Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Eppie-Sue |
Okay, so, Killianjolras.
I have to rush this because I'm tired and I have an exam tomorrow. But as for my general impression... he's very, very good. It was a great performance, and I truly enjoyed it. I'm very happy to think that he will be taking over from David, because he seems to really love what he's doing there, and he is giving a wonderful performance. Vocally, he's fantastic, obviously. Without wanting this to sound like criticism - I do prefer baritones as Enjolras, just because of the low notes and because of the automatic depth in the voice. So in order for a tenor to make me like him in this part, they have to be amazing, and both Mark and Killian manage that. It doesn't make me miss the intensity of the low parts when David sings them any less, but it makes me ignore that for a while. I think he worked a lot with and on the character since l'ivrogne saw him, when everything seemed to be just like David's performance. I'm sure, considering he's auditioned for the part, got it and has started rehearsals, that his development of his own Enjolras has already begun... there were still parts that were eerily like David's performance, but then, there's only so much you can do. But yes, the second half of DWM, the whole passage from "Everybody keep the faith" to "the people, too, must rise", was absolutely similar, while some parts where very original, and they worked very well indeed. He walked around a lot in the caf�, and I thought his first act was reminiscent of David in 2008 (I'm sorry for always drawing comparisons!). In fact, there was a moment that had me absolutely speechless - in the slow motion bit in ODM, there were two seconds when Killian looked exactly like David in the now very famous picture that's on all the posters, busses, tour promotion stuff, websites, etc. Absolutely alike, same expression, same motion, same everything. And yeah, he was wearing the wristbands (or: The Gauntlets Of Power) and says he will continue to wear them over the next year, which I think is awfully sweet. And he sort of did the Final Battle hands on "IS FREE". Grantaire-wise, there was actually quite a bit, most prominently that he took the bottle from R's table and placed it on another one on the opposite side of the caf� at "don't let the wine go to your brains", etc. Then there was a proper hug and everything in DWM (as I said, the second half of it was EXACTLY like David in every single way), and he looked at him and nodded before resting. Well. Killian didn't rest. His Enjolras stood on top of the barricade and stared into nothingness, the whole way through. There are a few thoughts that I had during the performance that made sense to me at the time, so I thought I'd share them: Killian was very believable because he was very human. I think that was also a bit of a problem for me, but certainly not for the musical. I have to remind myself that I have pretty much seen the definite way Enjolras should be played, and I shouldn't expect anyone to follow that, because it is special and it requires a lot of factors coming together with a lot of luck. What I think will be hard for him to achieve and what didn't come across was how much Enjolras stands on the line between symbol and human being. Killian was a very very good student leader, a good revolutionary, so it definitely worked for the musical. It will be interesting to see how much more "sublime" his Enjolras will become over time. It's a difficult task. And there is another thing, which relates to this. It has to do with authority, and I think it explains what my problem with many, many Enjolrati is, and again, I need to use David as an example: When his Enjolras gives orders, raises his voice, is angry, etc. it's all very cold anger. It's very clear and definite and, yes, cold. With everyone else, and also with Killian tonight, it's a lot more human, it's more agitated and lively and hot anger, more burning. I think it can work for Enjolras in the musical, but it's not in line with the gravitas and depth that I need him to have. Again, it will be interesting to see the development. I really enjoyed the performance, and while there are bits that I suppose he will have to work on, just to appear more Enjolraic - movements, gestures, etc - it was amazing. And it definitely helps that Killian is a lovely guy, too. That's all for tonight... |
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| flying_pigs |
Thanks for the review!
How did his Final Battle sound? Did he do it a la David? |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Yes, he did. He did not do the "BLEEEED!" (I was almost expecting him to, really) and then of course went for for the B flat "IS FREEEE". Actually, there are some recordings on YT from April, when he went on, and they mirror last night's performance pretty well. They all seem to go for the B flat "is free" now. I know it was an option to sing the "free" on that note for a while, but that just sounds odd, to be honest. But ever since David has started going for it (and does so every night and flawlessly every time now), no one performs it differently. It's not just Mark and Killian, who, thankfully, can sing it wonderfully and even give it the right impact, it's part of the tour Final Battle, too, and I'm not sure if Jon Robyns wants to do it or was asked to do it. It's definitely not what he should do, anyway. And from what I've heard, Owain Williams sings it as a B flat, too. Heh. Killian also did a jump down from the barricade several times, but really just a normal jump. Not leaping into air and landing a foot from away the orchestra pit. Oh random notes: Martin Ball messed up quite a few lines in MotH, and Antony pushed Simon!Babet forwards to violently in The Robbery that Simon's hat fell off stage and landed next to BB. Sadly, I was not in BB. At least it prompted Simon to give Antony a "Now that was clever, wasn't it?" look. 
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| Dawnstar |
Yes, he does, or at least did when I saw his 1st Enjolras show back in February, and did it very nicely too. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I'm not sure what I think of everyone singing it now, actually. I love it when David does it - an example, why, here - and that he came up with it for his performance, simply because it is very concentrated and intense and it works with the moment: it's passionate, but again, more in the "cold passion" kind of way, as opposed to shouting it like a "warrior".
The problem when it is done effortlessly, though, is that it doesn't have the impact that it should have. The "until the earth is free" is not part of a normal song, and with many Enjolrati who have sung the "free" it just sounds bored. Even when Mark sings it, it naturally doesn't have the same depth, as he's a tenor, so it's a relatively easy note for him. I don't think I like it being sung for just the sake of singing it actually... |
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| Wandering Ranger |
personallyI think it is like any other embellishment to any musical theatre number (the high c in Gethsemane, the A in Why God Why etc) if you have the voice to do it and do it well, fine. If not sing it as its written. The thing about David and indeed Killian is they have the vocal range, power, and acting ability to pull off that high B superbly. Jon Robyns was drowned out over the orchestra when I heard him do it and that is a good example of why he should be singing it as it is written. Remember, until David that was sung as its written and it was no less climactic. So it is by no means necessary for everyone to do it. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Re: personally
This is true - but part of Eppie-Sue's point was that she prefers it done by someone like David who is a baritone and therefore has to strain a little bit to get the note. It is then a way of showing just how intense the moment is. Whereas when tenors such as Mark and Killian do it, they have much less problem getting the note, and it sounds totally effortless, particularly, I think, with Mark. Yes they hit the note beautifully, but it loses some of its impact, and would probably be more effective shouted as others used to. Of course, I agree totally about Jon - he just simply can't get the note well at all. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
David Thaxton is a baritone?? Well the things one learns around here!
The effort thing is a good point too. I was simply saying that there is a difference between David having to strain ever so slightly to get it and someone like Jon Robyns straining to the point of popping his vocal chrods and still not getting it and it sounding damn awful! 
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| PureDiamondLight |
A big thanks for the amazing and detailed review, Eppie-Sue!! I've been sad that I won't get to see DT again before cast change, but at least now I know that I've got something to look forward to next time I do get to see the show!! And I'm so glad about the wrist-bands. They're just awesome!
Also, I totally get what you mean about the cold anger - it's just so much more powerful and strong like that than just yelling like a normal person. I love Enjolras because he is different to normal heroes - his passion is so much stronger because it is so rigorously controlled. He doesn't just scream and holler like a spoiled child, is anger is condensed and purified instead of just raging everywhere without direction. I hope that makes sense! I'm not very eloquent when i comes to trying to express such deep sentiments 
On a different note, what is the deal with Simon Bowman and Jonathan Williams? Is it just the SB is off sick a lot, and so JW gets to perform a lot? It just seems unusual to have a lead who is just randomly absent half the time... 
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh, he isn't randomly absent. Simon Bowman has been quite ill for a while - he was ill before going on holiday in April, then he had a week booked off anyway, then the Ash Cloud happened and then he got really ill. This week is his first time back - he didn't go on on Monday, apparently was back on Tuesday, was off yesterday, but Elbow is seeing the show and the only understudy is Mark as Enjolras, so it appears that Bowman is back on. We'll see how it goes. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
It appears the top note is now a requirement! | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
There is a link there in case anyone wonders. And wow. WOW. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
Ah, ok. That makes more sense!
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| flying_pigs |
Anyone know what the Les Mis cast did at West End Eurovision last night? | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
Hah. Yes. Elbow and I somehow ended up getting amazing return tickets for the Stalls and were therefore suddenly seeing West End Eurovision. Which was a brilliant show, by the way, absolutely amazing. I think it ended around 2.45 (was supposed to start at 11.30, no idea when it actually took off). There were a few cast members in the audience - both Martins, Lorraine, AJ, Simon S, Alistair, Emma and I'm probably forgetting someone; Antony and Thomas were our delegation for the scoring (two representatives from every cast that was taking part, sitting right in front of the stage - and in their case drinking quite a bit of wine and sharing a lot of moments about that with Graham Norton) - and performing were... let me get this right... Gavin, Mark D, Greg, Sophie, Helen, Katy, Laura, Natalie, Emily, Daniella... and I think Chloe and Rachel?! The girls had so much make up and such wild costumes, I honestly found it hard to recognise them, especially from further back. But there were twelve people, and Mark H had choreographed it, they did "Puppet On A String". It was really good, and I loved the clip they showed before, really. All the casts that night were brilliant, Phantom owned it for me, such an amazing performance. Dirty Dancing won, and I think Les Mis came in 9th?! xD Which sounds amazing by Eurovision standards, but considering there were 11 entries... 
And I hear there's a chance of Killian going on as Enjolras again today. |
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| Tracey39 |
Hi guys this is my first post so please be gentle with me
I am coming to London in June and have booked to see the show on the 17th June, I am wondering if you will know in advance if The Principals will be performing on that night, I am especially interested in David Thaxton having read all your reviews of his performances as Enjolras. Apologies if this is a silly question 
I have seen the tour in Manchester and I am so excited to be coming to London to see the show in the West End, I cant wait to compare the 2 shows from the 'opposite' perspective having seen the tour first. Les Mis is a recent discovery to me, I had to be almost dragged to the tour by my husband but I am so glad I did. I love reading all your reviews and think you are all so lucky to have such access to what is a wonderful show. |
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| flying_pigs |
Welcome to the board!
17th June is a few days before cast change so I will put myself out there and say that most principles will most likely be performing. But you never know with Les Mis! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh, someone who has seen the tour but not the West End. Should be interesting.
It's not a silly question at all. I agree with flying_pigs - unless something unexpected happens like injury or illness, the last week before cast change should be a "full cast week", especially for those that are leaving. I'm jixing it right here, I know that, but I can't imagine David missing his last performances as Enjolras for the world. |
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| stelllar |
I'm afraid as i'm a bit of a newbie to seeing Les Mis at the theatre (though I grew up listening to the TAC cd) I can't really post a really detailed review like some of you guys do, safe to say I thought it was great as usual. I've seen Les Mis 4 times now, but I still seem to rarely pick up on many of the subtleties that you guys do, so I was wondering if people would perhaps give me their 'top five things to look out for' whilst watching (though i'm aware that every performance will be slightly different). I'd love to be able to go more often and gradually pick up this stuff for myself but unfortunately my budget won't allow! Also I was wondering if anyone has experience of sitting in row AA in the upper circle. I read on theatremonkey that they exist, but there is no information about the price or how good they are. Thanks! |
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| Wandering Ranger |
well that's the beuaty of Les MisYou pick up what you want to pick up, i.e. if you are a particular fan of Javert for instance (or even HPJ in general) then you will naturally follow him and pick up on some subtleties about his peformance (like the fact he NEVER blinks and is generally awesome but I won't start fanboying him now hehe). Equally, if you are more of a tecchie person than you will probably be following the set more and how the whole production fits together. Basically, go there and enjoy it and be sure to post a review here when you've done!Re.. AA. I have been in the stalls BB before and that was excellent. I'd imagine AA in the Upper Circle is the same but higher, Eppie Sue generally has the best knowledge of seating though so I'd wait till she pops in. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh this is difficult, especially as I suppose it's different for everyone. There are many small things that are always worth looking at. I think if I have time tonight, I might actually go through the scenes and think of what I consider details that you should look out for. Off the top of my head I'd say: - student interaction and improvisation in the caf� scene - ensemble in Master of the House - David's Enjolras at any given moment especially on a day where he's probably a bit more himself than he must have been Tuesday, as he's been off without voice for the past few days afterwards - Nancy's acting - The slow-motion deaths on the barricade These are all things that you will already have noticed to some extent, but often, for me, these are also the highlights of a performance that maybe is just "ordinary" in my understanding, e.g. without anything special happening or the energy being incredibly high, they are reliably great. But yes, I shall think about the different scenes a bit more tonight, methinks. And I'd still love to hear about Tuesday - don't worry about the review being different from ours, you really can't compare it. And it would be a sad state if we had the same kinds of reviews all the time.
Ugh Upper Circle. If you can afford it, I'd rank most of the seats in Dress Circle and Stalls over Upper Circle. From what I've heard, row AA is only actually good if you lean forward/on the railing throughout the entire show, but that's a big problem for the people in row A, because it obstructs their view... You can't compare it to BB in the Stalls at all, actually, what makes BB so amazing is that you're so incredibly close to the action (but you lose the overview of the stage and the full impact of the scenes). Upper Circle is quite a bit away from it, of course, and you look down on them... Of course the lighting will be amazing, but it's no seat to pick up subtleties. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
I'm afraid they really can't be compared to BB at all. I don't like the Upper Circle at all - you are looking down on the stage so much that you don't pick up on a lot of subtleties and acting. I have sat in row AA once before, but I'm afraid I can't tell you how much it cost, as I moved there during the interval from a seat a couple of rows back (row C) I think. They are probably the best seats in the Upper Circle, simply because, as Eppie-Sue has said, everyone leans forward. Even from row A, and the problem gets worse as you go back, this obstructs your view. However, because of the safety rail, you do have to do this. When I sat there, I was sat right in the centre, which I would generally say is ideal where you can. However, in the Upper Circle, there is a lighting rig just the other side of the rail, which gets very hot when used. It's not too much of a problem, as those lights aren't used very much, but it might be worth taking into account. Also it's a very awkward row because the centre aisle doesn't extend that far, so it involves a lot of standing up to let other people pass as most all come in from the same end. So, if you do have to sit in U/C, I think it's probably worth sitting in there, as you probably get the best view. Certainly further back I know you can't see anything worth seeing, really. However, I would definitely urge you to sit in the Stalls or Dress Circle if you can. I suspect row AA is probably �20 - this is the same, therefore, as row BB and the end seats in the Dress Circle slips - and the view from these is really infinitely better. |
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| stelllar |
Ok i'll give a review a try, but it's probably not much of a coherent review, more just some observations (mainly about where I sat!)
I sat in BB8, whereas the other times i've been i've always ended up in BB20, so it was nice to see the show from a different perspective. The good - I've not been enough times to really tell when is a particularly 'good' night, or a night with more energy, because they all seem so good to me! I was really surprised to hear that David Thaxton has been ill this week, as to the untrained ear there was no hint that anything was amiss on Tuesday, he was great as usual. Whilst I don't particularly dislike Simon Bowman, I didn't think his "flight!..." during the bit with the Bishop, or his 'Bring Him Home' were that great. When he sings high notes it seems quite laboured and a bit 'off' to me (though I know nothing about the technicalities of singing really, so I could be wrong!). It may be because the last time I went, Simon Shorten was on, and I think I must have preferred his voice for these higher parts. The bad - I found the conductor humming along very distracting. Why I'd never noticed this when sat on the other side i'm not sure. Maybe it's because he's not quite so much in your eyeline, or the brass are on that side and drown him out! Also, whilst sitting on that side gave me a better view of some things, like the runaway cart, and Fantine's death, for some reason all of the scenes with the Thenardiers seemed to suffer. There was a poor view of MOTH (particularly the goings on in the ensemble) and you couldn't see the silver dropping out of Mme Thenardier's dress at the wedding. Not a problem if you've already seen it and know what's going on, but maybe a shame if you've never seen it before and you miss out on the humour. Thats all that occurs to me at the moment, as I said, I forget to look out for the minor details! Next time i'll definitely look more closely at some of the things you've suggested, and if anyone else has any other ideas about what to look for, i'd love to hear them! As for the seats then, I think I will definitely stick with BB. One day I would like to see it in a more 'complete' sense, but I think maybe i'll save up for higher price ones with a better view in the dress circle, than go for the cheapies in the upper circle! |
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| HannahM |
Thank you for this. I'm coming down again with a friend for the Wednesday matinee next week, and its nice to know what the most rewarding things to be looking at are when there's just so much going on on stage. I did notice last time that Jeff Nicholson (I think, I'm not certain on names) was excellent in Master of the House. At the risk of sounding a little insensitive, does anyone have any idea of roughly when David Thaxton will be back. It's just that I saw him the first time I went (from something like row S mind) and thought he was great. However, he was away the last time my friend and I went and it would have been nice to see his performance again (from bb this time and especially since having read the brick). Regardless, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Emily Bull as Cosette. I've seen A.J.Callaghan and Katie Hall in role so far and liked them both, particularly Katie Hall, but can't wait to see Emily's interpretation as it seems pretty well received here
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| pastaeater |
Oh dear - I really hope that David is better in time for the matinee tomorrow! I'm seeing the show for the first time in months!
(Actually, what I really mean is that I hope he is feeling OK........  )
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| Eppie-Sue |
Don't fret. I just got back from seeing the show tonight, David is back (we had a full cast + ensemble except for Nancy/Helen's track) and sang everyone off stage. It was pretty amazing and I shall try to review.
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| MizH |
I hope you enjoy the performance. It'll be interesting to see what you think, since you saw the tour first. I loved both productions, but I prefer the West End production. It's probably because I've become used to it. As others have said, you will probably get a full set of principals on the 17th of June since it's a few days before cast change, unless something unexpected happens. I've seen it a few days before cast change twice, once it was a full cast, once there was a few understudies on. I've not seen all the understudies, but the ones I have seen have been brilliant. |
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| Elbow |
I thought I'd do the top 5 thing to look out for too
1. Gavin James in Master of the House. The whole interaction between George as the drunk and Gavin is great. Also watching George for the duration of MOTH, he's great with the two travellers too. 2. It doesn't always happen, especially as he's on as Valjean a lot at the moment but Jonathan Williams as the drunk guest in Beggars At The Feast is worth the �20 for a ticket alone
3. Antony Hansen as Feuilly in The Second and Final Battle. He is amazing there. 4. Drink With Me, there are a lot of little exchanges going on all around that are quite subtle. 5. This quite general, but Killian in the student scenes. Yes, he plays a different role every night but he seems to have quite a lot of knowledge about the students characters. He was Joly the other night, and was sticking his tongue out and was making everyone examine it and trying to look in the mirror at it with the bottom of a glass. It was great. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Alright, so I saw the show and everyone was there except for Nancy. I got an amazing student discount ticket, so I went, and I enjoyed it even though there was a very loud Italian guy next to me who thought it was alright to start talking during Fantine's Death and who smelled of garlic. Seriously, don't eat bloody GARLIC when you're going to the theatre!
Anyway. It was the first time in two months that I saw Simon Bowman as Valjean again, and I'm truly sad to say that he was absolutely awful. I'm so sorry for this, but either I'd forgotten all about him or he has truly become worse, but that was a dreadful Valjean. I'll forgive him his vocal weakness for the time being - he was audibly out of breath the whole way through, cutting words and lines short and "spitting" some words out instead of singing them in context - because, well, he has just come back after a long illness, so that might be due to that. But the acting? I don't even know where to start, I swear to God everything is wrong. I'm happy he's feeling better again, but I just wish he wasn't at Les Mis. Can't he be in good health somewhere else? I'm completely shocked, actually, because I think over the last two months I kind of told myelf that, well, surely he wasn't that bad and that, maybe, when he came back, he'd have changed, even. No, no, no. How he got cast for a second year, I have no idea. Ridiculous. I'm VERY sorry for this rant, but I didn't enjoy one minute of his performance. It didn't make sense, it wasn't Valjean, it was vocally not good and I'm sick of seeing smug!cocky Valjean already. I shouldn't even be sorry. I'm not really sorry, I think. It certainly isn't my fault I can't see anything positive about his performance. But, uh yeah... Every cloud: Jonathan was back in his ensemble track, and I enjoyed that a lot, as he is brilliant as the drunk in the wedding, Elbow is absolutely right. Bless him, what a legend. Speaking of legends: David was back and owned the stage. I don't know what it was about today, maybe it's also that most of the others are rehearsing or just not quite there vocally, but he honestly sang everyone off stage. He was much better than I had heard him on Monday, and everything just fit perfectly. I can't imagine this show without him. On Wednesday I said "As sad as I am about David leaving, I'm glad it's Killian who is taking over", but after tonight, all I can think is that as happy as I am about (and for) Killian, it's a such an immense, huge loss. I've also, strangely, noticed how "Enjolraic" the way he moves around the stage is. It all goes with the character, adds to the character, develops the character, and we should all be very very grateful that we get such a performance, especially when the role doesn't necssarily ask for it. Helen was sounding a bit off as Eponine. I can't blame her, she had a long night due to West End Eurovision, and I doubt she expected to go on as Eponine. She pushed herself through it very well, and managed, but I have heard her so much stronger. I'm getting more used to her acting, though, and in case I don't like Samantha Barks next year, at least I'll have Helen. I have a feeling that, maybe due to rehearsals, Alistair is thinking too much about his performance. I liked him better when he wasn't thinking so much, I believe. Ensemble was good as always, Sophie was brilliant as Factory Bitch, and I will miss her a lot, too. So tired now. Bed. |
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| Tracey39 |
Thanks for the nice welcome.
I thought the tour production was wonderful, quite probably the best thing I have ever seen but I cant wait to see the London show just for the differences. My gut feeling is that I will prefer the touring version, but only for the reason that I saw that one first and that will be my benchmark for comparison. Although the fact that seeing the London show as part of an experience might have a huge bearing on things. I am just so excited to be there and I am going to enjoy every second of it. I have to confess I have become quite obsessed with Les Mis
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| Eppie-Sue |
I think it's mostly down to what you prefer. The tour version is a lot more like a movie, and it's got a lot more movement on stage and is, forgive me, a bit more "over the top" in its approach, very "loud" and modern and not so much focusing on the depth but on the largeness. The London production is much more subtle and is more "theatre", without any backdrops or constantly changing scenery, and is a lot calmer in its staging, although it does have these big, central, poignant moments that stay with you, leaving more room for the story. There really is a big difference, also in character approach. Somehow, I got the feeling that the London production is much less "random", there is a wholeness and essence to it, that is not just people doing things and then dying.
I love the original production very much indeed, and I hope you will, too. I couldn't warm to the tour at any point, though  so I'm really interested in what you will say.
Also, I forgot to say this, and I think I pointed it out before, but how lucky are we with our Enjolrasses? After all these years, this is a set of performers who all deserve to be principal, in a way, and while David just is Enjolras, you get Mark and Killian, who are absolutely wonderful, and each bring their own take to the stage and they can all sing it perfectly and interact and have an idea of the character and ... we are so lucky. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
Reading through all this discussion about seating... where exactly are these BB seats that everyone keeps talking about? Are they the ones right at the front of the stalls, like on top of the orchestra pit, or are they off to the side somewhere? I gather they have a restricted view in places, but are great for picking up audible details. What are other the pros and cons?
Can you see the actual stage floor? The first time I went, I sat in row A of the stalls and I could see the floor and the effects projected onto it, but the second time I was sat in row C and I couldn't, and it was less effective in places, like Javert's suicide. Just wondering what the view is like from BB
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| Eppie-Sue |
Yes, BB are the six seats (three on either side) right in front of the stage and next to the orchestra pit. The cast refer to them as "fan seats" mainly because, well, there was a time when people did not book them in advance, really, so we could get them before the show. But now they're always gone ... but yes, they're �20 and therefore we love them dearly.
You most definitely can't see the stage floor or, when people are standing at the front of the stage, see what's going on in the back (e.g. wedding, which isn't bad for any normal spectator as the action is going on in the front, but then we're mostly being entertained by ensemble bits). That means you can't see things like Fauchelevent lying under the cart, the Th�nardiers sticking their heads out of the sewers in One Day More, the bodies lying on the floor in Dog Eats Dog, etc. You can't see Javert rolling around, but I like that. You also definitely don't get the whole impact of the stage and the lighting and staging, which is sad in bits where it's really well done, like One Day More, the barricades or the Finale.
What I don't like about BB is the orchestra, sadly. By being on one side, you either have very, very loud percussion/drums, or very very loud brass and strings. And you might be distracted by them at times. That said, by being so close, you can really see that the acting is incredibly strong - you could just film most of this and it wouldn't seem as, well, "staged" as theatre actors' acting often seems on stage (q.v.: the EPK, which has a lot of close ups without it seeming too "grand"). You can also hear all the ad libbing, you're very close to the action and you get people staring down at you in ATEOTD. I really wouldn't advise anyone to sit there for their first time seeing the show, but for us fans and regulars, it's one of the best options, especially because we don't have to concentrate on the story and can value the details a lot more. |
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| Tracey39 |
I get what you say about the scenery and backdrops, but having said that I was right up in the gods and the very top of the backdrop was obscured, but it didnt diminish the suicide which was done so well, and was very dramatic. I did notice that the sets did move around a lot, and my husband was very tickled by the gate where Marius and Cosette played out their scene, he kept asking why they couldnt walk round it 
I am looking forward to seeing the revolve and how that makes a difference to the feel of the show. I am also seeing the tour again when it comes back to Manchester in August I was very impressed with Gareth Gates as Marius and thought JOJ and Earl Carpenter were brilliant, you couldnt choose between the pair of them. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
May I ask where you're going to sit in the Queen's? The best impact is definitely from the front half of the Stalls and most of the seats in Dress Circle... | ||||||||
| PureDiamondLight |
Okay, thank you I'm thinking maybe I might see of i can get one of those seats next time I go... if I ever get the chance! I know the show very well, so I'm looking forward to seeing more of the background details and cast ad libs. Thanks for your help (again!)
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| Tracey39 |
We are in the Upper Circle Sadly, seats C15 & 16. I did look on Theatre Monkey and they looked the best for what we could afford. But I managed to enjoy the show in Manchester from the next to last row in the grand circle (ie the second to last row in the whole theatre) so as long as I can see the stage I am ok with that. | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
Ah well. I guess you will. You'll probably miss the flag-waving, though, which is sad, because the tour doesn't really have that moment... but yes. The Queen's is thankfully relatively intimate.
Just a general note for everyone, if you want to get �42.50 tickets, the best ones are in Dress Circle (row A or B) and the ones on either side of row A in the Stalls. The Dress Circle ones a bit more, because you truly get the full impact. They're lovely. |
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| HannahM |
I don't know if this will help, but I just thought I'd mention that I think it depends on how tall you are too. I sat in BB20 last time and am just over 5 ft 8, and there really wasn't much I missed. I could see the Thenardiers heads in ODM, for example. However, one of my friends was sat in BB8 and is just under 5ft, and she missed all of the things mentioned. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
Darn it, I'm only 5'2" but thank you!
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| pastaeater |
Just got back from seeing the matinee today - I didn't see your post saying David was back before I left this morning, Eppie-Sue, so I walked into the theatre resigned to the fact that I was going to miss him - absolutely delighted to see that he was on, and what a fantastic performance!!
I'll try to review it tomorrow when I am not so tired; I don't think I'll be able to give as detailed a review as the regulars on here, but I'll do my best. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!This is my review of the April 7th Matinee. I warn y'all it is a long one!!Some Preliminary Comments First off this was my first time seeing the show. I have been priviliged enough to be in the show twice but have never seen it live and so I was really looking forward to it as it has been on my "to see list" for quite some time. Second, although I have seen a lot of show in London, Les Mis is the only one I got really nervous about seeing. Not because I thought it wouldn't live up to my expectations or anything but because, as it has been going 25 years, it had a different "vibe" about it when I went into the theatre. Also, ya wanna know something funny? I asked the very nice lady on the merchandise stand who was on as U/S that day (as matinees usually have at least one U/S on) and she went "whats an U/S". She works in a theatre how can she not know this!!! The Show Band: As I was sat in BB I was smack bang next to the band. Literally, I could see the conductor's score and the pit just be looking left or right slightly which was something new for me as I am usually in the middle of the stalls or somewhere like that where you can't really see the band until the conductor stands up during the curtain call. Although I was so close the band wasn't a distraction and actually blended in with everything else in the show. The strongest section seemed to be the percussion partly because I was sat right next to the percussion section but also because the drummer seemed to be letting all hell out particularly during the barricades. Although the woodwind solo when the barricade turns around and all the dead are revealed was to die for. Also, something should be said about the Conductor as he was really into the music and clearly was feeling it. I looked acorss during Fantine's Death and I swear I saw a couple of tears there. Cast: As I said, I had never seen it before so I had realtively few expectations about who I wanted to see and what they'd be like etc. The only one I really wanted to see was HPJ as Javert as I had heard him on that BBC recording they did ages ago and have been in love with his Javert ever since. Because of that, I'll start with him. His Javert is, first and formost badass. The authority he emits is beyond anything I could have expected. For instance, he didn't seem to walk around the stage he seemed to stride and clearly had control of the situation. This was most obvious in the confrontation where he completely ignored the fact he had just walked in on a death and brushed aside Fantine's Nurses. Also, his 'Stars' was incredible, his voice has so much control and a nice rich baritone to it that the "till THEN" which does sometimes sound a touch strained when some sing it, sounded spot on as did the end "STTAAARRRSS". His suicide was also interesting. The way he played it made it seem like killing himself was something Valjean had forced him into rather than a decision he had come to himself. He seemed sort of scared of Valjean's mercy which was an added bonus. Which brings me onto Jonathan Williams who was the u/s Valjean on that day. Now, I had heard a couple of bad things about Simon Bowman from some on this board but had never heard him singing anything from Les Mis so my feeling wasn't so much "oh good he's off" but "oh ok this will be interesting" as I like u/s (ya kinda have to when you come from West Yorkshire and therefore cannot see an evening show without staying the night!). Because Valjean doesn't really sing (and by that I mean sing extensively until the Soliloquy) it was Jonathan's acting that first impressed me. As he was prowling the various streets of Paris I actually pitied Valjean and disliked the villagers who were rejecting him which I have never done before when I watched the TAC. Also he was plainly a very tortured man who came to the Bishop for mercy and stole from him out of habit rather than malice which I really got a sense of when watching. His acting skills continued to shine throughout his profrmance but two other bits are worthy of mention. First off his interaction in the woods and after the Bargain with little Cosette. I really got the sense of him being a father figure to Cosette and being the strong role model the little girl needs. Also, he was a great contrast to the Thenardiers who seemed very cold towards her whilst he was very warm, Also his death at the end was very powerful and, I confess, he is the first VJ to make me cry during that scene! Vocally, his performance was very good. I could tell at certain points (e..g. flllliiiggghttt or OOOONNNEEEE!) that he was singing a role a little out of his range but that didn't bother me. He was secure on almost all of his really high notes with only the OOONNEEE sounding a little off but then I always think that note sounds better if its a little forced, it kind of shows how hard it is for Valjean to do what he does in that scene. So yeah, I really liked his Valjean but would like to see SB next time so that I can see first hand how good they both are and compare them. Moving on to Fantine (I'm taking this in the order I remember 'em!) she's a difficult character because her bits are usually not my most favourite. Nothing against the character or her story arch at all but there are other bits which grab my attention more. That said, I thought Rebecca really gave it her all and her IDAD was a highlight of the first Act. Plenty of passion, emotion but not so much that it was over the top and distraction. She also has great voice control and her vibrato during her death was a nice bonus that I wasn't expecting. The same could be said for Eponine (I think that was Helen as she was on as u/s that day). The one thing I did notice was that she was more a rough and street wise Eponine (as was seen in her interaction with Marius "that girl who can she be" which meant that her death had a lot more reality to it which made it that much more emotional. Speaking of that, let's go to Marius (Alistair). His voice wasn't the most powerful (that said I have only ever heard Michael Ball do it professionally so tis probably a bit unfair to compare Alistair to Michael Ball!. But his look was perfect and he very much held his own in numbers like AHFOL and his Empty Chairs definitely gave him his moment to shine and he also held his own against the Thaxtonator at the Barricades and in the Cafe. Speaking of which, he was on top form. Not onyl was he clearly in control during the Cafe scene but you really believed that all these people would follow him during DYHTPS. There was one tense moment during the Second Attack when he actually leapt from the top of the barricade and landed an inch from the edge of the orchestra pit, damn that man is fearless! Needless to say, his UNTIL THE EARTH ISSSSSSSS FREEEEE! was spot on and he is easily my fave Enjolras. Moving on to Cosette, she's another difficult character because that character doesn;t really have THAT much to work with but what she did Emily deffo made her own. Something to her credit was that she doesn't have that "Katherine Jenkins" type of soprano voice that most Cosettes seem to have, rather annoyingly. What I mean by that is the vibrato that is extremely strong on the high notes kinda like what Sarah Brightman did in POTO which ruins the songs. Also worthy of mention are the Thenardiers. As others have mentioned, Lorrain Bruce hasn't the best voice but her acting made up for that. She came out with a belter after the Bargain "you daft get! We could had more then!" which damn near killed me with laughter and so her vocal short comings were more than forgiven. Martin Ball was excellent as well. Now, Thenarder I played the second time I did the show so I had a strong connection with this character and I liked the way he played it. He was just the right amount of slimy and comedic with a dash of plain horrible! Both of them seemed to bounce off each other especially in the Wedding scene and MOTH number. Right, that's about it. I think I'd better wrap since that was a little longer than I thought it was gonna be but I just had to get all the main characters in there. They were all so good. If anyone has any other questions about the show then feel free to ask 'em! Thanks for reading! |
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| mm10 |
Well I saw the show on Friday night too � I was only in London for the one night so I was undecided about seeing Les Mis or something else but Les Mis won and I was very pleased I went and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I think I must�ve been watching a different Simon Bowman because the first thing that came to mind at the end of the show was that I was really glad that he had obviously stayed off until he was 100% fit as I thought he was very strong vocally. He certainly wasn't out of breath or cutting words or lines short. 
On a final note - walking up to Covent Garden Tesco�s after the show I walked right past John Owen Jones � I did wonder why he wasn�t on tour but then remembered there was a break before Paris � so my 2 favourite Valjeans in one night lol |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!
I assume you had Adam Rowe? I must admit I've never been massively impressed by his conducting, nor ever noticed him being particularly into it - the role of a conductor in MT is much more to hold things together than it is when conducting, say, a symphony orchestra, which tends to lead to a slightly less emotive way of conducting, as well as the fact that he conducts the same score 8 times a week. Personally, I have never noticed much emotion there. But maybe I just look at the wrong times.
I agree that his high notes are, on the whole, very well sung. However I do take issue with his lower register. He very clearly struggles on the bottom B on 'Fallen from God', and it rather ruins it. It sounds too much like he's straining and fudging it a bit. On the whole I find his intonation rather approximate, actually - like he aims for the high notes and the low notes in a phrase, and then isn't too bothered about the exact intervals between the other notes.
Nice to see some appreciation of Rebecca here - that often seems to be in short supply. I know exactly what you mean about it being a difficult character - I often find the role very hard to really enjoy, and it takes someone outstanding for me to be truly moved by it.
Nancy is the principal, Helen Owen the understudy. I'm not quite sure, therefore, what you mean when you say Nancy was on as u/s. Do you mean you saw the understudy? In that case, it would have been Helen. (Edit: I've just checked - it was indeed Helen on the 7th April. Glad you liked her )
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| Eppie-Sue |
I can't even say that it's a matter of taste, I suppose. If a performer is out of breath singing his lines - nonetheless a performer that I have after all seen and heard dozens of times in a role I have seen performed so many times - then I'll notice. I would never point this out if it hadn't been the case - there is a lot I have criticised about Simon Bowman in the past and am still criticising, but stamina when singing certainly wasn't one of them. I wouldn't make this up, and I wasn't sure at first if it was just my general dislike of him that made me biased against his performance after he went down the usual "smug Valjean" route in the beginning, but when I listened closer it was obvious that he had to push for every second word and had to put a lot of air behind his voice. He obviously wasn't 100% fit - otherwise he surely would have gone on stage today (Jonathan was on again), and I can only guess that it has to do with his illness. I'm not saying this as criticism, as it's obvious that he has to recover and to take it slow after such a long time off, and I'm sorry, but he really wasn't sounding well. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!I assume you had Adam Rowe? I must admit I've never been massively impressed by his conducting, nor ever noticed him being particularly into it - the role of a conductor in MT is much more to hold things together than it is when conducting, say, a symphony orchestra, which tends to lead to a slightly less emotive way of conducting, as well as the fact that he conducts the same score 8 times a week. Personally, I have never noticed much emotion there. But maybe I just look at the wrong times.Just checked and yes it was Adam Rowe. I always thought was the conductor's role too but he seemed very into. Don't get me wrong I wasn't watching him intently I just happened to look over a couple of times because he was right in my eyeline I agree that his high notes are, on the whole, very well sung. However I do take issue with his lower register. He very clearly struggles on the bottom B on 'Fallen from God', and it rather ruins it. It sounds too much like he's straining and fudging it a bit. On the whole I find his intonation rather approximate, actually - like he aims for the high notes and the low notes in a phrase, and then isn't too bothered about the exact intervals between the other notes. Funny you should say because that was one of the first things I noticed about him. His "now bring me prisoner 24601" wasn't done like it usually is and was a little choppy (he didn't go out of time or anything but I did wonder how the band followed him!). I don't remember him struggling with the bottom B and he certainly did the "chaain" in confrontation fine so I guess he was having a bad day when you saw him Nice to see some appreciation of Rebecca here - that often seems to be in short supply. I know exactly what you mean about it being a difficult character - I often find the role very hard to really enjoy, and it takes someone outstanding for me to be truly moved by it.
I think its because her stuff is so condensed. Like with VJ and others there is the whole show to become engrossed in their stories but Fantine's is done (necessarily) very quickly and so it throws the same kind of emotions at you as the others do but in a much shorter time. That said, I really hope Rebecca is staying as I'd love to see her doing it again next time I'm down over the summer. Nancy is the principal, Helen Owen the understudy. I'm not quite sure, therefore, what you mean when you say Nancy was on as u/s. Do you mean you saw the understudy? In that case, it would have been Helen. (Edit: I've just checked - it was indeed Helen on the 7th April. Glad you liked her
Oops! My bad yes I meant Helen, I'll change that:) |
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| pastaeater |
Really interested to read all the recent reviews - I have to say it almost seems like we all saw different productions as there is so much difference of opinion!
I saw the matinee yesterday, and this was the first time I have seen the show in several months, and the first time I have ever sat in the BB seats (thoroughly recommend these by the way, but not if it's your first visit). First.... the bad. HPJ. I don't want to sound unpleasant, but I found his portrayal of Javert a massive disapointment. I mean, I'm sure he has a good voice (and I'm not very qualified to judge on the finer points of his singing anyway), but it was the way he used his voice. Yes, his voice had a lot of richness and he could give the higher notes a bit of welly, but he seemed to pause in the most extraordinary places, and then speed up and run a lot of words together, in a way that just didn't make a lot of sense. It was almost as if he didn't understand what he was singing. Very very strange. I also found his Dutch (?) accent very noticeable and distracting and that along with his strange pausing-and-speeding-up made him seem almost comical at times. Of course, the last Javert I saw was Earl Carpenter on the tour, and I have listened over and over again to Philip Quast singing the role and that is a lot to live up to, but still! Now on to the good. Jonathan Williams was on as Valjean, and at first I found him a little understated for my taste. (Remember, the last person I saw in the role was JOJ and I guess you could call him lots of things, but understated isn't one of them!) As the show went on I really warmed to his performance though. He seemed to show the inner conflict and sadness of the man without needing to storm around flapping his arms. His portrayal had a sort of purity and truth to it somehow, I can't really explain it better than that - you felt "yes, that is really how someone would feel and behave in those circumstances". Beautifully sung, too; the friend I was with and I couldn't believe it was slightly out of his range, there was really no indication of that other than maybe a very slight faltering on a couple of the very high notes. I suppose the only negative comment I could make would be that his performance may not be appreciated by people wanting to see a really big, melodramatic, storming performance..... Onto the not quite so good.........Rebecca. I really liked her acting - I thought she came over very well as the sweet girl/woman who just couldn't comprehend or cope with the hostility that surrounded her. Loved the factory scene. I wasn't that impressed with her singing though - IDAD just wasn't that strong, I didn't think. (What a thankless task to sing that song though when half the audience are probably comparing you to Subo!!) Not overwhelmed by Alastair's Marius either. Liked his acting - he and Emily together looked very young and sweet and nervous which I loved, but his voice had way too much vibrato for me. If he has toned this down since he started playing the role then I just can't imagine what he was like at the begining....  .
I'm going to leave this now and come back to it later - I feel in need of some lunch! |
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| riverdawn |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!
I've seen HPJ about 20 times over the past year, and he has never once gone for Chaaaaiin. Just to be clear, what we're talking about is when you start "Chain" on one note, and sing it as a long word with the second half being lower - which some Javert's do, but not all, and HPJ has never done while I've been there. HPJ always sings "you'll wear a different.. (slight pause) chain." This isn't a huge deal for me, by the way, and I actually quite like HPJ's performance, but just mentioning. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!
I have seen HPJ many, many times - I do in fact go to the Queen's quite regularly, so unless he has lots of bad days, I'm afraid that argument won't hold. And I have never once heard him comfortable on that note. I can forgive him missing the bottom F on chain, because others who I really do like, such as Jeff, don't go for it either, and while it's a shame, it's not absolutely essential in any way. However, the bottom notes in Stars really are important, and I'm sorry but HPJ simply doesn't deliver those. He just about gets the C# well enough (the first note of God) but then he just slides down like he's fishing for the B, and it really sounds neither pleasant nor at all comfortable. If it's out of his range, then fair enough, I can't expect him to do much better. But I have to wonder why they would cast someone who can't sing the required notes?
What you said about people having different opinions - here's another for you. I really like Rebecca's singing. I know that a lot of people here don't, or don't like her voice, but I actually do. She's not my ultimate Fantine or anything, but I do really like how she sings the part. She's always very secure, and some of the top notes are a lot stronger than other Fantines'. And her bottom notes are gorgeous (Finale particularly). |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!I've seen HPJ about 20 times over the past year, and he has never once gone for Chaaaaiin. Just to be clear, what we're talking about is when you start "Chain" on one note, and sing it as a long word with the second half being lower - which some Javert's do, but not all, and HPJ has never done while I've been there. HPJ always sings "you'll wear a different.. (slight pause) chain."This isn't a huge deal for me, by the way, and I actually quite like HPJ's performance, but just mentioning.[/quote] Oh sure and it's perfectly fine for you to mention that, it would be very boring if you just agreed with me on everything! All I'm saying is, when he does Stars he seems to be at ease with the bottom B and not all out of his depth. So I guess we gotta agree to disagree on that one. However having remembered that bit on cha-ainnnn I do have to stand corrected. He doesn't do the low note there, my bad! However I simply cannot agree with l'invorgne regarding HPJ and "why cast someone who can't sing it". In HPJ we have an actor/singer who has come back to the role having been away from it. I can see him being cast once if he couldn't sing it but why would they allow him to come back knowing he struggled with it? Second of all, if you;re going to pick on someone for being cast yet unable to sing the required notes why pick on him? There are many Valjeans who don't do the top b on 2 4 6 0 OOONNEE!" and so not being able to sing one note (which I think he can, I'm just saying even if that is your view) is a far cry from "not being able to sing the required notes. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!
riverdawn wasn't mentioning that in order to pick an argument - she has to be one of the nicest, least argumentative people on this board. She is always willing to respect other people's opinions. However, if you are going to post something that is incorrect, then it's not going to do you any favours. Is she not allowed to let you know nicely where you made a mistake? And, really, don't ask me about why they would re-cast him. I don't know what goes on with that casting team half the time! And, no, I don't think it's fair to bring Valjean's top B into this. I would argue that that is comparable to the bottom F on chain - it's an extreme note that doesn't suffer a huge amount if it's misisng. Not getting that B is probably equivalent to a Valjean who can't sing the top notes in BHH. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
HPJ never hits the "Goo-oood" in Stars and he never hits the "Chaaa-iiin". He did manage the "Goo-ood" back in 2006, I've listened to the BBC recording, but he doesn't anymore.
Just as a comparison HPJ's "chain" Earl's "chain" Yeah. And I don't expect them to sing the low note, if everything else is good (q.v. Jeff, Killian), but really, the "God"? It's part of the score. It's like I want Enjolras to sing the "call", Cosette the high note at the end of "Every Day", etc. pastaeater, I'm REALLY happy you thought the performance yesterday was fantastic, and I can't wait to read more of your thoughts. Just to clear this up:
I think it's not so much Alistair's vocal performance that has changed, but his acting. He has grown into the role and he knows what he can do with it and where his strength lies in performing it, so he has developed his Marius a lot more. He really has done a lot with it, and I think he's a great Marius, acting-wise. I understand what you mean about his voice, and I think the "shaking" sound (I wouldn't exactly call it vibrato) has gotten worse in the past two weeks, sadly. ETA: That said, and re-reading the "argument": We're not picking on anyone for not being what we want them to be. We're reviewing. This isn't primary school where you pick on someone because he's got a funny way of speaking, we're looking at a performance and if there are obvious flaws, it should be logical to point them out and to wonder why someone was cast. It's easier to accept flaws on certain notes if the overall performance makes up for it (take Nancy's Eponine for example), but with a role like Javert it's just sad if a part that needs to be sung (unlike the "chain") doesn't come across as full and secure, because it's important for the character. The depth and the stability are what makes Javert Javert in the musical. The voice isn't just an added bonus, it should represent the character, e.g. being very pure for Cosette, being strong and clear for Enjolras, being softer and lighter for Marius, etc. When we criticise, we're not criticising because of antipathy to someone or anything remotely childish as that. Why would we decide to dislike someone and just pick on them? Not enjoying a portrayal and general performance of an actor playing a character that has a certain background and purpose in the story is tiring and unpleasant. So why on earth would we want to pick on someone just for the sake of it? I enjoy seeing well-rounded performances with the appropriate input from the actors to the characters a lot more, and I WISH that was the case with everyone on stage. Sadly, the current leads disappoint me for all the numerous and founded reasons that have been brought up in this thread. It's not just random dislike. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
I know exactly what you mean - I was blown away when I saw him in April, his performance seemed so truthful and so tender... he's the best Valjean I've ever seen or heard. He really matches up to the character portrayed in the book in his gentleness, and his voice is SO beautiful! BHH has never been one of my favourite songs, but I cried when he sang it. Since then I have procured an... unofficial... recording of JW singing it, and it's now one of my favourite songs! It's amazing how one brilliant actor can change around several year's worth or preferences with one performance!! I get what you said about Alistair as well. When I saw him, i thought maybe he was either really nervous, or suffering from caffiene overdose. He seemed to be fidgeting with his hands all the time... but the angsty feel of his fidgestyness worked quite well, in the end... though I do miss the hunkyness of Jon Robyns! (previous Marius) And great review btw
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| pastaeater |
Yes - it is probably right to talk about Alastair's voice "shaking" .....at one point I thought he was physically shaking and I wasn't sure if that was meant to be part of his performance or not. It's a shame if that is caused by nerves.
I take Eppie-Sue's point about him developing the acting side of the role, though and although I wasn't generally blown away by him I did like his ECAET - his sadness was just haunting. Jon Robyns - very easy on the eye but not convinced by him vocally either - maybe I just don't really "get" the part of Marius! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I don't think it's you. Jon Robyns doesn't have the strongest voice, let's be honest here. I did enjoy his performance when I saw him a few times in June last year, simply because he was very, very entertaining and worked so well with David, Leanne and Nancy (maybe a bit too well with Nancy, even), but he wasn't Marius to me, and he certainly didn't blow me away vocally, there was always a bit of a strain and a "jarring" note to it, especially on the high bits (again: complete disbelief that they cast him as Enjolras). I'm quite sad you're not getting the chance to see Antony as Marius, pastaeater, I think he might be the Marius that would make you feel like you "get" the part. But maybe he'll come back in a year or two, he's still young enough. ETA: Oh, and pastaeater, I can't wait for the rest...
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| PureDiamondLight |
I agree about Jon Robyn's voice - to be honest, I don't like it. His longer, high notes take on a slightly painful quality towards the end. But I like the camaraderie he had with Enjolras, and his acting was great. He brings across different qualities in the character than Alistair - AB seems younger and sweeter, whereas JR was more of a stronger Marius who knew his own mind. I like both of their performances quite a lot, but, like Pastaeater I've never seen Marius I really gel with. About casting him as Enjolras - I agree that his voice isn't what I'd've chosen for the part. But a friend of mine saw the tour, and said that he did The Jump, so it can't be all bad. (Though I'm not sure... is having an imitation better or worse than not having it at all? hmm....) |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh please. The Jump. First off, the barricade on the tour is a far cry from the London one. And if we start determining a good Enjolras by whether he leaps off the barricade in the Final Battle, then it's a very sad state indeed. That jump is the least important bit about his entire performance. I don't want to criticse Jon Robyns here too much, but his Enjolras isn't Enjolras (or: Enjolraic.) at all. Vocally and in his approach to the role (but that might be down to direction, too). I know there have been positive comments, but he's frankly miscast to represent the clarity, pureness and strength of Enjolras. What is up with that entrance to ODM? Why does he sing the Night and Dawn Of Anguish in staccato? I'm not so much blaming him actually, it's mostly down to him just being right for the role. It happens. And while, obviously, I'd love every Enjolras to deliver the same level of performance that we get at the Queen's at the moment, and while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if they don't do it because it's right for their take on the part and because they understand what's behind acting decisions, even singing decisions (B flat "is free") and would have gotten to that point of perfection without simply copying it, I'd rather not have it in there at all. Is it too much to ask of a musical theatre performer, especially if someone has played the role a certain way to so much praise? Maybe. But I don't want to see a poor copy of David Thaxton's Enjolras, especially as he will always play that version better. I don't expect anyone to fit the role as stunningly and eeriely perfecly as him, actually, but I don't think you can achieve anything close to it by just going by notes about his performance. It's not about the actions, it's about the context, not so much about the what, but about the how and why. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
I totally agree. I haven't seen the tour, but JR doesn't seem like Enjolras to me. the Enjolras in my head is almost super-human - not in a comic-book sense but in the sense that he comes from a slightly different realm from everyone else. Part human, part avenging angel? I think that might be the best way I can describe him. DT fits that bill. JR is just too... human. And, once again, I am moping becuase I won't be able to see Thaxton as Enjolras again. grrrrrrrrr. You can tell he really knows Enjolras. I think it's sad that the high B flat is now (apparently) an audition requirement. You can't commercialise the kind of emotion that DT obviously feels and try to reproduce it becuase it worked the first time. once again, grrrr.
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
There's not really any need to jump at PureDiamondLight like that. I don't think she is judging the performance based on one jump. Especially when she hasn't seen it. I agree with Eppie-Sue in terms of characterisation, of course. I tend to put a lot more emphasis on singing than other people, though, although I wouldn't say it was more important than acting. And Jon definitely doesn't get off to a good start, before you've even had much of a chance to judge his acting. But I'm afraid that I don't think Jon did the Jump at all. There was a largish jump in the second attack, I think - but it still wasn't like David's where he manages to get so far forward and propel himself through the air. And in the Final Battle it was smaller, and generally had less of that energy behind it. EDIT:
The problem with Enjolras is that he very much a symbolic character. Hugo does this a lot - he inhabits a world halfway between the symbolic and the real. It can therefore be very hard to understand his character, let alone to bring it to stage in a workable manner. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Oh. I didn't mean to jump at her, and I'm sorry if it came across that way, PureDiamondLight. |
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| PureDiamondLight |
aww, that's ok
and speaking of jumping... I'll have to get back to my friend and tell her that the "jump" she saw on the tour was a sad and weakened imitiation of the real thing she'll be disappointed... I will laugh. I TOLD her that nothing could beat David Thaxton... she didn't believe me. dear, dear.
EDIT: ooh! I'm now a young hoofer! how exciting!! umm... what exactly is a young hoofer when it's at home?? ... |
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| pastaeater |
Now for the next part of my review.
Helen Owen was on as Eponine and I really liked her. This was the first time that I have seen her, and I thought she sort of looked the part - a bit rougher round the edges and more of a street-wise tough kid than Nancy. I liked her voice too, and thought she brought something a bit more "raw" to the part, if that makes sense. Thaxton! I was so relieved when I realised that he was on that I almost buckled at the knees......and boy, was he on form. He absolutely out sang everyone else on the stage, imo, but then he has always done that every time I have seen him. I understand what other people have said about the way he plays the part with a kind of cold fervour. When I think back to the barricade scenes in my memory he is bathed in a sort of cold, clear light, and part of the action but also slightly apart, if that makes any sense at all. (I know that most people on here have seen the production loads of times, but I go so seldom that some scenes can have an effect on me almost as if I was seeing them for the first time. The moment when the barricade turns and you see the body of Enjolras, with the flag, hanging from the barricade by one leg was one of those scenes; I wonder if you could find a stronger image on any stage anywhere. Incredible - so affecting and haunting. Someone behind me started crying). I hadn't really thought about Enjolras being very much a symbolic character until l'ivrogne transfigure pointed it out, but I do see what she means. It must be so difficult to bring a character like that fully to life; we have been so lucky to have Thaxton in the part, but I'm sure that Killian will also do a brilliant job after cast change. And talking of Killian......... He was great - he seemed to be everywhere and doing everything and seemed to put so much energy and enthusiasm into every part. I have had a bit of a soft spot for him ever since I saw him at the Isle of Wight concert and realised what a great voice he had. He was the most enthusiastic pimp ever, and in MOTH he was what I can only describe as Random Yob. As we were in BB seats - I was BB7 - we were practically at the table with him and Mark D during MOTH. This was great until he decided to pretend to vomit back up something he had just eaten or drunk. Thanks Killian. Maybe there is such a thing as being too close to the stage! As for the Thenardiers - I liked Martin, not quite so sure about Lorraine. She must be the only person - in my admitedly limited experience - who hasn't got a laugh for "I'll forget to be nice" when talking to little Cosette and that was just due to not very great timing, in my opinion. Emily Bull made a very good Cosette I thought; although, to be honest, it's not that great a part, is it?! I liked her voice, and thought she interacted well with Alastair. Is she staying on? I think I am all reviewed-out now but I absolutely loved the whole experience. I must say that it was really enhanced for me by coming on here and reading other people's reviews and comments; this visit I had much more idea of who was who (in the ensemble especially) and what to look out for - certain scenes and minor characters have passed me by in a bit of a blur before, I realise. So many thanks to everyone who goes to the trouble of posting their reviews on here.
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Thank you for the review! It's lovely to hear the views of people who don't go so regularly as others here.
That's interesting - I'm not massively keen on Lorraine, but I've never seen her not get a laugh for that line. It's the one place, in my experience, that virtually always gets a laugh, even if nowhere else. The only time I've seen it not happen was the first time I saw the tour, with Lynne Wilmot. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!riverdawn wasn't mentioning that in order to pick an argument - she has to be one of the nicest, least argumentative people on this board. She is always willing to respect other people's opinions. However, if you are going to post something that is incorrect, then it's not going to do you any favours. Is she not allowed to let you know nicely where you made a mistake?Umm yes and that would be why I acknowledged the fact she was correct there. And, really, don't ask me about why they would re-cast him. I don't know what goes on with that casting team half the time! And, no, I don't think it's fair to bring Valjean's top B into this. I would argue that that is comparable to the bottom F on chain - it's an extreme note that doesn't suffer a huge amount if it's misisng. Not getting that B is probably equivalent to a Valjean who can't sing the top notes in BHH.[/quote] Really? I do! It's a note that is part of the score. Remember in the score itself the top B is written and the E that is sung instead of it is not. Exactly the same as Javert God note. |
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Re: Since we're posting reviews, here's mine!
I read this initially as sarcasm, hence my comment. Reading it again, I realise that's probably not what you meant. I'm very sorry if I misinterpreted it.
Well, then, that gives me leave to strongly criticise the fact that HPJ doesn't sing the bottom F on chain. Because that note is in the score too, and is not sung. (It's an F# by the way, not an E). |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Cool let's just agree to disagree and move on | ||||||||
| Eppie-Sue |
I don't think it's a question of disagreement. Either it's right or it's wrong. I've explained why the low notes in Javert's score are part of the character already, but as apparently hardly anyone reads anyone else's posts anymore and doesn't think about what is being said, it doesn't matter.
pastaeater, I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed yesterday's performance. I'm at the Queen's so often, but I sometimes even wish I had this feeling of only seeing the show very rarely, as strange as that sounds.
Yes, it makes total sense, and I know what you mean. I think the lighting on the barricades, especially in the bit before Drink With Me and the whole passage of Dawn Of Anguish is absolutely beautiful. And about the coldness, I suppose it's very hard to walk the line between being likeable for the theatre audience by creating an arch for the character to work with, given the libretto and the often rather unfitting lines, and staying true to what you get from the book and the context, and having it all make sense and seem effortless and natural. It's an enormous task. I guess you get similar difficulties with almost every other character in Les Mis, but if you want to do it right, Enjolras is the hardest to get right, because you're not given many nuances and yet need them to create this depth and to add the symbolism. There are certain parts that help - dead Enjolras being one of them, surely - but most of it is up to the performer. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Imeant more the fact that I think he does that note fine and others don't. That is an opinion not a fact. It is also something that certain folks clearly feel strongly about and so, to avoid another argument I was trying to draw a line under the issue and move on. On another note Eppie-Sue is SV back now fully? It's just that in going down to les mis on the 2nd June and wondered if he'd be doing the matinee | ||||||||
| Wandering Ranger |
argh damn typo! I meant SB, Simon Bowman just to be clear | ||||||||
| Quique |
I'm very glad you made that point, even though it seems like common sense or a given. It's easy to forget we are FANS of this musical. The very last thing on our agenda would be to take the enjoyment out of the very thing we feel passionate about, especially if it involves something petty. I will admit that the "Bowman bashing" has gotten on my nerves as well, because it does at times seem like a bit much and sort of petty. But then I think and realize how my own grievances must seem petty to others and, suddenly, I can relate, lol. Obviously I am not saying I believe Bowman is no good in the role of Valjean based on your opinions. I need to see him for myself to make any judgements and we all know what bothers one person may be perfectly fine to another. I guess my point is that it's easy to forget that things aren't as simplistic as they seem. My rantings aren't the product of selective hearing nor are they some petty temper tantrum and I'm sure Eppie-Sue's assesment of Bowman's performance is not the product of nit-pickiness or of her imagination. Much less an act of bullying. I'd have a serious problem with anyone who claims their opinions are objective facts but I have not seen anything like that here. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
Well, just to chip in and offer my opinion, as when I first formed an opinion of Simon Bowman back in December I knew the musical, but I hadn't read the book then. So I was someone who knew what Les Mis was all about, but didn't understand Valjean's character in as great depth as the book!Valjean is being discussed.
I found him to be alright, actually. Sure, I know there were some times when I thought he looked ridiculous with that red scarf smirking throughout "The Waltz of Treachery", and I felt that after he had done his version of a good deed (ie. knocking Javert out after The Confrontation, taking Cosette away from the Thenardiers) he had this "I'm a Superhero saving the day" attitude, but I didn't take great offense at him. However, after I read the book, I realised how his portrayal of Jean Valjean didn't match up to the description in the book, and how he didn't exactly convey Valjean's ongoing turmoil. So I think that fans of the Les Mis musical or musical theatre fans who happen to watch Les Mis as it is labelled a classic will not find any extreme opinion on Bowman's Valjean, instead they would just cruise through and focus on the more exceptional parts of the show. But those who have read The Brick and study JVJ in great complexity will find disparities between Brick!VJ and Bowman's. Another reason for Bowman's OTT portrayal could also be that the majority of the audience have not read the book, and thus would not know that Valjean is a guy who is constantly haunted by his past. It's definitely easier to keep up this confident hero persona, and might also be easier for some to understand as he did vow to become a new man. That's just my opinion for now. Of course when I watch the show next Saturday(!!!!!!!!!) I just might have a completely different opinion. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Taking it from here: But then there are lots of Valjean who can portray him correctly and who make him subtle and relateable and conflicted without playing the "I'm the hero, watch me go" card. I've seen four so far, and considering three of them were only covering the part, that's really saying a lot. I'm sure there are lots more. And I want to say something general about the idea of basing your character interpretation and portrayal on the book... because there are always people piping up and going: "Well, just because you're being elitist and going by the book doesn't mean they have to play the character that way, we're enjoying it anyway." 1) The musical is based on the book. These characters wouldn't exist without the book. The libretto can only show so much, so if you base the acting on the libretto and not on what the origin of this libretto is, you will only be able to present a very shallow character or a character that doesn't go with what was intended by his or her creation for the novel. 2) From what I can see, fans of the musical (and solely the musical) or first time watchers etc. are not bothered either way. They just want a good show, basically. If they really get into it, it will help them if the performers have a certain sense of stability with their characters, not making them bipolar and confusing the audience by having moments where they act "out of character". But that doesn't mean it's the right way to go, because there are people who actually care and who know that the way the character is portrayed is not the right way. I do wonder: What is the problem of performing a character true to his or her core? There is a whole book full of context and background, is it too much to expect principals to read this book and to understand where it all comes from, and to adapt it in their performance? The ordinary audience members, who don't know the background, might get an idea of it and of the depth of the story that way (best example, again, David's Enjolras, who is not just the poster boy of revolution, running around holding a gun and singing of bloodshed and barricades), and it actually makes sense, works with what every other actor on stage who pays attention to the character, the development and the background of this show and the actions on stage shows in their portrayal, and it even makes the fans of Les Mis�rables as a whole happy. It's not just "you can either please one group or the other", if you want to divide fans or the audience into groups. It's "you can either please one group or both". EDIT: And, primarily, it shouldn't even be about pleasing the audience, you shouldn't be performing for the audience, but for the show and the character. No one can tell me that a potrayal that ignores the origin of the character is a complete performance, when there is so much more to work with. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
Well then I suppose it's really up to the performers' themselves and how they choose to interpret their specific characters. Bowman, perhaps, could find it easier to portray Valjean as a cardboard character rather than a real one like with David's Enjolras. It definitely is easier to show a one-sided "good" character who shows off this "superhero, saving the day" mentality. He also could just assume that the bulk of the theatre-goers are musical theatre fans who don't understand Valjean in the book, so he may not deem it necessary to understand JVJ and really get into role like how, from what I've heard, others like Jonathan Williams and Shannon do. Or, who knows, may not even have read the book and is basing his character just on "this man who has turned over a new leaf", which in this case, does not equal flashing out the hero card.
From my own personal opinion, if I try to recall it back, is that Bowman!Valjean doesn't really work well with the other characters, and I could sense some conflicts. Not the context conflicts, but conflicts in some scenes where the actors have different ideas on interpretations of characters. For example, the commonly discussed smugness and cockiness when he is trying to take Cosette away from the inn. Either way, I think that if Bowman's misrepresentation could be because he took over from David Shannon and was not given the full rehearsal period during the cast change period (though it doesn't make much sense, as he played Valjean in 2000 or something). I do hope that if he is indeed staying, he revises his Valjean, given this time with the new cast and when the new cast come out in June, he would have adapted his character for the better. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I just want to point out that this is not just about Simon Bowman's Valjean, and I don't want to speculate about why he plays him a certain way. All of this can apply to many other performers as well, at least what I wrote - maybe not all that much in the current London cast, but just in general.
I just felt the need to point it out, because I'm sick of feeling like I need to apologise when I base my comments about the "wholeness" of a performance on the context of the story, the book, and the character's background. I'm really not the most knowledgable when it comes to the book, but if I see that something doesn't work in favour of the character and can base it on more than just "It felt strange." then I think it should be obvious to point it out. Especially as it's a complete miracle to me how you can disregard the book in character development. |
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| beyondthebarricade |
I'm not disregarding the book in any sense, so please don't suggest that I am. I'm just saying that certain actors might not refer to the book when they interpret the character as the book is very well detailed so actors may find it a tough job to get the characters they are portraying to follow the book so closely that they may just decide to not follow it and stick with a one-dimensional character, which I think is incorrect.
I said it "felt strange" when I saw his Valjean 5 months ago which was before I read the book, so that was just a gut feeling that something wasn't right with his portrayal. Now that I have, I know what is wrong with it. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
... I didn't say you disregarded the book, I wasn't referring to you or attacking you at any point in my post, I simply added something to broaden the view and not make it about Bowman and Bowman alone.
ETA: Ah, I see where the problem lies. "Especially as it's a complete miracle to me how you can disregard the book in character development." You = someone. An actor. Not you = beyondthebarricade. I honestly didn't reply to your post, if I had, I'd have quoted something. I just wanted to add something that couldn't be said in an edit to my post. Why would I attack you for something that is exactly my point?! In the end, I honestly don't care if the audience doesn't get it or disregards it. That's not why someone should add depth and understanding to their performance... ETA: Just noticed that Wandering Ranger had asked about Simon Bowman being back on - I can't really say. Last week, he performed Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Jonathan was on on Monday, Wednesday evening (Simon Shorten played Valjean in the matinee, because Jonathan couldn't come in in time) and both shows Saturday. No idea if and when he'll be performing this week. |
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| Wandering Ranger |
Fair EnoughAfter all I've heard about him (good and bad) I am kinda keen to see him and judge for myself what his Valjean is like. I have only heard a little from youtube and thats hardly enough to properly critique his performance. That said, having seen Jonathan live I can promise you I would not be sorry if he was on as VJ!Incidentally, now the cast change is taking place who is the new Javert? It was suggested that Jeff had been cast but that maybe merely a rumour. Anyone know for certain? |
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| Elbow |
Last I heard, no one had been cast. | ||||||||
| mm10 |
Why is there still no Javert when they are already rehearsing? Doesn�t sound good. Also is SB definitely staying?? Perhaps he�s not going to do all 8 shows from now on? |
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| Wandering Ranger |
with SB i think its more a case of he has been off ill for quite some time and needs to get back into it and not do too much at once by doing it 8 times a week. I would imagine he would be back doing the 8 in the fullness of time though. | ||||||||
| Elbow |
I'm pretty sure he is definitely staying. And yes, lack of Javert does sound odd. They got it down to two people apparently, but maybe something else came up since they haven't cast anyone yet :-/ Who knows. They might have cast someone by now though. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Latest official news (from Saturday) are that there are no news.
Also, it was Antony's last Marius show tonight and it was an extremely strong show, very high energy, some great performances, a very very emotional and good Empty Chairs, a mental Fight in the Second Attack, one of the best caf�s I've ever seen, HPJ actually impressed me in Stars by acting, the audience was great, I really loved the Th�nardiers ... I might review, but as l'ivrogne and flying_pigs were both there, I think they might want to share their thoughts. Especially flying_pigs who hasn't been to the show in a while I believe.
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| l'ivrogne transfigur� |
Yes, it was a indeed great show. And very emotional too, what with it being Antony's last. The first time for ages ALFOR or ECAET have made me cry, let alone both
Antony's Marius is great. I think the two areas where he is noticeably better than Alistair are his voice (though this is, of course, partly down to taste) and also he is somehow much more responsive in his acting. He reacts to what's going on around him to a greater extent. I don't have the energy to really review now, and I doubt that I will tomorrow, so I'll leave it at that, and just add that I too was quite impressed by HPJ tonight. And after the previous conversation, his low notes in Stars were actually really quite good for once. |
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| flying_pigs |
Antonyyyyyy, please don't leave!
I love his Marius, especially in the second half. His Empty Chairs, Valjean's Confession, AHFOL (Reprise) and ALFOR were all amazing! It's my last time seeing this cast and it was a wonderful show. Might do a proper review later, going to miss this cast! |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Okay, you know what, I'm primarily a fan of the book but I don't think that performances or interpretations in the musical have to be directly based on the book to be good or correct or complete. The musical is an adaptation of the book, it has been changed, and it should be able to stand on its own. Which isn't to say that I'd be a huge fan of a performance that directly contradicted a character's role in the book (Quique knows all too well that I have spent a lot of time whining about the parts of the musical that undermine the themes of the book), but it's possible for a performance to be divergent without being contradictory or counterproductive, to be very different from Hugo's character without being a travesty. Yes, reading the book can help give depth to a character and create an amazing performance. Yes, not reading the book and deciding to do something completely new and different can end up horrific (Drew Sarich's Enjolras, anyone?) But there are also cases--like Celia Keenan Bolger's Eponine--where a book-based performance wasn't well understood or well liked by people who hadn't read the book, and amazing performances that had nothing to do with the book but were no less amazing for it. Basically, where performances of the musical are concerned, the book is supplemental canon: it's a tool that can be used to add background and depth to a performance, but it's not the mandatory base of a good interpretation. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
I am not saying that a performance has to follow the book in every aspect, as that is not possible, especially not if you want to make the character relateable on stage.
You can't bring everything of a character to stage, you have to make compromises, and I'm very well aware of that. My favourite performances out there are performances that are very well aware of this, in the most obvious way, that bring all the background from the book in line with what the musical needs and therefore create performances that actually stand out from the rest, because they're endlessly secure. A performance needs to make sense to everyone for it to be considered complete IMHO, not just for the character but for the way the story works and the stage production works. It's not about just basing it on the book or just following what you're given by the libretto. I'm not saying I want performances that leave the book fans happy and confuse the musical fans and the ordinary audience. I want performances that don't contradict the idea that's behind the character, that add depth to characters where the libretto doesn't offer this depth, that care about the characters and that work with the rest of the characters on stage. There are simple, very obvious aspects to every single one of the principal characters in the book, and I think these aspects are easily lost if you disregard the source material, the novel, in your process of working with the characters. And especially as it's there, it makes sense to use it, considering it's called Les Mis�rables, the characters bear the same names, are in very similar storylines and it's openly said that it's based on the nove by Victor Hugo. So to ignore crucial facts, such as Valjean's humbleness, Cosette's innocence or Enjolras's symbolism is a very slippery slope. That said, I love the musical dearly, and I enjoy it far more than the book. I think it's an extraordinary piece of art, and I've spent enough time going through the libretto to see that, yes, there is every opportunity in the world to bring the original characters to life on stage and to use the depth you get from the book to make sense of everything and to create a wholeness, instead of just inventing your own background which doesn't go with what the source material tells you and make it up as you go. Especially as the novel is used in rehearsals, it's obvious that there should be thought behind the performance that includes this novel. I do not want to see the book characters singing the musical lines, because it's impossible, because it would be confusing, it wouldn't work and it would rip the arch that the musical is following apart. But every performance that I have seen so far that obviously conflicted with what the essence of the book character is damaged that particular part of the story. It's about the love and care for the characters and the story, and I hate to see performances that go against the sheer core of both. |
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| aquirkofmatter |
With regards to cast change, apparently Lucie Jones won't be starting in June, but in 3ish months time. Supposedly. The 'temporary' Cosette is called Camille something? I don't know her surname, though.
Although that said the new cast members had their introduction to the Queens yesterday afternoon, and neither of them were there |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Lucie Jones saw the show Saturday evening. Maybe they had appointments for that time yesterday that they couldn't just cancel. They're going to be rehearsing at the Queen's for a while, I'm sure they'll be fine. And I don't like this, at all, if it's true. I hear Alistair isn't playing Marius for the first three weeks of the new cast. I mean...?! If all this works that way then, we'll get, what... u/s Marius and new, emergency Cosette for the first three weeks then principal Marius and emergency Cosette for another two months then principal Marius and new principal Cosette for a few months and then new principal Marius and principal Cosette for the rest of the season? Great. |
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| KatyRoseLand |
Please let it be Camille Mesnard. To be fair, it could actually happen, what with the previous two Nancys from the audition stages. Still a pretty long shot though. |
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| aquirkofmatter |
I think it is - that came from the theatre manager yesterday. Obviously I have no way of 100% guaranteeing it, but its what I've heard from them. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Ah just ---- it. What kind of casting is that?
ETA. To me it looks like they desperately want Lucie Jones and the new Marius that is taking over in January in there. So in order to arrange everything for them and around them, Alistair is staying, even though he can't do the first few weeks, they deal with an alternate Cosette for a short while, just so they can get these two people in there. I would so not be surprised if Gareth Gates is taking over at the end of January. Just ... ugh. Whatever the reason, I'm disappointed. I'm all for keeping it alive and interesting, but I've seen a mid-season Cosette change, and Emily is a great Cosette indeed, but still it destroyed whatever kind of love I had for Marius & Cosette as a whole, simply because they were clearly not cast together and as an item and for their chemistry. And that's vital. So how on earth is this supposed to work with constant changes and new people coming in, people that have just gotten comfortable leaving, etc.?! |
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| mm10 |
I have to admit it is all very strange! Just reading the article about Lucie Jones that said she originally auditioned for Eponine but Cameron asked her to go for Cosette so I'll trust his judgement on that but apparently she had to sing with serveral potential marius(s). Is it true that Antony is going back to Joseph - why was he not offered Marius?
And is there still no word on Javert?? Wish they would make a proper announcement and be done with it
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| pastaeater |
Surely the only reason that Antony hasn't been cast is because they want to offer the role to Gareth as Gates as a supposedly bigger draw to put more bums on seats. From what I've heared about his performances, I can't imagine any other reason. Seems a shame that they've b------everything else up in order to accomodate this. | ||||||||
| flying_pigs |
But it's not as if Les Mis needs a "star" name like Gareth Gates to draw in audiences. From my seat in BB yesterday the theatre looked pretty full, and it was a monday.
Hmmmm, very sceptical at the moment. We'll see, we'll see... |
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| kalms |
The 'mystery' Cosette is actually only doing three weeks before Lucie Jones takes over. I wouldn't worry people, it's going to be an exciting year with guest performers (BIG NAME guest performers) popping in all the time.
Be excited not worried!!
P.S It's not Camille!! |
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| flying_pigs |
Ooooo mysterious. Any more information you can divulge
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| kalms |
erm... not really. Official announcement made in June and the Cam Mac office has asked people not to ruin it for everyone.
lucjonlakeaskersas (if you can figure this out there are 3 names) ENJOY! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Now isn't that great. Big names. How exciting. ETA. Especially if that means the show is going to be reduced to some "I'm a celebrity get me into this!" spectacle, that replaces the normal performers with some big name (BIG BIG NAME.) for a few shows just for the hell of it. |
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| Violet |
The cast change does sound like a bit of a mess, but I will be interested to see all of these guest names crop up during the year. It will keep everyone on their toes, although I think my head will be spinning. I'm hoping to get back to London in July, so I'll cross my fingers they know what they are doing.
I've not managed to see Anthony's Marius, so I can't compare him to Gareth Gates, but IMO Gareth's Marius is a vast improvement on Alastair's, so given the choice, I'd be delighted if he took over even if I hardly get into London these days. He has had a lot of praise during the tour, even if a lot of people in here tend to ignore any favourable tour reviews as being the words of idiots or those in the employ of Cameron Mackintosh.
I too don't think the show particularly needs a star name to get bums on seats, especially not in the aftermath of the tour (all of those people who couldn't get tickets in their home towns) and what I presume will be a lot of extra publicity for the anniversary itself. But it sounds as if there will be a lot of chopping and changing in this coming year and maybe a few of the tour cast will be slotted into the London cast. I'm also not sure why it had to be Alastair rather than Anthony for the shorter Marius contract, if they had wanted to promote him. Surely it would have been in Anthony's interests to accept a shortened contract as Marius than touring Joseph. |
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| kalms |
You'll never please everyone!?!
BIG names doesn't necessarily mean "I'm a celebrity"... it could mean well respected performers in their fields who will now be given an opportunity to appear in the show for a short time before some birthday celebrations that lots of people could be involved in. All I'd say is stop looking for negatives and enjoy the year, it only happens once. |