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Post by toomasj on Mar 5, 2024 16:20:39 GMT
They also keep a small stack of printed paper slips on the ledge in front of the box office Didn't know that! Just for covers or even one for Chris every Monday? They had them for Chris and the two covers I saw when I last went just before Christmas (scheduled Jacobsen performance) and every time before that - I put one in my programme when I see a new cast but grab one each time anyway. The screen is better for a quick photo and the full listing. They don’t include swings being on etc, only principal named cast covers. |
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Post by gcbf on Mar 5, 2024 17:58:35 GMT
You're kidding! I didn't see any signs. Well in that case he was very good as Valjean  Chris is hugely popular here and considered by many (myself included) to have been one of the best Valjean’s… well, ever. You were lucky to see him. He’s quite superb. I'm very glad! I cried a bunch at his performance lol. When I thought it was Jöback I was so surprised he was being panned a little further up the thread as Chris was so good. I thought maybe you all had much higher standards than me hah |
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Post by 141920grm on Mar 5, 2024 18:29:55 GMT
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Post by matildaswinton on Mar 8, 2024 17:27:56 GMT
Caught this a few weeks ago, I believe it was Joback's 2nd week. He was great. So was fabulous cover Eponine Rosy Church.
That evening made me sad I never saw the original production. I was most angry at how this direction didn't trust the material. Busy, with ensemble stealing focus all the time. General unfocused lighting. Lack of diction. "B*tch" and "sl*t" being thrown around to add dramatic effect. My goodness, how many people got slapped across the face so hard they fully fell to the floor within the first 20 minutes? Can we just go back to trusting the source material, illuminating the characters, letting the words speak for themselves? There's a reason the Park and Bark works!!
Javert was great, albeit tight-mouthed like a male Ruthie Henshall. Cosette was bouncily annoying verging on shrill. Enjorlas was smarmy. Is that what it's like to fight in a revolution? Smile and stand on top of a ladder? Thenardiers let the work show. Ensemble lines were extra AF.
This should be called INDULGENCE: The Musical.
Three hours fully felt.
Nothing I say here will hurt this production, as it seems to sell very well. I know am being quite brutal. But... I can sum up the production in the exchange between me and my visiting friend (who has seen the OG many a time and sung various roles in concert productions) when we passed by the theatre and saw the new productions photos...
ME: They've completely redesigned the production. That's Cosette (pointing to her in the photo).
HER: What the f*ck is she wearing?
ME: Mmm hmm.
So many of us viscerally experienced the original albums of this show, and this production feels insulting.
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Mar 9, 2024 6:54:01 GMT
I saw this last week and Jobeck was probably the worst JVJ i've seen in 50 or so times i've seen it.
All the big belt notes... There's no way to go ON, Who Am I - 24601, etc, were a mess of cracked notes, straining, attempting the note again and failing even worse. I was embarressed for him. When I knew a note was coming I had to look down at tbe programme. I was too embarrassed to look at him.
Fantine was Katie Hall and she had no desperation about her. She sung it like she was still playing Cosette.
I like Stuart as Javert. It was nice to hear someone other than Jaden sing it.
There were a few bits i hadnt noticed before - i think this was the first time i've seen this new production - Was Bamatabois always the customer that Thenadier rips off, in Master of the House? I felt like his karma for lying about Fantine and also the factory foreman being one of Fantine's customers? was that always there.
This company were very noticebaly using their own regional accents. The Gavroce from Sunderland or thereabouts didn'tdo it for me at all.
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Post by my fairly obsessed lady on Mar 9, 2024 22:07:29 GMT
I saw the show last night to catch Peter Jöback before he left tonight and boy, was I disappointed! I honestly can't comprehend where the praise for his Valjean comes from (5 stars from All That Dazzles??? Uh??). As mentioned in the previous post, he couldn't reach many of the big notes, I was also bracing myself when I knew those were coming. And his acting was so over the top, he sang as if the character was aware there was an actual audience listening to him. Not sure JVJ is supposed to break the fourth wall... I mean, I didn't like Killian's ""acting"" either, but at least he could sing the part!
At least the visit was a good excuse to see Stewart Clarke again, I will never get enough of him and his Javert.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing Milan in the role! (and if he isn't good either I guess I won't be able to see Les Mis any day other than Monday ha.)
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Post by 141920grm on Mar 9, 2024 23:35:43 GMT
attempting the note again and failing even worse I'm almost afraid to ask at which line this happened |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Mar 11, 2024 10:59:51 GMT
attempting the note again and failing even worse I'm almost afraid to ask at which line this happened Took the silver, took my FLIGHT... I still cringe thinking about it. Why they didnt swap him out for someone else, i'll never know |
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Post by 141920grm on Mar 11, 2024 17:25:21 GMT
I'm almost afraid to ask at which line this happened Took the silver, took my FLIGHT... I still cringe thinking about it. Why they didnt swap him out for someone else, i'll never know Ah yes that bit, some JVJs sing it as more of a shout these days don't they. Peter did pull off the falsetto at my show though, as well as his '24601'.... |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Mar 12, 2024 4:26:07 GMT
I think he would have been ok in his falsetto, unfortunately he seemed to be going for it full belt. You'd think he would realise the notes weren't there the first time it happened, but to attempt and fail on all the big notes just made it worse.
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Post by samchap8787 on Mar 12, 2024 10:12:04 GMT
MILAN WAS AMAZING - Such a powerful singer. Huge ovation after Soliloquy. His singing is WOW. Lovely acting choices too. Totally smashed it although his finale candles wouldnt light!!
The best Valjean I have ever seen since first watching the show in 1995. Stunning.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 12, 2024 11:01:40 GMT
I saw Milan on the Dutch tour last year and thought he was great! I don't speak Dutch lol, so am very excited to see him perform the score in English and hopefully sit a little closer so I can see his acting better too
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Post by showtoones on Mar 14, 2024 21:40:43 GMT
How long is Milan in the show until?
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Post by elfman1 on Mar 14, 2024 21:44:40 GMT
How long is Milan in the show until? I’d imagine till at least cast change in late September |
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Post by katherinelesmis on Mar 15, 2024 8:43:50 GMT
How long is Milan in the show until? I’d imagine till at least cast change in late September Hopefully yes, because they've been going through a lot of Valjeans lately! |
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Post by elfman1 on Mar 15, 2024 13:22:18 GMT
I’d imagine till at least cast change in late September Hopefully yes, because they've been going through a lot of Valjeans lately! Stewart clarke’s been with the show just under a year now and had five Valjeans |
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Post by A.Ham on Mar 15, 2024 16:16:41 GMT
Hopefully yes, because they've been going through a lot of Valjeans lately! Stewart clarke’s been with the show just under a year now and had five Valjeans It’s like the government with prime ministers, chancellors and home secretaries… |
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Post by nogreatersight on Mar 25, 2024 10:59:58 GMT
I watched the Flemish version of Les Miserable in November and January and Milan was amazing! So happy to hear that he's performing in the West End now!
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Post by katherinelesmis on Jun 16, 2024 18:48:25 GMT
Question for everybody: how likely do you think it is that Samantha Barks will be the next Fantine (in either the West End or the Arena Spectacular)? Frozen closes on the 8th of September, so she has enough time to do either/or.
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Post by blamerobots on Jun 16, 2024 18:51:51 GMT
Question for everybody: how likely do you think it is that Samantha Barks will be the next Fantine (in either the West End or the Arena Spectacular)? Frozen closes on the 8th of September, so she has enough time to do either/or. It's possible she'll do a day or two of the arena tour. |
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Post by Alejo on Jun 16, 2024 19:38:23 GMT
I think Samantha Barks’s profile is too big to be the umpteenth Fantine replacement in the West End.
I wouldn’t really expect her to do the arena tour either, but could be completely wrong.
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Post by katherinelesmis on Jun 17, 2024 6:46:43 GMT
I think Samantha Barks’s profile is too big to be the umpteenth Fantine replacement in the West End. I wouldn’t really expect her to do the arena tour either, but could be completely wrong. You're right, maybe she's too big for the West End, but as far as I can tell they're going for more famous people for the Tour, so maybe she does that for a while? (I do prefer more unknown people for the West End, anyway!) |
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Post by Alejo on Jun 17, 2024 7:58:23 GMT
I think Samantha Barks’s profile is too big to be the umpteenth Fantine replacement in the West End. I wouldn’t really expect her to do the arena tour either, but could be completely wrong. You're right, maybe she's too big for the West End, but as far as I can tell they're going for more famous people for the Tour, so maybe she does that for a while? (I do prefer more unknown people for the West End, anyway!) Yeah, I guess it depends on if/how much she wanted to do the role, and what Cameron Mackintosh would offer to make it worth her while (to do a tour with a young baby). I was surprised when Sierra Boggess went into the London production to play Fantine. Although that was a limited run before going back to Broadway to play Christine. And her then-fiancé was playing Javert at the time. |
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Post by inyourmultitudes on Jun 21, 2024 1:36:33 GMT
Finally had the chance to see Milan this week. Vocals were absolutely stunning but it was still Chris Jacobsen's acting/singing that (emotionally) left the strongest impression on me. The cast is really strong right now with many outstanding performances, Grantaire and Thenadier among them excluding the lead cast. Oh and Gavroche as well. |
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Post by elfman1 on Jul 9, 2024 10:11:45 GMT
Bonnie Langford and jac yarrow to join the cast for four weeks from July 15
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