Hugh Panaro to be Jean Valjean in Philly's Les Miz — Page 2

Christina originally auditioned for Elphaba. Partway into auditions they then asked her if she could sing Glinda. Don't know about the other roles, but I do know that's true. And from listening to her for nine weeks on tour, she definitely can belt.

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Hugh might look young, but isn't he at least 40? How could one say he's too young to play Jean Valjean especially since the guy who originated the role during the recent revival was in his 20s.

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I wish I could see this cast. I see that former Eponine Jessica Boevers is going to play Fantine.

I saw the show last night and Hugh Panaro was simply brilliant in the role. Sure, he may not be the most believable Valjean in terms of stature, but what he lacked in physique he made up for with his incredible performance. His voice was incredible, particularly in "Who am I?" and "Bring Him Home." I actually got to go backstage and meet him and he was one of the nicest, most gracious actors I've met.

Paul Schoeffler as Javert confused me. I didn't really enjoy his performance until his "Soliloquy" in Act 2. He may have been having an off night or it may have been the sound system (which I'll discuss later), but I couldn't hear him very well.

Oh, Jessica Bogart. When she first came on stage as Fantine, I fell in love with her. Through her portrayal, I really understood her characters conflicting feelings and her struggle. I was excited to see her "Dream," but I was a little disappointed. The song itself can be interpreted in many ways, and she seemed to be playing it more angry and frustrated than nostalgic and almost regretful, which is how I've seen it done many times before. Unfortunately, this anger translated into some belting moments that almost seemed screechy. Her death scene featured a more legit tone which I liked a whole lot more.

Thenardier was good. Not great, but he delivered a good comedic performance. The same goes for his Madame. They both gave solid performances, but they just felt forgettable.

Christina DeCicco was alright as Eponine. Eponine is one of my favorite female roles in all of musical theater, so I really wanted to enjoy her performance. I liked her more in the first act; her "On My Own" just felt a little odd to me, but that could have been the direction.

Hands down Josh Young and Jeff Coon were the best performers on stage. I can't think of one bad thing to say about either of them. Their voices were amazing, and I got chills several times. Jeff Coon as Enjolras was incredible. Every time he was on stage, my eyes went straight to him. As he has shown at the Walnut over the past few years, he is truly a stand-out performer. Josh Young's Marius was equally brilliant. I don't think I've seen a better Marius, and I've seen the show 10 times. His "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was breathtaking. He had tears rolling down his face and was practically shaking. His performance throughout the entire show was so heartfelt and genuine. Spending $70 is worth it to see Hugh Panaro, Jeff Coon, and Josh Young deliver stunning performances. If you're in town, do try to see it.

In terms of technical stuff, there was no turntable. It was the first time I'd seen it done that way, but it didn't bother me too much. The barricade was beautiful. The first time you see it, it sits upstage with yellow lights shining behind it. The rays of light make it through the holes in the barricade to give a really stunning effect.

"One Day More" was amazing. They kept the triangle step and most of the original staging for that number.

Definitely try to see it if you're in town. I really enjoyed it. And sorry for that super long review...I didn't think I'd have so much to say!

ah i'm so excited! my teacher is the asst. music director. i cannot wait!!!

Thanks for the review. I'm trying to get down to see it on an off day because that cast looks more interesting to me than the Broadway closing cast. I also can't wait to see the show redone and without a turntable... I mean, the first 150 minutes of the show is just Valjean going from place to place to place non-stop.

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"... Hugh Panaro was simply brilliant in the role. Sure, he may not be the most believable Valjean in terms of stature, but what he lacked in physique he made up for with his incredible performance. His voice was incredible, particularly in "Who am I?" and "Bring Him Home."
Paul Schoeffler as Javert confused me. I didn't really enjoy his performance until his "Soliloquy" in Act 2."

[The bridge and suicide staging were better than in previous productions.]

Thenardier, Madame ... forgettable. Bishop ... Weak.

Fantine, Cosette, Eponine ... It's gonna take another viewing to form a solid opinion. Each was at least good to very good.

"Hands down Josh Young and Jeff Coon were the best performers on stage. Their voices were amazing, and I got chills several times. Jeff Coon as Enjolras was incredible. Josh Young's Marius was equally brilliant. His performance throughout the entire show was so heartfelt and genuine. Spending $70 is worth it to see Hugh Panaro, Jeff Coon, and Josh Young deliver stunning performances."

"In terms of technical stuff, there was no turntable" ...

and it wasn't missed at all. It gets me thinking that Les Miz never needed a turntable.

The sound system problems were annoying, (to me) not so much with Javert, but often with Marius (duets with both Cosette and Eponine) and with other performers as stated.


p.s. Sorry to repeat so much from bb77, but my reactions agreed with many of hers.

pps: The weakest part of the show was the "booming officer's voice at the barricade". It didn't boom; it barely sounded. (They should get a hailer or bailer or loudspeaker, or megaphone or something.)


ppps: Absolutely worth seeing. I was at Sunday's matinee and I'll be back in two weeks.