Broadway Star Joined: 5/9/15
Me too. As someone who was not alive to see the rise of mega musicals, I really wish they used the original set.
Hamilton22 said: "Can't say I'm sad. The production (that was really just a knock off of the tour) was incredibly uninspired and dull and the cast was pretty mediocre except for Ramin.
I agree completely. "Dull" and "uninspired" perfectly describe this production, unfortunately. The 25th anniversary tour was much better.
Went to the well once to often here.
windbelle said: "Overall I like this revival. It's not as great as the original but still enjoyable. And I'm not a fan of Ramin. I don't really care about bringing "something new" to the characters. I just want them to sing well, act well, and be in character, which not many people can handle IMHO. I've seen the revival for a few times and I haven't seen a Valjean I really love, so I'm excited John Owen Jones is taking over and really looking forward to seeing him.
Have you not seen Alfie Boe in the role?
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Featured Actor Joined: 9/14/15
I hope we don't see LES MIS (why do they abbreiviate with a z in this production? there's no z in the word "miserables" for a looooong time. It's a good show, and I didn't hate this production, but it says a lot that I thought CABARET, which was literally a restaging of the last revival, was a more fresh and more deserving for a Tony nod revival.
Featured Actor Joined: 12/31/69
Does anybody think it will tour?
I believe a new tour will go out in 2017.
Who the hell announces a closing date 9 months in advance....
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
Cameron Mackintosh is a brilliant producer. He can obviously see that ticket sales have been declining, and predicts that it will stop making money after the end of summer, so to increase ticket sales, he is posting closing now so that people buy tickets so they can see it one last time. Miss Saigon is going into the imperial which was pretty much confirmed by Imogen Lloyd Webber on Periscope. I predict Les Mis will go out on tour right after the Broadway production closes.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/17/07
I prefer Miz to Mis because whenever I see I think of people pronouncing it that way instead of with a Z. I think it's charming.
As much as I adore Les Miz (yeah look at the z LOOK AT IT), I far prefer the original 1980's production with the revolve. In a way I am happy that this production is closing because it brings us even closer to yet another revival that will surely use the original staging with the revolve! Even if that is decades from now---I bet it will be in less than 20 years.
Not necessarily.
Also just putting my voice in as someone who saw the original staging faaaaar more than this staging, and I can't say I prefer it all that much more, beyond sentimental reasons.
This revival was one of the tackiest and cheapest productions I have ever seen on a Broadway stage. Can't say I'm too bummed about this one closing.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
LizzieCurry, what is it about this staging that you liked? I enjoyed this production, but I LOVE the original. The staging is thrilling, and I love the turntable.
I really liked the use of fire, most of the upped violence (it wasn't gratuitous and I enjoyed its rawness), the factory looking more like a factory, and (if I had never seen the original Urinetown staging and thought of Bobby Strong's fate) Javert's Suicide.
I just don't really miss the turntable. The way people talk about it it's like they were born on one.
kec said: "windbelle said: "Overall I like this revival. It's not as great as the original but still enjoyable. And I'm not a fan of Ramin. I don't really care about bringing "something new" to the characters. I just want them to sing well, act well, and be in character, which not many people can handle IMHO. I've seen the revival for a few times and I haven't seen a Valjean I really love, so I'm excited John Owen Jones is taking over and really looking forward to seeing him.
Have you not seen Alfie Boe in the role?
Yes I have. He does have a gorgeous voice, but that's it. I found his acting pretty wooden, and he lacks something interacting and working with the rest of the cast. Although he has the perfect range and timbre for the role, I think his singing is a bit cold and monotone. I guess he's the kind of singers who wouldn't sacrifice the beauty of the voice for an acting choice. But that's not saying I hate him. I did enjoy his voice. To me, he is the opposite case to Ramin. If you mix the two and get the best out of them, it might be perfect, but for now I'm not a fan of either.
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Leading Actor Joined: 9/16/15
Alfie Boe couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.
I'm probably biased since I loved him when I saw him as Rodolfo in La Bohème, but I thought his Valjean was a joy to watch. A very warm presence and a glorious voice. Definitely a singer who acts than the reverse, but I let it slide. I can kind of see how it wouldn't work for others, though.
I much preferred the tour, to be honest. Something about this Broadway production felt so..I dunno, cheap? Distanced? Usually this show touches me, but I left this production feeling cold.
And I would take Alfie Boe's Valjean over Ramin Karimloo's any day. Where Alfie's Valjean is gentle, Ramin's is far too angry for my taste.
I thoroughly enjoyed this production when I saw it in Toronto a few months before it moved to Broadway. Too bad New York didn't get the Canadian cast.
Chorus Member Joined: 5/1/15
I saw the original production with the turntable towards the end of its run and I saw this production, and I felt this one superior. I'm curios if those posters who preferred the original saw it early in the run and maybe it was more exciting because I found it boring. I found that it was difficult to see what was happening on top of the barricade. I could not afford good seats then, I sat below the balcony and I hard to lean forward and crane my next to see anything
while I loved the music and wore out the cassette long before I saw the show, I felt the actor gave a lifeless performance. They sang beautifully and hit every note but there was no passion
I found this production to be gritty and less bombastic and I felt in a way paid tribute to the downtrodden. The only thing I did not like was the extra vulgarity if the Tenardiers. They characters are vulgar enough without the actors overacting it.
I think some posters on this board are generally negative and if I got a dollar for every time I read "I can't see this show lasting much longer" I'd be rich. I think it had quite a respectable run and it outlived most of shows that came out the same season
Updated On: 12/3/15 at 08:34 PMVideos