Characters' appearances, Brick vs. musical

Vanessa20 · Characters' appearances, Brick vs. musical

This is very random and kind of weird, but I just felt like asking it. Very Happy

I've noticed that some people on Deviantart who do fan art for both the novel and the musical tend to make Enjolras blond in their Brick drawings (obviously), but dark-haired in their musical drawings.

So I was wondering, does anyone here have different mental images for the characters in the musical (when you do fanart, etc), than for Hugo's originals? Apart from clothing (Since Adrienne Neofitou's don't always fit Hugo's descriptions), I tend to imagine the musical characters as looking the same as Hugo's originals. OK, maybe I imagine musical!Eponine as prettier than Brick!Eponine (it's hard to help that), but even then, I'd never draw her with a different hair color.

Just wondering about what goes on in other people's minds. Very Happy

PureDiamondLight

It's difficult to say, especially as character's appearances on stage obviously differ with the different actors that play them. To me Jonathan Williams just looks like Valjean. His face is exactly how I'd always thought of him in my head. To me Valjean must have a very gentle, expressive face. Not all Valjeans I've seen match my imagination.

Also, certain characters (like, for example, les Amis) get very little "solo" time in the musical, but have very pronounced appearances and characteristics in my head because of all the -ahem- fanfiction I spend far too much of my time reading and writing.

However, for certain characters like Javert, I just have the overriding impression of piercing eyes and sideburns. So pretty much any actor can convey that!

Finally, I don't think anyone will ever be able to come close to looking like the Enjolras of Hugo's book, or of my imagination. It's not really humanly possible, because, well, he's not really meant to look like your average human, is he?

Ooh, and I have seen a skinny Mme Thenardier, which didn't sit right with me at all - I mean, she's meant to resemble an ogre, isn't she? I didn't actually see her perform - it's just a picture I've seen a few times - but to me it didn't look right.

Oh, and I once saw an schools version where young Cosette was taller than Valjean.

Not a good move.

Dona Quixote

Well, the thing is that Victor Hugo actually spend a very small amount of time discussing the appearances of his characters (except for Fantine, which he spends a lot of time on because he's trying to increase her image of innocence). Like, he'll give us a little, like Marius is handsome or whatever, but I don't recall him actually saying anything about say, Marius's hair color. I do remember him saying that young Eponine's hair was reddish, like her mother's, but I've always personally pictured her with very dark hair, dark brown, almost black.

This is my personal image of Eponine in my head. This is a graphic I made for my portrayal of Eponine on a role play website called Rewritten City. The model is Hanna Beth Merjos.

As for everyone else, I don't have any set pattern. I would always prefer Fantine to be blonde, but obviously in the musical that is not set in stone the way it is in the book. I typically see Cosette as brunette, because in general she is a more subdued character (not to stereotype brunettes as subdued, but I don't imagine her with her mother's blondeness or anything too dark).

In my current SE production, Fantine is tan with dark hair, Cosette brunette, and Eponine blondish/brown (she's also part Japanese, very reminiscent of Lea Salonga in appearance). Mme. Thenardier, who I would also prefer to be ogre-like, is really more average in shape than anything notably large. The perfect casting, in my opinion, is Javert, because the guy is a tall jock-type who is really imposing with the fish-whacker he's been carrying around. lol

Ulkis

Marius has black hair.

Also, we must't forget his passionate nostrils. Smile

hazellwood

Actually Hugo spent lots of time describing some characters. Enjolras gets a couple sentences and every good adjective ever, Marius get s a paragraph, Fantine gets like half a page, ditto with Cosette, The Thenardiers are described in a paragraph, Valjean's hair is mentioned often, and Javert gets a few sentences. Oh, and Montparnasse gets a couple sentences, as do the rest of PM. Gavroche is not described, as far as I can remember, and the rest of the students aren't described. I'm pretty sure that's everyone in the musical.

PureDiamondLight

Marius' nostrils make me laugh. Must have been seen as attractive in those times, haha. I'm sure I've read other books from that time period which describe men having wide nostrils as a handsome trait... I can't remember which. I'll have to see if I can find out.

I'd also forgotten about Valjean's hair... I love it in the book where it turns white from his emotional ordeal with Champmathieu. It really brings across just how much it all affected him, and (in my opinion) gives a real edge to the drama and emotional punch there.

I would love to see that in the musical instead of it just gradually getting lighter with his age, but I guess it would be a bit difficult for audiences to swallow if his hair was suddenly white.

Roseinmisery

^Yes, passionate nostrils are a must for any Marius IMO.

With Eponine, I remember her having dark hair and Azelma having red hair like her mother. Still, I could be wrong, in the 1958 film she has red hair. I've always imagined Eponine to have long, straggly dark hair and green eyes. A bit like in Shoujo Cosette but dirtier and not as pretty. I don't imagine her as being really ugly or anything, but more very impoverished and a little frightening. Celia Keenan Bolger and Pili Artaza come closest.

I agree with PureDiamondLight that it would be near impossible to find an actor that actually looked like Brick!Enjolas. On stage I think the best thing is if they are blond (if they can get away with it) and, of course, wearing the beautiful vest of doom.

The same goes for Fantine minus the vest of doom (obviously). If an actor or actress can't get away with blond hair because of their race, that's fine. Lea Salonga and Nikki Renee Daniels were both very convincing as Fantine without needing to look exactly as she is described.

I'm not too bothered about Cosette's hair colour. Preferably a chestnut reddish brown for accuracy but I don't really mind. As long as she looks and acts sweet, I don't really mind. Leanne Dobinson and Katie Hall look most like how I imagine her.

The Valjean in my head looks most like Colm Wilkinson. However, on stage I don't really care about how Valjean looks as long as he looks strong and stocky enough to lift a runaway cart (even if in reality it's made of styrofoam).

I'm not too bothered about Javert either. I'd like him to look exactly as he is described in the book but most actors with the help of stick on sideburns come very close.

music is my life!!!

Our Fantine's hair looked Ginger on all the pictures onstage Laughing

Her wig was gorgeous though.... although it looked as red as my hair did (and i had put loads of red hairdye on! Rolling Eyes

Ideally.... Marius.... just gorgeous... He needs passion though, and if the actor has passionate nostrils, then that's just great! Rolling Eyes

With Enjy, i think he just needs to be such a strength in the show... he could be blonde, or as he was in ours... long dark hair in a ponytail *sigh*
Both of them need to pass as teenagers IMO, not in their 20's... i think that's what makes the students' deaths so tragic losses for Marius...

Cosette... now we all know she's usually a traditional 'English Rose' but when i saw the tour, she was blonde... this completely worked for Cosette in my opinion, as she was so innocent and it helped to emphasise her youth. It also helped to contrast her to Eponine who was as i'd imagine her.... dark hair, scraggly, looked young enough without being a teenager.... I'd give some leway with Eponine though... as long as she's not got bright blonde hair that is obviously bleached, i think she could be anywhere from dark-dark hair to golden blonde/red like her parents....

Hmmmm ... if i feel the need to add more, i will!

Vanessa20	Characters' appearances, Brick vs. musical This is very random and kind of weird, but I just felt like asking it. I've noticed that some people on Deviantart who do fan art for both the novel and the musical tend to make Enjolras blond in their Brick drawings (obviously), but dark-haired in their musical drawings. So I was wondering, does anyone here have different mental images for the characters in the musical (when you do fanart, etc), than for Hugo's originals? Apart from clothing (Since Adrienne Neofitou's don't always fit Hugo's descriptions), I tend to imagine the musical characters as looking the same as Hugo's originals. OK, maybe I imagine musical!Eponine as prettier than Brick!Eponine (it's hard to help that), but even then, I'd never draw her with a different hair color. Just wondering about what goes on in other people's minds.
PureDiamondLight	It's difficult to say, especially as character's appearances on stage obviously differ with the different actors that play them. To me Jonathan Williams just looks like Valjean. His face is exactly how I'd always thought of him in my head. To me Valjean must have a very gentle, expressive face. Not all Valjeans I've seen match my imagination. Also, certain characters (like, for example, les Amis) get very little "solo" time in the musical, but have very pronounced appearances and characteristics in my head because of all the -ahem- fanfiction I spend far too much of my time reading and writing. However, for certain characters like Javert, I just have the overriding impression of piercing eyes and sideburns. So pretty much any actor can convey that! Finally, I don't think anyone will ever be able to come close to looking like the Enjolras of Hugo's book, or of my imagination. It's not really humanly possible, because, well, he's not really meant to look like your average human, is he? Ooh, and I have seen a skinny Mme Thenardier, which didn't sit right with me at all - I mean, she's meant to resemble an ogre, isn't she? I didn't actually see her perform - it's just a picture I've seen a few times - but to me it didn't look right. Oh, and I once saw an schools version where young Cosette was taller than Valjean. Not a good move.
Dona Quixote	Well, the thing is that Victor Hugo actually spend a very small amount of time discussing the appearances of his characters (except for Fantine, which he spends a lot of time on because he's trying to increase her image of innocence). Like, he'll give us a little, like Marius is handsome or whatever, but I don't recall him actually saying anything about say, Marius's hair color. I do remember him saying that young Eponine's hair was reddish, like her mother's, but I've always personally pictured her with very dark hair, dark brown, almost black. This is my personal image of Eponine in my head. This is a graphic I made for my portrayal of Eponine on a role play website called Rewritten City. The model is Hanna Beth Merjos. As for everyone else, I don't have any set pattern. I would always prefer Fantine to be blonde, but obviously in the musical that is not set in stone the way it is in the book. I typically see Cosette as brunette, because in general she is a more subdued character (not to stereotype brunettes as subdued, but I don't imagine her with her mother's blondeness or anything too dark). In my current SE production, Fantine is tan with dark hair, Cosette brunette, and Eponine blondish/brown (she's also part Japanese, very reminiscent of Lea Salonga in appearance). Mme. Thenardier, who I would also prefer to be ogre-like, is really more average in shape than anything notably large. The perfect casting, in my opinion, is Javert, because the guy is a tall jock-type who is really imposing with the fish-whacker he's been carrying around. lol
Ulkis	Marius has black hair. Also, we must't forget his passionate nostrils.
hazellwood	Actually Hugo spent lots of time describing some characters. Enjolras gets a couple sentences and every good adjective ever, Marius get s a paragraph, Fantine gets like half a page, ditto with Cosette, The Thenardiers are described in a paragraph, Valjean's hair is mentioned often, and Javert gets a few sentences. Oh, and Montparnasse gets a couple sentences, as do the rest of PM. Gavroche is not described, as far as I can remember, and the rest of the students aren't described. I'm pretty sure that's everyone in the musical.
PureDiamondLight	Marius' nostrils make me laugh. Must have been seen as attractive in those times, haha. I'm sure I've read other books from that time period which describe men having wide nostrils as a handsome trait... I can't remember which. I'll have to see if I can find out. I'd also forgotten about Valjean's hair... I love it in the book where it turns white from his emotional ordeal with Champmathieu. It really brings across just how much it all affected him, and (in my opinion) gives a real edge to the drama and emotional punch there. I would love to see that in the musical instead of it just gradually getting lighter with his age, but I guess it would be a bit difficult for audiences to swallow if his hair was suddenly white.
Roseinmisery	^Yes, passionate nostrils are a must for any Marius IMO. With Eponine, I remember her having dark hair and Azelma having red hair like her mother. Still, I could be wrong, in the 1958 film she has red hair. I've always imagined Eponine to have long, straggly dark hair and green eyes. A bit like in Shoujo Cosette but dirtier and not as pretty. I don't imagine her as being really ugly or anything, but more very impoverished and a little frightening. Celia Keenan Bolger and Pili Artaza come closest. I agree with PureDiamondLight that it would be near impossible to find an actor that actually looked like Brick!Enjolas. On stage I think the best thing is if they are blond (if they can get away with it) and, of course, wearing the beautiful vest of doom. The same goes for Fantine minus the vest of doom (obviously). If an actor or actress can't get away with blond hair because of their race, that's fine. Lea Salonga and Nikki Renee Daniels were both very convincing as Fantine without needing to look exactly as she is described. I'm not too bothered about Cosette's hair colour. Preferably a chestnut reddish brown for accuracy but I don't really mind. As long as she looks and acts sweet, I don't really mind. Leanne Dobinson and Katie Hall look most like how I imagine her. The Valjean in my head looks most like Colm Wilkinson. However, on stage I don't really care about how Valjean looks as long as he looks strong and stocky enough to lift a runaway cart (even if in reality it's made of styrofoam). I'm not too bothered about Javert either. I'd like him to look exactly as he is described in the book but most actors with the help of stick on sideburns come very close.
music is my life!!!	Our Fantine's hair looked Ginger on all the pictures onstage Her wig was gorgeous though.... although it looked as red as my hair did (and i had put loads of red hairdye on! Ideally.... Marius.... just gorgeous... He needs passion though, and if the actor has passionate nostrils, then that's just great! With Enjy, i think he just needs to be such a strength in the show... he could be blonde, or as he was in ours... long dark hair in a ponytail sigh Both of them need to pass as teenagers IMO, not in their 20's... i think that's what makes the students' deaths so tragic losses for Marius... Cosette... now we all know she's usually a traditional 'English Rose' but when i saw the tour, she was blonde... this completely worked for Cosette in my opinion, as she was so innocent and it helped to emphasise her youth. It also helped to contrast her to Eponine who was as i'd imagine her.... dark hair, scraggly, looked young enough without being a teenager.... I'd give some leway with Eponine though... as long as she's not got bright blonde hair that is obviously bleached, i think she could be anywhere from dark-dark hair to golden blonde/red like her parents.... Hmmmm ... if i feel the need to add more, i will!

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Characters' appearances, Brick vs. musical