Les Misérables - Sondheim Theatre

What is Josh's day off each week now that's the principal JVJ?

He also posted this list a few days ago on Insta:

Scheduled shows off:
Friday May 5
Saturday May 6 matinee
Monday May 8
Saturday May 13 matinee
Mondays thereafter

Current holidays:
May 23-25
June 29-July 1
July 13-15
August 22-26

I’m assuming it’s because Will Barrett is just a temporary cover until Chris Jacobsen recovers from an injury

I’m going on Monday 29th May, who would I expect to see as JVJ? (I know it’s never guaranteed)

I would say they've planned for Chris to ease himself back into the show when he returns splitting the role with Will for a while, so it would only be right to list both as JVJ understudies (as well as principal Combeferre). Easy enough to update and reprint the programme when all's settled

In need of some advice... Les Mis at Queen's Theatre used to be one of my favourite shows and I saw it many times between 2012-2017 when I lived in London. The last time I saw the show was in 2019, one of the last performances before it closed for the revamp. I'll be heading back to London soon for a short trip and am thinking about revisiting the show, although I'm a little hesitant since my favourite part of the show is the turntable...

Just wondering how the current version of the show compares to the turntable version? I saw the Asia tour (with Earl Carpenter), which I believe is the 25th anniversary tour version(?), is the current West End version the same as that one? Also how does the current cast compare with previous ones? The 2019 cast when it closed was the most lacklustre one I've seen...

I saw the show on 03/07/23 for the sixth time. Perhaps it was because I was in the front row for the first time and could see every tiny detail, but it was absolutely electric, one of the best performances I've ever seen if not the best. The cast were as follows: Christopher Jacobsen as JVJ, Adam Robert Lewis as Javert, Natalie Chua as Fantine, Gerard Carey as Thenardier, Claire Machin as Mme. Thenardier, Nathania Ong as Eponine, Robert Tripolino as Marius, Lulu-Mae Pears as Cosette and Harry Chandler as Enjolras.

I knew Josh Piterman doesn't do Mondays but wasn't sure which understudy it would be, so I was pleased that it was Chris as I'd heard that he's very good. But strangely, the casting board said Stewart Clarke was on, so I was surprised not to see him onstage. But I only had to see Adam for 5 seconds before being completely sold on his Javert. Interestingly my partner, who had never seen the show live, immediately agreed with me afterwards that he was the standout performer that night. To watch him gradually descend from the stern and stoic figure of Act 1 to the desperate and disillusioned figure of Act 2 was just delightful, his performance was utterly flawless. Something I noticed that I really liked was that in Act 1, he stayed completely on beat and sung every note as it's written, reflecting Javert's strict adherence to the law- it was only in Act 2 that he started making notes longer and shorter and yelling the occasional word instead of singing it.

Chris also did not disappoint as JVJ, I was close enough to see every expression and it was very moving to see how the moment Javert brings up the prisoner he thinks is JVJ, the haunted expression and quivering lip which were on Chris's face for much of the prologue immediately returned. His acting in the finale was also great, he actually looked and sounded like an old, feeble, possibly senile man about to die. It was the connection between him and Adam that made the whole show so intense and memorable for me, I got the impression that they've performed together a lot as they just bounced off each other so well. Individually, they may not be my favourite JVJ and Javert (actually, Adam might well be...) but as a partnership, they definitely are.

Another thing that made the show memorable was that it was stopped twice near the beginning of Act 2. The first was when Eponine went to deliver the letter to JVJ- I knew something was wrong when Chris didn't enter, and after a few seconds the curtain came down. At first I was worried Chris was ill or injured, but then they announced it was technical issues. It restarted 5 or 10 minutes later. It then stopped again after On My Own, just before the barricade was going to appear, so I assume something was wrong with the set. I have to give credit to Nathania, as it stopped right before her big solo song and then right before her death scene, possibly limiting her ability to build up to it. But if it did affect her at all, you couldn't tell. I was excited to see her as I've seen lots of people rave about her online. She definitely has the best voice of West End Eponines in recent years imo, at least the ones that I've seen- I love On My Own and I was glad to finally see a showstopping rendition of it.

Cosette, Marius and Enjolras were all very good. Enjolras is my favourite character and Harry did an excellent job, the moment when the amis appear with the candles during Empty Chairs and Enjolras lingers while looking at Marius always gets me.

The Thenardiers were utterly brilliant. Carey was without a doubt the most evil Thenardier I've ever seen, he still has a touch of the pantomime villain vibe that seems to have been the trend since Matt Lucas, but I didn't mind as his acting was just superb. Beggars At The Feast was particularly good, the atmosphere in the audience was great and they must've picked up on it as Carey kept looking at people in the front row and grinning.

The final performer I want to mention is Bart Lambert, who played Bamatabois, Grantaire and the man who announces the Thenardiers at the wedding. His acting for each character was nothing short of excellent, I really enjoyed him throughout. A tiny thing I noticed was that as Bamatabois, when singing the lines 'the usual price, for just one slice...' and 'is this a trick? I won't pay more', he looked back towards the other prostitutes instead of at Fantine, really emphasising her lack of agency. Also, during the wedding scene, when the music temporarily stops after Marius punches Thenardier, Lambert pointed his stick at the conductor and went 'come on, un deux trois, un deux trois', a detail I've not noticed before and really liked, I love it when the fourth wall gets broken like that lol.

I’ve been trying to track him down. It’s not the easiest. And the posted holiday dates don’t quite match when he’s off. I’d really like to see him though. He was amazing in Phantom. And he’s a cutie.

The O2 concert thing is seemingly off on a world tour from Sept 24

The WOS article says it will include UK venues and will be in large theatres and arenas between 3,000 and 5,000 capacity so doubt if the O2 will be one this time as that has a 20,000 capacity.
Sounds good though and if anything like the O2 concert will be amazing to see and hear.

Putting my money on Hammersmith Apollo

You know the more we have these anniversary concerts and flaunt them around the less meaning they have.

Once we'd be having a gala night each 5 years and save the big concert for 10th and 25th anniversary

But I suppose that's Cameron for you.

Then again I think the longest running musical title became mute when the Queens Theatre production, with the original creative team's vision, closed