3,485 posts
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Post by ceebee on Sept 26, 2023 10:26:00 GMT
Did anyone see the new cast last night and can report back? Any standouts? Yes, I saw them. I thought they were excellent - Les Mis as a show can bore me quickly, but there was high energy and a nice vitality about the whole cast. Will Callan as Marius was excellent - this is a role that irritates me as often it's played as a simpering drip, but he gave a fresh interpretation and (no disrespect intended to him) he reminded me of a younger James Corden. Djavan Van De Fliert was also excellent as Enjolras - a charismatic presence. I also liked Katie Hall's Fantine and Luke Kempner's Thenardier, in which he held his own paired up with the ridiculously brilliant Claire Machin as Mme Thenardier. Adam Pearce stood out, probably because I was watching him more closely, as an empathetic Bishop and also in the barricade scenes. I'm pretty sure I saw Josh Piterman as Valjean - again, a strong performance and I just shut my eyes and bathed in the beauty of "Bring Him Home". Pitch perfect, as good as any I have heard before. Stewart Clarke as Javert was (for me) a very interesting performance as there were some real attempts at light and shade, similar to Philip Quast, and less of the flailing madness that other actors have bestowed on the role in recent times. I enjoyed him almost whispering and spitting some of his words before punching out some big notes. A nuanced interpretation and he has clearly got right under the skin of the character. Any standouts? I can't say that anybody blew me away but I was happy to see that there is a discipline and commitment to high production values that hasn't always been the case with Les Mis. Seems like both Les Mis and Phantom have really focused on squeezing the maximum value out of their revamps in recent years to attract and retain a new audience. |
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Post by BVM on Sept 26, 2023 11:21:16 GMT
Did anyone see the new cast last night and can report back? Any standouts? Any standouts? I can't say that anybody blew me away but I was happy to see that there is a discipline and commitment to high production values that hasn't always been the case with Les Mis. Seems like both Les Mis and Phantom have really focused on squeezing the maximum value out of their revamps in recent years to attract and retain a new audience. Totally agree. I know CM gets a lot of flak in these parts but since the coronavirus both Phantom and Les Mis have been incredibly tight and delivering excellent quality. For such long runners, mainly attended by tourists this is no mean feat to keep both so fresh night after night. And certainly this has also translated into fantastic ticket sales with deals for either now pretty rare and total sell outs at weekends/holidays common. |
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19,780 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 26, 2023 11:57:01 GMT
An absolute joy to see Adam Pearce back on stage tonight as Bishop/Ensemble. Well done Adam - you excelled tonight and your performance was perfect. Will he be reading this? What makes you think he won’t be? |
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Post by A.Ham on Sept 26, 2023 21:39:32 GMT
Great to see some of the standouts from the recent tour cast moving into the West End production. I saw both Will Callan and Katie Hall in Southampton last spring and thought they were both excellent.
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19,780 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 5, 2023 11:31:03 GMT
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2,016 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 5, 2023 11:55:34 GMT
Yes both Phantom and Les Mis selling incredibly well currently. Great for the shows but frustrating for anyone wanting a decent view for under 89 quid!
It's amazing how these shows just rumble on and on - I guess people are introducing their children to them, having grown up with them themselves.
I used to LOVE Les Mis back in the 90's/00's, but given what I hear of the production now, it seems SO far removed - dare I say "bastardised" version of the original production production, I would not want my memories spoiled. It's best left in the past.
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Post by A.Ham on Oct 5, 2023 12:14:40 GMT
New booking period has just gone on sale, now booking to 28th September 2024.
I'd assume that was probably planned for today/this week by DMT anyway, especially as they've released the same extension for Hamilton, but hopefully the JSO publicity will help them sell a few more tickets!
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4,211 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 5, 2023 12:17:09 GMT
The show has been running so long now that for any up and coming actor or theatre graduate being in it as almost a right of passage and the routine, commitment and discipline required is great grounding for any future projects- be that of a lead or ensemble cast member.
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Post by toomasj on Oct 5, 2023 12:19:28 GMT
Yes both Phantom and Les Mis selling incredibly well currently. Great for the shows but frustrating for anyone wanting a decent view for under 89 quid!
It's amazing how these shows just rumble on and on - I guess people are introducing their children to them, having grown up with them themselves.
I used to LOVE Les Mis back in the 90's/00's, but given what I hear of the production now, it seems SO far removed - dare I say "bastardised" version of the original production production, I would not want my memories spoiled. It's best left in the past.
Personally, I’ve been a lifelong fan of Les Mis and saw the show last year. Frankly, it was as good as I’ve ever seen it from my perspective. It was dreadful at times in the mid 2000’s, where it looked like it was on life support. I’d go more often if it wasn’t such a hot ticket. I miss the revolve of course, but the positive changes far outweigh the negatives. My only wish is they’d slow down a bit and let moments breathe. It feels like it’s been getting faster and faster since the Palace run. Could do with a genuinely superb Javert too, as the last great one I saw was Hans-Peter Janssens and that was in 2006… I’ve seen it about 50 times since then. |
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Post by solangelafitte on Oct 5, 2023 13:33:43 GMT
It's amazing how these shows just rumble on and on - I guess people are introducing their children to them, having grown up with them themselves.
I used to LOVE Les Mis back in the 90's/00's, but given what I hear of the production now, it seems SO far removed - dare I say "bastardised" version of the original production production, I would not want my memories spoiled. It's best left in the past.
Personally, I’ve been a lifelong fan of Les Mis and saw the show last year. Frankly, it was as good as I’ve ever seen it from my perspective. It was dreadful at times in the mid 2000’s, where it looked like it was on life support. I’d go more often if it wasn’t such a hot ticket. I miss the revolve of course, but the positive changes far outweigh the negatives. My only wish is they’d slow down a bit and let moments breathe. It feels like it’s been getting faster and faster since the Palace run. Could do with a genuinely superb Javert too, as the last great one I saw was Hans-Peter Janssens and that was in 2006… I’ve seen it about 50 times since then. Not enough people bring up Hans-Peter Janssens lately! He was fantastic. That 2006/2007 21st anniversary cast with him, JOJ, Tracie Bennett, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey and later Joanna Ampil remains one of my favourites. Maybe it's because I hit an age where I first had my own disposable income so saw I saw them more than most other casts and it's a fondness related to that, I don't know. But they felt like a strong cast to me. Plus David Thaxton was always very enjoyable as Bamatabois. |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Oct 5, 2023 13:53:02 GMT
I saw this last week and loved it. I had already seen the show last year, but this cast took it to a whole new level. The ensamble was incredible, and in top shape vocally. Lovely to see Djavan Van der Fliert as Enjolras, he was as good as this as in Frozen. He´s got a bright future ahead of him. Same for Will Callan as Marius. Katie Hall was sublime as Fantine. Beautiful acting AND vocals (take notes, Anne Hathaway!). Stewart Clarke is a standout as Javert. Loved both his vocal and acting choices. I really felt his character arch.
But the star of the show was undoubtedly Chris Jacobsen as Jean Valjean. His clear, healthy voice blew me away so many times. Very solid acting as well, with lots of emotion. He truly was born to play the role, and after over 13 years of understudying it he really deserves to be promoted to principle.
There are things of this production I will never bring myself into liking, such as the Panto-Thenardiers, some of the musical tempi and staging choices... and, of course, the loss of the turntable. I also thought the orchestra was much less poignant than when I first went a year ago. But this is still the beautiful score and heartfelt message so many people love, and it´s in very good hands hands at the Sondheim. It still feels fresh and very relevant. Hopefully it keeps inspiring people to stand up for their beliefs... (as soon as they leave the venue!)
Still a solid 5-stars for me
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4,211 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 5, 2023 14:25:27 GMT
Question: As it had been quite some time since I have seen this, is the adult Cosette still in the black dress? Or has it changed to blue?
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Post by SuttonPeron on Oct 5, 2023 14:54:57 GMT
I don´t think the black dress exists anymore, sadly. Another change I do miss.
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183 posts
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Post by tom on Oct 5, 2023 21:52:29 GMT
Personally, I’ve been a lifelong fan of Les Mis and saw the show last year. Frankly, it was as good as I’ve ever seen it from my perspective. It was dreadful at times in the mid 2000’s, where it looked like it was on life support. I’d go more often if it wasn’t such a hot ticket. I miss the revolve of course, but the positive changes far outweigh the negatives. My only wish is they’d slow down a bit and let moments breathe. It feels like it’s been getting faster and faster since the Palace run. Could do with a genuinely superb Javert too, as the last great one I saw was Hans-Peter Janssens and that was in 2006… I’ve seen it about 50 times since then. Not enough people bring up Hans-Peter Janssens lately! He was fantastic. That 2006/2007 21st anniversary cast with him, JOJ, Tracie Bennett, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey and later Joanna Ampil remains one of my favourites. Maybe it's because I hit an age where I first had my own disposable income so saw I saw them more than most other casts and it's a fondness related to that, I don't know. But they felt like a strong cast to me. Plus David Thaxton was always very enjoyable as Bamatabois. That cast was the first I saw but with thaxton as enjolras. Great cast |
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Post by toomasj on Oct 6, 2023 7:59:47 GMT
Personally, I’ve been a lifelong fan of Les Mis and saw the show last year. Frankly, it was as good as I’ve ever seen it from my perspective. It was dreadful at times in the mid 2000’s, where it looked like it was on life support. I’d go more often if it wasn’t such a hot ticket. I miss the revolve of course, but the positive changes far outweigh the negatives. My only wish is they’d slow down a bit and let moments breathe. It feels like it’s been getting faster and faster since the Palace run. Could do with a genuinely superb Javert too, as the last great one I saw was Hans-Peter Janssens and that was in 2006… I’ve seen it about 50 times since then. Not enough people bring up Hans-Peter Janssens lately! He was fantastic. That 2006/2007 21st anniversary cast with him, JOJ, Tracie Bennett, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey and later Joanna Ampil remains one of my favourites. Maybe it's because I hit an age where I first had my own disposable income so saw I saw them more than most other casts and it's a fondness related to that, I don't know. But they felt like a strong cast to me. Plus David Thaxton was always very enjoyable as Bamatabois. That cast was the absolute best I ever saw, completely agree. Became a lifelong fan of Gina Beck off the back of her absolutely sublime Cosette, usually such a thankless role. In fact, with John Owen-Jones being my favourite Valjean, Janssens being my favourite Javert plus Beck and Tracie Bennett absolutely tearing it up as Mme. Thénardier, that’s four of my favourite ever pieces of Les Mis casting in one single cast. The show was electric at that time. Thaxton was also very powerful as Enjolras when he came in as tom rightly points out. It’s also worth mentioning that the show was in the pits prior to the massive clear out in 2005. They replaced practically the entire ensemble plus all the leads, bringing in fresh blood like Cornell John and completely resetting the show. Prior to this, it was doing terribly (50% houses) and there was real talk of closure. Without being rude about the cast, there were performers cast (often promoted) well above their ability and it showed. And there were cast who had simply been there far too long and looked very bored. In my view, the show right now (I saw the previous cast last year with the superb Chris Jacobsen on as Valjean) is in fantastic nick. I miss the revolve, some of the costumes and “moments”, and feel it is performed too fast - but the positives far outweigh the negatives. I can’t wait to go back with finances allow. One of the few shows that even at full price is worth every penny when it’s “tight”. |
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 6, 2023 8:00:01 GMT
I have not heard the news this morning but I'm assuming last night's performance went of smoothly as normal?
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Post by toomasj on Oct 6, 2023 8:01:44 GMT
Personally, I’ve been a lifelong fan of Les Mis and saw the show last year. Frankly, it was as good as I’ve ever seen it from my perspective. It was dreadful at times in the mid 2000’s, where it looked like it was on life support. I’d go more often if it wasn’t such a hot ticket. I miss the revolve of course, but the positive changes far outweigh the negatives. My only wish is they’d slow down a bit and let moments breathe. It feels like it’s been getting faster and faster since the Palace run. Could do with a genuinely superb Javert too, as the last great one I saw was Hans-Peter Janssens and that was in 2006… I’ve seen it about 50 times since then. Not enough people bring up Hans-Peter Janssens lately! He was fantastic. That 2006/2007 21st anniversary cast with him, JOJ, Tracie Bennett, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey and later Joanna Ampil remains one of my favourites. Maybe it's because I hit an age where I first had my own disposable income so saw I saw them more than most other casts and it's a fondness related to that, I don't know. But they felt like a strong cast to me. Plus David Thaxton was always very enjoyable as Bamatabois. Oh and additionally a BBC Radio recording was made of this 21st Anniversary cast which has been captured and is freely available online. It was never released commercially sadly, but was recorded at the Peacock Theatre (I was there) and is absolutely electric. I prefer it to most of the cast recordings - JoJ and HPJ are absolutely on fire. |
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Post by solangelafitte on Oct 6, 2023 12:57:37 GMT
Not enough people bring up Hans-Peter Janssens lately! He was fantastic. That 2006/2007 21st anniversary cast with him, JOJ, Tracie Bennett, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey and later Joanna Ampil remains one of my favourites. Maybe it's because I hit an age where I first had my own disposable income so saw I saw them more than most other casts and it's a fondness related to that, I don't know. But they felt like a strong cast to me. Plus David Thaxton was always very enjoyable as Bamatabois. Oh and additionally a BBC Radio recording was made of this 21st Anniversary cast which has been captured and is freely available online. It was never released commercially sadly, but was recorded at the Peacock Theatre (I was there) and is absolutely electric. I prefer it to most of the cast recordings - JoJ and HPJ are absolutely on fire. I ripped that from the radio myself at the time and has been a favourite listen since! Very jealous you were there. I've probably listened to that more than any Les Mis cast recording over the years. And agree with you and tom, loved when Thanxton went on as Enjolras. I haven't actually seen the show in a couple of years. Last saw the staged concert with Jon Robyns and Bradley Jaden but haven't been back since it reopened. Since we appear to share a taste in casts, your opinion on the current state of the show has me more interested in going back than I have been in while. So I'll take your recommendation! |
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Post by toomasj on Oct 6, 2023 14:00:11 GMT
Oh and additionally a BBC Radio recording was made of this 21st Anniversary cast which has been captured and is freely available online. It was never released commercially sadly, but was recorded at the Peacock Theatre (I was there) and is absolutely electric. I prefer it to most of the cast recordings - JoJ and HPJ are absolutely on fire. I ripped that from the radio myself at the time and has been a favourite listen since! Very jealous you were there. I've probably listened to that more than any Les Mis cast recording over the years. And agree with you and tom, loved when Thanxton went on as Enjolras. I haven't actually seen the show in a couple of years. Last saw the staged concert with Jon Robyns and Bradley Jaden but haven't been back since it reopened. Since we appear to share a taste in casts, your opinion on the current state of the show has me more interested in going back than I have been in while. So I'll take your recommendation! Do try and see Chris Jacobsen as Valjean! He is among the best I’ve seen across so many over the years. I am sure you’ll have a blast if you do manage to go, it was so fun tight and sharp when I last went. |
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Post by SuttonPeron on Oct 6, 2023 14:15:33 GMT
Second this! He´s amazing in the role.
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Post by my fairly obsessed lady on Oct 6, 2023 14:42:32 GMT
Third this, he's a great JVJ! On that note, is Josh Piterman still off on Mondays with the new contract? Saw him in Phantom before COVID and I have zero desire to see him in anything ever again thanks...
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Oct 6, 2023 15:30:56 GMT
s Josh Piterman still off on Mondays with the new contract? I believe so, but tbh even on a non Monday you have a 50/50 chance of seeing not Josh |
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Post by BVM on Oct 6, 2023 15:35:39 GMT
s Josh Piterman still off on Mondays with the new contract? I believe so, but tbh even on a non Monday you have a 50/50 chance of seeing not Josh Agreed - been trying to chase him down for ages! I did think his night off might have changed to Wednesdays as he missed the anniversary performance last week and the previous Wednesday when I went. They have three US Valjean's currently so it's a bit of a lucky dip! |
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Post by solangelafitte on Oct 6, 2023 15:40:53 GMT
I was about to say I'll keep a look out for Josh's days off then in order to see Christopher but it seems like that doesn't mean much. I guess I'll try and risk it!
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Post by longinthetooth on Oct 11, 2023 15:28:50 GMT
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