Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
#1Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:05pm
Just wanted to give a quick review for those who are curious about John Owen Jones and Judy Kuhn in Les Mis...
I saw the show this afternoon and was absolutely blown away by John's Valjean. He has such a great voice and he truly put 110% into his performance. After seeing 5 Jean Valjeans throughout the revival's run alone; Victor Hawkes, Alex Gemignani, Drew Sarich, Ivan Rutherford,and now John Owen Jones, Jones is undoubtedly my favorite. Personally, I do no care for "Bring Him Home" but John sang it so beautifully and therefore I really enjoyed it.
Judy Kuhn was a pleasure to watch as well. She seemed to portray a more "fragile" Fantine I guess, maybe it was because of how little she is...but she was good. I was not too crazy about her "I Dreamed a Dream" mainly because her vibrato annoyed me throughout it which I felt ruined the song. However, "Come to Me" and her death was fantastic - very believable and well sung (I cried!). However, I would have honestly preferred to see Lea Salonga in the role again.
Oh! Leah Horowitz as Cosette - Eh I liked Ali much more. Leah has a pretty voice but the lack of chemistry between her and Adam Jacobs ruined it. Hopefully that'll improve as she gets further situated in the role.
As for the rest of the cast, bravo! Karen Elliot was on for Mme. Thenardier today and she was so great. Max von Essen was a bit better than 2 weeks ago when I last saw him as Enjolras but he's still dissapointing. when hes on stage I feel like I should be running up to him to give him a hug and pinch his cheeks or something haha.
Ok I think that is all, enjoy!
http://two-sails.blogspot.com/
theminutepast
Broadway Star Joined: 2/1/06
#2re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:19pm
I wish I could see JOJ.
Does anyone know what Ali is doing now?
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#2re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 3:25am
I too was at the show this afternoon as well. I LOVE John Owen Jones. By far the best Valjean of the revival run. I love his acting in the role. I felt that dialouge parts of the show that are sung he acted out very well. I have seen valjeans who sing them full out but he went and just did a wonderful job of treating those bits of song as if they were dialouge. His Bring Him Home was just amazing. A couple of people in the ensamble who are in the baracade scene were talking to me bout how it is a joy to get to listen to that 8 times a week.
I got a student rush ticket. When I got to the theatre and sat down it was about fifteen minuets to showtime maybe a bit less and almost the entier orchestra section was empty. The only bit that was full was the front section.
I will say however, that it was great seeing the show from the second row. I was in row B on the side. I got thrown off because I am used to seeing at most theatres the seats going in order from AA, BB, A, B ect. So, I thought I was in the third row but I wasn't. At intermission I went into the seat in front of me and was in the front row for act two.
I asked the usher when I got into my seat if the show is always this empty on a wednesday afternoon. He said that this is the most empy he had seen it ever. He continued to say that chances are good that there were going to be late commers. He was right.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#4re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:43am
Here is a blog by Ed Seckerson, who runs stageandscreen.com a new London-based theatre website. The beginning talked about Hairspray, but he also offers his views on John's performance on Broadway:
stageandscreen.com blog
#5re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 9:19amwinston - I know! the theater was so empty. I see the show on Wednesday matinees quite often and it has never been that bad before.
http://two-sails.blogspot.com/
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#6re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 10:43amWell, it was Halloween yesterday...that might've had something to do with it.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#7re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 1:13pm
Yeah, Halloween kind of killed everything. We had a few under eight hundred at Curtains, and it's usually much more full than that.
I actually saw Les Mis Tuesday night and I have to say, the majority of the voices in this revival are so thin. The pronunciation of certain words also bothers me, such as people singing "Theenks" when they should be singing "Thanks" or "Seeng" instead of "Sang." This is a common American thing - you'll often hear people on the street saying "Theenk you!" and "Theenks!" However, for singers, I feel like this detracts from the performance immensely. Maybe it's just me. People also backphrase all over the place.
I enjoyed Judy Kuhn very much, and having seen John Owen-Jones in London, I like him but I feel like he is a bit too casual at times. I'd like to actually hear everything he's singing. I love his "Bring Him Home," though. I also really enjoyed Megan McGinnis' performance (I thought she'd left!) and was surprised to see Ann Harada playing Mme. Thenardier. Gary Beach, as much as I loved him in Producers, etc, just doesn't do it for me here. He's hammy without being frightening and you literally cannot understand a word that comes out of his mouth. I also miss Aaron Lazar.
popular_elphie
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/05
#8re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 5:22pm
theminutepast, I believe Ali is getting married.
Question: did you not like Max's Enjolras because he's cute? I'm not sure what you mean. I haven't seen him, but I'm a big fan of his talent and am curious to how he does in this show.
I think this week is just a bad week for all shows - I was at CURTAINS on Tuesday (now I know why I didn't see you, ShbrtAlley44!) and there was hardly anyone in the mezzanine. I was so surprised.
Marianne
Stand-by Joined: 4/10/07
#9re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 6:29pm
Question: did you not like Max's Enjolras because he's cute? I'm not sure what you mean. I haven't seen him, but I'm a big fan of his talent and am curious to how he does in this show.
Not solely because he's cute, more because you really do want to pinch his cheeks instead of following him into battle. He doesn't have the "commanding" thing down very well.
I rather doubt Ali left Les Mis solely to get married, because she's engaged to Kevin David Thomas. Who is... in Les Mis.
#10re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 7:45pmare there any pixs of Judy as Fantine?
All That Jazz
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Future Elphaba
Swing Joined: 6/1/05
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#13re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/1/07 at 10:02pmhaha popular elphie...I meant pretty much what Marianne said...Him being cute isn't a bad thing its just that it is hard to take him seriously as this revolutionary leader because he lacks the leadership qualities Enjolras is supposed to posess
http://two-sails.blogspot.com/
#14re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/3/07 at 10:04pmI saw this for the first time in a long while today (the last time was with Debbie Gibson) I thought John Owens-Jones and Robert Hunt (Valjean and Javert) were OUTSTANDING. Gary Beach was wonderful just because he is Gary Beach, although I had a hard time hearing him sometimes. Judy Kuhn was great....with the exception of I Dreamed a Dream which sounded quite goatlike at times. Leah Horowitz and Adam Jacobs were pretty terrible. Cosette is a bland role anyway, and she brought nothing to it. Adam Jacobs....I'm not sure what to make of him. He sang to the audience at odd times, he never modulated his tone in the slightest, and his acting seemed very...off. Maybe he just didn't connect with me. Oh well, Valjean and Javert made it a very worthwhile theater experience.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#15re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/3/07 at 11:55pm
I find that the roles of Cosette and Marius are both very bland. However, Ali and now the replacemtn and Jacobs did a good job with it.
I saw Jenny Galloway talking to an usher at intermission. I am so glad that she is comming back to the show. I wonder why she left in the first place.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#16re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 12:00amHer work visa expired.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#17re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 12:03am
maybe her work visa expired? who knows, but it definitely was a shame that she left...she left us with 6 months of hell with ann (blahhh). I'm so glad Jenny is coming back! :)
Trinaaron - goatlike is the best way to describe Kuhn's "I Dreamed a Dream"...such a disapointment but thankfully her other songs were well done
http://two-sails.blogspot.com/
#18re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 12:35amIt may be that Jenny Galloway had something else she had to do in the UK. I read on one of the West End Boards that she was in a show up until two weeks ago.
#19re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 3:59pm
Goatlike?
Geez, lol.
I liked Ann, she was feisty.
Marianne
Stand-by Joined: 4/10/07
mrkringas
Broadway Star Joined: 9/28/05
#21re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 7:10pmJenny Galloway was doing Henry V in Manchester for about a month not too long ago!
#22re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 8:14pm
I always enjoy reading LES MIZ reviews 
Thanks for all this.
I hope to be there on closing night in January for one last cry 
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
Updated On: 11/4/07 at 08:14 PM
#23re: Les Mis 10/31 Jones and Kuhn
Posted: 11/4/07 at 10:29pm
I will be there for the last performance -- and I should probably bring a box of tissues with me. I cry anyway -- I'm usually a basket case at the end -- but that day will probably be worse than usual. 
