Les Miserables - The Staged Concert

I thought exactly the same at the Saturday matinee. A lot of 'sliding' up/down to words. I don't remember him doing that in Chess (which was the last time I saw him live)

You've put my exact same answers already, but I'd have Lea Salonga as Eponine and I'd choose Ramin over Bradley.

Re Les Mis dreamcast: one cannot leave out David Thaxton’s Enjolras...

I wouldn't say so. The difference is quite simple, really:

Les Mis is musical theatre. Sure Alfie can sing (we have all agreed on that). But he can't act (the theatre part is missing). Do you see now? Alfie only fulfils half of the basic requirements of an acceptable Les Mis performance.  Which is all we're getting at. Which is why it is valid to say this concert casting is indeed celebrity vs. quality.

Snobbishness doesn't even come into play.

Sometimes in my car on a long journey...

The fact that you say he can't act and then say what is an 'acceptable' Les Mis performance is the definition of snobbishness.

Your poor, poor family. 

You just cant help yourself, can you.

We get it, your a JOJ groupie, no need to labour the point.

Was it something I said??? Just joking. Anyway, I hope this Forum remains to be a place where theatre-goers can air their opinions freely. And I trust that the moderators will step in if uncalled-for comments were ever posted. If my comments are erased by them, I will know I have stepped over the line because I sometimes post a comment at the risk of being bashed by people who don't agree with me. But I don't mind being bashed as long as those people are arguing with their honest opinions. I don't want this Forum to be a place where people are afraid of posting a comment.

With that, let me repeat I have ABSOLUTELY no problem acknowledging that AB is a commercially far more successful performer than JOJ and I certainly don't have anything against AB fans. A few of my theatre-going frends are, in fact, fans of both JOJ and AB and we don't intend to poinson each other.

Having said that, I am still of the opinion that, as JVJ, JOJ is a more suitable (I am choosing my words carefully here) performer than AB since I don't think AB's singing style perfectly suits the role. Not because he is a bad performer but because he is a singer. I believe JVJ is an actor's role (well, it's a musical play even in a concert format. See the 10th anniversary video for reference). That's why I wished JOJ's brilliance in the role could be introduced to the general public via live streaming AS WELL AS AB's.

As for the celebrity culture vs quality, I can give a good example. More than 10 years ago, there was a production of La Cage aux Folles at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Philip Quast as George and Douglas Hodge as Albin. It transfered to the Playhouse and, after a while, Roger Allam came in as Albin.I would say this was a dream combination. Going to see them perform together was a highlight of my theatre-going life. But, sadly, the incomparable PQ and RA are not household names and, true to form, the house was never full.Then there was a cast change and in came John Barrowman who immediately filled the seats. I can't remember who was cast as George against JB but I think I made my point clear.

Obviously,commercial theatres need to generate profit, but if name-casting continues to be the norm, the standards of both performers and audience will go down in the long run. And that could lead to the decline of the British theatre industry. Let us hope it will never happen.

I am aware that not everyone will agree with my view and that's fine. Your opposing opinions are welcome. Thank you for reading.

I would ADD Earl Carpenter as Javert, David Thaxton as Enjolras (he is the embodiment of Enjolras in the original novel), Martin Ball as Thenardier. 

Was Carpenter Javert when the 25th tour started in Cardiff? If so he was excellent and would have been a much more appropriate casting than bankable Balls. But I totally get that for the purpose of this production they’ve gone with him...I’d have gone for Biggins.