Colm Wilkinson and the "Valjean Standard"?

I recently got into EVITA via the film version, and immediately after found out that Colm Wilkinson recorded the part of Chè for the Original Concept Album,which was recorded in 1976, 9 years before he played Valjean in LES MIZ. While I have no problems with this, his voice just sounds NOTHING like the Colm Wilkinson I am used to hearing in the EVITA setting. Is this because it was first, or because he was younger at the time?

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What I can't help but notice is that some Valjeans after Wilkinson do the "Colm Wilkinson voice" or maybe the "Jean Valjean character voice" in the role- Gary Morris on the Complete Symphonic certainly appears to be doing a Valjean impression as much as playing Valjean.

Yeah...I remember that. It is pretty funny and accurate. I think that is the big problem I have with the Complete Symphonic Recording, anyway with Gary Morris.

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I never thought Gary Morris was trying to sound like Wilkinson. I'd always assumed he was hired to replace him on Broadway because they were naturally so similar sounding.

When Jason Segel does Confrontation either with NPH or Paul Rudd, it is basically a Colm impression.

Haha, Jason Segal does an excellent Colm impression when he sings. I didn't know he'd sung it with Paul Rudd--must search for it on YouTube.

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Agog and aghast? :)

Here ya go, Spork

On the subject of Colm keeping his beard for the role, I've always wanted Valjean to have a beard at the beginning when he's newly paroled, but clean-shaven for the rest of the show (and I remember hoping Walnut Street would do it that way back a few years ago).

But it's probably just because I really love the Jean Geoffrey illustration of Valjean meeting young Cosette with the bucket.

Despite that, I actually found it mildly jarring to see Valjean without a beard in the movie. I guess it's what one gets too used to.

Right, if Valjean is really trying to escape detection from Javert, it makes absolutely no sense that he wouldn't try to look as different from his convict-state as possible. He should either go from bearded to clean-shaven, or vice versa.

Those of you saying Gary Morris basically does a Colm impression on the CSR are nuts. I don't think you could have chosen a more different sounding person in that iconic role. In fact, I think that's exactly what Cameron Mackintosh set out to do; to cast someone without that trademark--what some people call either a "fatherly," or Sean Connery-like--"Colm" voice in the role. Morris, a singer with great range that is firmly rooted in the more mainstream Country Western/Pop music that was emerging at the time, lacks even a hint of that Colm aesthetic (which I adore, btw) but still carries that essential hybrid pop/operatic style that made Colm so ideal in the role and fit so well in a musical that equally flirts between two musical styles and does it so seductively well.

Maybe I'm not like most people, but I personally wasn't shocked when the very different and more youthful sounding Morris took over the role. He wasn't with the show for as long as many others who've done the role, but the one time I saw him when the 1st national tour played L.A.'s Pantages in 1991, left an indelible mark. I will never understand the rampant misconceptions about Morris' Valjean. Either he sucked because he sounded nothing like Colm or, incredibly, he sucked because he basically imitated Colm.

Unlike most, I actually saw him in the show, and he was one of the best I've ever seen perform anything on stage or off. The talent that man has is sadly undermined by people who didn't get to experience him in the role. It's interesting because everyone who got to see him in either New York or in the 1st national tour have expressed a similar unforgettable experience as mine.

For whatever reason, his CSR performance is different from what I saw onstage, and he has a tendency to sing very quietly at times on the recording. The adrenaline of live performance can make a huge difference, and while I still think he sounds gorgeous on the recording, his onstage performance was much stronger.

There is a ridiculous lack of photographs and video of his turn as Valjean either on Broadway or the 1st national tour, so I always try sharing what I have of his to share which you'll find below. As for audio records of his performance, there is one Broadway audience boot out there that I have, but it's frustratingly of terrible quality and sounds much lower in pitch overall due to age and the resulting warping of the tape, so it's an inaccurate record at best.

From my 1991, 1st national tour ("Valjean" Company) program and souvenir brochure:













And the Los Angeles Times review:

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Updated On: 1/21/13 at 06:51 PM

Colm Wilkinson in affect "set" the pattern for the character and the vocals that the directors were looking to capture and pass along to future actors for the role. However one Valjean, Craig Schulman, who was opera trained,was determined to present the money song in a way that would not only be effective but would not harm his voice. At first this met with skeptisism. However after they heard Craig's technique they decided it was worth keeping. Craig played Valjean with six contracts and over a ten year span. I think it was a good vocal decision on his part.

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I also saw Gary Morris and he was breathtaking. His vibrato bothers me a bit on the recording, but live, I really didn't notice it as much. And no, he doesn't attempt to impersonate Colm Wilkinson on the recording.

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