Breaking: LES MISERABLES Announces First Wave of 2014 Broadway Cast - Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, Nikki M. James & Caissie Levy- Page 3

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:14pm

Because many on here feel like they must be on a first name basis with complete strangers.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:27pm

Because autocorrect keeps changing his last name to Kangaroo.

LMAO!!! LOVE! IT!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:37pm

I know it's heresy to say this and that I'll be shot at dawn for doing so, but I have always despised Les Miz -- and I go back to the original production which I saw in previews. I swore I'd never sit through this interminable bore again, but alas, Will Swenson, whom I adore, is going to be in it. Oh, well, another $150+ misspent.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:45pm

Karimloo and Swenson look a lot alike.

[RW3]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:47pm

Wasn't too crazy about the cast before, but now with Ramin......NYC, here I come!!!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:49pm

I don't feel like Swenson has the big, booming baritone voice the role requires. Would much rather have had Norm Lewis. Boo.

[sorano916]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:53pm

Jason Forbach is Feuilly u/s Enjolras.

https://twitter.com/jtforbach/status/392686790219673600

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:55pm

Will Swenson is a huge surprise to me. His wife should do it instead. I will pass on this production.

Updated On: 10/22/13 at 05:55 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 5:58pm

Yeah, another boyish Javert with a brassy chorus boy voice. Why?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:03pm

Norm Lewis IS Javert!!!

[bjh2114]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:03pm

Then don't buy a damn ticket.

Who said I was going to? I probably would have had the cast been better. But with this cast, I think I'll pass and save myself the 3 hours of eye rolling.

Updated On: 10/22/13 at 06:03 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:09pm

David Alan Grier is an inspired suggestion for Thenardier, but I don't think there's any guarantee that because James is playing Eponine, the Thenardiers will be black. When Chasten Harmon played Eponine on the 25th anniversary tour, the Thenardiers were both white.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:20pm

Les Mis is my favorite show and I should be excited for this, but I really just don't see the need to have this revival. The cast sounds fine, all seem capable, but I'm just kind of meh about the whole thing.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:28pm

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:54pm

Haha. I love this thread already.

Firstly, it wouldn't surprise me if some people on this board are on a first name basis with Ramin. There are all sorts of people on here.

For those of you referencing his london performance as Valjean on your dislike, just know that what he did then and what he does now is completely different. When I was talking to Ramin at the press preview one thing he really was proud of is that he took the role from a completely different perspective. On some other thread one person mentioned he played everything with too much intensity both as Enjorlas and Valjean in London. This is no longer an issue if it ever was one. (I never saw him do those roles and can only reference what I see now)

Let me just say that his Bring Him Home is SO beautiful, and every single person in the audience had a tear in their eye by the end.

In fact, at the end of the show, I was balling in my seat, and so was everyone around me. Ramin gives a really passionate and inspired performance.

I really hope they do take Lisa Horner and Cliff Saunders, who were just sheer perfection as the Thenardiers.







Updated On: 10/22/13 at 06:54 PM

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:56pm

Oh, and I just wanted to add the the 25th Anniversary Production is completely color-blind cast. It's a direction choice they've taken. From what I understood, the logic behind it is that anyone should be able to identify with someone on stage. and compassion is beyond race.

Something like that, anyways.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:57pm

Swenson can't begin to sing this score. How was he cast?

[gstrus2]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 6:57pm

Is Alice Ripley involved in this? She has retweeted several tweets from fans saying that "if the rumors were true and she was in les mis they'd freak". Would she RT even if not involved?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 7:11pm

Has Will Swenson's vacation schedule been posted? I need to book ticket for those dates.

[michellek45]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 7:25pm

I like all of these actors individually, but I'm not really sold on them as these characters. Both Swenson and Karimloo read way too young for me to see them as Javert and Valjean, regardless of their actual ages. Swenson also has a very boyish singing voice, so unless he tries something completely different I feel like he'll sound out of place. Nikki M. James reads much too old for Eponine, which really screws up Marius and Cosette as well. If they cast age-appropriate actors for Marius and Cosette, Eponine is going to look really creepy and sad in a way she wasn't intended to be. But if they cast actors the same age as James, well, it's going to be strange watching a couple of late-20-somethings fall in love in a day.

[findsomemeaning]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 7:31pm

"I heard Cosette is a newcomer who is the child of a well known musical theatre lyricist and director."

Yup, I heard a rumor that it was Charlotte Maltby as Cosette!
Updated On: 10/22/13 at 07:31 PM

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 7:48pm

Ummm. Yes...yes...yes... And yes !

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 7:54pm

Any rumors on Marius or Enjolras? I'd heard Andy Mientus for Marius but didn't know if anyone else had, and I know practically every guy was trying for Enjolras, but the only name I'd heard was Forbach and he's Feuilly now.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 8:11pm

IS Broadway ready for Les Mis again? It's so damn long and they have just worn this freaking musical down to the nub with the movie. Even if I loved it (which I dont) do people really want to sit through this again? It's incredibly maudlin.

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 8:13pm

People who enjoy the theater and seeing new productions and revivals of classics probably won't be, but this will lure in tourists. It has name recognition and thats what tourists tend to lean towards.