"Les Misérables" is a true phenomenon of the theatre. The show boasts an huge number of followers who love the show. For them, I'm sure this concert version is just fine. For me though, the magic of the show comes through in only a staged production. Don't get me wrong, I think the music is great, but it's the spectacle of the show that keeps the audience coming back. Seeing actors simply standing in front of microphones singing the show pales in comparison to seeing them turning on revolving stages, climbing up barricades and jumping off bridges.
That said, I must remind myself that this was a concert version of the show. After all, actors just standing and singing is what a concert version entails. However, the music simply doesn't speak for itself. The magic is missing from this version. "Les Misérables" needs a set, staging, props and fog. For any fan of the show, this concert is a great way to relive the live, staged version they most likely saw. If, however, you have never seen the show, I want to press that this is not the best it gets. Go see it live, in a theatre, in full production.
In regards to the cast, to call it a dream is, I think, a little too much. There in-fact only one performer in this version who I would put on my "Les Misérables" dream cast list. Jenny Galloway as Madame Thenardier is hysterical in the comic relief role and steals every scene she's in. But more importantly, she is one of the few who puts their own, original, distinctive flavor into their character. Some of the other cast members turn in performances that other actors could have done just as well. I also admired Philip Quast as Javert. As for the lead role, (I know many will hate me for saying this,) but to me, Colm Wilkinson is not an ideal Jean Valjean. He somehow manages to put the strangest (incorrect) vowels into every word he sings. Sorry folks, but to me, correct pronunciation is a key.
That said, I must remind myself that this was a concert version of the show. After all, actors just standing and singing is what a concert version entails. However, the music simply doesn't speak for itself. The magic is missing from this version. "Les Misérables" needs a set, staging, props and fog. For any fan of the show, this concert is a great way to relive the live, staged version they most likely saw. If, however, you have never seen the show, I want to press that this is not the best it gets. Go see it live, in a theatre, in full production.
In regards to the cast, to call it a dream is, I think, a little too much. There in-fact only one performer in this version who I would put on my "Les Misérables" dream cast list. Jenny Galloway as Madame Thenardier is hysterical in the comic relief role and steals every scene she's in. But more importantly, she is one of the few who puts their own, original, distinctive flavor into their character. Some of the other cast members turn in performances that other actors could have done just as well. I also admired Philip Quast as Javert. As for the lead role, (I know many will hate me for saying this,) but to me, Colm Wilkinson is not an ideal Jean Valjean. He somehow manages to put the strangest (incorrect) vowels into every word he sings. Sorry folks, but to me, correct pronunciation is a key.