Cast Changes in Les Mis...What Happened?

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:40pm

Just wondering if anyone knows why Adam Jacobs (Marius) and Fabio Polanco (Thenardier) are no longer in the Les Mis National Tour. I personally thought Polanco was terrible as Thenardier. He was only with the tour for a short time, so maybe he was fired. But he's still listed on the cast website. Norman Large replaced him.

Side note--Every time I see this cast, Melissa Lyons plays Eponine. Does she ever take days off? I would love to see the u/s.
Les Mis cast

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:43pm

Adam Jacobs is getting married.
http://www.adamljacobs.com

Fabio Polanco's wife had a baby. He was certainly not fired. In fact, he had left the tour for a short time earlier this year to spend more time with the baby, and David McDonald had filled in.

Melissa Lyons is rarely out.

Updated On: 4/24/06 at 04:43 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:45pm

Must say that that's a beautiful picture of the happy couple on Adam's website.

[misto625]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:46pm

Norman Large is back with the tour? Hmm I wonder how quickly after WIW he got that job.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:47pm

Norman Large was a fantastic Thenardier!

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 4:59pm

I'd give anything to see Norman as Thernardier....I saw Fabio....Not very pleasant performance of thernardier.

[tz0o]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 7:12pm

Was Polanco the Thernardier in Washington DC? If so, I agree with you that he was horrible. . .

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 7:52pm

Yep, that was him. He left during the Detroit run, which was last month. (?)

What did you guys not like about Polanco? I'd heard mostly good things about him until this thread.

Anyway, I've never seen him, so I can't really comment. But I do want to chime in that Norman Large is wonderful. Just wonderful. His Thénardier is a sleazy guy who tries to charm you, but is not all that bright. Nice take on the role.

[Colle]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 8:29pm

As far as the Eponine understudies go, I would like to see Marissa McGowan the next time I see the show. Overall, I have heard good things about her, I think I would like her over Melissa Lyons(I have not seen either one). I am looking forward to seeing Norman as Thenardier.
Updated On: 4/26/06 at 08:29 PM

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 8:48pm

I saw Large, he didn't sing too much, but when he did I thought he was great.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 8:48pm

Norman Large is such a talented man! He was fabulous in "The Woman in White."

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 8:52pm

I loved Fabio! He simply commanded the part. He was sleazy, funny, dirty, extremely expressive and sang the hell out of his songs...one of the best Inn keepers I've seen. The T's got the second biggest ovation in Philly.

To each his own, I guess.

[Barnaby12345]

Posted: 4/24/06 at 9:20pm

I loved Fabio and Jennifer! Wasn't a huge fan of Joan Almedilla, Melissa Lyons, or Daniel Bogart sadly. Robert Hunt and Randal were awesome too!

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 1:31pm

Melissa was out opening night in Boston. My best friend saw an understudy and said she was amazing and had a rich voice.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 1:39pm

Melissa has a beautiful voice. She is also a trooper. She never misses.

[Colle]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:04pm

MusicandPassion, do you know if the understudy your friend saw was Marissa McGowan? BtW here is a link to Marissa's "A Little Fall of Rain."

Marissa sound clips Updated On: 4/25/06 at 03:04 PM

[tz0o]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 4:48pm

Geez, you guys have all the luck. I wish I saw Melissa or Marissa. Judging by Marissa's soundclips, she was a better Eponine than the Eponine I saw. Second best Eponine I've heard so far, in fact.

Updated On: 4/25/06 at 04:48 PM

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 5:14pm

Polanco was too crude, which is saying something since he plays Thenardier. After his line "This one's a queer, but what can you do?" he basically attacked the person and thrust into him. I just thought he was too outlandish, trying to shock the audience more than play a manipulative but charming character.

I've seen the cast four times and haven't seen the u/s Eponine. But I finally got to see Keith last time, and he is just amazing. I hope he returns to Broadway with it. In an interview for the Cleveland Playhouse, Keith said he would love to be cast in the revival.

[tz0o]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 5:17pm

"Polanco was too crude. . ."

It's not that. It's just that he's crude in the inappropiate places, and just plain boring everywhere else.

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 5:36pm

Should I expect to see Norman Large when I see it in Cincinnati? (It's here now).

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 5:41pm

I think you will.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:09pm

After his line "This one's a queer, but what can you do?" he basically attacked the person and thrust into him.

I don't think I've seen a Thénardier NOT do that one time or another...

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 1:17am

The Thenardiers I've seen usually twirl his wife around to wave the offended person away.

You should probably see Norman Large in Cincinnati. I wish I could go see it again, but I'm saving my money to see the last show in St. Louis.

[bwaybabe85]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:27pm

misto, Normal Large actually got the job while he was still in WIW. He was going to leave WIW for LM, but the show closed anyway.

[misto625]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:35pm

Ahh i see. I knew he had been with the tour as Thenardier before WIW. Hell he was in the original cast on Broadway. I just was really amused to see him pop back up so quickly.