyondthebarricade |
Thanks so much! I don't think stagedooring on June 19th is advisable for me- they'll probably not come out until 3am or something or all troop to wherever in one big bunch. | ||||||||
| operafantomet |
I agree, the Phantom is on stage for what - 30 minutes in total? It's not a grand role as such (although it do demand a lot from whoever plays it). Which is why I assume he had a day a week off from Les Mis, but not from Phantom. But David Shannon seems to have been off quite a bit when playing the Phantom, and he's definitely not giving it all on stage. It might not be lack of stamina, but to me, in lack of further info, it seems like the most likely reason. I'm prepared to be proven wrong, though, and I'm not saying this to put him down in any way. He did a wonderful Valjean, and he have his treats as the Phantom too (though I much prefer his Valjean). |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
But didn't he do a full week before cast change? If it is a stamina problem, then how did he cope before, when he seemed fine? | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
... it's not so much that. But can I be frank? It's maybe not the most adviseable thing to do, seeing as most of them will have a hard time leaving the show and that final day at the stage door shouldn't be about the fans, e.g. to take photos, get an autograph or any of that sort. Actually, stagedooring should never be about the fans, but if you really want to ask for a picture, a signature or any of that sort, or expect them to chat with you - i.e. ask for a favor - don't make it cast change. I've seen people doing that on the 10th October (when Shannon, Earl and Katie left), and it was incredibly rude. They simply won't have time or nerves to deal with that, even if they will still be polite. |
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| KatyRoseLand |
About the David Shannon thing-
If you remember, there was a rumour he was going to leave on 9th May - I think it actually said so on his website. Anyway, it was then announced that he'd leave at the same time as everyone else. When I went to the stage door once, I said to him, "I'm so glad you decided to stay past 9th May" and he said "Yeah, well, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse", and I didn't know what he meant at the time, but then later, I found out that he'd obviously meant he would get a day off. So what I get from that is that he was planning to leave but they wanted to keep him longer, so they offered him an extra day off a week, and he went for it. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
I know that stagedooring then wouldn't be the best day. They'll probably be too emotional and sad and rather keep to themselves on their last performance. I wonder who'd have the guts to go up asking for pictures despite knowing that they aren't exactly in the mood for it. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh my God.
So, Madeleine and I saw the evening show and I almost choked in the Bishop scene. Simon!constable and, especially, Mark!constable shoved Bowman to the ground and he slid over the floor and ended up half-leaning over the orchestra pit with his head and shoulders. Right in front of me. I died. I was shaking with laughter all the way up to ATEOTD. I was certain I'd burst out laughing any moment, because my mind was just going "What if he had actually crashed into the pit?" Also, David was amazing. I just have to point it out. I was impressed. bwaahahaha let us see if he's impressed and Bowman was just hanging there and then I looked up to see if he was still there and HE WAS and he was staring at me and I died I died I died. Oh God the pain of keeping the laughter down. xDDDDD |
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| flying_pigs |
Hahahaha, that sounds like a moment of pure brilliance! | ||||||||
| beyondthebarricade |
If he fell into the orchestra pit it would be one big epic fail. When I saw it, the stuff that the Thenardier's stole at Marius and Cosette's wedding landed this close to the orchestra pit. I really don't know how that happened.
But why do Les Mis people/things always have a tendency to land in the orchestra pit? Poor conductor. |
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| Lauraa |
No way! That's what happened when I went a couple of weeks ago! I hope it's not a regular occurrence 
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| Eppie-Sue |
WHAT? NO. IT WAS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN IN AGES. |
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| Lauraa |
Haha ok, it was hilarious - even the conductor was laughing for a while
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| Eppie-Sue |
Okay, I've got some time now, and I thought I'd just review a bit.
Martin Ball was off and Greg was on as Thenardier (why are there no accents on British keyboards?!)), Dylan and Antony were off, Killian was covering both their tracks. Yeah. No Jeffert ... and, um, the girls had a bit of a problem, as Rachel was on as Mme T, and Sophie, Daniella and Chloe were all off, so there were two swings covering four tracks. Lovely Ladies was reduced to six whores, Turning had Helen singing Daniella's lines as well, the wedding consisted of five couples. They did an amazing job. God, I love this ensemble. Talked to Helen later - gosh, she was the sweetest - and complimented her on the female ensemble pulling it off so well. Great job.
I've already commented on Bowman almost falling into the orchestra pit. It killed me. It might not seem that funny reading about it, but oh my dear Lord, from BB8, looking up at him hanging right in front of me with his moth open, his eyes like this:  , his hands gripping the stage and juist not moving... I died. I lose it just thinking about it now.
And I have something positive to say about his performance! Lo and behold! He buttoned up his shirt after Who Am I!
It was a really entertaining performance, actually. The audience was in a good mood, and during The Bargain, there was one guy who was just so genuinely amused and had the oddest laugh somewhere in the first three rows of the Stalls on the left side... and he just burst out laughing, in true "HA HA HA HA HA" manner, it cracked me up. I'm normally only slightly amused by The Bargain, obviously, seeing it so often takes a bit away from the initial amusement, but that guy had the most infectious laugh. And then Bowman almost burst out laughing. Greg and Rachel did a good job holding it together, but it was the craziest scene. I can't believe we didn't even get Jeffert. Oh God, seeing HPJ again just put even more emphasis on how strong Killian was on Wednesday - I really don't like Janssens's voice, because he literally only goes for the big notes and all the rest sounds very "rough", unclear and mumbled. Nancy flubbed a line, which was a bit of a O.O moment, as she's among the most reliable, it was in The Robbery, she sang something like "it's not your concern ... it's not you ..." but, ah, well. She was bloody amazing in The Attack On Rue Plumet, though, she is terrifying. I'm going to be honest, I was scared. She's crazy. Ah, and she got applause for ALFOR. Speaking of "terrifying" - David completely lost it at "Lamarque is dead". Oh it was so strong. It was the best performance I've seen in a while - to be honest, I have seen quite a few lately - and it wasn't that the others were noticeably weak, it was just that yesterday, there was a lot of Epicjolras in there. His voice soared. We talked to a guy in BB6 in the interval, who knew a few of the ensemble and had been kind of involved with Les Mis a few years ago, and he pointed him out, saying he hadn't expected this at all, but "the best on stage is... Enjolras. Oh my God. What a voice." Heeh. I wish I could write more about Rebecca. I was still too amused by every thing that had happened in The Bishop and the giant WTF that is the Soliloquy afterwards, so I didn't pay too much attention to ATEOTD and IDAD, I'm afraid. I really liked "Come to me", though. Emily was good, even though I sometimes wish her voice was a bit... well, not stronger, but steadier. It sounds like she can't decide between belting out a few notes and then going for a more... soprano-ish sound. I really can't explain it. Alistair was hilarious in AHFOL. Oh God, I love him, he just stumbles forwards and grins like an idiot and then realises that OMG I AM ACTUALLY STANDING IN FRONT OF HER and then is the most adorable nervous wreck. And I thought it was probably one of the strongest beginnings of ECAET I've heard him do. Oh the ensemble. Bless them. There were some utterly hilarious moments, such as Simon wiping his tongue on his hand, completely disgusted, during the MotH slow-mo, Jonathan in the wedding... oh GOD! Jonathan in the wedding scene! That made the whole scene - he was the drunk, as most of the time - and he had one of the flowers from the props in his jacket's buttonhole and was staggering around, drunk off his arse, pointing at the Thenardiers, and then, completely hammered, leaning against the barricade in the wings and after a short moment, jumping up, staring at it with the most confused expression. Loved it. Killian stole the show in ODM, marching in Feuilly's spot and being the most frightening Feuilly imagineable, punching his fist in the air, looking demented and dangerous and bloody hilarious. I hope he doesn't do that if he's ever on as Enjolras, I'm not sure I could keep it together. Talked to Jonathan about Valjean dates, by the way, and he says Bowman still hasn't really sorted out his holiday dates, but Simon Shorten might go on in the next two weeks, as he, Jonathan, is on holiday, but Bowman isn't feeling too good vocally. Our original Simon Valjean! Yay!
Ah, and at this matinee, only Rachel Bingham is on as Mme T... And I might see the evening show today. 
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| MizzieFan |
Thank you for your lovely review! So Davids' neck is any better?
God, how much I would LOVE to see the show Seems like Killian does well in EVERY role.
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Yup, basically .
Just back from seeing the show 1.5 times today - I had to leave during the interval this evening. Eppie-Sue, Madeleine and Elbow are all there though, so I'm sure they'll report back, if there's anything worth saying. The matinee was a great show. There was still a very small female ensemble, but if you hadn't seen it before, you wouldn't have noticed anything wrong. There was quite a bit of flubbing of lines, though. In the bargain Bowman went something like: "I found her wandering in the wood, I found her .... tremb ...... small child." And Nancy mucked up the same line again! I'm not quite sure what happened, but I think she missed 'you'll be in trouble here'. She was way ahead of the orchestra in any case (it was fine this evening though.) The ABC scenes were hilarious. David seemed amused by something for the whole of the first part, including Grantaire's bit. He then did the sitting down at the front blocking for "It is time for us all..." and then on "the colours of the world are changing every day" he hit Alistair in the face with the map!! Quite deliberately. Maybe a bit OOC, but awesome nevertheless! Quite a lot of the ensemble started laughing at that point as well, I think. Then on the "Marius, you're no longer a child...", David was clearly trying not to laugh - his voice cracked a little bit a couple of times. Then the hilarity continued in DYHTPS when Markfeyrac managed to practically dump the flag on top of David's head . Which got them both subtly laughing again I think.
After Javert's arrival, when he's revealed as a spy, Mark was trying to get David to take the map from him, and I loved the mental image of "Shoot the bastard! No, wait ... hit the bastard over the head with the map!" People kept trying to compliment me today (I think). The lady I was sitting next to this evening said I had beautiful hair like Fantine (which, I might point out, is not true - it's just blondeish and curly) and then on the tube an Asian guy told me I had lips like an African's and started trying to persuade me to go out with him. It was quite scary, actually. |
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| riverdawn |
WTF?!?
No wonder they all started laughing! I would have been cracking up! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Epicjolras is back. and, apparently, Killian was talking to his hat, being first traveller in MotH. Yeah, I don't know either. ETA: full review of the evening show will follow... at one point. But those are the important bits.
ETA 2: Oh, and as people might be interested... Nancy's doing a kind of cabaret thing at Lauderdale House on 28 February... (facebook link) |
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| Madeleine |
I'm really not sure if he was talking to his hat, or talking to himself. More likely that he was talking to himself, I suppose. (but he bent down to put his hat down and stayed bent over for a little while muttering...) He talks to himself as Brujon too...
That was an amazing character! He was so happy, and ever so slightly mad. He sat there muttering to himself, then asking Jeff what he had ordered, or something like that. I wish it was possible to hear all the ensemble ad libs in that scene.
I might review tomorrow if I find the time, since I haven't written a review in a while... |
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| beyondthebarricade |
Ah yes the cabaret. Thought I saw that before. I believe David created that event.
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| Elbow |
So,this isn't really a review, more a few thoughts that came to mind while watching the show tonight.
HPJ - I think I have located the reason as to why I will never really warm to him as Javert. With Earl Carpenter for example, there was a proper character progression. He went from heartless police inspector to Valjean obsessed mad man, while still maintaining utter dignity and complete coolness. He was also very human, while still keeping that emotionless Javert exterior. You can see what lead him to commit suicide, you can see the build up to it, you can see him get more and more obessed and when he commits suicide... I don't know, but there was just so much more depth to the character, you felt for him, you could see how torn he was. With HPJ it is just completely different. He makes the character far more one dimensional, and there isn't much progression because he doesn't seem to make an awful lot of effort with acting the part, so you don't really realise that he's losing it until... well, until he's lost it, so when he commits suicide it just a bit like "Oh. Okay. That was odd." I mean, I used to sometimes cry at the suicide (I love Javert, I really do.) but now, I am just waiting for the wedding scene. (unless of course it is Jeff doing it... or Killian.) So yes, while HPJ can deliver the big notes, it isn't a well rounded Javert performance in the slightest. Another thing - I am now positively terrified at the idea of Simon Shorten leaving. He was off tonight, and Killian was covering Babet. Naturally Killian was awesome but gosh, Simon Shorten just owns the part. I love that frustrated yell he does after Eponine's scream in Rue Plumet, it is just pure utter anger. And in Javert's Intervention, when he half kneels there with one leg up, cane still firmly in hand. And the relationship with Brujon he has, telling him to shut up and grabbing him by his... rope in Rue Plumet. He is great. And another one who may never leave. I was also thinking about the original 1985 version and thinking if I had the choice of just adding a couple bits back... what I would add. I always love the Drink With Me reprise before The Final Battle, I think it makes the moment even more poignant and I just like it. I also think they should give Montparnasse his lines back at the start of Attack On Rue Plumet. I also kind of love the show as it is. But, I wouldn't be opposed to some old bits being reintroduced though. At all. It is quarter past 5 in the morning, so whether this post makes any sense whatsoever, will be debatable. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Ooh, I would actually quite like to go that! I'd love to hear Nancy sing something non-Mizzie. Perhaps I could make a weekend of it and see the show on the Saturday. I'd have to find a friend in London on whose floor I could crash, though.
Not that surprising really, is it? He uses facebook like any other normal person. Elbow: I totally agree with you about HPJ. He doesn't give Javert any depth. And when he does try to put in a bit of humanity, he tends to end up just looking scared. Which doesn't work at all. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
I know. Though some people don't. Anyway, the description of the event is hilarious. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
MdN WORKS AGAIN! WHOOOOOOOOP! wanted to post this last night already, but here we go: Random thoughts on Saturday night�s performance and the show in general� The break between the two parts of Javert�s Suicide (the first part ends with �it is either Valjean or Javert!� and the second part begins with �How can I now allow this man��) is way, way too long. It�s almost awkward. There is just silence and no one really knows what�s going on and why there is that much of a break. Once they�ve gotten rid of that, maybe they can slow the whole song down a bit. Not just because it�s been sped up too much in general, but also because that becomes even more noticeable due to Janssens�s pronunciation� It sounds like: �tohavemegohtnatrappnchootoletmegofreewhahissouratlast�� etc. It�s not very enjoyable. Oh my God, �Look Down� is so epic. That, the beginning of ATEOTD, the last �OOOONE� of ODM and the first �Look down!� of the convicts are my favourite parts of the show, I think. But �Look Down� wins, just because it�s Paris and it feels like home. Even though there are basically only very scary people on stage. I love it so much. The Gavroche that was on on Friday and Saturday actually literally sings �the bleedin� layabouts�. It�s one of the most commonly �misheard lyrics� anyway, and I really don�t like that no one can tell the kid that, no, they are not called �The Bleedin� Layabouts�. Imagine the passage in the brick went:
� no. Bowman delivers good fake punches, I�ll give him that. Katy Hanna, sadly, doesn�t slap Fantine as convincingly as Sophie!Factory Bitch. But ooooh her wig is lovely. Once again, there was a loud noise in the wings at the end of On My Own. I was amused. Ah, speaking of Nancy. I�m sure it was just me, but I didn�t really enjoy her performance for some reason. There was nothing wrong with it, but� I don�t know. Maybe I was just irritated by the fact that, apparently, Eponine knows the students. I�m not sure if it�s part of the direction they get, but I could hear her call out �GRANTAIRE!� very audibly at the end of DYHTPS (and I was in Dress Circle. But even if it had just been ad-libbing that I overheard, it�s not right), so Grantaire would run up, get Marius for her and all that. That� doesn�t make sense in the slightest. I really, really don�t like it. I do, however, like how the students refer to each other by name. E.g. Jonathan going �Prouvaire�� in the most exasperated tone after Joe�s �BRAVO MONSIEUR!�, David ordering �Feuilly!� to put down the gun as Valjean climbs over the barricade, addressing �Combeferre�� to arrange that Eponine�s dead body is carried off, going �Grantaire� in the middle of the �Can it be you fear to die?!� solo in DWM ever so quietly, Killian calling out �Enjolraaaaaas!� during the Final Battle, all these little things. Now, I do hope they have names for Simon!student, George!student and Jeff!student, too. I think David refers to Jeff!student as �Monsieur Brujon�, at least that�s what I heard from BB8 one day during DWM, and it cracked me up so much. I might have been imagining it, though. (Is Jeff on the barricade the same guy as Jeff in the caf�?!) Epicjolras! It�s been a while. With random blocking changes, a very loud �Red and Black� following the softest �It is time for us all�� I love Dress Circle Slips if only for the fact that you can see people react to what�s going on, and it�s funny to always spot some actually getting out their programmes either during the caf� scene or after DYHTPS� (the low notes kill me. Just saying.) � and there was a pretty epic Final Battle, too, although I�m a bit partial regarding the necessity of The Jump... Oh, and one thing� the sitting down at �Lamarque is dead�?! I�m not sure if I prefer it to just standing there or leaning against the �not yet barricade� behind the table� I liked the stillness of the scene, but the whole �is the sign we awaaaait � on his funeral day they will HONOUR his name� passage is a lot more insane now (which, as long as it�s following a certain direction � and that�s the case � is pretty awesome), and, amazingly, it still works. Actually, it wasn�t just Nancy�s performance that I couldn�t warm to that night, it was all the girls. I don�t know why. But, ah, Emily seemed to struggle a bit to hold the notes in �In My Life�� it�s not her strongest bit, sadly. Okay, this will be a rant. I hate to pick out certain ensemble members and criticise, but I have to: Laura Medforth. I�m sorry, and I�m sure she�s a really nice person and I actually like her voice, I think, but oh God, she�s not just making the most irritating noise as Sobbing Woman (that concept does, surprisingly, work rather well when Brenda or Katy are covering!), but she ruins every scene that requires her to emote, from ATEOTD on. It�s so over the top! As Madame, too, her face as she pimps out Fantine to Gavin!costumer is like a parody, honestly� but the worst bit has to be the Final Battle, when she stumbles forward against the table and cries out so you can hear her in the entire auditorium. It�s awful. And it doesn�t work in the context: Sobbing Woman doesn�t even work. See, here�s the thing. Enjolras offers the women to go, and only two get to stay: Sophie!woman and Laura!woman, and Laura actually turns round to Natalie, Chloe and Rachel and hugs them and tells them to go and save themselves and whatnot. Bloody Mary Sue. And you would think that now, after their f�ing LEADER has told them to LEAVE the barricade, the ones that are there won�t let him down and be emotional wrecks. Well, it turns out there is someone on that barricade who�s not up to that task, and, of course it�s a woman who can�t cope. I�m not your typical feminist, but that is just annyoing. And then, at least after the �Let us die facing our foe� moment in the Final Battle, you�d expect every single person on that barricade to have accepted their fate and be determined and proud and follow Enjolras bravely. I mean, I get that they are about to die and that that�s quite upsetting for everyone, but they kind of knew that when he said LET US BLOODY WELL NOT WASTE LIVES. And still she cries throughout the entire last moments on the barricade. WHY. WHY. WHY. *breathes* ETA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx-4Zf3LxH4 I do love the random ad-libbing after Martin's lines, the "Come on, Enjolras" once Alistair starts to sing and then I'm pretty sure the laughter after "caaaaaall" is Killian xD it sounds like Killian. <3 |
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| MizzieFan |
Thanks for these thoughts
I'm just wondering what REALLY is the point of Sobbing Woman? I mean, I never saw the performance myself but I heard her on some recordings I think and it really IS annoying, God. Was there already a Sobbing woman last year? Or earlier? Dunno. |
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| flying_pigs |
Thanks for the review!
Haha, the Gavroche is that audio has to be the most un-enthusiastic one I've ever heard! |
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| MizH |
I'd never seen a sobbing woman before this cast. If she's been there, she's been quiet and I've not noticed her. | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
The sobbing woman after Gavroche's death is new. After much discussion about it here in the forums, Elbow and I just asked David one day at the stage door (not so much asked as me blurting out "Why is there a sobbing woman right before the Final Battle D: ?"), and I think he tried to explain it. I don't really remember what he said, though xD | ||||||||
| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
What I don't get is why he lets down his hair at that point. Well, I mean, I understand why they do it - to show him falling apart and all. But I don't think it works. In the Brick, Hugo devotes the whole chapter to the turmoil that's going on in his head, but says that he spends the whole time leaning on the parapet, i.e. although he's breaking down inside, he doesn't show it much on the outside. His posture is maybe a bit uncertain or whatever, but he's certainly only "in disarray" on the inside. Obviously, I understand that on stage you've got to act in such a way that shows what's going on in your head, because the audience can't see in there like a reader can. So Javert has got to move about and be a bit in outward disarray. But surely the best way to also get across some of his outward composure would be to keep his hair up? It just seems so OOC for him to pull it out for no reason, or to let it fall. If anything, if he's in disarray, I would imagine he would not want to show it - it wouldn't be something he'd be proud of.
What about Thomas!student? Are any of them unofficially Bahorel? I'm not sure about Jeff - in the cafe he's dressed like the other students but at the barricade he looks like he's meant to be the tavern keeper or something (I think he always dresses like that or was he covering for Simon?) But he's back in his student gear for ECAET.
So gutted I missed that half - it's not the same leaving at ODM (and yet you get a surprising number of people who think that that's the end of the show! )
I have to agree with this. I think the worst part probably is the sobbing woman, just because it's so obtrusive, but throughout the whole thing she's so ... melodramatic. I really don't like her in ATEOTD, the way she keeps throwing back her head when she's laughing, and how OTT she is in the queue towards Fantine, and she's actually really OTT in Look Down as well. Just in general she seems, well, OTT. Just not believable. Everyone else's acting, on the whole, is fairly subtle and well delivered. Hers is just in you face - like the only way she can get the audience to understand she's upset is by distracting them loudly. I must admit, I don't particularly like her voice either. Well, no, I don't mind her voice, but it just doesn't really fit with the other girls'. It's a much deeper (not in a pitch sense, richer/stronger whatever) voice, somehow, which stands out too much. Especially when the other's put often put that kind of nasty effect into the way they sing (don't really know how to describe it) and she doesn't. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Thomas is Bahorel. I mentioned it to him and he's extremely proud of that fact ... and of his blue and golden jacket. That and The Vest are, apparently, the most valuable props and cost a small fortune, according to what he said. Doesn't quite go with what David said about them having "TEN!" vests backstage the question is, whom to we trust more on this...!?
And, yeah, Jeff is always dressed like that... strangely, they all change back into their student (caf�) costumes for ECAET - except for David as Enjolras, who just un-bloodies himself. |
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| Madeleine |
Okay, now we can post again, some thoughts on Saturday night�s show...
I�m not sure what to say about Simon Bowman anymore, but I�m going to try and focus on the positives here. I really want to like him. He�s trying so hard and clearly putting a lot of effort in, but, generally, it just isn�t working for me. That said, he does seem to have improved and there are some parts of his performance that I enjoy. I still love his interaction with both Cosettes and Fantine. I thought the way he touched Fantine�s face on �I will see it done� was very sweet indeed, and, unlike others, I like that he has started kissing her forehead in Come to Me. I thought his Epilogue was amazing. It always has been, but it blew me away last night. He was so into it, with so many tears, and he really convinced me. Him and Emily work together brilliantly. I just wish I could like him that much during the rest of the show. I suppose I just see Valjean as being very different to how Bowman sees him, which is fair enough. I�ve seen Rachel Bingham as Mme Thenardier a few times over the last couple of weeks and I finally like her. (It doesn�t help that Lorraine is one of my favourite people in this cast, I think she�s the best Mme Thenardier I�ve ever seen.) I saw Rachel�s first show in the role and she has improved so much since then, and is very funny. She still isn�t as scary as Lorraine, but I think that would be quite hard to achieve.
Back when I first saw the 2009/10 cast I reviewed on here and was very critical and harsh about Thomas Camilleri and Martin Neely as Montparnasse and Grantaire. I�d like to take it all back. Neely is so different to the other recent Grantaires and, for me, he took a lot of getting used to, but I love him now. He clearly adores Enjolras, and the expression on his face when the barricade turns around after Gavroche�s death breaks my heart. I still think he looks and sounds too pretty to be Grantaire though! Camilleri has either improved massively, or I�ve finally got over the fact that John Jo Flynn left. I�m not sure which one it is. Maybe a bit of both? He�s suitably scary and is a joy to watch. The way he lurks on what will become the barricade at the end of AHFOL is just brilliant, and so, so creepy. He�s probably not very visible to �normal people� at that point because they�re watching Marius, Cosette and Eponine, but for people who go more often than is healthy and notice these things *cough*, it�s a wonderful touch. I love Laura Medforth as the Bag Woman (or whatever that character is called?!) in Look Down, especially when Marius tries to give her a leaflet and she completely freaks out. I need to gush about Alistair again. I love how much he has improved. I know, vocally, he isn�t to everybody�s taste, but I think he suits the role well. As Eppie-Sue said, he is �the most adorable nervous wreck� at the beginning of AHFOL. He�s okay before it dawns on him what he is about to do then he completely panics! His ECAET actually made me tear up, which never usually happens to me at that point for some reason. The fact that he is so young works particularly well for that scene...he looks so vulnerable all alone on that stage and you really feel for him. The students were, as always, brilliant. David was being Epicjolras again, as previously mentioned. Mark was so passionate (one of these days he is going to break the table in the Cafe scene...he thumps it so hard in agreement with Davidjolras!), strong and the perfect Courfeyrac. But I missed Dylan and Antony so much! MOTH seems to get better every time, along with Gavin�s �Landlord?� getting camper, and more and more posh and high pitched every time! Killian talking to himself, Jeff�s hilarious facial expressions, George being a legend and stealing the show as the drunk, Joe�s wonderfully over the top laughing when George gets slapped, Jonathan�s loud (and often quite rude ) ad libbing...it�s just all fantastic.
<3 |
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| riverdawn |
Ah, thanks for that review and for the youtube link.
Four more weeks before I'm back at the Queen's. Can't wait! |
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| flying_pigs |
I just have to say how much I love the ensemble!
And yes, Jonathan's ad-libbing is great! |
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| beyondthebarricade |
Okay sorry sorry I know this isn't exactly related to this whole London Cast Change topic, and I have no idea if there's a TAC topic, but anyway...
Why does Javert's hair color change from brown to greyish white in one day?! I mean on the first day all the way up to One Day More Phillip Quast's hair is obviously brown. And suddenly the next day it mysteriously turns white. Why?! |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
You're welcome to start a new topic to avoid spamming other threads.
And the answer is because it's a live concert - the only chance they have to change costumes or wigs is at the interval. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I was just going to say this... seriously. At least some kind of relation to the London cast would be nice at times. When we say "it's the thread for everything", we don't mean literally everything. Just a general note.
Is anyone planning on seeing the show this week? (I'm not looking at you, Elbow xD) ... I'm thinking about going tomorrow or Thursday, but going alone is sad. |
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| aquirkofmatter |
I'm going Saturday night!
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| Madeleine |
I'm there on Saturday too.
And, Eppie, do not tempt me!
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| Elbow |
I am going to probably go tomorrow... I think. | ||||||||
| beyondthebarricade |
Yes I know. It was just a quick question, I wasn't ridiculous to think that what, I could convert a hundred over page long discussion to Phillip Quast and his hair. |
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| Eponines_Hat |
I NEED to go and see the real thing again. Especially Nancy! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
WOW. That was a great show. I will definitely review (tomorrow, as I'm... sleep-deprived. I almost nodded off during Valjean's Confession ), everyone was good. And JEFFERT!
But, comment of the night goes to... David Thaxton, aka The One Who Brought Fanon Slash Onto The Stage, upon me mentioning his interaction with Grantaire to him: "Oh. And you always think that stuff goes unnoticed..." ... um, he definitely doesn't read the forums. Or, you know, YouTube comments. |
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| riverdawn |
Not only does he clearly not read the forums, but he must not have really thought through what it means that people see the show dozens of times. Is there anything that truly goes "unnoticed" at this point?
Anyway, I'd love to hear more about last night. |
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| flying_pigs |
Ok, so anyone else get this email from The Jeff Nicholson Appreciation Society on Facebook?
Jeff is on as On as Javert In town for the time being. Why not go and say hello!! Jeff is also playing Javert from 29 to 31st March 2009!!! Get tickets from lesmiz.com Jeff is on for the time being?! Confused! Is this true? What happened to HPJ? Or is this pre-booked understudy stuff? |
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| Eppie-Sue |
hm, he posted "On as Javert In town for the time being..", too... This is definitely not pre-booked, as he didn't know he'd be on today last night. Not that I'm complaining, but I do hope it's nothing serious with HPJ.
ETA: Reviewww from last night (19 January)! Jeff as Javert (YAYAYAY) Greg as Th�nardier Jonathan was on holiday, Killian covered both Jeff�s and Jonathan�s track (and, in ATEOTD, Martin Neely�s, because he was Foreman), Greg helping out a bit before he was on for Martin Ball�s, but there were small alterations, like only nine convicts and only two judges, etc. Daniella was off, track covered by Brenda, Sophie is on holiday AFAIK, so Katy was Factory Bitch and generally in her track. First off, oh, it was so good to have Antony and Dylan back. I really missed them. I missed Antony in MotH and his face as he sings �but ammunition short!� and him and Alistair standing next to each other and talking during �Valjean�s Revenge�. And his prison guard. Who is brutal. As for Dylan, this might sound so strange, but �LOOK OUT! IT�S A RUNAWAY CART!� just doesn�t sound right if it�s done by someone else. And oh his face during �It is time for us all��, he looks so sheepish. Lovely. Let�s focus on the� three strongest voices on stage that night. Principal-wise. Jeffert! Oh he is awesome. Have I recently said how awesome he is? He is so� his voice has such an amazing presence on stage. It�s so strong and reliable. Aww! Emily! See, I can never really, truly warm towards her Cosette, but she was absolutely wonderful last night. Even �In My Life�, which I think is not that strong with her as Cosette was fantastic. It was very good. I don�t mind her usually, but it�s not active love for her performance, so that was really, really nice. David being Epicjolras. Oh my God. See, I know I�m saying this all the time and all that, but there are amazing performances, then there is Epicjolras and then there are performances like the one last night when you sit there and don�t know what just hit you. �Red and Black� was incredible, everything was, but my favourite bit must have been �The enemy may be regrouping, HOLD YOURSELVES IN READINESS!� Oh it was epic. Loudest cheers � ever. And there was a lot of Angryjolras in the caf�. It was very entertaining; he seemed to be having a ball on stage. I�ve mentioned these three for one particular reason� see the parallel? They were all understudies for these roles for two years before, Emily from 06-08, David from 05-07, Jeff too � and Jeff still is. And they were absolutely amazing. Makes you hope they�ll trust the understudies and promote them even more in the future. Yeah, I�ve mentioned them specifically here, but actually I loved all the principals� performances. I really did. I�m not a huge fan of Greg as Th�nardier, in fact, I think I prefer Mark Hedges, but the audience loved him. It was kind of good to have Lorraine back, she is funny. But oh God. Her voice. Eek. Anyway. Nancy was amazing, OMO was very strong, much more than usual it seemed, Alistair was perfectly fine, especially in �A heart full of love�, and I do like him in ODM. And he�s adorable. Rebecca was amazing, IDAD got cheers, which I love, because� she�s so good and people don�t give her enough credit. This leaves Simon Bowman, and before I say something about his performance, I have to tell what happened in the Bishop scene. Mark!constable and Simon!constable grabbed the fleeing Bowman!Valjean and dragged him to the front, throwing him to the ground as always. Only, last night, Simon Bowman apparently tripped over Simon Shorten�s foot and literally CRASHED to the floor, there was just a very hollow �Ow!� and then he � lay there, not really moving, in visible pain (shoulder or arm or something). It probably wasn�t noticeable for the audience, as it obviously kind of worked with the scene, but considering he normally gawps and moves and all that, it was glaringly obvious to me that something was wrong, so I looked at the ensemble, and they, too, were very alert and not acting the concern and shock and I could see Natalie, David, Killian, AJ just looking slightly alarmed and whispering with each other, eyes going from Bowman to Gavin back to Bowman and no one knowing how serious this was. Admittedly, at that point, I expected Simon Shorten to go on for the rest of the show, but during the Soliloquy, Bowman seemed okay, only a bit more restrained than usual, which, I have to say this, worked in his favour. It was so much better. But when the grand hand gestures returned half-was through, it became quite obvious that it must have been not as bad as it had looked at first, maybe just the breath knocked out of him or something. So he stayed on. But there was nothing in particular that I disliked about his performance. Didn�t pay too much attention to him last night, either. I didn�t like him, but I didn�t mind him too much either. But there�s always something, isn�t there? Losing his wig, breaking his finger, almost gliding off stage, missing the entrance to the Letter scene, etc. Man. Someone must have mentioned the Scottish Play backstage at one point. Killian, by the way, was BRILLIANT in Jonathan�s track, especially at �They will do what is right!� in �Upon these stones�, when Davidjolras had to use all his strength back to hold back �Bossuet� from beating the shit out of Martintaire. They had an argument about it walking to the back of the stage. Loved it. xD OH and! They are collecting money for Haiti, Lorraine did the speech, which was all right. Wonder if we'll get the "The person who donates the most money this evening wins [insert cast member's name here]" joke again at one point. |
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| mm10 |
He seems to be very accident prone!!! Anyone know if he was on tonight?
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| flying_pigs |
Jeffert until next thursday
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh, he was on and seemed completely fine. Which didn't keep me from imagining him setting his wig on fire in the Epilogue, ripping it off his head and stomping around on it to kill the fire. I do have an odd imagination at times, I admit. That was the strangest audience ever... they just applauded... so often. And I don't mean, they just applauded the bits that sometimes get applause, like The Bishop or Lamarque is dead or ALFOR, no, they applauded The Bargain and cheered at the beginning of Look Down (which we should always do. it's AWESOME) and all that stuff. And there were odd noises and laughs and they applauded in the middle of the Bargain and it was all very odd xD And someone was singing along to the last lines of Eponine's Errand, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't someone in the audience. There were two voices for "her way arouuuund"... Same cast as yesterday (why I went again, I can't justify. I'm easily tempted)... It was a fairly good show, nothing outstanding, but enjoyable and with nothing bad in it, except the occasional OTT Valjean, screeching Mme Th�nardier and all that, but that's kind of... a given. I do get the feeling we might have a few more understudies on again soon-ish, though. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
Ahha. Once when Bowman was doing that running around bit before What Have I Done?, he almost tripped on the stage. Over a flat surface. How, I have no idea. Still, he carried on pretty okay though his Soliloquy he was mumbling as usual. But when he reached the later parts, yes, it was SOULLEEE. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
HPJ's dad died yesterday according to his website. Hence his not being in London. |
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| riverdawn |
That makes sense and explains HPJs frequent absences over the past few weeks. I suspected it was something like this. | ||||||||
| Eponines_Hat |
Fabulous show tonight! Everyone was on their top game! And to top it off, David did the Haiti speech tonight and started it with "for those who have just woken up, the stage turned around a lot and everbody died" (which sent Nancy into a fit of giggles) and ended it with trying to give Greg Castalioni away! Will review some more tomoz.
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| Eppie-Sue |
Aaaah someone went tonight. And it was fabulous! That's good to hear, lovely. And I think I've heard that speech before... somewhere... hm... It's a good one, why not recycle it. To be fair, they don't really intend for people to come as much as we do.
ETA: I'm a bit miffed. They shot the f'ing EPK in September. As in, four months ago. FOUR MONTHS. When are they actually planning on releasing it?! |
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| flying_pigs |
I know! I really want to see it!
Anyone off to the Queen's this week? |
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| Eppie-Sue |
HEH. As far as I know... aquirkofmatter, Madeleine, possibly Elbow and me will all be there tomorrow and the next week I'll surely be there twice or so. Are you coming again?
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| KatyRoseLand |
Wednesday matinee Can't wait!!
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
I thought you weren't going to go so many times this week?
Wish I could join you all 
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| Eppie-Sue |
EEEEEH. That's what I was implying when I said "twice".
.. ... heeeh. |
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| flying_pigs |
I might be there one time this week before I go back to uni and am Les Mis-less for two months
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| Eppie-Sue |
Aw! Please tell me when (and please don't make it Saturday xD!) and I'll be there, too. At least meeting up with you, even if I'm not seeing the show. That would be lovely. If you don't mind. ... this is what happens when none of us is seeing the show one night. This becomes our personal chat |
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| flying_pigs |
I'm not sure yet, will have to see how plans turn out but if I plan ahead then, of course! Sounds lovely! | ||||||||
| riverdawn |
It seems like it's a bit of a shame no one was there tonight to report. From Jeff's twitter:
"Had such an amazing ovation at the show tonight. One of those moments!! Theatre is incredible. Where else do you share such experiences?"
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| Eppie-Sue |
Can't be helped. Also, PFFFFFFH. And here were are always trying our best for epic ovations at the end. Not good enough, eh?! 
kidding, kiddding |
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| Eponines_Hat |
A few thoughts on Thursday night (even though it's a bit late) ....... Greg Castalioni was on for Thenardier and he had a great show! I'd seen him before and thought he was OK, but today I was really really impressed with hi performance. He was just perfectly slimy in that role. It was the best Thenardier performance I had seen for a while - and he has a really great voice that isn't hidden by the role. Think I prefer him to Ball - and his make up is better too! Isn't Jeff wonderful as Javert? I love that the 'I knew it!' seems to become his regular adlibbing in 'Who am I?! and he is just so expressive in that role! His Stars on Thursday deserves a particular mention as it was particularly tortured and powerful! (and this scene is just done so much better than it is on the your with the flying Javert and all!' I am still totally gutted I missed St Killian on in this role. I suspect that was my one and only chance
Interestingly, I thought Bowman's performance was a bit less OTT than usual - with the exception of a few moments in the Prologue that made me want to gag! (My name is JEAN - dramatic pause - VAL - dramatic pause - JEAN!) I thought if he was made to act Thursdays show with his hands tied to his side, it would have been rather good. (yes the woodern hand gestures seem to be there for good) He had another moment in the Bishop where he was thrown to the ground and almost slid into the Orchestra Pit and was only stopped by a face-plant into 'bricks' around the edge of the stage - perhaps we should start calling it the Bowman Barrier!??! He seemed to have a moment at curtain call with the conductor and a bit of a laugh with him, which I thought might have been another "yeah, thanks for almost landing on my head again!" I also noticed Bowman 's little finger was bandaged for most of the show - I guess he must have really hurt himself the other day with that massive stack someone (Eppie-Sue?) described on here earlier. Anyway, it was good to see that he had toned it down a bit this week as when I saw him the previous Thurs he was the most OTT JVJ I have seen yet. There was one point in the prologue when he actually got on his hands and knees and started slapping the stage with his hands. It was hideous. Funny how a week can make a difference. Hope the new version stays. Nancy was amazing. You can tell that she just throws her heart into every single performance. It was such a beautiful contrast to the Anniversary show I'd seen earlier that week - Nancy's love for Marius is just written all over her face and she is just so happy to be with him in ALFOR. She had me absolutely sobbing when she died on Thursday - and I could hear lots of sniffing around the audience too! DT = amazing as epic!jolras. The LiD sent chills down my spine! The Final Battle was particularly epic. His voice just soars and he owns every scene. I am going to be devastated when he leaves coz he just is Enjolras -even without a silly blonde wig! A few people have mentioned this, and I totally agree, that Alastair has really grown into the role to become a wonderful Marius. His voice seems to have really matured into the roles and he plays ECAET with such torment. MOTH needs an honourable mention for being even more hilarious than usual on Thursday. George Miller was even funnier than usual (if that is possible!) as the drunk. The look on his face as he tried to steal Simon Shorten's drink and the almost-fight than ensued was hilarious! Oh, and Simon picking the snot off the food and eating it during the slow motion was just so so wrong. The ensemble totally make that song for me. They must try to outdo each other each performance. It looks like a lot of fun! Sadly there was no Jonathan Williams. I missed his drunk at the wedding. The week before he seemed to spend a particularly long time chatting up the wall at the back of the stage. I couldn't stop laughing. I am sure the people next to me thought I was insane! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I doubt it's that, it might still be from breaking that finger three months ago (it was the 27th October, and don't ask me why I remember that!) and not wanting to risk anything, I suppose. Aw. I'm so happy it was such a good show. And yeah, ALFOR and ECAET break my heart every time. : ) |
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| riverdawn |
Yeah, Bowman has had his finger bandaged in every show I saw in London in November and December (at least every one where I was sitting close enough to see a bandage). It must still be from that earlier finger incident. | ||||||||
| flying_pigs |
According to Nancy's Twitter she's out of the show.
Hope you all enjoy Helen's Eponine if you're going today! |
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| Eponines_Hat |
Goes to show how closely I've been watching him!
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| Orestes Fasting |
Friend and I are thinking of making a weekend trip to London to see the show from Friday the 5th to Sunday the 7th of February... only problem is I have no idea where to stay. Anyone have recommendations for cheap non-skeevy hostels, and/or would be willing to let two (relatively quiet and non-obnoxious) American girls crash on their floor?
(And yes, westendunderstudies.com had something to do with the timing of the trip...) |