And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.- Page 3
And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
#50And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/2/11 at 6:22am
vf: I think somebody HAS asked him on Twitter, but so far he hasn't said anything. I think he already said too much in that radio interview and spilled some information that he shouldn't have been talking about yet, which is why he wasn't specific and didn't say a whole lot about it.
I'm sure Alfie Boe is also getting bombarded at the West End stage door with fans desperate to know whether he's going to be in the movie. But I don't think either of them can verify anything yet. Heck, as has been pointed out, we don't even have solid proof that Hooper is directing! Hopefully we'll get some sort of press release or interview or something soon. Since it's reportedly Hooper's next project there should be some coverage of it.
Updated On: 7/2/11 at 06:22 AM
vf
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/10
#51And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/3/11 at 12:41am
Why do you say "Heck, as has been pointed out, we don't even have solid proof that Hooper is directing!" Deadline, Variety and Hollywood Reporter have all reported that Hooper is directing it. Hollywood Reporter in its 6/15 story said that Jackman was in talks to play Valjean. Since then Jackman in his own voice said he will be in the movie, so it seems pretty certain, he's Valjean. If he weren't playing Valjean, seems like there would have to be an even bigger star playing that role; why would Jackman take a secondary role to a lesser star? Actors say interesting stuff in interviews about upcoming movies a lot. A recorded interview online seems like the surest source of info, out of their own mouths. I wouldn't assume Jackman spoke out of turn. Seems like he's pretty chatty. He'll probably say more about it.
Per Hollywood Reporter, if Jackman is cast it will be as Valjean
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#52And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/8/11 at 2:32pm
Interesting insights from the book of Edward Behr ( LES MISERABLES : History in the Making), the definitive book written in cooperation with the producing and creative teams ( headed by Mackintosh, Boublil and Schonberg), where he traces the origins and evolution of the stage musical which opened at the Barbican in 1985. Check out Page 95 --
>>>>One of the basic rules of casting is that it's fatal to make up one's mind hastily, on the spur of the moment, or on the basis of a vague hunch; endless patience, a gambler's luck, and a fatalistic streak is required. Shortly before rehearsals started, Trevor Nunn asked Tim Rice for advice. As Rice remembers it, Nunn gave him a thumbnail description of the character of Jean Valjean as follows : 'What's needed is someone who looks like a convict, is very strong, can carry a guy weighing thirteen stone on his back around the stage and still sing beautifully'. Rice immediately said 'That's Colm Wilkinson.'
At this time, Wilkinson was best known as a kind of an Irish troubadour...
'The minute you started to sing at the audition, Trevor told Wilkinson later, 'we all know we'd found Jean Valjean.' He sang the ' Anthem' song from Chess, then Schonberg took him through some of the Les Mis songs in Act One. Wilkinson's natural golden tenor voice excited all those present, though Schonberg was aware that there would be considerable musical rewriting to be done : originally Valjean had been cast as a deep baritone. Martin Koch, the musical director, and John Cameron, the orchestrator, rewrote large chunks of the music, putting it in a higher key.<<<<
Interesting to note that the Valjean role was originally written as a deep baritone!
Updated On: 7/8/11 at 02:32 PM
#53And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/8/11 at 2:48pmOf course. If you listen to the French concept album, that Valjean is a baritone.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
rjm516
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/24/09
#54And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/8/11 at 4:27pmI would like him as Enjolras.
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#55And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/8/11 at 6:48pm
Perhaps the reason why the original vocal range for Valjean was a deep baritone was, as a friend observed : " It does make more sense: a big, strong convict seems to go with a big, strong, deep voice, not an upper range. "
This gives the movie director more flexibility in casting the role, if the vocal range can go either way.
#56And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/8/11 at 7:39pm
A friend made an interesting comment to me when we saw the tour in 2003. He was a music minor at UCLA and had been in a couple of operas, and was vaguely familiar with Les Miz (he'd seen it in 2000).
He remarked that Valjean sounded like a role that was originally written for a baritone but changed for a tenor. I don't remember exactly why he said this, but he cited the soliloquy for sure. And how right he was. :)
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#57And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/14/11 at 9:16pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T98Mjv2_ts8&feature=player_embedded
Hugh Jackman signing autographs outside his Toronto show. At around 0:55 they ask him if he's playing Valjean and he says yes and he's very excited, and at 1:07 he sings '24601' as he's signing. He also says he doesn't know who else is in the movie.
Updated On: 7/15/11 at 09:16 PM
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#58And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie.
Posted: 7/14/11 at 9:47pm
I definitely heard the categorical "OUI!" and the immortal numbers " 2-4-6-0-1!!" as sung ( almost softly) by the future musical Valjean!
Thanks!
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