This is the ultimate Les Miz. Truly a dream cast when you have Colm Wilkinson, Philip Quast, Michael Ball, and the rest of the performers on one stage at the same time. I don't know what some people were talking about when they said that Lea's performance was too "bitter". Lea performed "On My Own" straight from the heart. If she sounded bitter when the song began, it's because the lyrics needed to sound that way. When she got close to the middle, her voice became gentle because her character, Eponine, is dreaming of Marius. When the words turned to realization at the bridge, her voice became strong with a sense of regret. And I love the way she pants when the song is close to ending, we get the sense of Eponine's hopelessness. Let the crowd judge since three of her four performances all had ovations. One more standout scene was her death which made lots of Eponine fans cry. The fact that she was chosen as the definitive character despite of her ethnicity is undeniable. If she had the chance of originating the role, other performers like Frances Ruffelle would get lots of criticism for not measuring up. I recommend the video to anyone just to see Lea's scenes and lots of others like: the face/off songs of Valjean and Javert, the "One Day More" finales, and the very funny "Master of the House". Do you hear the people sing?
Review of Les Misérables in Concert
