And that's it! Hugh Jackman confirms his role in the LES MIS movie. — Page 3

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

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

I would like him as Enjolras.

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. :)

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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!