Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Greatwhiteway3
Stand-by Joined: 7/7/09
#1Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 9:09pm
I'm sure this has been posted about many times already so I apologize in advance. I have just watched the performance.
Am I only one who is REALLY disappointed in the cast? This is the best they can get for a 25th anniversary? The 10th year cast BLEW THEM AWAY.
A Jean Valjean who sounds like Kermit the frog (Why not use Colm again???) A washed up and way overweight Lea Salonga? A Cosette and Eponine whose claim to fame is being on Lord Webber reality shows? A Jonas brother?? Seriously?? I mean he sings ok, but really? They couldn't find 1000 chorus boys with better voices? Even Norm Lewis disappointed me and I LOVE Norm Lewis. Karimloo was pretty good but the only homerun was Jenny Gallaway.
End
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#2Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 9:11pm
Um, seriously? Colm is like in his 80s now and no way was Lea overweight (and even if she was, her performance was outstanding).
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
Updated On: 3/13/11 at 09:11 PM
Greatwhiteway3
Stand-by Joined: 7/7/09
#2Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 9:40pm
Sporky... Colm was 65 at the time... Still age appropriate for this part.. Also.. Didn't have to be him. Many others better than Alfie.... and with Lea's weight she would have been better as Madame Thénardier. But then it's a concert right? We have to suspend disbelief, like the ability in 1815 France of a Filipino mother with a blonde English daughter, among other things LOL.
Have to love casting which disregards history or reality.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#3Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 9:48pmWho cares? We got to see and hear Norm Lewis.
Twitter @NamoInExile
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#4Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 9:59pm
Greatwhiteway...your an idiot
Sorry was that harsh?
Well so is calling someone "overweight" when they are not even close to being so.
IMO, Alfie blew Colm away...I detest Colm's voice, but like I said that is my opinion. However, to say Alfie sounded like Kermit is quite idiotic. You can at least give the man some respect. I give Colm respect, I dont like his voice but I'm not going to say he sucks..because obviously he doesn't...just not my cup of tea.
Greatwhiteway, you have a lot of growing up to do. Go find your blankie and go suck your thumb in a corner.
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#5Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:00pm
"and with Lea's weight she would have been better as Madame Thénardier"
Comments like this are totally unnecessary.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#6Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:02pmLea Salonga overweight? Wow. You have GOT to be kidding me
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#7Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:03pm
Overweight? I must have missed that, because she looked anything but overweight to me.
I love her Fantine. I'm sorry you found a loose-fitting costume so distracting that you missed her brilliant performance.
And I thought I was being way harsh when I said the new, crappy orchestrations sounded like a bunch of people whistling behind Norm during "Stars"!
Recreation of original John Cameron orchestration to "On My Own" by yours truly. Click player below to hear.
#8Les Mis 25th - BIG WHINER
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:03pm
Alas, the poor OP.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#9Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:04pmWhy do I have the feeling that Greatwhiteway is just a bitter 'ol fat queen that is just bitter at life because his aspirations to be a star have failed?
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
#10Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:05pm
It's not just a feeling. Check out the rest of his posts.
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/CurrentSearch_Detail.cfm?ID=99177
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#11Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:09pm
But seriously, you HAVE to be kidding. Calling Lea overweight is absolutely ridiculous. Plus, her performance was great.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#12Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:13pm
I can't recall ever seeing a more physically beautiful trio of leading ladies than Salonga and the actresses playing Cosette and Eponine.
Maybe the intent was to atract more straight men to the theatre.
You'd prefer maybe Patti LuPone or Randi Graff???
#13Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:21pm
But then it's a concert right? We have to suspend disbelief, like the ability in 1815 France of a Filipino mother with a blonde English daughter, among other things LOL.
Have to love casting which disregards history or reality.
In that case, you can't have a black man playing the police inspector.
And, to play it out, if we're that concerned about "reality" why was Colm Wilkinson, who's Welsh (or Irish, I forget) cast as a Frechman? Patti LuPone is Italian, and she was the original Fantine.
Heck, has the British or American productions ever cast French actors? So, the show has been "disregarding history" since the beginning, based on your theory.
#14Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:24pm
Heck, has the British or American productions ever cast French actors? So, the show has been "disregarding history" since the beginning, based on your theory.
Jérôme Pradon played a particularly weird and creepy Javert in London. But I think he might be it.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Updated On: 3/13/11 at 10:24 PM
#16Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:25pm
"They couldn't find 1000 chorus boys with better voices?"
or find something better for them to wear than t-shirts?
gayer than laughter, am I. And who wouldn't be, after seeing Cheyenne in those tight black shorts?
Greatwhiteway3
Stand-by Joined: 7/7/09
#17Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:26pmLizzie you are so clever. Anyone ever tell you that? I doubt it
Greatwhiteway3
Stand-by Joined: 7/7/09
#18Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:29pmJon.. since you are the only one that has said anything intelligent or meaningful I shall respond in kind.. I think you hit it on the head. I think the casting of Jonas and the two reality girls was 100% to get the "younger generation" into the next 25 years of Les Mis
#19Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 11:22pm
Greatwhiteway3, I'm going to say this in an intelligent and meaningful way...
Your opinion on theatrical productions, performance, and theatre history is obviously based on a tiny amount of education and experience. Before you publicly humiliate yourself further, I recommend that you fully think about what you are really saying before you hit that 'publish' button.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#20Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 11:41pm
^^^^^
I agree
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#21Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/13/11 at 11:45pmI read through all his other posts. Has anyone seen anything remotely well thought out, positive, informed, and actually right? Greatwhiteway, you are a tool.
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#22Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/14/11 at 12:47am
Even if Colm was 65, he's still too old for the role until the very end of the show. Valjean is in his 40s when he gets out of prison.
There are others that I would have preferred in the role, but Colm is not one of them. And Alfie didn't sound like Kermit, especially for an opera singer he had great musical theatre diction.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#23Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/14/11 at 1:05am
I found the production very moving. I had forgotten how much I love the score.
My only disappointment was with Nick Jonas, whose performance I found distracting. The rest of the cast was fine.
Alfie Boe was wonderful in La Boheme, and I appreciated his work in this concert.
Norm Lewis was simply excellent.
#24Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/14/11 at 1:07amI agree about Jonas as well. His voice is simply weak. "Empty Chairs" should be an extremely moving moment, however between his constant gasps for air, and strained high notes and dodgy low notes, the song was dead.
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
#25Les Mis 25th - BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Posted: 3/14/11 at 6:15am
Lea Salonga overweight? Hardly. She sounded amazing.
Nick Jonas was absolutely effing terrible.
Norm Lewis was wonderful.
Alfie Boe was good until "Bring Him Home"...it was so weak.
The Thenardiers were "meh"
Eponine was good. Not outstanding, but good.
Cosette was boring, but when isn't she?
Ramin Karimloo was, well, Ramin Karimloo. amazing. :)
And the choir in t-shirts? Weird and inappropriate.
My .2 cents on this concert.
Whoever says money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to shop. - Bo Derek
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