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Musicals.Net Forums -> Les Miserables

aquirkofmatter	Completely out-of-sync with the rest of the reviews and things in this thread, but it is cast change related... Has anyone heard/does anyone know anything about David and Earl's replacements yet? It's less than a month away now (well, only just); they should be starting rehearsals in a week or two, surely? I wanna knoooooow!
Eppie-Sue	They should certainly know about the replacements, the question is if there is anything official/if they're allowed to tell (like with Jon Robyns as tour!Enjolras). And, um, what's up with David Shannon's website mentioning the 9th and Earl Carpenter's the 10th October...?! Do they really leave on different dates? Oooh, I hope there will be pretty speeches! Earl did one when Drew Sarich left! And I have to do shameless linking: I was babysitting today and I took the current Les Mis brochure with me and the kids were utterly fascinated by the pics. Here is the whole story, on my livejournal xD ... I might have to take them now, but I think it will be alright. I mean, they understood the plot already.
aquirkofmatter	There should be some news about it somewhere, surely? On some leading male's website it'll want to say something; everything theatre-wise is announced in advance these days to boost ticket sales!! Like the Legally Blonde cast being announced ridiculously early, just to sell tickets. As for the websites... typo? He wouldn't leave on a Friday, surely? Eppie-Sue wrote: And I have to do shameless linking: I was babysitting today and I took the current Les Mis brochure with me and the kids were utterly fascinated by the pics. Here is the whole story, on my livejournal xD ... I might have to take them now, but I think it will be alright. I mean, they understood the plot already. Well if they understand everything and enjoy the vest then it would be wrong to not take them!!
pastaeater	Did I read somewhere (or possibly dream) that Hans Peter Janssens is going to be playing Javert??? (I mean - I'm not sure how old he is now so that might be totally impossible!!)
flying_pigs	...but he only played Javert less than two years ago in London?!
Eppie-Sue	Good Lord. He IS coming back, it's on his homepage. So. Another 06/07 cast member coming back, after Jeff this year and David last year?! (I was going to say "and A J Callaghan", but she was in the 05/06 cast. still.) I'm not sure if I like him that much, but to be fair I only heard him on some recordings. BUT I remember that I liked Jeff's Javert more. and now he will be understudying him again...
aquirkofmatter	I don't know who this guy is, but at least he has a name! (And if he's been Javert before I can youtube him!) One down, one to go!
flying_pigs	I do like HPJ, I just would have prefered someone completely new!
Elbow	Hans Peter Janssons!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I could go on, but it would be much the same as the above. I really do not like Janssons' Javert. Not one bit. Oh I am sad now.
Madeleine	flying_pigs wrote: I do like HPJ, I just would have prefered someone completely new! This. I really did like him, but I saw him so many times, and now I've seen Earl so much I was really looking forward to somebody new. It's a little disappointing really... Poor Jeff. I do think he should have been given Javert this time.
eponine5	I really wish Jeff Nicholson had been given the role It's not that HPJ was a bad Javert, but I've seen him in this role sooo many times. And his performance was one that never. changed. I was bored by the end of his two years...
Eppie-Sue	Okay, sooo aquirkofmatter and me went to see today's (or, well, yesterday's) show to catch Simon Shorten as JVJ. and before I write the actual review, let me just say that, apparently, the cast has no idea who will replace David Shannon and Earl Carpenter - rehearsals will start next week. I mentioned the announcement on HPJ's website and Martin Ball was really surprised. Apparently, they haven't heard anything official yet. ETA: The review. So, we had Simon Shorten as Jean Valjean, Natalie Day as Fantine, Martin Neely as Factory Foreman and Greg Castiglioni as Bamatabois. Yes, that's right. Jeff and George were off, too ... as was Joe Evans. As for the female ensemble... Katy Hana was covering one track, but I'm not sure whose. Sorry. Simon Shorten - oh, he was really good. He was very convincing and his voice was clear and he hit all the notes, including the "FLIIIGHT", which was very impressive. I mean, I still prefer David Shannon and Jonathan Williams, but he did an amazing job as second u/s. His wigs were weird, though, the hair was very light and flying everywhere... "Bring Him Home" was beautiful and, obviously, he got massive, massive cheers. Earl Carpenter - oh I will miss him. I can't really say anything new about him, though... "Stars" was really amazing. Other than that he was involved in the two main bloopers he went: "Look upon this fine... example crawled from underneath a stone..." and, xD, during the suicide, when he walked onto the bridge, the huge tricolour curtain that's only used in the Courtroom Scene suddenly went down. I was laughing so badly... they pulled it back up again immediately, but it certainly would have added some dramatic effect! Natalie Day - she is amazing. God, I love her Fantine so much! It wasn't even her strongest performance, vocally, but she still was so, so great. And she makes you feel for the character... she is so vulnerable and proud at the same time, and slowly crumbles. And I got goosebups on IDAD again... Alistair Brammer - ah man. after having seen Antony, I have a hard time with Alistair, mainly because all I can hear is vibratovibratovibrato. That being said, I didn't notice his hands as much as I did at other performances. He does, of course, work very, very well with Katie Hall! They are lovely together... Katie Hall - every time I like her more and more. I don't know what it is, but ever since that Friday performance I saw with flying_pigs, I think her performance is wonderful. And yes, thank you people, that was before I knew she read the forums (HI KATIE ). There you go. The only thing I'm a bit meeeh about is the fact that, immediately after Valjean's death, she seemed to be smiling. It's hard to tell, I mean, she definitely cried throughout The Finale. (God I'm getting so tired) Nancy Sullivan - I've seen her... nine times now. whew. I loved the performance, as always. Vocally, I thought she was better a few days ago, but there was nothing wrong with her voice, it's... it's really just something you'd notice if you go this often. And I know many people don't really like it, but I adore her "Iiiit's JAAAAAVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!" David Thaxton - was his usual epic self. He did everything... notable mention to The Caaaaall, to the STRIVE! which was in there again (although not as loud as it was when I saw the show with Madeleine and flying_pigs), to whipping the flag against the cart (we were grinning there, I believe)... sorry to say this, but he completely outsang Alistair in ODM. He also did the most exasperated sigh before going "Courfeyrac - you take the watch!" xD I was shaking with laughter... and, yeah. The Final Battle = win. It always is, but I just have to point it out again, and I can't believe I forgot to tell him at the stage door. Everything was spot-on. I love when you can just rely on getting a great performance. Martin Ball, Lorraince Bruce - were funny and great and ... maybe I'm just overly tired, but I don't care for the Th�nardiers enough to really pay attention and do in-depth reviews. I'm so sorry. Their acting > their voices, still. Random notes: Seeing as quite a lot of guys were off, the three swings were covering tracks like mad. Killian had two convict lines in the Prologue xD and was, again, Superswing. Greg was Bamatabois, which was a bit strange, but he was rather good. Seeing as we just had this discussion in the fangirling thread... couldn't they just have given that one part to David?! *sigh*... it was the opportunity! Patron-Minette consisted of three - they just cut Clacquesous... I can't quite remember if they changed Th�nardier's "Robbery" lyrics, too, I don't think so. Does anyone else think it's kind-of degrading how Enjolrasactor and Combeferreactor are the ones who have to do those little horse-jumps at The Wedding xD it's like: "Well, you were the leaders of the revolution. And now, please, skip." There is probably a lot more to mention, I hope aquirkofmatter remembers other stuff, too... man, I'm really tired xD Oh, stagedooring. So, we caught Gavin and told him we loved his pimp in "Look Down", because he's hanging on that one side of the stage directly over BB20-22 in that scene and it's the creepiest thing. Then we talked to... Nancy, mentioned the Isle of Wight to her, she was so sweet and lovely but obviously had to leave... We fangirled Simon Shorten who had a lot of family and friends waiting for him, bless! Mark (Dugdale) saw us, too, and did the cutest "O HAI"-wave as he ran off. Theeen we also got Martin Ball and Jonathan Williams to stop, I talked to Martin Ball (oh he is so, so nice) a bit about the upcoming small "cast" change (as I've written at the beginning of this post)... and then Katie, Alistair and David appeared in the doorway... we chatted with Katie for quite a long time, she was so lovely and aww, she signed my program and remembered my name! I was surprised and flattered and uh, yeah. We fangirled. And we talked to David about the socks he was wearing at the Isle of Wight concert. There's more in the Fangirling Thread about this. So much win. He was lovely about it, as always... and the three of them (Alistair hung around a bit until he and David walked off together and made small comments and was generally sweet) were just so nice and ... oh God, I can't believe we discussed The Socks. xD and everyone seemed to agree that it was a great performance ... oh I love them. They can never leave...
aquirkofmatter	Yup, Eppie-Sue and I went to see Simon as JVJ and he was sooooo good for a second understudy, too, he was amazing - although I do have one niggle. There are wig issues. It's far too fluffy. Well, 'it'; they all are! I'll write some proper review like things shortly, possibly in the morning, because my brain hurts from trying to stay awake on the train home to not miss my stop
Madeleine	Eppie-Sue wrote: during the suicide, when he walked onto the bridge, the huge tricolour curtain that's only used in the Courtroom Scene suddenly went down. I was laughing so badly... they pulled it back up again immediately, but it certainly would have added some dramatic effect! That's brilliant! How far down did it come? Just a little bit, or really obviously? Eppie-Sue wrote: Natalie Day - she is amazing. God, I love her Fantine so much! She certainly looks the part and from what you've said she really does sound great. I can't wait to see her in November. Eppie-Sue wrote: He also did the most exasperated sigh before going "Courfeyrac - you take the watch!" xD I was shaking with laughter... Is that new? I've never seen him do a sigh before! I do love that moment (made even better by Mark's sulking/brilliant reactions!) Eppie-Sue wrote: Does anyone else think it's kind-of degrading how Enjolrasactor and Combeferreactor are the ones who have to do those little horse-jumps at The Wedding xD it's like: "Well, you were the leaders of the revolution. And now, please, skip." Ah but it looks like so much fun! Maybe it is seen as a reward for leading the revolution? I'd much rather do the horse-jumps than dance off in a long line with the rest of the cast. Who covered the drunk in MOTH? George hasn't been off, when I've been there, for ages and I can't imagine anybody else in that role. I'm guessing it was Greg, if he was covering Bamatabois? Thanks for reviewing!
Eppie-Sue	Madeleine wrote: Eppie-Sue wrote: during the suicide, when he walked onto the bridge, the huge tricolour curtain that's only used in the Courtroom Scene suddenly went down. I was laughing so badly... they pulled it back up again immediately, but it certainly would have added some dramatic effect! That's brilliant! How far down did it come? Just a little bit, or really obviously? Quite a bit, actually! I thought it was fairly obvious... it was not in the spotlight, so people might just have dismissed it, and it didn't come down all the way through, but it was... easy to spot it. Madeleine wrote: Eppie-Sue wrote: He also did the most exasperated sigh before going "Courfeyrac - you take the watch!" xD I was shaking with laughter... Is that new? I've never seen him do a sigh before! xD neither have I... I think it might just have been this performance, actually. I loved it. Ah, the swings were covering the tracks rather... unconventionally. Mark Hedges was The Drunk in MotH, Killian was the first traveller, Greg the second one. They changed the tracks quite a bit... Oh, I forgot to say: There was a huge group of students in the audience, probably a class that's doing the show, too, aquirkofmatter mentioned hearing them quoting and singing passages near the stage door beforehand... they were really enthusiastic, and they started cheering and applauding at the first tunes xD ... and aww, Nancy's twitter: "Ive just got home from tonights show. A great audience tonight! Looking forward to running and rollerblading tomz!" Actually, it's true. It was a rather great audience... @ aquirkofmatter: XD I can't remember... did people stand up as we rose from our seats at the beginning of Curtain Call? I really have no idea if they did ! ETA: Gosh, I forgot some bits. Okay, so Thomas Camilleri was off, too (the swings really had to cover quite a lot of tracks!) and, you know how he normally is the one that does the arm wrestle stuff with Martin Neely in MotH? Yeah, Mark Dugdale did that last night xD and he was hilarious. Then I have to mention Lorraine Bruce's loud and dirty laughter after Fantine's "with a husband at home and a bit on the side..." - everyone is all: "Oooh!", but she only goes: "Mwahahaha!" xDDD Aaand some gems from the stage door: When we talked to David, Alistair and Katie, aquirkofmatter also mentioned Richard Woodford's suit at the IoW concert, which, if I have to remind you, was shiny and white and bright and flashy. David only said something along the lines of: "That was bloody amazing!" and then, I do not kid you, he said: "He looked like the sixth member of ... Boyzone!" ... now, I do not know what worried me more - how very true that statement was or the sole fact that David was fully aware how many guys there were in 'Boyzone'. xD Alistair was so relaxed and nice at the stage door! We didn't really talk to him (now I feel bad), but ... he looked a bit tipsy when he and David came outside, I have to say I think aquirkofmatter noticed, too. Dressing room parties?!
aquirkofmatter	Eppie-Sue wrote: As for the female ensemble... Katy Hana was covering one track, but I'm not sure whose. Sorry. I'm guessing Katy Hanna was covering Natalie Day's track? Eppie-Sue's probably said everything, but I'll add a few bits in here and there... Simon - I hate to say it, but I was tensing up in preparation for an awkward 'FLIIIIIIIGHT!', but he hit it better than I've heard David or Jonathan hit it. And yeah, the wigs. They went crazy... and wig #2 was almost a mullet. Earl - He was great, despite his mess-up; when he realised his mistake in the Robbery he looked so desperate to burst out laughing, but he contained himself. When he ran on for his bow at the end he was laughing and possibly the most light-hearted and relaxed I've seen. Nobody clapped the Suicide though! It was incredible and I was ready, waiting to clap... and no-one did. If it happens again on Saturday I'm clapping on my own, dammit. (The bottom of the flag came down to about the top of the lampposts, so quite far. Eppie-Sue and I were completely gone with giggles by that point.) Natalie - aaaaah, perfect I'm so glad I got to see her! She was fantastic as Fantine. Alistair - the first half was the strongest I've heard him yet, not much vibrato at all and not much head wobbling; in the interval I was saying 'Oooh, he's getting bettter!'... by the second half the sheep was back In My Life/AHFOL was good though. Katie - I was saying to Eppie-Sue in the interval that I didn't really like Leanne's Cosette, partly because I could hardly understand a word she was singing and also because she was a bit... meh. Katie's totally changed my opinion of the character, and she's perfect with Alistair and she sings beautifully. Nancy - Ooooh, Eppie-Sue, her "Iiiit's JAAAAAVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!" made me think she might have been getting some belting tips from DT because woah, that was great last night I thought she was amazing last night, OMO in particular (second only to her IoW OMO, as I told her at the stage door). DT - I think Eppie-Sue's covered it all, really. The sigh, the skipping, the flag... Martin & Lorraine - Lorraine still frightens the life outta me in COAC, I don't know how the little girls cope with it. Martin was great, but neither were the best I've seen them yet. Greg was... different as Bamatabois; I think the funniest thing about that was Katie saying that when he said "Here's something new... I think I'll give it a try." She was trying (and almost failing) not to laugh. And MOTH isn't the same without George! Killian's flirting with Mme. T was great though. Martin Neely was great last night - I do really like his Grantaire, but as Eppie-Sue was saying (and I rightly agree) I'm not up to that bit in the book there; once I've read the students' bits I'm sure I'll change my opinion of him. I do prefer Jeff's Factory Foreman to Martin's. And Mark Dugdale was so cute doing the arm wrestling bit! It was the stuck out tongue that won it for me And Eppie-Sue, Thenardier definitely sang "Clacquesous" in the Robbery, even though he wasn't there. And they did stand up! We started it and loads of people followed - I did a quick look round The two of us were basically just giggling the whole way through, which is severely inappropriate but we just couldn't help it! As for the stage door, Eppie-Sue's got it all really. When I was talking to JW I said that I tried to catch him last time I came, when he was JVJ, but he seemed in a rush and I didn't like to disturb him and he was like "I'm really sorry, you can always just shout at me and get me to stop!" Katie was hilarious, skinny jeans, tweed jacket, biker helmet! She wrote 'KATIE' over the front of my program, because she's signed inside it before, and when I told Dylan that I was glad that 'Williams's are invading the cast this year, Katie said "My Mum's a Williams! My stage name was nearly Katie Anne Williams!"... If she had been, my name [almost] would have been written in the program. I was disappointed with her after that Alistair did seem a little tipsy tonight, it was hilarious though. He heard "Stripey socks" and was like "Like these?" and had a little wobble (if he had fallen over it would've been amazing - but in a totally nice way! Just highly entertaining) when he pulled his trousers up. David looked appalled that it was implied he'd wear a sock like that!! And he did seem a bit jealous of Woody's suit, actually; he mentioned Boyzone and I was like "Actually, we were thinking more along the lines of the GaGa kids in WWRY... he thought he was getting practice in, cos they wear white." And David was like "Yeah... they do. Yeah." (He's a secret Boyzone fan though, definitely!) Hmm, I wrote more than I thought I would. I absolutely loved it last night though three weeks = too long to not go! I can't wait to go again Saturday... and then it's gonna be a while until I go again, I think (unless I want to brave the w/b 28th when David and Nancy are both off.)
Eponines_Hat	Quote: "He looked like the sixth member of ... Boyzone!" ... now, I do not know what worried me more - how very true that statement was or the sole fact that David was fully aware how many guys there were in 'Boyzone'. xD aww.. bless 'im. Can't believe he fangirls Boyzone! Has he lost a bit of "cool"? Maybe? btw LOVE that Eppie-Sue is updating the cast on... THE CAST! They need to make you an honorary crew member, of give you a t-shirt or a regular seat on something
Eppie-Sue	xD he does NOT "fangirl" Boyzone. I will stop that rumour before it becomes a fact ... Eponines_Hat wrote: btw LOVE that Eppie-Sue is updating the cast on... THE CAST! They need to make you an honorary crew member, of give you a t-shirt or a regular seat on something Hell, I only want to touch The Vest. It's all I'm asking for. Really, really. (although a regular seat would be nice, too ) and duuuh. aquirkofmatter, you are right, of course. Natalie Day's track had to be covered. Fail on my side.
Eponines_Hat	Quote: although a regular seat would be nice, too with a plaque!!! I think the Vest might lose a bit of it's allure up close. It's probably really smelly, anyway
Eppie-Sue	Jeff was on as Javert yesterday. FML. aquirkofmatter, I can't believe we missed him by one bloody day! I am SO heading to Queen's today to see if he's on again. And to see if I can get a ticket. Which I won't. But aaaah. Jeff! As Javert! /overexcited
aquirkofmatter	Eppie-Sue wrote: Jeff was on as Javert yesterday. FML. aquirkofmatter, I can't believe we missed him by one bloody day! I am SO heading to Queen's today to see if he's on again. And to see if I can get a ticket. Which I won't. But aaaah. Jeff! As Javert! /overexcited Oooh, I hope you can see him That absolutely sucks though - one day!! Simon & Jeff would have been great to see together I do love understudies. You're gonna have to grab him at the stage door at some point and ask if he knows any definite dates at all.
Eppie-Sue	Okay soooo. Jeff isn't on today and they didn't have any BB seats left, but... aaah lo and behold: Antony is on again as Marius (and Jonathan!JVJ, Natalie!Fantine and Simon!Bamatabois). They don't have BB seats, though ... so I'm definitely not going. I will not sit in any of those 20� seats in the back of the Stalls.
aquirkofmatter	Wow, so this week is understudy week then! Oh Eppie-Sue, we missed Jeff by a day, and Antony by two - typical!
Eponines_Hat	Eppie-Sue wrote: Antony is on again as Marius I KNOW!!!! I saw this on twitter on the way home and spent about 5 minutes judging whether I had enough time to get off the bus, head back towards Soho and get a ticket before 7.30. Just as well I decided not to as I would have been well annoyed to end up out the back of the Stalls. It's a shame, coz I think Natalie Day is on as Fantine, too? And I would love to see her sometime soon
Eppie-Sue	Yeah, Natalie is on as Fantine the entire week. I would love to know if Antony is on as Marius tomorrow, too, because (if David isn't off) I would definitely go and try to see the show again then... with him and Natalie on as understudies, the cast is IMHO pretty perfect. Oh, and did you know the Upper Circle was closed?! I had no idea. Because I asked for cheap U/C seats for tonight and the guy at the box office was all: "Nope, the circle is closed, refurbishment." I literally went O.O at him...
Elbow	3 BB tickets booked for Saturday evening. Hurrah.
Madeleine	Eppie-Sue wrote: Oh, and did you know the Upper Circle was closed?! I had no idea. Because I asked for cheap U/C seats for tonight and the guy at the box office was all: "Nope, the circle is closed, refurbishment." I literally went O.O at him... Oh I wonder how long for. I already have a ticket for the 3rd October matinee but have since decided to see the evening show too, and don't have a ticket yet. I was hoping to get a cheap (like �15 cheap) U/C ticket...hopefully they'll be done by then... Hopefully I'm not going to have to pay over �20. Although I guess I'll do that if it is the only option.
Eppie-Sue	Upper Circle is open again on Monday all new and shiny I asked at the box office. So. Yesterday's performance ... All the BB seats were, of course, already booked (not that surprising two hours before the show) and I just chose to sit in V14. Which is in the utmost back of the stalls with the overhang of the Dress Circle and right next to the mixing desk. A few things about the seat - don't sit there unless you really, really have to get you fix of Les Mis. And especially don't sit there if you're an Enjolras fangirl because you... basically you can't see anything even slightly higher than the barricade. This includes the bridge in Look Down. Which means that half of the time I saw David's ankles and everyone around me was going *duck* *bow head* "WHO IS SINGING?" ... hm. So why did I go if I only could sit there? All because of JEFF. When I found out that Antony would be on again (and I already knew that Natalie was on the whole week) I ... well, let's just say I didn't regret buying that ticket. About the show I can only comment on the voices... I swear, I couldn't see anything, really. I was staring through my binoculars like a madman, but ... it gets rather tiring. Anyway. David Shannon - See, here's the thing. xD I really really love him from BB, but from further back I seem to prefer Jonathan. I have no idea why! Probably because David Shannon adds so many little details with very subtle acting... vocally, he was quite good. I'll just say it here - I've heard almost everyone in the cast better than at this performance. That doesn't take anything away from how much I enjoyed seeing the performance, obviously, you can't always expect them to be on top of their game every single performance. It's just a note. David Shannon's voice was a bit raspy at some parts, but before I criticise more, let's sum it up - he was great and I will miss him when he's gone. Jeff Nicholson - Jeffert! Aw. So, at first I was not that impressed (sue me), buuut that changed around "Runaway Cart". I don't know what it was, maybe I just had to get used to hearing someone other than Earl in that role (I've seen him all the nine times I went before). But oh, I loved "Stars" and "Suicide". Especially "Suicide" - I had really high expectations for "Stars" because I had listened to a wonderful rendition he did back in 2006 before, and he certainly didn't disappoint, but "Suicide" exceeded my expectations. No, he was great. Again, I can't say much about his acting, sadly, because... xD I couldn't see it. But what I could see was his HEIGHT. Nothing has ever amused me as much as David Shannon (who isn't small, but, you know) singing "I'm a stronger man by far" in The Confrontation against Jeff!Javert. He just towers over everyone. And I've only ever seen him (in his normal track, Foreman/Brujon) on stage once before and this time, his height wasn't quite was obvious, but still! It changed the dynamics a bit - also at the barricades. It's strange seeing David look up to another actor xD - and he didn't get in his Javert's face at "there is work we have to do!" like he does with Earl and did with Woody for obvious reasons. Natalie Day - aww, I love her Fantine. She really is great. Her voice didn't seem as strong as on the other performances (you'll hear this a lot in this review), but she still didn't disappoint. The "SEEEEEND me away" was a little... iffy, but she saved it rather nicely. And I love her acting. aquirkofmatter had commented on the fact that with her you actually feel like she's dying and that's so true! And she is so wonderfully mad at Valjean in the Arrest scene. : ) Antony Hansen - aaand another understudy! He's such a great Marius. I might even like his Marius better than his Feuilly - that said, he wasn't quite was good as at the last performance (here she goes again), but he was still so good! Ijust have to say how weird it is to see neither Marius nor Enjolras in "Look Down". Everyone literally went: "Pretty voices! Where? WHERE?" ... I liked his interaction with Katie a lot more today. And aww. He caressed her cheek in "Every Day" at "Waiting for you!"... I died a little. And I'll add The Fight here: It was really intense! Mostly because of Antony, actually, he was wrestling and kicking and went a bit insane there. Love. And I have to add really small and random another bit - in the Epilogue, when they come to Valjean, as he sings the "It's you who must forgive a thoughtless fool..." etc. bit, he has to move around Valjean and then kneel next to Cosette. And, well, with Alistair that scene looks a bit awkward, because it seems to staged. But Antony just... acted really well, I don't know... he just worked with the scene and I liked it. Katie Hall - I believe she has improved so much since the beginning! I've only ever come across audio, of course, but from your guys' reviews and the recordings, too, I wasn't exactly overwhelmed. She has really eased into the part, though, I think, because I have a hard time not liking her performance. Seeing as I couldn't see much of her face or any "soft" acting anyway, I'll just say, again, that I love her voice. Especially in AHFOL. Oh and I fangirl the mirrored movements between her in Nancy after the Rue Plumet Attack. I know it has been in the blocking since forever and it's really clich� but OH I love it! Nancy Sullivan - well, I thought it wasn't her strongest performance... however, it was nothing the normal audience would notice, I believe - she got huge cheers and had some real fangirls in the audience her OMO just sounded a bit sharper than ususal to my ears, but... that doesn't change the fact that I still adored her performance. I'm normally not interested in Eponine, but Nancy plays that part with all her heart and soul and it just makes you feel for Eponine. The crouching-down at "is a DAGGER in me!" made me cringe a bit, but apart from that, there was nothing overly dramatic there, which I loved. And, again... ALFOR = win. David Thaxton - I know you will all go: "Oh, of course you say that", but... he blatantly sang everyone else off stage. Probably because some others didn't sound as strong as usual, I don't know, but he was... just as epic as usual. Oh my. And he whipped the flag against the cart, twice... and there certainly was The Jump, but I couldn't see The Legs. Stupid seat. Special mention to the usual suspects: to the "CAAAAAAAAALL", to the ODM entrance and to The Final Battle with an extra long "FREEEEEE". AND to "[cut the fat ones down to] SIIIIIIZE" in "Look Down" That said, he didn't do the "STRIVE!" because he acts differently with Antony!Marius, but lo and behold fangirls there was a semi-BLEEEED! To quote my best friend: "As if he had just remembered he used to do that." Oh, and a random note for you all - at the beginning of The Robbery part, when he walked off in the back of the stage, he tried to get Greg!Montparnasse to take and read one of the pamphlets. Greg basically threw the leaflet into his face and was met by the Enjolraic Stare Of Marble, if my binoculars worked correctly. Martin Ball - HAHA BLOOPER! He messed up his line in MotH, as I already said in the "bloopers" thread: "Charging for the lice, extra for the mice, two percent for sleeping with the window... uuuuuaaatwice. O.O --eeeere a little slice..." ... it was rather obvious. That said - I really, really liked his performance. I don't know if it was the fact that I couldn't concentrate on what else was going on during MotH as much, but I remember thinking that I have never heard him that strong, vocally. He was great. Lorraince Bruce - see, I... I really don't like her voice. I was listening to Jackie Marks the other day and I really miss her. She was hilarious and a great singer, too, whereas Lorraince Bruce, well, she is a wonderful Th�nardieress but I can't listen to her voice for that long... BUT I had no idea you could hear her "MUHAHAH" as one of the factory ladies after Fantine goes: "and a bit on the side..." in the very back ofthe Stalls, too! Impressive. What I don't like, though, is how she goes: "UA! Uh! Oooh" in Beggars at the Fest when she is swung across the room by Th�nardier. A bit too much for my taste, just losing her balance would have done it nicely. Other notes: Aww, I never thought about how much great stuff you actually miss from further back! Killian was The Drunk in MotH and I would have loved to see that up close, but... for shame. What I have to say, though, is that... it's amazing how you can see that they're all into the scenes and have little side stories going on, but from further back, where you can see the entire stage, it all adds up to a huge composition and it creates this wonderful atmosphere. It works reallly well. But one day I will scream at the sobbing barricade woman after Gavroche's Death. WHY OH WHY.
aquirkofmatter	Quote: So why did I go if I only could sit there? All because of JEFF. ... he was blatantly worth it though, right? (He was on again tonight, too! If he's not on tomorrow and I miss him by one show I think I'm going to cry ) Quote: But one day I will scream at the sobbing barricade woman after Gavroche's Death. WHY OH WHY. I WILL TOO!! We'll do it together! Grrrr...
Elbow	Does anyone know if Anthony is on as Marius again tomorrow? I'd like to see Jeff's Javert tomorrow too.
Eppie-Sue	It's a bit late now but it looks like you'll get Simon Shorten as JVJ and, of course, Natalie Day as Fantine tonight, no other understudies...
aquirkofmatter	THERE WAS NO CRYING WOMAN Simon was JVJ because Jonathan got stuck in traffic, and the wigs were slightly tamer than monday, if still a little bit crazy According to Mark Dugdale, new Valjean is going to be Simon Bowman. According to Jonathan Williams, thats not definite yet but Cameron has been in talks with him. And JW knows nothing bout the future of his monday nights, either
Eppie-Sue	Mark hugged me and I totally blanked and didn't hug him back. FAIL OF THE WEEK! xD naaah. But LOL I love how he was all: "Don't quote me on that!" (re: Simon Bowman) and what are we doing? We're quoting him.
aquirkofmatter	.... and I wouldn't have quoted Mark on that if Jonathan hadn't almost definitely confirmed it! ("Mark said it was Simon Bowman." "Oh, did he? Well, he could be." "'could'?" "Exactly ") Now, my matinee review: Firstly, I was supposed to be in the slips, A35, but when I got down there there was no chair! There was a fault with 35, so they've taken it out for the moment - I was moved the 34 because [thankfully] there was no one there, but just for you all to know in case anyone's booked in there in the next few days So, Simon: he started off a bit iffy, in the Prologue it sounded as if he was ill because his voice was crack-y (I am not a technical expert) but after The Confrontation he was definitely into his swing. Like on Monday, he didn't quite break the chair properly (he's obviously far too nice to violently whack it!) and had to shake his kinda L-shaped chair piece to make the excess bit fall off. Bring Him Home was good, again; and he hit the 'FLIIIIIGHT!!' note again Earl: Earl was Earl The Suicide seemed really fast - maybe it was just me - but he had to rush out his words and it just seemed toooo quick. He coped well though (And he remembered that it was 'a fine collection called from underneath a stone' and not an example!) I was disappointed I didn't have Jeff though - not because I don't love Earl, but because I fancied a change! Natalie: she sounded a bit wobbly and a bit ill-y too, but she was still good! IDAD was beautiful. Katie: I've not seen a bad performance from her, actually, she was great Alistair: um... there were moment that were less sheep-like (I hate saying that, but that's all my head says!) and really good, and parts that weren't. He's definitely improved the last few times I've seen him! The Fight was the best I've seen him fight back to David, but that could be because I've not seen it from anything higher than BB. Nancy: she seemed a bit off-par too - hope there's not an epidemic! And I couldn't believe the deathly silence after OMO. Thankfully, I clap loudly, and the man sitting next to me was also very enthusiatic, but I couldn't believe it! It wasn't the best performance I've seen her give, but it wasn't bad! David: three things about David Thaxton today. 1 - he knocked Simon's head with the gun at the end of One Day More. One of them must have misjudged the revolve positioning or something, but I thought it was funny. 2 - The Jump. It was huge. Again, maybe that's the angle I was watching it from, but it was from higher than usual and there were Legs XD. 3 - Lamarque is Dead... <3 The whole cafe bit was great today. Martin&Lorraine - while Lorraine still frightens the life out of me, her 'Now look who's here...' was really screechy and stuff today. Her part in Master of the House though was fantastic. Completely dripping in sarcasm and with slightly different intonation tha I've heard (or noticed!) before, but it really worked. Martin was just Martin (unfortunately, he got the words right today!) George Sargeant was Gavroche, and out of them all he's definitely my favourite - he's fantastic. Jeff's Factory Foreman is great, totally gives me the creeps. The swings had a few roles to cover today, and there was no drunk at the wedding - just dancing couples. AND NO CRYING WOMAN!! I got very excited about the lack of crying woman, and it's not like the show was missing anything key for anyone who'd never seen it before. It was more subdued... more appropriate.
l'ivrogne transfigur�	Hi, I've been hanging round here for a while and thought it might be finally time to show my face - so hello there! I was also at the matinee today, and enjoyed it as much as ever, although I think aquirkofmatter is right in saying it was perhaps more subdued than usual. This was only my second time seeing the new cast (which isn't so new anymore!), so I hadn't really had time to make up my mind about them. It was a pity not to get David Shannon - only because this was probably the last chance I'll have to catch him before he leaves, whereas I have all year for the other two, but then again I have seen him plenty. I'm not going to do a proper review - I'm hopeless at those - but here are a few comments: - The Jump and the Legs were fantastic today, it was like DT was frozen in midair for a moment and you could just gawp XD - This was the first time I've seen Martin Neely as Grantaire - last time I went, Jeff was covering. I've heard varying reports about Martin, and was actually kind of dreading seeing him a bit, because so many (certainly those of Brick fans) weren't really very positive, but I actually quite liked him (well, apart from his hair, which was too ... neat, I guess). His relationship with Enjolras was much more understated and yet still there if you looked for it - perhaps more how Hugo intended it. Jeff, when I saw him, was excellent in many ways - I was just a bit annoyed that he continued to read the newspaper and pay no attention throughout David's "speeches", whereas Martin seemed to be hanging on his every word, while trying to appear as if he didn't care. I thought it worked quite well. I also liked the DWM - at first it was really disappointing because David simply took the hat from him, gave him a stare and walked off. But then it was this that made Martin give back the bottle, earning a hug, which seemed somehow more natural than the other approach of Enjolras kinda comforting Grantaire ... he was provoked into doing it. And there was this wonderful look between them just before settling down the night, right across the stage... - I liked Natalie's Fantine, especially her IDAD - I really felt her decline - her loss of pride, dignity etc - Simon's Valjean had its highs and lows - what I really loved was how he acted with little Cosette. He was so tender and loving towards her, you could really feel the connection. His voice did seem a bit off, but the times when it cracked most were the emotional bits, so it kind of fitted. At the end of the soliloquy especially, he was having trouble keeping the strength on those As and B flats, but it just sounded like it could be all his acting, so he got away with it. - A lot of people complain about Alistair's vibrato - I don't actually have much of a problem with it - I've heard a lot worse! - and it's not too distracting. His acting at points is rather ropey, but I think he's improved since I last saw him back in June, and hopefully he will continue to do so. I did however love how he broke into this smile full of relief and amazement in AHFOL, when Katie started singing. The pair of them work really well together - and I think you really get the sense of a teenager's first love, which is in many ways what it is in the book, in the sense that they are both so naive and idealistic. That maybe doesn't quite convey what I mean but, they're both just so sweet and innocent, that you can't help but feel so happy for them. - I never noticed before quite how ridiculous David looks in the wedding scene by the way. He still has his half painted-on sideburns, and then a wig that covers the top half of his head and hair underneath that almost clashes with it! Oh and plus the glasses... but he and Gavin were fantastic as always in that scene! Oh, and Killian was on as JVJ on the 25th August.
aquirkofmatter	l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: The Jump and the Legs were fantastic today, it was like DT was frozen in midair for a moment and you could just gawp XD OH SO TRUE. It was almost like watching it in slow motion!! (Hello, by the way! Oh, and according to Katie Hall Killian has never played JVJ, so that's something rather peculiar that rumour's out there but no one knows why )
l'ivrogne transfigur�	I looked on his facebook profile (i know that's really stalkerish - i just wanted to find out) and his status on 26th august was, and i quote "Killian Donnelly loved playing Valjean yesterday...... Some buzz!!!" I think he'd know...
Eppie-Sue	Can I just say that I love the idea of Killian fooling everyone with that?! xD Going "YAY I played JVJ!" and everyone believing that and the rest of the cast just going: "Pffh, let him have his fun!"... maybe Katie was off that night, though? Aw, I know what you mean about The Jump being frozen in mid-air! I love that. I mean, The Jump is generally amazing (although I get scared every single time. What if someone left a gun on the ground and he slipped?), but when that happens it's just... WOAH. And you'd think they could make the fake sideburns a bit lighter now that he's all blond, wouldn't you?! xDDD and hm, it looks like there is a bit of a cold spreading, doesn't it? Mark commented on that, too - "change of the season". Probably. Hmpf. Simon Bowman. I'm not sure what to think.
Elbow	I just got back from Les Mis. It was not the absolute best tonight, but it was still pretty good. Firstly, I got Jonathan as Valjean which made me riduculously happy, as he i myfavouite . Hwever, Ifee tat wean't on hi best form tonight. I should alo, at this point explain my unusual typing, I am in a hotel, due tobein in the prosess of mving my stuff rom e lndon place to another flat, and I am using the television internet and it is very odd abd this wireless keyboard is rubbish and the buttons are all bizarrely close together and the screen is blurry - basically, massive fail. Anyway, Jonathan as Valjean I have akways loved, but he seems ti have changed the way the way he acts it a bit. He was more angry and less caring I thought. His voice in Bring Him Home was stunning though and I like that he reads Marius' letter to Cosette with a bit of humour. Earl is great. I love Earl. Earl should never leave. Oh Earl why are you leaving? And why have they got Hans Peter again? WOE. Nancy seems to be a bitl... toned down tonight? Usually she barely has time to breath she's so busy being Eponine but she was... well it was like she'd just toned everything down a notch or two, I'm thinking she may have been a bit tired. But actually, On My Own was beautiful, it seemed as though the conductor slowed it slightly and for once the poor girl actually had a chance to breath and she seems to give an awful lot of thought into what she was singing tonight. And now I shall say something a tad harsh - Mark Hedges, I enjoy him in some roles, I loved seeing him as Thenardier, but he really is no Montparnasse. IT JUST ISN'T RIGHT. Mark Dugdale played Courfeyrac so angrily today, I loved it Thaxton knocked into him a bit in Red and Black and he did the angriest face ever. I like seeing Gavin getting angry with Neeley too. That's awesome. Oh would you look at that my typing is improving. Thacko... Thacko is just Thacko. He does things marginally differnet everytine, but oddly everything he does just seems to work. Except the time his voice did a break on "CAAALLL" that didn't work so well. This keyboard is American > Things are in the wrong place. Brammer. I still don't like him. And I feel bad for not liking him but he reminds me of a scratched CD . A scratcheed CD of a field of goats. He's really sweet though, and vusually more like Marius than a lot of Marius' I've seen. I'm also okay with his acting. I think he plays Marius well. It's just his voice. He works well with Katy though. I really do like her. She is my second favourite Cosette ever, after Tabitha Webb. So yes, overall great performance, cut they were obviously tired and it was lacking a little it of energy. Although Dugdale made up vor everyone with his anger Also NO CRYING BARRICADE WOMAN YAAY. OH and Natalie Day as improved so much since the first time I saw her. Very good.
Elbow	Oh, and I think maybe we should be a bit more aware of their privacy - talking about checking their personal facebook profiles on here seems a bit unfair to me. ;-/ Absolutely no offence intended.
Eppie-Sue	Hm, I definitely agree with everything that's been said about the performances feeling a bit... subdued. It felt that way on Thursday, too, with David being the only one on top of his game... I have to say though that every time I've seen the show lately, four to five male cast members were off - and if there really is a bit of a cold/illness going round at Queen's and they're covering like mad, it seems logical that the performances would be a bit more toned down, I guess.
l'ivrogne transfigur�	I know, I didn't really want to, I just really wanted to find out - and I wasn't really expecting to be able to, either. I'm sorry
pastaeater	l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: I know, I didn't really want to, I just really wanted to find out - and I wasn't really expecting to be able to, either. I'm sorry I am not a big facebook fan myself, but if anyone has any concerns about their privacy at all it is very easy to change their settings to "private" - people who don't do this must be aware that other peole can see their profiles, surely. Don't get me wrong - I'm not in favour of invading anyone's privacy at all, but I'm sure that wasn't what was intended here.
Elbow	I'm not saying you shouldn't go on their facebooks, I just don't think we should mention visiting their profiles in public. They visit here, and I am sure they think we are odd enough as it is.
HobNob	Elbow wrote: I should alo, at this point explain my unusual typing, I am in a hotel, due tobein in the prosess of mving my stuff rom e lndon place to another flat, and I am using the television internet and it is very odd abd this wireless keyboard is rubbish and the buttons are all bizarrely close together and the screen is blurry No-one's buying those half arsed attempts to explain away your frankly awful typing skills, Elbow. 'Must try harder'. Elbow wrote: And now I shall say something a tad harsh - Mark Hedges, I enjoy him in some roles, I loved seeing him as Thenardier, but he really is no Montparnasse. IT JUST ISN'T RIGHT. And I don't think I ever want to see that. I want John Jo back.
Eppie-Sue	I agree on the "not discussing facebook on here" part. QUITE IMPORTANT NEWS, y'all. I forgot to tell you. The next cast change is on the 19th June. And you might want to get tickets asap, although I think all the BB ones are already gone. But I think for both matinee and evening, some D/C Slips are still available. You want to go, believe me... Certain people will most likely not be on in 2010/11. Of course it's quite early to say for sure, but it sounds like it.
pastaeater	Eppie-Sue wrote: I agree on the "not discussing facebook on here" part. QUITE IMPORTANT NEWS, y'all. I forgot to tell you. The next cast change is on the 19th June. And you might want to get tickets asap, although I think all the BB ones are already gone. But I think for both matinee and evening, some D/C Slips are still available. You want to go, believe me... Certain people will most likely not be on in 2010/11. Of course it's quite early to say for sure, but it sounds like it. !!!!!!!Already gone?? Oh help. Are you trying to say that a certain tall handsome blonde man will no longer be on in 10/11?? I guess that is pretty likely but I feel sad already at the thought.
Eppie-Sue	I'm not saying anything, as I said it's still quite early, but there was some hinting by others. Oh, and I'm quite sure Nancy will leave, I mean, she literally said: "I'll leave in June so you can still catch me till then." to some girls who gushed at her like mad... And yes. I bought my matinee BB seats immediately and I think they were the last ones, I was only able to get D/C Slips for the evening.
aheartfulloflove	Does your whole life honestly revolve around someone you don't even know, so much so that you will now book tickets for an event next June on the off chance said someone should leave? There is of course admiring someone's performance but from posts on this forum it seems to border on obsession with some of you. Do you stop to think about the affect this could actually have on the person if they really knew the extent? Of course there are certain things you do bring up to David's face and it may seem as though he takes it in good stride but do you know what he is actually thinking? I am sure it really freaks him out at times. How would you feel if someone regularly waited for you outside your work? And constantly spoke about you on the internet, all the way down to your socks? Maybe you should think about the affect these sorts of things have on other people. It reminds me of a teenage obsession with a pop star. Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! And I know what you will say if you don't like it, don't read it. Well last I read this was the London Cast Change thread but reading that you were actually all going to book up for NEXT year just on the off chance he leaves. Honestly. Sorry I know you aren't going to enjoy reading this post at all, but that's because it is actually a reality check for a lot of you. Believe me, you are all getting yourselves a reputation... And to be honest I think if David got up on that stage and gave the worst performance of his life you would probably all come on here and say he was fantastic.
Eppie-Sue	Okay, I'll try to be all calm about this. First off - guess what. My life does not revolve around this. I actually do have a life, but I simply don't write about it here on MdN. You don't know anything about me - or, us - and you just assume that this is my sole reason of being. Fine. Secondly. I did not buy those tickets because of any particular performer, but because it's Cast Change, which means that the cast which I will, at that point, have seen quite often, seeing as I am here in London, will leave. I love the show, I love seeing them on stage and it will be quite a big deal for me. I'm sorry. About the "obsession" - see, but what if he actually gets the concept of "fangirling"? Have you thought about that, too?! These are forums. Fan forums. Which should be a place to vent and to be passionate about something. See, what if I was worrying about the extent of this and mentioned it to him and he was cool with it? Good Lord, the socks. It's random and it's not about any of that, primarily, it's about his performance. Which has never disappointed me, so I don't really know where the "what if he gave the worst performance of his life" argument is coming from. It's not like we're following him around or anything. And if he wants to walk away at the stage door, guess what. We'll let him walk away. And being put off just because there is quite a huge following doesn't make sense to me. Yes, it can get much at times, and I'm trying to limit my "fangirling" to this thread and the intended thread, but can't we just be happy to have a great actor in a great role that has not been done much justice in the past?!
Elbow	Interesting post. Have you tried just not reading the Thaxton thread? I am a Thaxton fan, but I don't really do fangirling so I just don't read the fangirling thread. It's, er, pretty simple really. There's no point being rude, and it's not nice to soley aim it an one person. I agree that sometimes people a bit overenthusiatic, what with socks and that, but Thaxton's a big boy, I'm sure he can look after himself. Eh. This was meant to be posted at the person above Eppie Sue, clearly.
HobNob	*resists a massive OOER at Elbow* I can see the point about fangirling - but I suppose that it is the sort of thing that comes with that sort of job. I know people who drool over Oliver Thornton, are at the stage door every other day, and hang around in Tottenham Court even without having seen the show in order to catch a glimpse of him, but generally I think it's harmless. As long as it's restricted to the stage door, and whoever's hanging around doesn't impose themselves on the actors or get in their way if they just want to leave with their head down, then I don't really see too big a problem with it. It's when it becomes invasion of personal space and privacy etc that I think people should back off. Those sock comments and others like them I'm assuming are just an internet object of 'squee'. I don't understand it myself, but it's just a forum, and they're just sharing interests.
The Very Angry Woman	aheartfulloflove wrote: Does your whole life honestly revolve around someone you don't even know, so much so that you will now book tickets for an event next June on the off chance said someone should leave? There is of course admiring someone's performance but from posts on this forum it seems to border on obsession with some of you. Do you stop to think about the affect this could actually have on the person if they really knew the extent? Of course there are certain things you do bring up to David's face and it may seem as though he takes it in good stride but do you know what he is actually thinking? I am sure it really freaks him out at times. How would you feel if someone regularly waited for you outside your work? And constantly spoke about you on the internet, all the way down to your socks? Maybe you should think about the affect these sorts of things have on other people. It reminds me of a teenage obsession with a pop star. Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! And I know what you will say if you don't like it, don't read it. Well last I read this was the London Cast Change thread but reading that you were actually all going to book up for NEXT year just on the off chance he leaves. Honestly. Sorry I know you aren't going to enjoy reading this post at all, but that's because it is actually a reality check for a lot of you. Believe me, you are all getting yourselves a reputation... And to be honest I think if David got up on that stage and gave the worst performance of his life you would probably all come on here and say he was fantastic. Affect =/= effect
aheartfulloflove	Sorry I'll admit it came over I was directing it to one person, I actually wasn't I just meant in general. I was directed to the Thaxton thread by a friend and do avoid it now mostly after that, I did also point out that this was the Cast Change thread that caused me to post and not the David thread. Was this the David thread then yes obviously I'd realise just not read the thread in question.
l'ivrogne transfigur�	aheartfulloflove: I know what you're trying to get at, as I have sometimes felt like that myself (and about myself!). But nevertheless, I don't think your comment was entirely fair. aheartfulloflove wrote: Does your whole life honestly revolve around someone you don't even know, so much so that you will now book tickets for an event next June on the off chance said someone should leave? Firstly, it is important to remember that this is the Les Miserables forum on MdN - i.e. people are here to talk about Les Mis. It is therefore unlikely that they will talk about their private lives, or anything other than Les Mis, and it is unfair to therefore assume that they have no other life. Secondly, I would argue that there is a bit more than an off-chance of David leaving - it is his second year already, (not to mention his 2 as Courfeyrac) and not many Enjolrati stay even that long. Besides, as Eppie-Sue has pointed out, cast change is more than one performer leaving - I, for one, will be sad to see many of this cast go, and the cast change performances are always especially good anyway. aheartfulloflove wrote: There is of course admiring someone's performance but from posts on this forum it seems to border on obsession with some of you. One thing I really like about this forum, is that it is very self-regulating. If someone does or says something out of order, others are willing to point it out - and yet not in an acrimonious manner. I think everyone here is aware of the line that exists between fangirling and obsession, and is careful not to cross it. For instance: aquirkofmatter wrote: He had some friends there, too and was talking to them about going to the pub, but I thought going there as well might be borderline stalking... People do keep their distance and respect his privacy. Finally, aheartfulloflove wrote: Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! I don't understand this argument at all - perhaps you could explain it? I don't understand how lots of people, even if they are silly obsessed teenagers treating him like a pop star, enjoying and discussing his performance, can affect your enjoyment of it. It doesn't change his performance at all. Perhaps he is "freaked out" by the fangirling and stuff, but I am sure that if he asked, people would be willing to stop. However, he must realise that it is a hazard of his profession. I personally, am not too keen on (excessive) fangirling for my own reasons, but if others want to build up a reputation, it's up to them. Provided they keep the distance, which they do keep, I have no problem with it. And everyone on this forum is primarily a Les Mis fan before being a Thaxton fan.
MlleTholomy�s	aheartfulloflove wrote: Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! So the excessive amount of gushing about what a good performer he is has turned him off to you and he is no longer an enjoyable actor in your eyes? If you like something, you wouldn't let other people ruin it for you. CONTRADICTIONS.
The Very Angry Woman	MlleTholomy�s wrote: aheartfulloflove wrote: Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! So the excessive amount of gushing about what a good performer he is has turned him off to you and he is no longer an enjoyable actor in your eyes? If you like something, you wouldn't let other people ruin it for you. CONTRADICTIONS. While this is an easily mockable sentiment, it's also a very understandable one. And something of a natural reaction. Have you ever been to BroadwaySecrets? Every other week someone declares they don't like Wicked/Spring Awakening/stage starlet of the month due to the behavior of fans.
pastaeater	l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: aheartfulloflove: I know what you're trying to get at, as I have sometimes felt like that myself (and about myself!). But nevertheless, I don't think your comment was entirely fair. aheartfulloflove wrote: Does your whole life honestly revolve around someone you don't even know, so much so that you will now book tickets for an event next June on the off chance said someone should leave? Firstly, it is important to remember that this is the Les Miserables forum on MdN - i.e. people are here to talk about Les Mis. It is therefore unlikely that they will talk about their private lives, or anything other than Les Mis, and it is unfair to therefore assume that they have no other life. Secondly, I would argue that there is a bit more than an off-chance of David leaving - it is his second year already, (not to mention his 2 as Courfeyrac) and not many Enjolrati stay even that long. Besides, as Eppie-Sue has pointed out, cast change is more than one performer leaving - I, for one, will be sad to see many of this cast go, and the cast change performances are always especially good anyway. aheartfulloflove wrote: There is of course admiring someone's performance but from posts on this forum it seems to border on obsession with some of you. One thing I really like about this forum, is that it is very self-regulating. If someone does or says something out of order, others are willing to point it out - and yet not in an acrimonious manner. I think everyone here is aware of the line that exists between fangirling and obsession, and is careful not to cross it. For instance: aquirkofmatter wrote: He had some friends there, too and was talking to them about going to the pub, but I thought going there as well might be borderline stalking... People do keep their distance and respect his privacy. Finally, aheartfulloflove wrote: Also, I admit I used to be a fan of David and you know what? The recent surge in what can only be described as "craziness" has actually seriously put me off him as a performer. I hear so much about him now on places like this that I really feel he is overexposed! I don't understand this argument at all - perhaps you could explain it? I don't understand how lots of people, even if they are silly obsessed teenagers treating him like a pop star, enjoying and discussing his performance, can affect your enjoyment of it. It doesn't change his performance at all. Perhaps he is "freaked out" by the fangirling and stuff, but I am sure that if he asked, people would be willing to stop. However, he must realise that it is a hazard of his profession. I personally, am not too keen on (excessive) fangirling for my own reasons, but if others want to build up a reputation, it's up to them. Provided they keep the distance, which they do keep, I have no problem with it. And everyone on this forum is primarily a Les Mis fan before being a Thaxton fan. Good post.
LoobyLou	I have to say that I actually agree with most of what aheartfulloflove has said. I mean, as I've mentioned before (and it has happened on more than one occasion) I have heard cast members talking about their displeasure at some of the so-callled "fans" who they seem sick of. During a conversation between myself and one of them it came out that they never want to be seen as coming across as miserable or stand-offish but that sometimes they just want to "Run like hell" because of the obsessive, well, "stalkers" was the word they used. It's not just the leads like David Thaxton, the ensemble members get their fair share of harrassment too and, while you may think it's flattering, which I guess to some extent it is, there is a fine, fine line which, from reading this forum I feel a lot of you have already crossed. All I'm asking is that you appreciate these actors as people. It's not part of their job description to give up time for you at the stage door. I do appreciate that it can be seen as only a bit of fun and things but think about it and control yourself. Looking back a few years I was exactly the same as you guys I'll admit but I did take a reality check and think "Woah, just back off a bit and leave them be". I'm not saying don't go and speak to them at the stage door, I'm just saying try to consider the things you're saying and really, you don't have to be there all the time. So yes, I applaud aheartfulloflove as I truly believe a "reality check" is something that is needed in a lot of cases. And please, I'm not aiming this at one person and I am actually talking about experience myself. It was only on Friday that I was talking to a West End performer who has played several lead roles across the industry who commented on the fact that I had changed so much over the past few years. I just get the feeling that a few of you are also considerably older than these cast members you are fawning over, just be careful yeah? Don't ruin your stage door experiences for yourself by coming across as overly obsessive. I think they find it easier to deal with being "fangirled" by teenage girls but considerably more difficult for people old enough to be their mothers. What kind of example is that to set? So, next time you go to the stage door, take a deep breath and try to have a normal conversation. They'll appreciate it loads more, trust me
Eppie-Sue	Here's the thing, though. We're... not harrassing them. At least the ones I've been with and me. I'm sorry, and I might have written this before somewhere, but this is basically my motto for stagedooring: If they don't stop on their own accord, don't stop them at all. And it has worked. Because some performers actually like talking to fans who not just come and see the show once, but more often, and not just hearing "You were so great" but actually talking a bit about the show. The conversations I've had with them have been fairly normal, thank you very much. Most of the sillyness that has come up in the conversations, by the way, wasn't even started by us fans. And maybe they don't mind talking to us? Have you thought of that? Maybe we are being calm and polite and they like the support they're getting? That said, I don't want any personal gain from stagedooring, it just doesn't seem bad to me to show that you're actually amazed by the job they're doing and thankful for being such good performers in a show we love. See, my biggest fear (in terms of stagedooring) is actually bothering them. But I also feel perceptive enough to notice when I'm doing that. I know there are lots of cases of excessive stagedooring out there which might be quite close to stalking, but seriously guys, this is not it. It's really just seeing an amazing show and being grateful to have wonderful performers in there who are fine with talking to us every now and then. We are NOT expecting them to stop. We are NOT running after them or following them somewhere or anything like that. We don't even wait right in front of the stage door, but move a bit to the side (which should be the normal behaviour, but sadly, it's not) so they can just walk off. I've seen really bad cases of obsessive stagedooring and it definitely hasn't been at the Queen's. On a completely random note... I don't actually think most of us "fangirls" that are posting regularly here on MdN are that much older than me (at least not the ones I've met), and I'm nineteen. And I totally agree with stagedooring being absolutely creepy when it's 50-year olds fawning over 25-year old actors. ETA: What's irritating me a bit is that you're just jumping to conclusions. Oh, you must be bothering them. Oh, you must be a grown woman in her 40s, 50s. Oh, you must treat them like pop stars and scream at them and not be able to have a normal conversation with them. None of this is actually true.
flying_pigs	Also, you make us sound like those insane Wicked or We Will Rock You fangirls when we are definately not! If they stop then we'll talk to them, we don't just jump on them and wrestle them to the floor just so they'll talk to us! And when I went we only spent about 10 minutes talking to them so it's not as if we're completely wasting their time! As said above; this is a FAN forum, what do you expect? I'm just glad I have somewhere where there are other Les Mis fans who appreciate the show as much as I do. ETA: And the socks thing?! Just a bit of fun, lighten up! I used to be on a Phantom of the Opera board where members actually created a society for one of the performer's hair a few years ago!!
MlleTholomy�s	LoobyLou wrote: So, next time you go to the stage door, take a deep breath and try to have a normal conversation. They'll appreciate it loads more, trust me Talking about the show is not having a "normal conversation"? Pray tell: what do you exactly consider "normal"?
flying_pigs	Just to add that according to londonlesmis.co.uk; Simon Bowman is the new JVJ.
LoobyLou	Ok, I respect all your comments and just wanted to reply to them. First thing�s first, as I said, I am only talking from experience; from what I myself have done in the past and learnt from, from what I�ve been told by others and from what I�ve been told by a couple of people in the industry whom I know fairly well. Eppie-Sue, I completely agree with the not stopping them if they don�t stop themselves and, while you may do that, I�m sure a lot of others don�t, not just on this forum but people who aren�t even on forums. Eppie-Sue wrote: Because some performers actually like talking to fans who not just come and see the show once, but more often, and not just hearing "You were so great" but actually talking a bit about the show. Oh yes I completely agree but there�s only so many things to say isn�t there? If you go every time you�ve been to the show it must get a bit repetitive. I have definitely taken into consideration that they don�t mind talking to you and that they don�t mind the support. In fact, one even said to me he is always very flattered by the support and by people talking to him until the conversation starts getting weird at which point he just wants to make a swift exit. Eppie-Sue wrote: On a completely random note... I don't actually think most of us "fangirls" that are posting regularly here on MdN are that much older than me (at least not the ones I've met), and I'm nineteen. And I totally agree with stagedooring being absolutely creepy when it's 50-year olds fawning over 25-year old actors. I must be mistaken here then and for this I apologise. There are definitely a couple of ladies who are guilty of this though, I�m not sure whether they post on these forums or not, but they are well known to the cast at the moment for just generally strange behaviour. MlleTholomy�s wrote: Talking about the show is not having a "normal conversation"? Pray tell: what do you exactly consider "normal"? I didn�t actually say that you should only talk about the show did I? I�m not purposefully posting to get people wound up I just wanted to get people thinking about what they may be doing, that�s all. Your statement was quite patronising. A �normal� conversation is not just about the show no, but neither should things descend into the completely absurd.
Eppie-Sue	The funny thing is, we're not actually disagreeing here. My main problem was that you and aheartfulloflove were simply assuming that we're harrassing the cast, etc. when, actually, we were doing nothing of that sort. I can only speak for myself here, but if I check with them and they explicitely tell me to keep coming to the stage door and stop worrying about too much fangirling on the forums, then I just suppose they're fine with it. And, believe me, I did worry quite a lot, especially after Katie was all: "Oh, are you Eppie-Sue from the forums?" - because it's one thing to fangirl anonymously, but another thing to be recognised like that. As for the conversations... see, mostly it starts off just as "Loved the show" and then you say something like "it was a small cast today, though!" or "what was up with the tons of smoke?" or ask about a scene, because you're wondering about the blocking or ANYTHING, really, something that you're interested in and that has, most likely, to do with the show. Or, as it happened, you just tell David that you love the blond hair because "Oooh, like in the book!" - and he goes on about hairdressers and complains about how long it took and then adds something utterly random like learning "a lot about Michael Jackson" that day (I have no idea, really). And with others... they stop and chat, like Mark (Dugdale) - I swear, he is talking 90% of the time, and mostly it's not even about Les Mis. And there's Katie, who stops, too, and it's wonderful to talk about the show with her and see how much she loves it. And I know this will sound creepy - but with Les Mis (especially when you've seen the show quite often and can focus on the small things), there is always something about the performance that is worth talking about! It's not just "Let's go to the stage door even though we don't actually have anything to say!" - with the right attitude and if they've got the time, it's very relaxed and lovely. That said, I'm quite terrified of bothering or annoying them, and I already find myself irritated by stuff like what happened at the stage door when I was there with flying_pigs and three girls around our age dashed around the corner, screamed: "OMG YOU WERE SO AWESOME" and basically grabbed DT (even though he was in a conversation with us - but it doesn't matter with whom). Because... no. Just no. So, actually, we're on the same side here . ETA: And yeah, Simon Bowman!JVJ is confirmed then. Hmmm.
Eponines_Hat	I'm not weighing into this debate either way, because the whole thing just makes me sad. I guess I can see why people might want to say there piece -especially if they believe they are protecting the cast- but it just feels like there has been a lot of nastiness on here of late. So I am sending some love out there (since we do all love the show and its why we are on here and not playing World of Warcraft or knitting or whatever) and changing the subject..... Quote: Simon Bowman!JVJ is confirmed then. Hmmm. who IS he?
Eppie-Sue	I think he was the first Chris in "Miss Saigon", he played Marius in the 90s (?) and Jean Valjean in... 2000? How do I know all this? Because aquirkofmatter googled him immediately : )! And apparently, people were quite happy with him as JVJ.
Orestes Fasting	Simon Bowman was a Marius understudy back in the early days of the London production (I don't know if he was in the original cast, but we're talking mid-80s here) and played Valjean in the 2000 cast. And, just weighing in on the stage door etiquette question: there is no one-size-fits-all because different people have different boundaries. I was a stage-door regular at the Broadway revival and there were actors I barely exchanged two words with besides "hey, great job tonight," actors who were comfortable talking about the show but I would've felt creepy talking about anything else... and actors who would tacklehug me at the stage door, or who friended me on Facebook and kicked my ass at Scrabulous several dozen times over. And yeah, I saw creepy people. They weren't creepy because they were on familiar terms with some cast members, they were creepy because they didn't respect boundaries and made actors uncomfortable.
Eponines_Hat	Quote: And apparently, people were quite happy with him as JVJ. oooh!!!! (rushes immediately to YouTube.....)
Moci	Orestes Fasting wrote: Simon Bowman was a Marius understudy back in the early days of the London production (I don't know if he was in the original cast, but we're talking mid-80s here) and played Valjean in the 2000 cast. You're close, but he wasn't in the original cast and never understudied Marius (I think Keith Burns was the understudy Marius in the original cast). He replaced Michael Ball as Marius in 1986. He also played Valjean not only in 2000, but also as a stand-in for about 3 and a half weeks in June 2004 after Jeff Leyton left suddenly. I've heard lots of good things about Simon Bowman as Valjean in the past (he had quite a lot of fangirls at one stage, I seem to remember), and rumour has it that he used to hit a D at the end of 'Who am I?', although I've never actually heard any evidence of it.
Quique	I'm really shy, so past stage-dooring was a "hello, you were wonderful tonight." Longest convo I had was with Chita Rivera after a Kiss performance, but that was cause my sis and I were the only ones there, haha. To be fair, I haven't read anything on here that has seriously creeped me out. Yes, I thought some of it was a bit excessive at one point and it got old really fast, but I can't think of one member on here who hasn't been a bit excessive with other Les Mis related interests. I do think it's a bit inappropriate to wait for specific actors at the stage door every time one sees the show, especially if they see it many times. They could be as nice as can be and seem genuinely flattered that you are so dedicated to meeting them afterwards, but how do you know they are not actually sort of tired of you after the 3rd, 4th time? And it doesn't have to be anything personal, what if they're just exhausted and want to get home? I guess I worry about those things cause I'm sorta like that. But if you feel they are really cool with you and enjoy your after show convos, then that's wonderful and more power to you.
Elbow	LoobyLou wrote: I must be mistaken here then and for this I apologise. There are definitely a couple of ladies who are guilty of this though, I�m not sure whether they post on these forums or not, but they are well known to the cast at the moment for just generally strange behaviour. HA. I know exactly who you're talking about. No one is like that here. I hope.
MlleTholomy�s	LoobyLou wrote: MlleTholomy�s wrote: Talking about the show is not having a "normal conversation"? Pray tell: what do you exactly consider "normal"? I didn’t actually say that you should only talk about the show did I? I’m not purposefully posting to get people wound up I just wanted to get people thinking about what they may be doing, that’s all. Your statement was quite patronising. A “normal” conversation is not just about the show no, but neither should things descend into the completely absurd. I wasn't aware a simple question was considered "patronising".
mezzo_soprano	KatyRoseLand wrote: She also does a fake spit at Valjean, and it looks stupid. Either actually spit or don't spit. But anyway. She's just not my cup of tea. Oh Shiz. I fake spit in our Les mis.
KatyRoseLand	mezzo_soprano wrote: KatyRoseLand wrote: She also does a fake spit at Valjean, and it looks stupid. Either actually spit or don't spit. But anyway. She's just not my cup of tea. Oh Shiz. I fake spit in our Les mis. Perhaps your fake spitting looks more realistic than hers!
Quique	Every single Fantine I've ever seen fake spits. And it always looks fake. But come now; this is theatre, not film.
Eppie-Sue	Allyson Brown spat. And so does Natalie Day, who is u/s right now... I have to agree with KatyRoseLand here, I also found it a bit irritating when she FAKE!fake-spat at Valjean, because it looks rather ridiculous if she only pretends to do it...
Quique	I think it's a silly detail t be hung up on. Just the idea that she spits in his face is enough, and has always been effective to me, at least. It's called suspension of belief/disbelief...how ever you say it, lol..
Eponines_Hat	Quote: Allyson Brown spat. And so does Natalie Day, who is u/s right now... no wonder colds spread through that place like wildfire
Eppie-Sue	THIS JUST IN: Katie Hall is leaving on the 10th October (which is in two weeks and a bit!), too. She'll actually be tour!Cosette! Imagine that. I'm so happy for her, but aww. (she can't leave nooooooooo!) I know I will miss her really badly! Apparently, Emily Bull, who was first u/s in 2007/08 is taking over. So, today, Madeleine went to see the matinee, I went to see the evening show and aquirkofmatter did both shows. We're all a bit flashed (stagedooring was fun and lovely and chatty and we finally got to tell Killian he's known as the Superswing!). My review will probably be up tonight and the other two will gush, too, the performances were Teh Awesome. AND. OTHER BREAKING NEWS They have been shooting a LES MIS EPK for the past few days. EPK = Electronic Press Kit. As in TRAILER. If you know the Phantom one, you know what to expect. Epic epic epic. They haven't done that in ages and I just love that this will be with my cast (yes, I blatantly refer to them as My Cast xD) ... oh my yes. It will be so shiny! ETA: and Jon (yes. Jon Robyns) was at the stage door, which resulted in much adorableness.
flying_pigs	Ahhh soooo much information! I'll be sad to see Katie go but I saw Emily Bull in one of her first shows as understudy Cosette and I'll think she'll be great! Secondly, woo Killian love! Thirdly, already knew about the EPK! Soooo excited to see it! Final Battle on advert please
Eppie-Sue	flying_pigs wrote: Thirdly, already knew about the EPK! Soooo excited to see it! Final Battle on advert please yeeeah, it was on Jeff's twitter a few days ago, wasn't it?! ... I didn't really want to freak out about it here, because I wanted to check with the cast, but oooh they seemed really excited about it Random notes: People applauded The Bishop! And rightly so, Gavin's "Goooooooooood" was almost TAC-standard (and they didn't applaud there, did they?) aaaand we applauded "Lamarque is dead" and the rest of the audience joined in! WIN! oh, and "Javert's Suicide"! So much fun! I have to apologise to aquirkofmatter and to the people behind us, I had a giggling fit after the Suicide (I know. But I couldn't helpt it!) which lasted until the middle of "ECAET". It was really bad.
aquirkofmatter	Haha yes I was at both shows today - but from different sides of BB, so I saw different things each show! I've now seen Simon Shorten's Valjean 4 times, and tonight was definitely the best show, for him and the whole cast. Don't get me wrong, the matinee today was good, but this evening they were all at least 5 times better; it was great to watch Simon's 2nd wig still looks like a mullet though (he agrees!) but other than that I can't actually think of any faults in his performance tonight. Or, at least, any obvious ones that spring to mind. He dies very well. That sounds wrong, I mean his Finale is wonderful. In a sad way. And I love his Valjean's relationship with Katie's Cosette <3 (One thing that does make me laugh is the 'I missed it 20 long years ago' in the Prologue, because he still looks so young!) Greg's Thenardier is wonderful I'd forgotten how good he was. He works with Lorraine really well, too. Earl today was incredible. I think my favourite part though is where he has a little boogie while acknowledging the orchestra. I know it's not technically part of the show, but he's always good so I thought I'd mention something different. (Tonight's Stars and Suicide were so good ) Alistair this evening gave me goosebumps at some points, best I've seen him yet. ECAET made me cry in the matinee, but something about him tonight, just... wow. (The Fight tonight was great - even Simon got a good old shove in! Poor Alistair ) And Katie today was amazing, as soon as she started in the matinee I was all Maybe my brain has been supressing the memory of her because I know she's good, or maybe today there was excess adrenaline or something buzzing in the cast, because I don't remember her being that amazing. (meant in the nicest way possible and not how it sounds... I'm not having much luck with words tonight!) GEORGE WAS BACK! I've missed his drunk and his Bamatabois. I love that he is basically a monkey in Look Down/The Robbery and I never noticed Gavin whacking him with a spoon before, which caused endless amusement (and I'm almost certain he got an actual slap during the mat. MOTH because of the girl's reaction - I think it's Laura Medforth?) Unfortunately, as well as George being back, so was the crying woman (The same one who slaps George, actually!) Mark Hedges was covering Simon's track and there was a lovely moment with him and Antony in both shows where Antony used his truncheon to knock Babet's top hat off. According to Mark that was the first time it happened; twas cute (Killian was in Jonathan Williams' track.) It was weird to see a full ensemble, it's been strangely bare recently. And there should be more Bishop!applause, because it's deserved! Random question - does anyone else feel really sleepy around BHH time? They're almost all asleep on stage and it's dark with a really beautiful lullaby-ish song... I always feel my eyes getting heavier with every blink!! ETA: Oooh, and Thomas Camilleri was back! I really like his Montparnasse now (although the bit of hair's still annoying...)
eponine5	Aww I saw Emily Bull twice as Cosette I'm glad she's returning (I definitely preferred her to the principle Cosette of that cast). It's a shame they're not letting Amanda Jane Callaghan take over though, I love her (or rather, I really liked her Eponine back in 2006). All the people on here who seem to go once a week make me feel like I never see it, at just 5-6 performances a year
Orestes Fasting	I have BB22 for Wednesday after next! This is going to be awesome.
l'ivrogne transfigur�	You'll see David, Earl and Katie in their last week!
Eppie-Sue	alright I'll just... try and review my Mizday. I apologise for all spelling mistakes, btw. (ETA: I can't believe how long this is. But please read xD I was very enthusiastic while writing it... ) I joined Madeleine and aquirkofmatter after the matinee (and after uni enrollment) and we stagedoored together. We didn't exactly do much, but aww, Jon was there (Jon Robyns) and there was much hugging from old and new cast members and much adorableness. We talked to Mark (Dugdale) and he was amazingly sweet and very excited our (belated) birthday greeting card that said "SHOOT THE BASTARD" (he was so excited, he almost ran into the door on the way back in) we also mentioned the EPK to him and, uh, I don't really remember what he said. xD but he was lovely. And well, then he went jogging (with Daniella Gibb. It's becoming a movement, soon you'll see half the cast running through Soho after matinees)... Nancy came outside, too (and aww Jon lifted her up and hug!hugged her) and so did Katie... she then came over to talk and OH GOD I can't believe she's leaving in two weeks! That's so soon. I wasn't her biggest fan after the first performance I saw one month ago, but she really won me over (and she's just so sweet at the stage door!). But I think she's really, really excited about joining the tour, and I'm extremely happy for her. She got a Jonhug, too, by the way (at this point it feels right to say that aquirkofmatter was freaking out a bit because "omg Jon right there!"), and so did Alistair which made me squee. When David came outside (and Jon came back from the caf� he and the others were sitting in only to say hello and I think there were three hugs and I died a bit of adorableness and nostalgia for the old cast), Nancy spotted us and came over for a short talk before she and David went jogging, too. So, technically, stagedooring after the matinee was more "standing there and smiling" - but oh, we actually talked to Greg, who was on as Th�nardier, and who was really nice. I dont really remember what he said xD As for the performance... Simon Shorten as JVJ � sooo xD this is actually rather funny, isn't it? aquirkofmatter and me went last Monday just to see him - and now she has seen him for the fourth time and I will see him once more on the 5th Oct. xD Ah well. Not that I'm complaining - last night's performance was amazing. Sure, he wasn't quite as secure with some high passages as David Shannon and Jonathan Williams are, but seriously, he doesn't feel like second understudy at all. His "Confrontation" wig was a bit out of control (heeh a BIT? It looked hilarious) and awww, when he had to dress young Cosette with her pretty new black dress and the hat, he went for the hat first and the girl was all: "No no no!" and then he laughed and was all: "Ooops" and managed to do that just in time. Speaking of which, am I the only one who's just waiting for the day Cosette holds her arms to far apart and thus letting the doll just slip through the gap? He hit the "FLIGHT" note rather impressively and I remember that I was amazed by his "Who Am I?" (with a great "OOOOONE" note, actually way better than Shannon!), and BHH got a very, very long applause. Besides, his acting is really good. It's not perfectly brick!Valjean, but I really like it and I certainly don't mind seeing him again on the 5th! Earl Carpenter as Javert � see, here's the thing. I really liked his acting every time I saw him, but his voice just didn't seem that strong and secure enough at many performances I saw. But oh, of course, now that he's leaving he suddenly has to be absolutely perfect. Hmpf. He was really, really good last night. I think it was the best "Stars" I've heard so far. I'm just so glad he'll be Javert at the tour, too, because it would be a shame to see him leave and join a totally different production. Acting-wise... aww, he's just badass. Just watching him in the barricade scenes, his evil smirk when he sees dead!Eponine (but, one thing: When he's standing on the barricade later and looking at dead!Enjolras, he's not scoffing at all. Just a note.) and oh there are so many little things I enjoy about his performance! I'll miss him Rebecca Seale as Fantine � vocally, she's really good, although... you can see that she's putting quite an effort into it. I actually like Natalie Day better overall, which is not saying that Rebecca is a bad Fantine - I actually like her more in the entire "Lovely Ladies/Fantine's Arrest" bit, but Natalie Day is just so ... innocent and young and I really, really like her portrayal. Hm. I feel so bad, because I don�t feel anything for her in �Come to me�� I don�t mind seeing her on stage, but there is basically nothing which makes me care about the character, and I really wish there was, because I love Fantine. Alistair Brammer as Marius � Ooooh he was actually really good! I was really surprised, because I�ve had my fair share of Antony lately and all, but I really liked him. There was one iffy note � �the colour of despaaaAAIIr� but apart from that � less vibrato, he seems more comfortable on stage, it�s really good to see. I particularly liked him in the Rue Plumet scenes, they were amazing (and normally I�m still going �TO THE BARRICAAADES� there. One thing that still throws me off a bit � the cramping of his hands. Aaah. But yeah. And oh God, I fangirl him as the clergyman in �Lovely Ladies�. Too much joy over that. Oh, and The Fight � he was basically being flung across half of the stage. He fought back, though, at the beginning at least. Katie Hall as Cosette � Oh God, I can�t believe she�s leaving. I�m going to blatantly gush here. Yesterday was probably the best performance I�ve ever seen her give. She was amazing. �A heart full of love� was utterly wonderful, her voice was so soft and clear and pleasant, especially at the �I�m awake�. As I said, I don�t care that much for the Rue Plumet scenes, but she made them for me. I can�t criticise anything, and I think the other two agree. She works so well with Alistair, too� and with Simon Shorten! And I love how she pats his wig at The Robbery because it�s gotten all fluffy and looks ridiculous. That said � I love her and Nancy as whores in �Lovely Ladies�. They look v. feisty xD Nancy Sullivan as Eponine � Personally, my favourite performance yet, which, I think, is saying something, considering it was the eleventh time I saw her. I don�t know what it was last week, but it�s definitely gone, her voice was so clear and strong. Oh God I love how she goes �Cosette� now I remember�� and her acting in �ALFOR�. Even if you don�t care for Eponine at all, it�s heartbreaking. She�s so happy and she doesn�t even care for the wound� Oh and I�m never bored by her. I mean, after seeing her so many times it�s still interesting to see her, to see her interact� I love that. David Thaxton as Enjolras � Oh oh, where to start? Epic (as usual). What I probably love most (apart from The Final Battle, The Jump, The Lamarque is dead, � I�ll stop here) is that he changes so many little things at every performance! And yesterday � aquirkofmatter might remember � I went O.O at quite a few moments, just because� just when I think I know the blocking, he does something totally different � and it still works. I haven�t gushed about his voice in a long time, I think. For shame. It�s so reliably good and loud and oh, I love how the audience goes: �Ooh� at the first �Red � the blood of angry men!� That said, he didn�t do the �STRIVE!� because he didn�t sit down next to Alistair. But, yeah, the growled �Hold yourselves in readiness!� made up for that and there was a pretty epic Final Battle. And of course � we applauded �Lamarque is dead�! I already wrote that in the Fangirling thread but I have to mention it again, because the whole auditorium joined in. Much love. He just is Enjolras for me, and I� I don�t think anything will ever change that. I couldn�t say one bad thing about his performance or question one acting choice. He never loses the grip on the character. Greg Castiglioni as Th�nardier � I really, really enjoyed his performance! His voice is so good, I had no idea! It was a bit of a change from Martin Ball, because he still had some of the stuff down from last year, and it brought back a bit of Jimmy Johnston on stage for me, which I liked � he did a very strong �Dog Eats Dog�, I felt like applauding (but you can�t really. Ah, it�s so difficult!)� the comedic timing between him and Lorraine felt a tad bit off in some scenes, but considering he�s understudy, that�s totally fine. Lorraince Bruce � Oh how I love her acting in the 1823 scenes and how I don�t care for her later on. Seriously, now that I�ve mentioned it, the unnecessary screams she does as Th�nardier flings her across the dance floor at the wedding annoy me so, so much. I won�t comment on her voice � it was quite strong at some parts, but I just don�t like it. Ensemble: GAVIN GOT APPLAUSE FOR THE BISHOP SCENE! His �Gooooooooooooooooooooood� was so good! And we didn�t even start it! Oh, I loved that. Um, yes! George was back! Of course we couldn�t see much from BB7 and 8, but his drunk in MotH is even funny from the distance. Oh how I�ve missed him. Speaking of DRUNK � Killian was The Drunk at the wedding and was� well, he certainly took his jacket off (slowly) in the back of the stage Oh, and, by the way: Did you know David does the punching noise at �As for you � take this, too!� in the wedding scene? I learned that yesterday. And here I was wondering why he was randomly taking his gloves off in the middle of the scene xD So, stagedooring again, after the evening show� it was made of awesome. We got to talk to Killian. He was really, really sweet and we told him he was the �most flexible swing, also referred to as Superswing!� and he was so nice! And then he asked for our names and then said: �Okay! Well, I�m Killian!� You�ve got to love him. We talked to Mark Hedges, too, he recognised aquirkofmatter from earlier xD and we spoke with Katy Hanna and gushed at Simon Shorten (and rightly so)� Mark Dugdale ran past us being too adorable for words, Jeff waved at us, we even spoke to Earl (imagine that! He had to unlock his bike and we got to chat a bit) and um, then we waited Nancy and David came outside being tr�s chic in grey and black and apparently there was some kind of party. But they saw us and stopped and were very, very lovely and guess what?! We had a normal conversation! Nancy remembered aquirkofmatter�s uni and then I think she got a bit concerned about me spending my life�s savings on Les Mis and said: �I don�t know how you do it!� so I explained that it was �Easy. Don�t eat� which made David laugh. Bless him, he thought I was joking. aquirkofmatter blatantly gushed about the energy of the performance, and then we asked about the EPK and, man, they were very excited! And then we let them off, not without getting comments about �See you tomorrow!� (see Nancy, I resisted the urge today and I ate something instead!). Katie was out last, I think, and she was going to the party, too, but we chatted with her for quite some time. It was very sweet and we� fangirled a bit with her, actually! And, guys, I�m certain they don�t mind us, really. Oh, and she seems so excited about the tour; I can�t even be really sad she�s leaving. There was a bit more, but it�s escaping me right now� It was epic. Congrats if you've made it to the end of this!
Fiwen9430	So glad that I'm going to the 7th Oct matinee now, means I will get to see Katie before she leaves. Rather excited as this is the first time I will see the new cast, and only my second visit to Les Mis ! By the way, do they have new big shiny brochures for the cast from June, cos I was told that it sometimes takes a while for them to be printed?
Eppie-Sue	They do have new big shiny brochures, but the old ones were prettier . But the new ones got one additional Enjolras pic which makes it a total of three solo pics which is more than JVJ or Javert. HEEEH. I'm really glad I got that ticket for the birthday performance and the 10th... *sigh*
aquirkofmatter	That's an essay and a half, that one! Eppie-Sue wrote: (at this point it feels right to say that aquirkofmatter was freaking out a bit because "omg Jon right there!") Freaking out? That's a little harsh, I was just a little bit shocked to see him, is all And he did look so pretty, now that his Marius hair is gone. I'll be upset if he ends up with a repulsive wig for Enjolras Eppie-Sue wrote: His "Confrontation" wig was a bit out of control (heeh a BIT? It looked hilarious) Exactly, a bit? It was almost he walked out and all of a sudden there was a huge gust of wind or something and it went fooooof! Eppie-Sue wrote: And yesterday � aquirkofmatter might remember � I went O.O at quite a few moments, just because� just when I think I know the blocking, he does something totally different � and it still works. I did notice every time he did something slighty different/moved I felt a tap on the arm! Eppie-Sue wrote: Oh, and, by the way: Did you know David does the punching noise at �As for you � take this, too!� in the wedding scene? I learned that yesterday. And here I was wondering why he was randomly taking his gloves off in the middle of the scene xD I still can't believe I noticed that before you - I would've expected you of all people to see that! I love how it's really subtle, the taking off the gloves, hiding behind Gavin for the noise... and then there's this mad scrabble to grab the gloves and get them on again! Eppie-Sue wrote: aquirkofmatter blatantly gushed about the energy of the performance, and then we asked about the EPK and, man, they were very excited! And then we let them off, not without getting comments about �See you tomorrow!� (see Nancy, I resisted the urge today and I ate something instead!). Of course I did! Mark said after the matinee that they'd had a 14 hour day on Tuesday, and especially after having a matinee you'd think they'd have been exhausted but they were all incredible. (and I didn't get a "See you tomorrow!" mine was "Have a good time at uni!") [and I did tell you you were pretty much standing on Earl's bike...]
Eppie-Sue	aquirkofmatter wrote: That's an essay and a half, that one! Thank you xD I try. aquirkofmatter wrote: Eppie-Sue wrote: And yesterday � aquirkofmatter might remember � I went O.O at quite a few moments, just because� just when I think I know the blocking, he does something totally different � and it still works. I did notice every time he did something slighty different/moved I felt a tap on the arm! Eppie-Sue wrote: Oh, and, by the way: Did you know David does the punching noise at �As for you � take this, too!� in the wedding scene?[...] I still can't believe I noticed that before you - I would've expected you of all people to see that! I love how you make me seem like the biggest creep ever. Thanks a lot. xD It's not my fault he changes things constantly! With the others, you can rely on pretty much the same blocking, but I do tend to notice when he's still angsting on the barricade when Grantaire is almost done with his lines. Oh, I forgot to mention how much I love Sophie Josslyn as the factory bitch and Dylan Williams turning around and smirking at Grantaire at E's "don't let the wine go to your brains!"
aquirkofmatter	Eppie-Sue wrote: I love how you make me seem like the biggest creep ever. Thanks a lot. xD It's not my fault he changes things constantly! With the others, you can rely on pretty much the same blocking, but I do tend to notice when he's still angsting on the barricade when Grantaire is almost done with his lines. No, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that you've seen it so much recently that you notice everything now, the little things, rather than watching all of the main stuff. Ensemble-watching!! There were no creep connotations implied in any way, shape or form
Eponines_Hat	This has probably been on another thread I have missed, but... has anyone else heard that Jon Robyns will be Enjolras on the Les Mis tour? I saw it on his site just then. I have mixed feelings because I really love Jon... but cant see him as Enjolras. I do think he is very talented and will probably do a great job. It's just a bit... odd. You know I will have to go anyway So sad that Katie Hall is leaving. Saw the show last night and I really do like her Cosette. Earl was also superb. Last night I was really impressed at the repressed rage he got across when "Monsieur Mayor" dared to question whether he had arrested the right 24601. It's like "How dare you!!!" love it <3 Special mention for Nancy Sullivan last night. She was on top form (she had been a bit unwell last show I saw) and gave a wonderful vocal performance for OMO. Quote: id you know David does the punching noise at �As for you � take this, too!� in the wedding scene? I learned that yesterday. And here I was wondering why he was randomly taking his gloves off in the middle of the scene xD d'y'know I only noticed this yesterday, too!
Eppie-Sue	Eponines_Hat wrote: has anyone else heard that Jon Robyns will be Enjolras on the Les Mis tour? I love how everyone keeps asking that. Yes, we talked about it two weeks ago in the "Revamped" thread about the tour... there are some opinions, too, also in the new "25th anniversary cast" thread. Haha, yes, Earl is always getting all indignant when he goes: "I have known the thief for ages!" I love that so much. And I agree about Nancy and Katie, they were extraordinary on Wednesday, too.
Eponines_Hat	Quote: Yes, we talked about it two weeks ago in the "Revamped" thread about the tour... there are some opinions, too, also in the new "25th anniversary cast" thread. see, i did actually have a look before i posted but obviously not a very good one! How did I miss this important news??? (skulks off to appropriate thread)
l'ivrogne transfigur�	Today's matinee was the last time I'll get to see David Shannon - I'm going away to uni up north and far from london next week. I wasn't going to go again but couldn't resist seeing him one more time! Today we had Greg on as Thenardier, Killian was covering Mark Dugdale's track and Brenda Moore was covering AJ Callaghan's. I really enjoyed it, and it was nice to see a normal sized cast again! I think it was also the last day for the little Cosette and Eponine - they came on at the curtain call and were given a little bouquet each. Was so sweet! Talking of curtain call, the audience were very enthusiastic. The Thenardiers got huge cheers and Javert got loads of boos - I really don't understand it, the Thenardiers are SO much more evil, and they're even in pantomime-y costumes at the end. Booing Javert just seems so out of place.. Laura Medforth was back doing her crying woman, grrrrr, but I loved how David gave her a really annoyed look at that point, as if he really wanted her to shut up. I don't know if that was him being in character, but I wouldn't be surprised if he actually felt like that - it's just so unnecessary! Killian made a good Courfeyrac, but he really didn't look the part (it was kinda like when Mark Hedges was Parnasse). Maybe I'm just used to Mark, but I REALLY can't see Courfeyrac looking like Killian. And he had a completely different costume as well - just a kind of ordinary suit. His shoot the bastard was great though, and he wouldn't stop going on about it for ages after! Rebecca Seale was back on as Fantine - and this time I wasn't really that impressed. The last time I saw her, I quite liked her. This time I just felt it really hard to feel anything for her, and her voice wasn't that great either I didn't think. And she didn't cough once, not even when she was dying. But still, she's not the worst Fantine I've seen... I'm going to miss David Shannon when he goes - he's really grown into the role, and I love his voice as well. You really feel that he's got to grips with the character, and he portrays it so subtly. This is the last time I'll see Earl as well, but hopefully I'll see him on tour so that's not too bad. I notice more E/R stuff everytime with David and Martin, and I love it! I'm fascinated by that relationship - and I don't mind if it's not slashy as long as there's something there. But today, for the last half or so of BHH, when David is sitting at the top of the barricade, he just sat there watching Martin sleep. Literally for the last two verses or something. It actually made me cry!!! I do like Nancy's Eponine, but I got a bit annoyed today by how much she smiles. In some places it just seems a bit out of place, but ALFOR was beautiful as usual. And I swear Alistair's hands were worse than usual. Half the time he was moving his arms they just kind of stuck out like paddles or something. The Thenardiers actually worked really well together I thought - perhaps they've got used to each other over the last few days. The Colette thing was brilliantly timed today. I remembered Greg being more creepy than he was today though, which was a bit of a shame, as I really like that side of him. Lorraine Bruce's acting is great, but I do wish she'd sing a bit more. It shouldn't be beautiful, of course, but it is a musical after all...[/i]
Eppie-Sue	Thank you so, so much for the review! I actually agree with... everything?! Especially about David Shannon, Earl and Rebecca! And ooooh: l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: Laura Medforth was back doing her crying woman, grrrrr, but I loved how David gave her a really annoyed look at that point, as if he really wanted her to shut up. I don't know if that was him being in character, but I wouldn't be surprised if he actually felt like that - it's just so unnecessary! YES. Just yes. I wanted to comment on that, too, but I was afraid people would go: "Oh you just want to see that because you don't like it!" - but it's true! He does look utterly annoyed. I wish he'd go "Screw the blocking!" and shut her up. Somehow. (I'm thinking Evil Stare here. Or worse. He does have a gun.) l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: Killian made a good Courfeyrac [...] his shoot the bastard was great though, and he wouldn't stop going on about it for ages after! Thank you! That actually made the review for me (among other small things ) - because I will probably be seeing Killian on Monday. Because I got my ticket for Markjolras (and Helen!Eponine). Fancy that! l'ivrogne transfigur� wrote: I notice more E/R stuff everytime with David and Martin, and I love it! I'm fascinated by that relationship - and I don't mind if it's not slashy as long as there's something there. But today, for the last half or so of BHH, when David is sitting at the top of the barricade, he just sat there watching Martin sleep. Literally for the last two verses or something. It actually made me cry!!! Aww. : ) ... I have to say that Martin Neely is growing on me and I don't mind his Grantaire that much (although I still want to see Jeff. Desperately!)...
l'ivrogne transfigur�	Eppie-Sue wrote: I have to say that Martin Neely is growing on me and I don't mind his Grantaire that much (although I still want to see Jeff. Desperately!)... Jeff was great as well, but what I particularly like about Martin is that he is always 100% aware of what Enjolras is doing. Although he doesn't actively take part with the other students, his attention is always with Enjolras. I like the understatedness of his relationship with DT - it's always there, but sometimes you have to look for it. As I say, I think that's actually more bricklike than the really obvious slashy stuff.
flying_pigs	Aww, you're seeing Helen!Eponine! You'll love her, def one of my favourite Eponines!
Elbow	Helen's on as Eponine tomorrow? I was going to go tomorrow anyway, but I definitely shall now. Edit: And Mark!? AWESOME.

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