Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Yakko |
Another dream cast recording.IF the were to make a new CSR CD who would cast?My dream cast would include: Jean Valjean- John Owen Jones Javert- Earl Carpenter Fantine- Lea Salonga The Thernadier's Gary Beach and Jenny Galloway Marius- Adam Jacobs Eponine- ??? Cosette-Jullie Moller Enjolras- David Thaxon Grantaire- Drew Sarich Fixed the title for you guys. Sorry about that. |
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| flying_pigs |
So basically another dream cast thread 
Oh well, I'll play! Valjean: John Owen-Jones Javert: Philip Quast Fantine: Kerry Ellis M Th�nardier: Barry James Mdme Th�nardier: Claire Moore Enjolras: David Thaxton Marius: Hayden Tee Cosette: Julia Moller Eponine: Marissa McGowan Grantaire: Jeff Nicholson I realise there are only two names that were not part of the 2005-06 London cast but I can't help it, they were my favourite! |
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| Eppie-Sue |
considering that I'm not really up-to-date regarding the performers of the last, say, 5 years and can only judge the London Cast of 2008/09, I'm not going to voice any kind of opinion other than "I want Lea Songola and David Thaxton in it".
The sad thing is, I actually thought this was the announcement that a new Recording would be released and I was over the moon with joy. sigh. |
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| lesmisloony |
Yeah... can this be titled "Another Dream Cast Thread" or something less misleading, please? | ||
| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
Dream cast threads are funny 'cause they're so cliche'd. But they're fun. I'll play.
Valjean - John Owen Jones Javert - Brian Stokes Mitchell Fantine - Lea Salonga Marius - Adam Jacobs Cosette - Ali Ewoldt Eponine - Celia Keenan-Bolger Enjolras - Aaron Lazar Thenardier - Alun Armstrong Mme T. - Jenny Galloway Grantaire - Drew Sarich Factory Girl - Haviland Stillwell So much 2006 revival... |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
Javert: Roger Allam. Oh yes.
Marius: Michael Ball. There can be no other. Eponine: Honestly, I don't mind as long as it's not the "OH MY GOD, EVERYONE LOVES ME, AND I'M SO GREAT, AND IT'S ALL SPARKLY AND RAINBOWS, AND I WON'T CONVINCE MARIUS TO GO TO THE BARRICADES BECAUSE I'M SO PURE AND STUFF." Just no. Enjolras: Anthony Warlow. Thenardier & Thenardieress - Alun Armstrong & Jenny Galloway, respectively. Grantaire - Anthony Crivello. For the rest, I really don't mind--as long as it's not "Good God, my ears. Someone PLEASE start a riot. Here, I'll help you," bad. |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
Drew Sarich as everybody.
He has the range. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
But, um... I thought this was about performers who are currently playing the characters or have been a few years ago. So it's not "just another Dream Cast", it's like "the current Dream Cast". Because as much as I appreciate their performance, I don't want to see Michael Ball as Marius and Anthony Warlow as Enjolras in 2009 or 2010. Hypothetically spoken. | ||
| MariekeLovesEnjolras |
Drew Sarich as Cosette? 
Valjean: John Owen-Jones Javert: Earl Carpenter Fantine: Allyson Brown M Th�nardier: Paul de Leeuw Mdme Th�nardier: Marjolein Algera Enjolras: David Thaxton Marius: Jon Robyns Cosette: Leanne Dobinson Eponine: C�line Purcell Grantaire: Marcel Visscher |
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| Madeleine |
Valjean: John Owen-Jones
Javert: Earl Carpenter (with Richard Woodford a very close second but I want him as Grantaire, and I guess I can't have it both ways) Fantine: Kerry Ellis Thenardier: Alun Armstrong Mme Thenardier: Tracie Bennett Enjolras: David Thaxton Marius: Jon Robyns Cosette: Gina Beck (or perhaps Tabitha Webb...) Eponine: Amanda Jane Callaghan Foreman: Jeff Nicholson Grantaire: Richard Woodford I love how the same names come up time and time again in these threads.
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| operafantomet |
Valjean: Flemming Enevold
Javert: Earl Carpenter OR Phillip Quast Fantine: No opinion... Thenardier: Dennis Storh�i Mme Thenardier: Claire Moore Enjolras: No opinion... Marius: No opinion... Cosette: Mia Karlsson Eponine: Lea Salonga I saw Dennis Storh�i as Thenardier in the 2009 Oslo production and LOVED him. Wish I had an opinion about Fantine, Enjolras and Marius, but I guess I'm not a big enough fan of Les Mis to have seen many enough people in the roles to have an opinion (as of now). |
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| Lola-Grace |
I think it's more 'regardless of time/age/balls dropping etc' Cos you can't beat a bit of 80s Michael Ball - as much of a sap as Marius is, I'd have gone for that 
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| Eppie-Sue |
Yeah, I know. But the first post clearly stated that this was about a new CSR, so it's about one that should be made today. Therefore, it's about the current performers and not about the ones from the 80s. I like Ball's Marius best, too, but a 2009 or 2010 recording would never include him as Marius.
I think this is more about "Who is or has currently been the best JVJ/Javert/Fantine/Marius/Cosette/Eponine/Enjolras/Th�nardier/Mme Th�nardier/Grantaire"... |
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| Thom_Boyer |
I don't know...there are two ways to go with this, namely, either as a snapshot of current/very recent productions, in which case, you may as well assemble whatever "dream cast" will be touring in '09/'10 and round them all into a studio during rehearsal period, or treat the project strictly as an album, which could open up a fantastic range of performers who may not have been associated with the show in the past. I'm picturing Donna Murphy or Jessica Molaskey as Fantine...some Les Mis vets, but balanced with some faces new to the show. Obviously, Valjean and Javert need to be anchors with experience in those roles, but I certainly wouldn't turn down a record with the following line-up:
Valjean: Jeff Leyton Javert: Roger Allam Fantine: Donna Murphy Marius: Aaron Tveit Cosette: Ali Ewoldt Eponine: Celia Keenan Bolger Enjolras: Neil Patrick Harris M. Thenardier: Gary Beach Mme. Thenardier: Jenny Galloway But I would never consider it the definitive record that the score needs. The problem inherent with "dream," and more specifically, studio casts in general is that you inevitably get a number of performers who have never worked together/learned how to play off each other. I agree that the CSR needs a viable English-language alternative, but I think its problem was in its conception; creating a new CSR would bring the same problems, no matter which performers are plucked from where. |
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| Mina Van Helsing |
Yes...I agree. The CSR cast mostly recorded in different studios, anyway, didn't they?
But, what the heck... Jean Valjean: Andr� Bauer (Actually, he's never played Valjean. But I would die if he did. He's perfect.) Javert: Uwe Kr�ger (It would be interesting to hear him do the role in English.) Fantine: Pia Douwes Marius: Jesper Tyden (Hasn't done the role yet, but will in September!) Cosette: Jana Stelley Enjolras: Drew Sarich And everyone else I would suggest would be from the 80's! |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
Unfortunately. |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
As Enjolras? |
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| Mina Van Helsing |
Well, that was sort of random. But I had to have Drew in there somewhere! And he has done Enjolras before, and as I recall (I can't find the video again) he was quite good...I'm addicted to Rudolf: The Last Kiss at the moment... | ||
| Eppie-Sue |
No. For the love of all that's holy, NO. Just no. He doesn't have to be in there. Here is the video. And it's bad, it's really bad. These are the comments Gulnare (from Abaiss�) and I posted over MSN messenger after I had watched it for the first time (you can clearly tell I was in shock): Me: what's with the hands? Me: 
Me: OMG OMG Me: can't breathe Her: The people's man. Her: ZOMGZWTFLOLZBBQ!!!!!!11111111!!!!!! Me:
Me: OMG Me: I CAN'T BREATHE Me: I'm laughing so hard, I'm crying Me: I might just favourite the video for the LULZ of it Me: this totally made my day in the most unexpected way Me: it's not that he's a bad Enjolras. I refuse to accept that he's Enjolras Her: He's NOT. Her: One thing is a bit absurd and crazy Her: other is BATSHIT INSANE. Her: Like, "Who lets this guy walk the streets?!" insane. Me: omg the hand after "The people's man" Her: I KNOW. Her: It... doesn't make any sense. Her: Actually, nothing he does makes any sense. Me: THE HAND THE HAND Me: it's like a car crash, I can't stop looking at it Her: I KNOW Her: also, the circling at "light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes" Me: YES Her: Not to mention his half-singing half-screaming Me: it's like he's translating it into sign language Her: Or doing some weird kind of disco dance. Me: except he's not. his hands clearly say: "I'M A BIRD LOOK AT ME I CAN FLY LOLZ!!!!11!!" Me: LOL at the other students Me: he's totally playing "Capture The Flag" right there Me: "MY FLAG! MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE" Me: "I'VE GOT THE FLAG HAHAHA LOOK AT ME I'VE TOTALLY CAPTURED THE FLAG YOU N00BS!" Her: it's so bad it's not even bad anymore. Her: I'd expect him to go HA FOOLED YA at curtain calls. Me: I wonder what he thought when he performed in London last year and DT was Enjolras Her: "Soooo... THAT's what that role's supposed to look like? hehhh... whoops" Me: Sarich probably was like: "I've played the role too, you know." and Thaxton went: "Really?! That's interesting." Sarich: "Let me show you a video clip." ... Her: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHH Me: they probably never had this conversation. DT would have DIED Her: There would be a lot of headdesking. Her: (Although I'm sure he watched the video at home and then couldn't look at him for a week.) Me: he'd have been like: "Okay, so... the hands. Or, no, forget about the hands. What about the eyes? Any deliberate acting choice behind that... oh. no. Scratch that. What's with the voice? Why the screaming at that line... WAIT. WHAT'S UP WITH THE HAND BEFORE THE MOUTH?" later: Me: LOL I always have to imagine a, say, 10 year old watching the show with his parents and just go: "He's mad, right, mummy? He's the mad guy." ... and, still later: Me: I kid you not, his performance as Enjolras looks like he's some kind of OOC!Grantaire who is deliberately mocking Enjolras by imitating him Her: you bet he's got the real Enj knocked out and tied under the table. Me: Naked. (okay, so that went in another direction.) So, no, not Sarich!Enjolras. Please. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Hahaha Drew is like... CAPSLOCK!ENJOLRAS. I saw the trainwreck live once, unfortunately.
The sad thing is that Drew on Broadway was understudying for Aaron Lazar who pretty much IS book!Enjolras. The night before I saw him he was probably on as Grantaire, snuggling Aaron in Drink With Me. Maybe for Enjolras he was thinking "Let's do something completely different!" and it... didn't work. Also, Jesper Tyden as Marius will be adorable but I could've sworn he's been in the role before. What production is he going to be in? |
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| Mina Van Helsing |
Haha...It's been a looooong time since I watched any English-language Les Mis, so I could have sworn I liked Drew as Enjolras at one point, I dunno why...But...I think...I definitely misremembered. Thanks guys.
Darn...Who was it as Enjolras that I really liked then? It's going to drive me nuts! Hmm...I didn't think Jesper had done Les Mis, yet, but I could be wrong. (In fact, I most probably am wrong, having neglected my Les Mis obsession for two years to follow other shows.) He's doing the production in Klagenfurt, Austria, which starts at the end of July, and not in September, as was previously announced...And after that closes, he's playing Toby in Sweeney Todd for a while. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
 example one two three four five.
glad to be of service.
Um, Wikipedia tells me Jesper Tyd�n has been Marius in 2006/07 and 2008. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Okay. I'm going to try to assemble a dream cast the way I imagine it would be assembled by Cammack and whoever picks these things, i.e. actors who've had a fairly high-profile history in the show over the past ten years, without getting too biased towards a particular production. There's an inevitable slant towards London (specifically the '05 cast) and the Broadway revival, but I've tried to include other productions too.
Valjean: John Owen-Jones or Randal Keith Javert: Michael McCarthy Fantine: Kerry Ellis, Lea Salonga or maybe Joanna Ampil Marius: Hayden Tee maybe? Eponine: Celia Keenan-Bolger or Jo Ampil Cosette: Ali Ewoldt or Stephanie Waters Enjolras: Aaron Lazar or David Thaxton Thenardiers: Ugh, the only well-known actors I can think of either sucked (Gary Beach) or have already been on a major recording (Barry James, Jenny Galloway, Jennifer Butt). Now if I were assembling a personal dream cast of recent actors and allowing for my favorite understudies, regional performers, short-lived replacements, etc. it would look more like Jeff Kready, Ben Davis, Nikki Renee Daniels, Charlie Hagerty, Felicia Curry, Marissa McGowan, Aaron Lazar, James Chip Leonard, and Jenny Galloway. But that wouldn't sell records even though everyone on it is awesome. |
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| High-baritonne |
If you've ever heard Sigurd Sele in the role of Valjean, then most of you would pick him for the recording! He is the most incredible Valjean I've ever seen or heard! I wish I had a recording of it, but if any of you have seen him as Enjolras in either the 2002-2003 productions of Les Mis at Moster Amfi, B�mlo, Norway. Or in 2007 Oslo, Norway. You know that he has the voice to pull it off. He played Vajean in Bergen, Norway, in 2008.
He is one of few actors who actually act instead of showing off his voice, he is just so wonderful! |
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| lesmisloony |
Oh. My.
That Drew Sarich as Enjolras thing... oh my. So, I've seen Sarich live as Grantaire and thought he was amazing, I saw a video of him as Armand in Lestat and thought he was the worst thing my eyes ever beheld, but then I saw him as panto!Enjolras and knew I was wrong about that... I'm sure he must have done something good besides Grantaire to warrant all the fangirls he has... surely... *ducks the inevitable blows from Sarich fangirls* |
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| Orestes Fasting |
He was good--if very American-sounding--in Gloeckner von Notre-Dame. But I think most of his fangirls come from his Lestat days. He's been in a bunch of cabarets and such, and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, but I don't think those are what earned him his fangirls, I think they just followed him around causing an incredibly inflated demand for bootlegs of whatever he's been in since Lestat. | ||
| Mina Van Helsing |
He's absolutely one of the best things about Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling in Vienna, and he was fantastic in Wildhorn's Dracula...Those are the performances of his I enjoyed. As Enjolras and Armand...I completely agree with you. No...just no... So, no fangirlish blows to the head, there! 
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| Lola-Grace |
That man has a scary face - I'd be more scared of him killing me than the National Guard... |