Review of Walnut St Les Mis (Long)

Orestes Fasting · Review of Walnut St Les Mis (Long)

So I just got back from Philadelphia, where I saw the Walnut Street Theatre's production of Les Mis. And this review is gonna get long-winded, so I'll give you the gist here: go see it if you can. It's a great production, the best of the regionals so far, and in places it's superior to the standard production.

First thing I have to say is that unlike other regionals I've attended or seen videos of, this one felt like watching Les Mis, not watching a bunch of people in costume act out Les Mis. My disbelief was well and truly suspended for the three hours I was in the theater, even through the occasional rough spots. I realize that not all regional theaters have a budget like Walnut St's, but it was still a treat to watch a production that can suck me into the plot as surely as the Broadway version.

Musically speaking, I don't think the score's been shown this much respect since Cameron Mackintosh started diddling with it way back when. They're using the original orchestrations, the sound is nice and full, and can I just say it's really nice to hear Les Mis with a decent string section for once? Almost all the cuts have been restored: they've got "Now every door is closed to me," "It's the same with a tart as it is with a grocer," the full Come to Me and Castle on a Cloud, the Th�nardier-at-Waterloo spiel, the full In My Life and Every Day, "Parnasse, what are you doing," "Though we may not all survive here, there are things that never die," the Drink With Me reprise(!!!), full Dog Eats Dog, full Valjean's Confession, full wedding scene... offhand, the only cuts I can remember are the first bit of Runaway Cart (which made sense with the blocking), "Ain't got a clue what he put into the stew," "In St. Antoine they're with us to a man," some weird stuff with the oboe solo, and a modified cut to Turning. All the other cuts and lyric changes have been restored to the original versions. Honestly, my only complaints with the musical direction are nitpicks: the tempos are a little rushed, the synth piano sound gets overused a bit, the vocals are a little too over-amplified in relation to the orchestra. That's it, and none of it really interfered with my enjoyment of the show. The rest is lovely. Hearing it done like this makes you realize what an injustice the Broadway revival did to the music.

The design is loosely modeled on the original version, and the blocking is often similar in the places they haven't completely re-imagined it. The barricade scenes, especially: smaller stage, barricade looks different, but the basic setup is the same. The re-imaginings are really good though! The factory in Montreuil-sur-Mer, for example, uses two different 'bridges' (similar to the original's bridge in Look Down) to create a three-story textile factory, and A Heart Full of Love has been made into a balcony scene. Even in the places where it somewhat mirrors the original, there's a more exact sense of place, since Walnut St uses a set of painted stone walls to give the appearance of buildings or slums or interior walls or whatever they need; much more atmospheric than the original, which tends towards an empty stage with a few evocative props or small set pieces. There's a time and a place for both, of course, but I've seen the original enough times and I liked the change.

Costumes were fairly good. They strayed from the original palette of greys and browns, but the costumes for the poor were still pretty ratty, and the suits and uniforms looked spiffy. The dresses at the wedding were rather ugly, however, and while I'm talking about sets and costumes, and similarity to the original, I'd just like to go off on a rant:

Regional LM productions should have a complete moratorium on both turntables and the shiny Enjolras vest. The turntable was brilliant in the original production, but that's where it should stay; somebody please do LM without it for once, and for god's sake don't cop out and just use it to turn the barricade around and nothing else. Augh. And the vest, aside from being another distinctive feature of the original, looks like crap if you make it cheaply. I thought the North Shore one, which appeared to be made out of felt, was bad; but Walnut Street had a red vest with straggly bits of gold braid hot-glue-gunned on all crooked and falling off in random places. It looked awful, in direct contrast to how high-budget the rest seemed. If you can't make a good impression with the vest, guys, just give your Enjolras plain clothes.

Anyway.

I loved the little touches they put in. Fantine getting mugged after she sells her locket, having her hair cut onstage, singing "Come on, captain" while some sailor has her up against the wall... the court scene unfolding in Valjean's mind's eye during Who Am I... Cosette playing behind a scrim as Fantine dreams about her in Come to Me... and Th�nardier sends Young Eponine to go sweet-talk customers out of their valuables during Master of the House! And Marius, I swear to God, reads the opening lines to A Heart Full of Love off a little piece of paper while Cosette is up on the balcony laughing at his silliness. Adorable.

Act II did not drag in the middle as it's wont to do. Partly because Empty Chairs was so powerful (and Every Day was lovely), but I think it also has to do with the cuts to Turning and the reinstatement of the DWM reprise. It shifts the balance of the show just enough. However, the Final Battle was one of the few really awkward moments in the show, because they were all dead halfway through the battle music and there was nowhere to go from there. And they stuck an obvious repeat into the oboe solo (without ever really getting to the crescendo) so that Javert could go shine a flashlight on all the corpses and it was just... awkward.

I nitpick because I love. Honestly. The rest was fab.

Cast breakdown:

Hugh Panaro (Valjean): He's... well, he's Hugh Panaro. He's also a very, uhm, troubled Valjean. It wasn't exaggerated or stereotypical enough for me to slap him with a label like Anger Management Valjean, but he definitely had trouble controlling his temper at times. And I like it that way. Saint Valjean is boring--make the man work for his salvation, dammit. (Best little moment: he gets done reading Marius' farewell letter to Cosette, makes a face, and crumples it in his hand; then he takes a deep breath and smooths it out and folds it gently. The body language is totally "Okay. I will subdue my initial jealous snit, and I will go save this stupid kid.")

Paul Schoeffler (Javert): Not my cuppa. Think what would happen if Roger Allam forgot how to enunciate and mumbled his way through the role. Yeah.

Jessica Bogart (Fantine): Reminded me of one of those Victorian heroines who are too pale and delicate and virtuous to remain long upon this earth, and eventually waste away of Victorian Novel Disease. She did show some spunk in her stint as a whore, but overall her Fantine was more the pretty-and-frail type.

Scott Greer (Th�nardier): Boring. He didn't do anything wrong, per se, but he wasn't digging into the role at all. It's a shame, because the direction for Th�nardier was clearly awesome and he was just going through the motions.

Dawn Spence (Mme Th�nardier): Better than Scott Greer, but I just couldn't get over how much she reminded me of one of the witches from Hocus Pocus. She at least was having fun with the role.

Josh Young (Marius): AMAZING. Huge, powerful voice, heartbreaking in Empty Chairs, and he was such an adorable dolt with Cosette. (See abovementioned reading-off-a-scrap-of-paper in AHFOL.)

Julie Craig (Cosette): I wasn't too keen on her in her solo--vocals were a bit patchy--but she played so well off Josh and they were just so cute together. And she does have a pretty voice when it gets going.

Christina DeCicco (Eponine): Amazing up close, nothing special from further back. Her face and gestures were so expressive when I was in the front row, but that sort of nuance can't be projected to the back of the mezz. She was very buddy-buddy with Marius in a street-rat tomboy kind of way; you got the sense he didn't think of her as a girl at all. Towards the end of On My Own she was playing up the "Oh crap, I have problems, don't I" aspect, which I liked, but her ALFOR was blah.

Jeffrey Coon (Enjolras): Clearly hired for his voice. He has this great booming voice that was very nice to listen to, but he's physically not the type for the role--tall and heavyset and kind of football-jockish. And his Enjolras was such an obnoxious dickwad that I ended up closing my eyes and just listening to his voice.

Ensemble: Lively enough, but nothing can match the Broadway barricade boys so I'll just shut my mouth. Their Grantaire had potential to be interesting, but he didn't have enough to do.

And since it's almost five in the morning I'll wrap it up here, but if any of you want more details I'd be happy to spew forth a deluge of 'em after I've slept.

Quique

What a great review! Thanks for that.

I too have always wanted to see a production without the turntable. I think it can definitely be done. And it is annoying to see productions that employ the turntable for nothing more than spinning the cast in place. Mad

So great to know that regionals have the power to decide what to leave in and out. Gives me hope that some future regionals will be closer to the original in terms of orchestration.

Lucky that they used a superb orchestra and the original orchestrations! Les Mis isn't Les Mis without them, imo.

lesmisloony

OMGSOJEALOUS.

I am very, very intrigued by the balcony-style AHFOL. Un-Brickish as it is, it sounds absolutely adorable!

BroadwayBaby0202

I saw it as well (just this past Saturday) and it was REALLY great.

I believe the use of a balcony in "A Heart Full of Love" was an allusion to Romeo and Juliet...

Edit: I laughed out at the thing you said about Mme Thenardier. She was fun to watch but seriously, if you needed to describe her, a witch Hocus Pocus is spot on, lol. um...also, she stuck her tongue out a lot.

EponineMNFF

A Heart Full of Love sounds really interesting! Aalsakdhv I wish I could go see it--it sounds so great!

How were the kids?

Orestes Fasting

Little Cosette was good, Gavroche was really bad. Couldn't act or enunciate, and he looked about seven years old.

BroadwayBaby0202

The kids were good. Cosette was definitely stronger than Gavroche although he was easily the cutest child I've ever seen, lol. He was slightly under the pitch during most of his singing and I had trouble understanding him. Even though that wasn't really an issue for me, I know that my mom, who had never heard anything from the show before, said she didn't have a clue as to what he was singing about! Young Eponine had really good stage presence.

Colle

Thank you, Orestes Fasting, for a great review. I have heard good things about this production, and I wish I could go. Orestes Fasting, I don't remember if you have mentioned it before, have you seen Josh Young as Marius before, when he was on the 3nt?

bigR

I am SO envious right now. I want to see this uncut big orchestra production and that Marius reading from a piece of paper Applause

i like the "big" productions to be a replica of the original one, but I'd love to see diferents takes on the scenes from time to time.

Oh, and no related with the topic at all: Lesmisloony, I absolutely love your new montparnassy signature

Orestes Fasting

lesmisloony

I'm pretty sure I saw him. He was very good. *nods*

The Very Angry Woman

I saw him twice on tour, and didn't think he was that great, but apparently he's a lot better at Walnut Street.

lesmisloony

Mine was four years ago. And I was very much under the influence of "Ooh pretty boy." But I *think* I liked his Marius too...

CapeTwirl

Great review! I was hoping to see some talk of this production on this board.

I too saw Walnut St's LES MIS. I attended the matinee performance on May 25. I'll share with you my own thoughts that I had posted at another site:

I have seen the show in the original Broadway run, and three times during the revival, and I have to say that this one was far and away my favorite. Not having the turntable really allowed the strength of the performers and songs to come through more than it ever had before.

First thing I must mention was my seat. I was in the front row, A 303. Before buying the ticket I had actually been a bit wary, as it looked on the seating chart like this seat may be behind an outcrop and you may miss the right side of the stage.

Not at all!

I was right up against the stage, by the little staircase on the right side where all the actors enter and exit at times. Much of the action happened directly in front of me, including Fantine singing "Don't they know they're making love to one already dead," while standing right in front of me, looking directly at me. Laughing

Often times Hugh would be standing on that little staircase. If you've seen the show you know what I'm talking about. When Javert is captured & tied up he was practically in my lap. Laughing

Now to the show.

Hugh gives one of the strongest performances I've ever seen. His voice is just beyond words. You all know he has a great voice, that is not a surprise, but I have never heard it as strong before! He moves effortlessly between powerful low notes and clear as a bell tenor tones. It was just beautiful. I really believed him as Valjean. He played the role as much more conflicted and full of inner turmoil, anger & self-doubt than I had seen in previous productions. He also seemed a much more physical presence, which is interesting because let's face it, he's not the typical stocky Valjean seen in most other productions. It was all accomplished through makeup & wigs and how he carries himself onstage. When I first heard he would be playing Valjean, I admit I was a bit wary. I knew he had the vocals, but could he fit the part? Yes. Yes he can, brilliantly.

After "Valjean's Soliloquy," the couple next to me were commenting on how wondrous his voice was. They had never seen him before and were very impressed. In fact everything I overheard people saying during intermission and while clapping were uniformly positive and very complimentary towards Hugh.

The makeup/wigs worked very well. The "caveman" wig really does not seem over the top in the context of the actual show. I really didn't even notice it, believe it or not. His wigs for the middle-aged Valjean are a bit different than in the photos. They're not as loose and flowing, much less feminine. I have to give props to the makeup department. Sitting in the front row you notice everything, and they really did a great job aging Hugh throughout the show. It's not some slipshod job with a few dark lines and shadows.

I think it was during "Bring Him Home" when I had the thought that "this moment right now is one of the highlights of my entire theatre-going experience." And I say that not just because I am a friend & fan, but because very rarely am I ever moved to tears during a song, and he managed to do that here. I'd heard him sing the song before, but nothing like this. Wow. Just breathtaking. I did want to strangle the audience for stepping on his last note in that song though. Dammit people, don't clap until the song is over or you drown out that final high note!

Hugh in the finale made me tear up during his death scene, something I have not done at that point in the show since the very first time I saw LES MIS in 1992. It was a little awkward to have him exit stage left only to reappear behind the scrim with Fantine & Eponine, but that was just a small thing.

I was very impressed by Jeff Coon & Josh Young. Fabulous voices, both of them! At times Josh reminded me of Hugh as Marius. I'm interested to hear what they do next. Aside from Hugh, Josh was my favorite performer in the show. His "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was very moving and I love how it was staged. They were actually selling Josh Young's CD in the lobby, which I would have bought had the merchandise booth been open when I returned to the lobby afterwards. Jeff Coon will actually be the cover for Valjean starting 7/20, so he should be going on in the role at least twice. (The current cover is Nicholas Saverine. Note for anyone who is planning on going, Hugh will not be performing on Tuesdays. Instead his cover will go on. That was not his decision but something the producers wanted done. The box office will give refunds if you've purchased tickets for a Tuesday and don't wish to see the understudy.)

I wish I liked Paul Schoeffler's performance more. I don't know what it was that seemed off to me. I liked his voice but he spoke the lines too stilted maybe?

The sets were amazing. You'd never know this wasn't the original staging. I really liked the factory set. "Lovely Ladies" was staged differently, it's much more raunchy & debauched. And there's one moment of unexpected humor that I won't give away. Laughing

I thought it was a great change to have Fantine actually shown as being a prostitute. We see her service two clients in the background as the other ladies sing.

One criticism I do have is I wish the voice of the army captain was more booming and had less of an obvious lisp. "You at the barricade lithen to thith."

I was also not too fond of the Gavroche at that performance. He was very cute, but did not enunciate well and was hard to understand.

One thing that was completely unexpected was after the intermission as they brought the lights down, the announcer said that after the performance they would have a free talk back session with some of the cast members if any of the audience wanted to stay! (Well you don't have to ask me twice, lol) At the talkback, several people commented on how for the first time they could understand all of Valjean's lines and praised Hugh on his enunciation. (I also heard several people express their shock that the Hugh sitting on the stage was the same guy who had just played Valjean! They thought he'd be bigger and older. Laughing

)

It really was a fabulous production, much better than I could have hoped for. I sincerely urge anyone who will be in the Philly area to check it out! I have tickets to several other dates and I can't wait to see it again!

Paula74 · Re: Review of Walnut St Les Mis (Long)

BroadwayBaby0202

Paula - I believe I saw Dante Mignucci.

jazzygirlsings

So good to hear that the show is being well-received. Julie Craig and I did "42nd Street" together and it's great to know that she's doing well as Cosette. Aside from being one of the most adorable people on the planet, that girl is a MAJOR triple-threat! And I think it's funny that few people actually know what a phenomenal dancer she is...She just got done with the Snapple Theatre run of "The Fantasticks" and the musical director (who I sing in Vocal Ease with) had NO IDEA that she was also a dancer!

BroadwayBaby0202

jazzygirlsings

RavnQuest1

Really nice review. I just came back from seeing the Walnut production for the second time (I'm local to the area), so I'm going to throw in my two cents:

First, some background on the Walnut:

Being the largest subscribed theatre in the world (56,000+) should for me mean large production value, but again I was disappointed with he lack of automation, poor set construction and overall production quality. Costumes with hot-glue were mentioned, and that's sort of the level of work that they do there, mostly because I guess the general audience doesn't know any better. Until this production, the sound reinforcement has been downright terrible, and I still think that the system is still very underpowered. There are still a lot of things fundamentally wrong with the sound there, and most of the principal cast (including Hugh) sound awful- without a doubt not what they naturally sound like.

I missed most of the nuances of the score in the balcony, which is sad for such a small theatre. I'm sure the Walnut production is higher quality that most regional efforts, but for me it wasn't good enough for the resources they have.

As for the cast, the Walnut has a very bad habit of casting the same local actors in every show, and that is what about 3/4 of the cast are including Jeff Coon (Enjolras). It's the same people up there playing themselves like they do every show every season. I've worked with a lot of them in other places, and trust me, they are a comfort zone for the director- the same people doing the same thing. It doesn't challenge the cast or the creative team to really create art, and they hide behind this idea that the subscribers want to see the same faces. The art and the shows suffer for it. And the despite what they constantly spout in articles, they copy Broadway as much as they can, whether it's intentional or accidental. Mackintosh forced them to re-invent the show in order to be one of the first to win the rights, so they had to fulfill that contractual obligation and I don't think they should be given much credit for making staging and design changes- they didn't have a choice.

I will agree that I most of the changes were excellent, I just wish they had gone all the way.

I agree with most of what was said about the principal casting, I didn't like Josh Young on the tour either, but he is fantastic in this production, as is Christina DeCicco (Eponine) and Julie Craig (Cosette). The show shines when the "broadway ringers" are up there.

Hugh Panaro has a fantastic voice, and I loved what he did as the Phantom. As Valjean, while I appreciate that he is trying to depart from the tradition and make the role his own, I didn't agree with what he did. Sometimes I felt as if he was doing his own show. I don't understand why his Valjean was so angry for so long. After thinking about his portrayal I couldn't get at some of his motivations for certain scenes, or understand what he was doing. It didn't help that Paul Schoeffler is cardboard up there with him, and gave Javert no depth at all. I will give Hugh credit for playing the role as he said that he intended to in interviews prior to opening, he definitely succeeded in bringing his Valjean to life. I just found him hard to relate to.

I don't know if it was posted here, but Panaro does not perform on Tuesdays- I think that was the Walnut's idea. I would highly recommend that everyone who is able to go more than once go on a Tuesday and see Nicholas Saverine as Valjean. While his voice is not as strong as Hugh's, he is a fantastic actor and really brought Valjean to life in ways I haven't seen anyone else do. He's an older guy with a lot of shows under his belt across both the USA and Europe, and he was magnificent last night.

I believe Saverine is gone after 7/19 so Jeff Coon (usually Enjolras) will sing Valjean and Ben Dibble (ensemble) will cover Enjolras for the last 2 Tuesdays.

I'll be at the last performance and will probably try to see it once more before 8/3.

This production is definitely worth seeing and tickets are getting harder to come by, so get them now because they can't extend it again.

RavnQuest1

MmeJavert

Um, I'm going on my birthday, which is July 22, and if Ben Dibble is Enjolras and Jeff Coon is Valjean then my two biggest problems are solved.

I found Hugh to be ... mediocre. Sorry, Hugh-fans, but after seeing JOJ and Colm live I have a HIGH standard for Valjean and Hugh didn't meet it, whether in his vocals or acting. I don't say he was bad or he did anything wrong, I just don't believe he did anything AMAZING. Therefore I'd rather see an understudy.

I found Jeffrey Coon to be a terrible choice for Enjolras. I'm more willing to forgive a pretty Enjolras with stage presence and a weak voice than an Enjolras with a strong voice and no presence and a wrong body type. Jeffrey Coon should never have been cast as Enjolras (and in my opinion, not most of the other roles in his bio, either), but in light of what's already been said I don't want to rehash it too much.

So I'm really looking forward to my Tuesday night performance on July 22. Jeffrey Coon DOES actually seem the type to do well with Valjean and we'll see how it is; and Ben Dibble in the ensemble really makes me agree with him as Enjolras, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm considering another visit to Walnut Street in the interim but until I've gotten settled at a job I'm not making any more explicit plans.

I didn't hate Paul Schoeffler's Javert. He wasn't great, his enunciation left a lot to be desired, but I didn't actively dislike him. I actually didn't actively dislike ANY of the cast other than Dante Mignucci's Gavroche, but my problem is more that I've seen some OUTSTANDING cast members and the Broadway revival ensemble I became EXTREMELY fond of, so I'm a bit overcritical of certain things.

I loved the staging and the orchestrations and their version of the libretto, and I was very surprised when I found out the orchestra is only 14-piece; it sounded much more than that to me.

I'm sorry if this seemed rambling, but Orestes hit on most of what I would've said (and we were sitting right next to each other that evening show. XD)

jarrod001

Christina DeCicco is the shit.

Jennifer Lynn

I agree with nearly all Orestes' points! I took my mother on Saturday (it was her 2007 Christmas present).

I was REALLY impressed with all the little touches and unique staging choices. Cosette seemed to be more three-dimensional, demanding the truth of Valjean during "In My Life" more forcefully than I ever remember seeing. And maybe it was just me, but when she and Eponine saw each other as adults right after the attempted robbery, I thought I saw a flicker of half-realized recognition on her face. (But maybe that's just because I was looking for it--I've always wanted to see a Cosette that played it like that.)

But my favorite Valjean moment was when he has the chance to kill Javert. For a moment, after "How right you should kill with a knife," he holds the knife to Javert's throat, and the music pauses. Then, "You talk too much...your life is safe in my hands."

I like that because it shows a Valjean that ISN'T just a cardboard saint, that is vulnerable to very real and understandable anger. But it also shows Valjean making the active CHOICE for mercy. Which makes sense if you realize that the whole story is about moral choices...Valjean must choose, again and again, through his entire life, to follow the example the Bishop sent him. (Which was why I also liked that moment of crumpling up the note, pausing, then smoothing it out and re-folding it.)

A few seconds after that, Valjean delivered "You are WRONG! And always HAVE been wrong!" with more frustration than I'd ever seen a Valjean project.

Just incredible.

And I've always said that Les Mis doesn't stand or fall on its turntables or its set pieces. This production proved it! (I mean, think about it--even in the original production, for all Les Mis' reputation as a big spectacular mega-musical, how many scenes were played on a near-empty stage with only a few simple sets and one or two characters?)

Vanessa20

Jennifer Lynn

Orestes Fasting

Yeah, and street parking's free on Sundays. If you're worried about cost and you're under 25, I think Walnut has some sort of discounted youth-ticket offer, so you could call them and ask for specifics.

Vanessa20

Thanks for the tips, but I'm stuck taking an intensive art history course in California. I literally don't have the time or money to fly to Philadelphia right now.

I wish I could, though. I'm dying to see a regional production that's actually good in its own right and not just a pale substitute for the original.

Jennifer Lynn

Oh, BTW, Orestes-- "Victorian Novel Disease"? Hee! I thought it was called "Old Movie Disease." And my friend Alan calls it CMT--Convenient Movie Tuberculosis--the kind that can let a beautiful singer at the Moulin Rouge belt out a song from diseased lungs one minute and drop dead at an appropriately dramatic moment the next.

Vanessa20

lostquiche

Hey, I just saw this too! Everyone has been spot-on (who says that anymore?) in their reviews. I love love loved Hugh Panaro and when I talked to him afterwards (they didn't have a stage door, they just came out the front!) he was soooo nice I couldn't beleive someone that talented was a normal person!(I should post my picture with him, he held his dog in it too!) Maruis was adorable, Eponine was great (I thougt) , as were Cosette and The Thenardiers (I liked their little dance during the wedding). Javert was so so, I didn't like his modern-day soulpatch thingie instead of the mutton chops very much. I also really appreciated the little touches, like the "special" whore in LL Wink

and the red flag being the tablecloth. A great production overall! Very Happy

bigR

Mmmm... the red flag has always been the Red and Black tablecloth.
Which, come to think of it, is kind of weird.

Orestes Fasting

Oh yes, the "special" whore. I can't believe I forgot to mention that. Laughing

The Very Angry Woman

Mademoiselle Lanoire

Paula74

Huzzah for Combeferre · Oh... CRAP.

I am going to see this August 2nd. I was relatively nervous about it because
1.) I've never been to a show before- ever.
2.) I didn't really know what to expect.

After reading the reviews, I'm somewhat relieved. But I have a bit of a problem... especially after reading about the 'special' prostitute and the bits where we see Fantine at her work...

I'm actually going to see this with my family. I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out how to... prepare them for what they are about to see. I'm sure, with any normal family this wouldn't be a problem, however:

- My stepfather is a jerk, and if he sees anyone who is like the 'special' prostitute, he does not hesitate to speak (or should I say scream his head off in a very obnoxious way,) about it, no matter who can hear.
- My mother is laboring under the delusion that I am still three years old, so anything that is not sunshine and daisies is completely inappropriate.
- Several children will be attending between the ages of 10-12. (One of them has ADD as well.)
- Two of my cousins are male and think that all girls have cooties.
- My aunt is a psychiatrist and will probably think that I am severely screwed up in the head for liking this kind of thing.

And none of them have any idea what they are in store for. Mein Kopf tut mir weh.

Orestes Fasting

You might win them over by pointing out that while the show has one or two raunchy scenes, they're all presented in a moral context and not glorified.

Paula74

bigR

Yep. The moral context thing should work.

As long as they don't realize that all the barricade boys are gay, of course Wink

SylvieProuvaire

Huzzah for Combeferre

I tried to moral context thing... And the result was actually rather hilarious. I called her up on the telephone while she was at work.

ME: Hey, mom. Remember Les Mis?
HER: What?
ME: The musical we're going to see.
HER: Of course. What about it.
ME: I found out that there are a couple of raunchy moments... and I just wanted to warn you.
HER: Is this appropriate for your age level?
ME: Yeah, mom. It's put into moral context.
HER: ...
ME: It displays the faults of society by taking us through the forced moral corruption of a young woman as the result of one of the most selfless acts a mother can commit for her child.
HER: ... Great. I need to get back to work.

Click.

Well, she can't say I didn't warn her.

mastachen

Raunchy moments in Les Mis?

I think Les Mis is pretty PG.

I went to see Spring Awakening with my mom and I didn't warn her about anything. My mom liked it though, she called my dad right after, "We watched a musical that showed nipples!......No not men's nipples! It wouldn't be a big deal if it was a guy!!"

Orestes Fasting

I've never seen Spring Awakening, let alone with a parent, but a few years ago my dad and I were in town and looking at the posters outside an independent movie theater. Dad said, "Hey, Brokeback Mountain! I heard that was good."

I don't think it gets any more embarrassing than watching Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall have buttsex while your father's sitting one seat over.

EponineMNFF

I dunno. Sitting between my parents in Avenue Q and watching puppet sex was pretty dreadful. xD

Ulkis

lostquiche

Huzzah for Combeferre

Mother/Son, actually. But yeah, wasn't it?

I personally don't find Les Miserables 'raunchy.' But I am nothing like my family. It's weird. They can watch a shoot- em- up movie with sex scenes without flinching. But they spaz out when something happens in a play. It's like they expect all musicals to be like the Sound of Music, where the only 'action' that goes on is a peck on the cheek.

I can imagine their faces: Shocked

Paula74

There's a good podcast interview with Hugh about Les Miz (and many other things) up now at D.C. Theatre Scene:

http://dctheatrescene.com/2008/07/01/hugh-panaro/

Huzzah for Combeferre

Cool. Thanks for a link.

Jekkienumber24601

	Musicals.Net Forums -> Les Miserables
Page 1 of 1

The Resource For Musicals

Review of Walnut St Les Mis (Long)

Re: Review of Walnut St Les Mis (Long)

Oh... CRAP.