By Manning Harris
fmanningh@gmail.com
The 25th Anniversary Production of “Les Misérables” is on view at the Fox Theatre through April 29, and it’s a knockout.
Even if you’ve seen it before—and you probably have—you’ll gasp at the beauty, depth, and magnitude of this presentation of a masterpiece musical.
I remember a Newsweek cover story in 1987 shortly after it opened on Broadway: “Show of Shows,” the cover said; if you’re lucky enough to see this version (and tickets are virtually gone for the entire run), you’ll know that the cover was not hyperbole. And the thing is—it’s gotten even better.
How, you ask? Oh, “glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo;” this is PR copy, but it happens to be accurate. The Paris sewers, for instance, use computer images projected against the back wall; it’s a whole different 3-D sort of imaging, and this is used throughout the evening.
But it’s much more than this: the sound of the show, for both orchestra and singers, is perfection. Sound engineer Mick Potter and his crew have defied the notoriously vast and tricky space of the Fox, and they have won. From the opening notes I have never heard such clarity and power in any show there, ever.
The creators of this show are well-known, but let’s give credit: the classic novel by Victor Hugo, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer (original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel), direction by Laurence Connor and James Powell, produced by Cameron Mackintosh.
The plot is complex and compelling: In France in 1815 Jean Valjean (Peter Lockyer) steals a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s child and is imprisoned for 19 years. Then he escapes and starts life anew, relentlessly pursued by the “justice” obsessed Javert (Andrew Varela). (That’s all the plot you get here; if you make it to the show, there’s a detailed synopsis in the program.) These two performers are transcendently talented.
Not only are there no weak links in this dream cast, but the level of talent here is astounding and unrelenting. I’ll mention but a few: Fantine, Betsy Morgan; Eponine, Chasten Harmon; Cosette, Lauren Wiley; Marius, Max Quinlan; the Thénardiers, Timothy Gulan and Shawna M. Hamic; Gavroche, Joshua Colley; and many more.
My companion for the evening, a true “Les Mis” aficionado, wondered how it was possible to be so moved after having seen the show many times. I can’t answer that, but I can tell you that once the show gets rolling, you know you’re seeing and hearing a work of art unfold before your eyes and ears. These actors and this crew are clearly “in the zone.” The show (which is sung through, you know, like an opera) works on so many levels: tragic, comic, romantic, and humanistic. And then there’s that soaring music. You really can’t lose.
The problem is tickets: If you already have one, consider yourself blessed; if not, well, the Fox seats 4,500 people (I know, too big for live theatre; but I’m making an exception for this show.) Go to the box office, go to the internet, go to Publix Ticketmaster—miracles happen! “Les Mis” rules Atlanta theatre this week.
For more visit broadwayacrossamerica.com or foxtheatre.org.
Saw the show last night for I think the 8th time and you are right it was as good as the first time I saw it on Broadway over 22 years ago. It was breathtaking and stunning. My daughter has waited for a long time for this to tour in Atlanta again and I must say that the wait was worth it.
Brilliant.
Saw the show last night for I think the 8th time and you are right it was as good as the first time I saw it on Broadway over 22 years ago. It was breathtaking and stunning. My daughter has waited for a long time for this to tour in Atlanta again and I must say that the wait was worth it.
Brilliant.
Manning, have you seen the show before?
I think the use of “dream cast” seems a bit far-fetched, and by a bit, I mean completely.
The cast in this new staging is adequate, but let’s be realistic, it ain’t a dream.
Examples:
The Eponine character, who usually is the most dynamic in the show, is absolutely horrible. Worst I have ever seen (5 broadway, 4 touring) in 16 years of seeing this show. She seems like somebody in the audition rounds of American Idol that just thinks she is the bomb and needs to put vocal run-ups where they don’t belong. Add to that she seems to have a soft-spoken mumble about her, and I was just crushed to see such a prime role murdered. The single worst mauling of On My Own that I’ve heard.
Fantine’s actress also left a lot to be desired, though she sure filled out her corset well. When she broke into her too-quickly-tempoed version of I Dreamed a Dream, I couldn’t help but think I was watching a high school audition. Constant moving about the stage, over-acting, and just pitchy dawg.
Valjean started out a little “meh” but pulled himself together for Bring Him Home, which was nice. The guy has a tendency to go up in pitch when most Valjeans would be going down though. Drove me nuts all night.
And Javert, the character which can dominate a show at any time, was not bad either, though not without fault. First off, he was kind of short. Javert should be a large, imposing figure. This guy was about one inch taller than Valjean. He was struggling through Stars until the last verse where he kinda pulled it out of his rear and saved the song. His suicide was paced wayyyy too quickly and he flatly did not have the ability to bring the appropriate emotion and struggle into the song. Big time letdown.
Overall, 5/10. It was an average showing, even with the newly transformed set.
But those who have never seen the show before, and have no idea how good it can be when properly acted, you’ll like it. The story is fantastic, no matter who is destroying the beautiful music.
Manning, have you seen the show before?
I think the use of “dream cast” seems a bit far-fetched, and by a bit, I mean completely.
The cast in this new staging is adequate, but let’s be realistic, it ain’t a dream.
Examples:
The Eponine character, who usually is the most dynamic in the show, is absolutely horrible. Worst I have ever seen (5 broadway, 4 touring) in 16 years of seeing this show. She seems like somebody in the audition rounds of American Idol that just thinks she is the bomb and needs to put vocal run-ups where they don’t belong. Add to that she seems to have a soft-spoken mumble about her, and I was just crushed to see such a prime role murdered. The single worst mauling of On My Own that I’ve heard.
Fantine’s actress also left a lot to be desired, though she sure filled out her corset well. When she broke into her too-quickly-tempoed version of I Dreamed a Dream, I couldn’t help but think I was watching a high school audition. Constant moving about the stage, over-acting, and just pitchy dawg.
Valjean started out a little “meh” but pulled himself together for Bring Him Home, which was nice. The guy has a tendency to go up in pitch when most Valjeans would be going down though. Drove me nuts all night.
And Javert, the character which can dominate a show at any time, was not bad either, though not without fault. First off, he was kind of short. Javert should be a large, imposing figure. This guy was about one inch taller than Valjean. He was struggling through Stars until the last verse where he kinda pulled it out of his rear and saved the song. His suicide was paced wayyyy too quickly and he flatly did not have the ability to bring the appropriate emotion and struggle into the song. Big time letdown.
Overall, 5/10. It was an average showing, even with the newly transformed set.
But those who have never seen the show before, and have no idea how good it can be when properly acted, you’ll like it. The story is fantastic, no matter who is destroying the beautiful music.
Oh dear–sorry the show didn’t meet with your approval–in so many ways.
Obviously I disagree, but to me that’s part of the fun of art; we all react in different ways.
And yes, I have seen the show before–including the original Broadway cast.
Thanks for writing and expressing your view!
Best wishes–
Manning Harris
Oh dear–sorry the show didn’t meet with your approval–in so many ways.
Obviously I disagree, but to me that’s part of the fun of art; we all react in different ways.
And yes, I have seen the show before–including the original Broadway cast.
Thanks for writing and expressing your view!
Best wishes–
Manning Harris
The performance was great. The problem was Fox Theater’s handling of late comers. We sat in the back half of the right orchestra which has unfortunately, an aisle between the seats and the stage. Fox allowed people to be seated during the first and second scenes. I am not talking about 4 ro 5 people, I am talking about a parade of at least 50 people standing in the aisles trying to find their seats in the dark. I missed at least half of the first two songs because of this ridiculous disregard for the people who made it to their seats before the show started. The same problem caused us to miss the better part of the first scene after the intermission although the drunks who couldn’t find their seats and had to be rescued by a friend was somewhat amusing. I am very disappointed in Fox Theater. Atlanta deserves better than that.
The performance was great. The problem was Fox Theater’s handling of late comers. We sat in the back half of the right orchestra which has unfortunately, an aisle between the seats and the stage. Fox allowed people to be seated during the first and second scenes. I am not talking about 4 ro 5 people, I am talking about a parade of at least 50 people standing in the aisles trying to find their seats in the dark. I missed at least half of the first two songs because of this ridiculous disregard for the people who made it to their seats before the show started. The same problem caused us to miss the better part of the first scene after the intermission although the drunks who couldn’t find their seats and had to be rescued by a friend was somewhat amusing. I am very disappointed in Fox Theater. Atlanta deserves better than that.
I must have been watching the same show Ty was watching last night as I felt almost in complete agreement wtih him. Yes the set was spectacular. Updated (finally!) And the visual effects, much more engaging… so I will give the PR people props for highlighting one of the only redeeming qualities of this show. I was sooooo disappointed that three of my absolute favorite songs in this universe were oversang in this the 25th anniversary tour that should have instead been amazing and moved me beyond words. These songs were oversang to the point of being amateur hour. Fantine’s “I Dream a Dream” was too desparate to the point of campiness; very one diminsional in my opinion–usually that scene moves me more than almost anything in the show sans “Bring Him Home,” and last night I felt the a complete lack of connection from the actress to her perfomance. It was as if she knew how to sing techincally but had no idea how to be an actress through song. Less is sometimes so much more, but apparently she hasn’t learned that lesson yet. And I was so disappointed. It felt empty, and hollow. Eponine’s “On my Own” and “A Little Fall of Rain,” were absolutely dreadful. Again, overdone, underwhelming and completely disconnected from the character, showing off but not showing vocal skill… yet giving off an air of confidence that quite frankly came off as arrogance -the actress was almost shouting her notes at the audience as if saying “look at me, I am in lead role of Eponine and I am amazing.” Problem is by doing this, she actually failed in her attempt to BE Eponine. I was wondering how this 25th anniversary performance could be so ridiculous. And then as I watched more and more of the performance I began to wonder if the directing had something to do with it. It was as if the performers (sans Jean Val Jean)had been given the direction to go as big as they could. Every motion, every fight scene, every death was played up to the point of being campy and it ruined the show for me. I have seen this show dozens of times, and there are sometimes weaker voices and amazing voices but never have I seen the show be so uniformly bad. And this I believe comes down to directing. The performers were directed in a way that made them unbelievable. Had they gotten proper performance notes in rehersal and been told to reign it in instead of blow it out-then perhaps my review would be of a different nature. The exceptions to this for me, were Jean Val Jean and Javier. Jean Val Jean’s voice was almost flawless, and he was connected to his character at least. I enjoyed watching him and felt his pain as he struggled to redeem his soul and that of others in his care. Javier was brilliant at first, and I was thinking he was perhaps the best of that role I had ever seen, until the suicide scene. And this is where I again agree with reviewer Ty. It was rushed. It felt so hurried that it fell flat. The struggle in his soul didnt have time to manifest because it was as if he was running a race against time to finish the song and get off the stage. And again my disappointment returned throwing cold water on the joy i had managed to regain after hearing the passion and sense of sacrifice so eloquently conveyed in Val Jean’s “Bring Him Home”.
Sigh. I have never felt like I have wasted money on that show-ever…. until now. 525 dollars for 4 seats and I wished at the end I had just stuck the anniversary performance from PBS in my DVD player. It would have been much more impactful than the live spectacle I endured.
I must have been watching the same show Ty was watching last night as I felt almost in complete agreement wtih him. Yes the set was spectacular. Updated (finally!) And the visual effects, much more engaging… so I will give the PR people props for highlighting one of the only redeeming qualities of this show. I was sooooo disappointed that three of my absolute favorite songs in this universe were oversang in this the 25th anniversary tour that should have instead been amazing and moved me beyond words. These songs were oversang to the point of being amateur hour. Fantine’s “I Dream a Dream” was too desparate to the point of campiness; very one diminsional in my opinion–usually that scene moves me more than almost anything in the show sans “Bring Him Home,” and last night I felt the a complete lack of connection from the actress to her perfomance. It was as if she knew how to sing techincally but had no idea how to be an actress through song. Less is sometimes so much more, but apparently she hasn’t learned that lesson yet. And I was so disappointed. It felt empty, and hollow. Eponine’s “On my Own” and “A Little Fall of Rain,” were absolutely dreadful. Again, overdone, underwhelming and completely disconnected from the character, showing off but not showing vocal skill… yet giving off an air of confidence that quite frankly came off as arrogance -the actress was almost shouting her notes at the audience as if saying “look at me, I am in lead role of Eponine and I am amazing.” Problem is by doing this, she actually failed in her attempt to BE Eponine. I was wondering how this 25th anniversary performance could be so ridiculous. And then as I watched more and more of the performance I began to wonder if the directing had something to do with it. It was as if the performers (sans Jean Val Jean)had been given the direction to go as big as they could. Every motion, every fight scene, every death was played up to the point of being campy and it ruined the show for me. I have seen this show dozens of times, and there are sometimes weaker voices and amazing voices but never have I seen the show be so uniformly bad. And this I believe comes down to directing. The performers were directed in a way that made them unbelievable. Had they gotten proper performance notes in rehersal and been told to reign it in instead of blow it out-then perhaps my review would be of a different nature. The exceptions to this for me, were Jean Val Jean and Javier. Jean Val Jean’s voice was almost flawless, and he was connected to his character at least. I enjoyed watching him and felt his pain as he struggled to redeem his soul and that of others in his care. Javier was brilliant at first, and I was thinking he was perhaps the best of that role I had ever seen, until the suicide scene. And this is where I again agree with reviewer Ty. It was rushed. It felt so hurried that it fell flat. The struggle in his soul didnt have time to manifest because it was as if he was running a race against time to finish the song and get off the stage. And again my disappointment returned throwing cold water on the joy i had managed to regain after hearing the passion and sense of sacrifice so eloquently conveyed in Val Jean’s “Bring Him Home”.
Sigh. I have never felt like I have wasted money on that show-ever…. until now. 525 dollars for 4 seats and I wished at the end I had just stuck the anniversary performance from PBS in my DVD player. It would have been much more impactful than the live spectacle I endured.
Wow–seen it dozens of times, eh? Fascinating that people feel so passionately about this show–one way or the other. Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing your thoughts. It’s a shame that Jean Valjean, or rather the actor who played him, who had an “almost flawless” voice and started so promisingly for you still fell from grace…
Wow–seen it dozens of times, eh? Fascinating that people feel so passionately about this show–one way or the other. Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing your thoughts. It’s a shame that Jean Valjean, or rather the actor who played him, who had an “almost flawless” voice and started so promisingly for you still fell from grace…
In response to Jean: I have volunteered at the Fox for 15+ years, and I have to say that late-comers are *always* an issue. It’s a running joke that folks around here cannot get to a show on time. But as a frequent patron of the arts as well, I know it’s no joke to those of us who understand it takes time to get to Peachtree, time to park, walk to the theatre, etc. Many people seem to think they can arrive somewhere near Peachtree at 7:55 and have plenty of time.
In any case, the Fox management does not set the late seating policy for shows. As a rental facility, the Fox is bound by the production company’s rules regarding late seating of patrons. I’ll be the first to admit that we (meaning the Fox…even though I do not speak for the Fox) could sometimes implement those rules in a better manner. But the bottom line is: if the production company says to continue seating throughout the show, that’s what we have to do. If they say to hold patrons on the back (or in the lobby, etc.) for the first x number of songs, that’s what we have to do.
There are many, many times I wish we could hold patrons in the back until a certain point…but, for better or worse, the folks paying the rental fee (the production company) makes the rules that govern those actions.
And, yes, it does sometimes help to complain. But don’t complain to Fox staff…complain to Broadway Atlanta. They will (and have) persuaded production companies to change their policies when enough people bring things like this to their attention.
In response to Jean: I have volunteered at the Fox for 15+ years, and I have to say that late-comers are *always* an issue. It’s a running joke that folks around here cannot get to a show on time. But as a frequent patron of the arts as well, I know it’s no joke to those of us who understand it takes time to get to Peachtree, time to park, walk to the theatre, etc. Many people seem to think they can arrive somewhere near Peachtree at 7:55 and have plenty of time.
In any case, the Fox management does not set the late seating policy for shows. As a rental facility, the Fox is bound by the production company’s rules regarding late seating of patrons. I’ll be the first to admit that we (meaning the Fox…even though I do not speak for the Fox) could sometimes implement those rules in a better manner. But the bottom line is: if the production company says to continue seating throughout the show, that’s what we have to do. If they say to hold patrons on the back (or in the lobby, etc.) for the first x number of songs, that’s what we have to do.
There are many, many times I wish we could hold patrons in the back until a certain point…but, for better or worse, the folks paying the rental fee (the production company) makes the rules that govern those actions.
And, yes, it does sometimes help to complain. But don’t complain to Fox staff…complain to Broadway Atlanta. They will (and have) persuaded production companies to change their policies when enough people bring things like this to their attention.
I loved the JVJ and Jauvert performers as well as Eponine but thought the Fantine performer fell short, especially after hearing Susan Boyle sing one of her songs. Cosette sounded a bit like the Little Mermaid. We saw a production in the early 90s and I don’t recall any crudeness. Having some teens with us, the scenes with the
ladies of the evening and later at the inn where Cosette lived were a bit, um, crude. I hope our
teens didn’t notice the “dirty dancing” going on.
There were younger children there, too -yikes!
We paid almost $100 apiece for nosebleed seats at a matinee. It was entertaining but …..
I loved the JVJ and Jauvert performers as well as Eponine but thought the Fantine performer fell short, especially after hearing Susan Boyle sing one of her songs. Cosette sounded a bit like the Little Mermaid. We saw a production in the early 90s and I don’t recall any crudeness. Having some teens with us, the scenes with the
ladies of the evening and later at the inn where Cosette lived were a bit, um, crude. I hope our
teens didn’t notice the “dirty dancing” going on.
There were younger children there, too -yikes!
We paid almost $100 apiece for nosebleed seats at a matinee. It was entertaining but …..
Saw the afternoon performance at the Fox yesterday.I haven’t seen the show before (believe it or not) but agree with Ty and Fran. Having heard countless covers of ‘Dream the Dream’ before, I felt this Fantine to be a little pitchy, trying to do ‘too much’. Valjean’s ‘Bring me Home’ was perfect (including last 3 notes). Eponine’s character didn’t exactly shine through either. Compared to my previous (other) musical experiences mostly at NYC and London, I do feel the crowd management and etiquette could be better. But overall, quite gratifying and very welldone.
Saw the afternoon performance at the Fox yesterday.I haven’t seen the show before (believe it or not) but agree with Ty and Fran. Having heard countless covers of ‘Dream the Dream’ before, I felt this Fantine to be a little pitchy, trying to do ‘too much’. Valjean’s ‘Bring me Home’ was perfect (including last 3 notes). Eponine’s character didn’t exactly shine through either. Compared to my previous (other) musical experiences mostly at NYC and London, I do feel the crowd management and etiquette could be better. But overall, quite gratifying and very welldone.
Now that I have worked the show (Saturday night), I can give a little more insight to the late-seating issues as well as a mini-review.
Production companies can (and have) changed their late seating policies during the run of a show, and I wonder if that happened with Les Miz because of complaints. Saturday night, we were informed that there is a 15 minute hold at the start of the show. (Through Jean Valjean’s back story.) As is typical for a Saturday evening show (and a full house), there were a couple of hundred late-comers.
After the hold, Fox staff and volunteer ushers attempted to meter out how many folks were taken down the aisles at one time to minimize disruption to folks already seated. But with so many patrons to take down, I’m sure it was a major distraction for those seated in the back half of the theatre. But that method is really the best way to handle it. But, again, the folks towards the back probably feel differently. With a 90-minute first act, it’s unreasonable to make patrons stand in the back until intermission. (Broadway theatres are more strict about this…but this ain’t Broadway.)
There were no restrictions about when we could seat people during the show. Many of us try to wait until a scene change or the end of a major song…but those who didn’t wait until those times were not going against any policy.
As I mentioned before, late-comers bug me as well (when I’m a patron and when I’m a worker). The way I try not to let it get under my skin too much is to remember that (in general) the late-seating ruckus will be over in about 5 minutes….so I try to calm my irritation with that knowledge.
On the up-side, I was surprised that we had very few folks get up during the show for a restroom or food/drink run. Very unusual for a show this length. To me, that signals that the audience is engaged with the show and (presumably) enjoying it.
I, too, have seen Les Miserables quite a few times, both as patron and as worker, and I agree with Manning that this production is pretty great. However, I also agree with some of the critiques posted by others above.
First off, did I miss the turntable staging from the original production? Yes…during some scenes. Overall, no. 95% of the time, the new sets / scenery made up for the turntables loss.
The new orchestration: wonderful and beautiful.
Cast: overall, excellent. But a few folks didn’t quite fit the bill. As others above stated, I thought the actress who portrayed Fantine really, really, really over-sung “I Dreamed a Dream”. And I, too, wonder if this was a result of the director demanding “more power” “more emotion” “more more more”. Because the actress was certainly capable of singing beautifully in her other limited scenes. But by the time “Dream” ended, I felt she was shouting at the audience. Shouting doesn’t equal emotion.
Similarly, Eponine verged on tipping the emotion scale towards the shouting end a few times. Dial it down would be my advice.
I also agree with Manning that the sound engineers did a great job adjusting to the cavern-like acoustics of the Fox.
Since the Saturday evening show was sold out, we lowly volunteers had to stand in the back to watch the show. It’s a testament to my love of Les Miserables and my enjoyment of this production that I watched the entire nearly 3-hour show while standing. (We’re off duty and can leave if we want after intermission.)
If the Atlanta run were longer, I would pay to see it as a seated patron.
Now that I have worked the show (Saturday night), I can give a little more insight to the late-seating issues as well as a mini-review.
Production companies can (and have) changed their late seating policies during the run of a show, and I wonder if that happened with Les Miz because of complaints. Saturday night, we were informed that there is a 15 minute hold at the start of the show. (Through Jean Valjean’s back story.) As is typical for a Saturday evening show (and a full house), there were a couple of hundred late-comers.
After the hold, Fox staff and volunteer ushers attempted to meter out how many folks were taken down the aisles at one time to minimize disruption to folks already seated. But with so many patrons to take down, I’m sure it was a major distraction for those seated in the back half of the theatre. But that method is really the best way to handle it. But, again, the folks towards the back probably feel differently. With a 90-minute first act, it’s unreasonable to make patrons stand in the back until intermission. (Broadway theatres are more strict about this…but this ain’t Broadway.)
There were no restrictions about when we could seat people during the show. Many of us try to wait until a scene change or the end of a major song…but those who didn’t wait until those times were not going against any policy.
As I mentioned before, late-comers bug me as well (when I’m a patron and when I’m a worker). The way I try not to let it get under my skin too much is to remember that (in general) the late-seating ruckus will be over in about 5 minutes….so I try to calm my irritation with that knowledge.
On the up-side, I was surprised that we had very few folks get up during the show for a restroom or food/drink run. Very unusual for a show this length. To me, that signals that the audience is engaged with the show and (presumably) enjoying it.
I, too, have seen Les Miserables quite a few times, both as patron and as worker, and I agree with Manning that this production is pretty great. However, I also agree with some of the critiques posted by others above.
First off, did I miss the turntable staging from the original production? Yes…during some scenes. Overall, no. 95% of the time, the new sets / scenery made up for the turntables loss.
The new orchestration: wonderful and beautiful.
Cast: overall, excellent. But a few folks didn’t quite fit the bill. As others above stated, I thought the actress who portrayed Fantine really, really, really over-sung “I Dreamed a Dream”. And I, too, wonder if this was a result of the director demanding “more power” “more emotion” “more more more”. Because the actress was certainly capable of singing beautifully in her other limited scenes. But by the time “Dream” ended, I felt she was shouting at the audience. Shouting doesn’t equal emotion.
Similarly, Eponine verged on tipping the emotion scale towards the shouting end a few times. Dial it down would be my advice.
I also agree with Manning that the sound engineers did a great job adjusting to the cavern-like acoustics of the Fox.
Since the Saturday evening show was sold out, we lowly volunteers had to stand in the back to watch the show. It’s a testament to my love of Les Miserables and my enjoyment of this production that I watched the entire nearly 3-hour show while standing. (We’re off duty and can leave if we want after intermission.)
If the Atlanta run were longer, I would pay to see it as a seated patron.
Thanks to everyone for the comments; Les Mis arouses powerful, passionate feelings! Thanks especially to Tom for his important insights into ushering at the Fox; my hat is off to him and to all the ushers, who volunteer their invaluable services at that vast theatre.
Thanks to everyone for the comments; Les Mis arouses powerful, passionate feelings! Thanks especially to Tom for his important insights into ushering at the Fox; my hat is off to him and to all the ushers, who volunteer their invaluable services at that vast theatre.
I saw Les Mis on tour in the mid-90s and thought it was awesome. I’ve seen tons of musicals and over the years it remained the best musical I ever saw. After watching the London concert version filmed at the O2 arena which played nationwide in US movie theaters for one night back in 2010, I was totally spoiled by that show and thought the US touring show would be just as amazing.
I was wrong! I saw Les Mis last year in Nashville, and this show in Atlanta was pretty much the same, with a different Valjean, Javert, and a few others.
The pacing was too fast, songs felt rushed, you didn’t get to linger with the emotions. Fantine, Eponine, and the Tenardiers were weak in their acting and singing. Cosette also reminded me of a Disney princess!
They cut a whole verse from Castle on a Cloud, and why was little Cosette smiling the whole time she sang it? They cut the Little People song from the part where Gavroche was supposed to have sung it.
The staging of Bring Him Home was awkward & distracting, with all the characters staying on stage with Valjean and him propped up on that god awful barricade. And during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, there were no tables and chairs! In the old version, Marius sang inside the old pub and the dead friends were slow motion re-inacting a scene of hanging out in the pub, then they slowly left, leaving the EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES!
I guess if this was the first time I had ever seen it, I might like it. But after having the 90s version so deeply imprinted in my mind, this one just doesn’t cut it. I do think the director and casting has everything to do with it. It was just a rushed version and they didn’t give Les Mis the respect it deserves. Do they think a theatre crowd has such a short attention span that they can’t handle watching a little bit longer musical?
Save your money and go buy the 25th Anniversary concert DVD from the O2 Arena, the cast was amazing, yes even Nick Jonas even though a lot of theater snobs online seem to think he was awful just because he didn’t have an “opera” voice, but I thought he did just fine. Not everybody has to sound like an opera singer!
And I don’t know why everybody in Atlanta seems to think they will all be able to park in the same parking lot on Peachtree. I drove there from 2 hours away in a different state and still got there on time, I saw the line coming off the interstate exit was a mile long, so I made a left turn onto the OTHER Peachtree behind the AT&T building and parked back there. You’d think the natives would figure out by now they might want to get there a little earlier, since you’ll sit in Atlanta traffic for an hour just to drive around the block anywhere you go.
I saw Les Mis on tour in the mid-90s and thought it was awesome. I’ve seen tons of musicals and over the years it remained the best musical I ever saw. After watching the London concert version filmed at the O2 arena which played nationwide in US movie theaters for one night back in 2010, I was totally spoiled by that show and thought the US touring show would be just as amazing.
I was wrong! I saw Les Mis last year in Nashville, and this show in Atlanta was pretty much the same, with a different Valjean, Javert, and a few others.
The pacing was too fast, songs felt rushed, you didn’t get to linger with the emotions. Fantine, Eponine, and the Tenardiers were weak in their acting and singing. Cosette also reminded me of a Disney princess!
They cut a whole verse from Castle on a Cloud, and why was little Cosette smiling the whole time she sang it? They cut the Little People song from the part where Gavroche was supposed to have sung it.
The staging of Bring Him Home was awkward & distracting, with all the characters staying on stage with Valjean and him propped up on that god awful barricade. And during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, there were no tables and chairs! In the old version, Marius sang inside the old pub and the dead friends were slow motion re-inacting a scene of hanging out in the pub, then they slowly left, leaving the EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES!
I guess if this was the first time I had ever seen it, I might like it. But after having the 90s version so deeply imprinted in my mind, this one just doesn’t cut it. I do think the director and casting has everything to do with it. It was just a rushed version and they didn’t give Les Mis the respect it deserves. Do they think a theatre crowd has such a short attention span that they can’t handle watching a little bit longer musical?
Save your money and go buy the 25th Anniversary concert DVD from the O2 Arena, the cast was amazing, yes even Nick Jonas even though a lot of theater snobs online seem to think he was awful just because he didn’t have an “opera” voice, but I thought he did just fine. Not everybody has to sound like an opera singer!
And I don’t know why everybody in Atlanta seems to think they will all be able to park in the same parking lot on Peachtree. I drove there from 2 hours away in a different state and still got there on time, I saw the line coming off the interstate exit was a mile long, so I made a left turn onto the OTHER Peachtree behind the AT&T building and parked back there. You’d think the natives would figure out by now they might want to get there a little earlier, since you’ll sit in Atlanta traffic for an hour just to drive around the block anywhere you go.
I’m with you guys on questioning some of the performances. I’ve seen the show 8 or 9 times (lost count) and while I found Eponine and Fantine not the best I’d seen (and certainly overacting) I had real trouble with Valjean. His voice was all wrong for the part…too high. Valjean needs that deep, full voice. I read that he’d played Maurius before and that certainly would’ve made more sense. His voice just seemed too young for Valjean. I had no problems with Javert, however. I thought he was great.
Not so great at the Sunday 6:30 show…several times performers were singing but their mics weren’t on.
I’m with you guys on questioning some of the performances. I’ve seen the show 8 or 9 times (lost count) and while I found Eponine and Fantine not the best I’d seen (and certainly overacting) I had real trouble with Valjean. His voice was all wrong for the part…too high. Valjean needs that deep, full voice. I read that he’d played Maurius before and that certainly would’ve made more sense. His voice just seemed too young for Valjean. I had no problems with Javert, however. I thought he was great.
Not so great at the Sunday 6:30 show…several times performers were singing but their mics weren’t on.
I haven’t seen the show but i need to! Joshua colley is amazing and has real talent. He lives here in tampa after watching the school concerts of him you can tell he belongs on broadway!
I haven’t seen the show but i need to! Joshua colley is amazing and has real talent. He lives here in tampa after watching the school concerts of him you can tell he belongs on broadway!