Les Miserables

I tried searching for this information, and came up with nothing, so I thought I'd ask here. Since the Broadway return engagement has some changes from the original production (orchestrations, some staging, etc), is there any possiblity of the West End production being updated to match the current Broadway production? Or has it happend yet?

Thanks.

I very much doubt it since people havent liked the changes to the broadway revival

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The orchestrations have changed in the broadway revival because there are less people in the pit then the current London production and the original broadway production.

They decided to approach the peace as a new peace. The set being that it's the set used in the US natonal tour is the same. They made some minor costume changes ( most notabily is that Cossett wears a white dress instead of a black one) and they decided to do new blocking. The iconic images are there. Such as Enjlorish waving the flag during the battle and the flag being waved during one day more. I was told that they went with the blocking that was used for the original london production. They changed most of the London show years ago to go along with the new changes for the then new broadway production. That has become what the show currently is.

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I just saw the revival this past January after seeing Les Mis when I was in London in December. In the revival they changed Fantine's costume a bit, gave Cosette costume changes (she still has the black dress for look down but has the white for for AHFOL) They also cut "Little People" off and changed the Little People's reprise to Ten Little Bullets" They also put the scene where Valjean tries to stay at the inn (in the prologue) back into the show
Personally I didn't care for the new orchestrations they were very thin and used the brass section a lot which made it sound tinny to me.

"for the past three years London has about 9 musicians and an Apple Mac..."

I don't know much about music for shows but this made me chuckle.

I don't know the size, but it's very small.

I enjoyed the new blocking, some of which was borrowed from the London production, most notably ALFOR. I also enjoyed the new costumes. Although, Fantine's factory dress is always changing in small ways, whether the pattern used or the patches. The color is always blue.

The reason why the orchestra is small because due to new union rules they had to take away the number of people in the pit

Really? I can't imagine that the union would force producers to hire fewer musicians. They've probably just relaxed the rules which mean that they can get away with it now...

There never has been a broadway show's national tour that did a touring stop in broadway

I have a feeling that the original productions of West Side Story and Dreamgirls did just that. Though I think that it was the end of their respective tours...

Updated On: 2/14/07 at 11:19 AM

There was only one production of dreamgirls on broadway and that was the original production same with west side.


And the lower number of people in the pit was something that came out of the 2003 musicians strike. I am not sure of the logistics as to why this happend but I do know that this is a result of the strike.

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Updated On: 2/14/07 at 01:27 PM

Winston - check out www.ibdb.com, it has details for all shows in New York. Searching Dreamgirls brings up:

#1 Dec 20, 1981 - Aug 11, 1985 Musical / Original Imperial Theatre, NY, USA
#2 Jun 28, 1987 - Nov 29, 1987 Musical / Revival Ambassador Theatre, NY, USA

And #2 (the 'revival') was the tour stop. Same for West Side Story.

The musicians strike was an effort to prevent theatre owners scrapping the house minimums which set an agreed number of players that must play at every performace. As a compromise, the minimums were only lowered (though it still angered the union members), but thankfully not scrapped altogether...

The only - and last - solution : make it to London !

You should not complain we've sent you the best Madame Thénardier ever : Jenny Galloway. By the way, how is she doing ?

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Updated On: 2/27/07 at 05:44 AM

I heard that Grantiere (spelling??)or was it Enjolras plays the guitar in Drink with Me???? Weird... Anyway, cannot WAIT to hear and see pixs of Lea Salonga as Fantine! I wish she can do it in London... obviously cant though as she's touring the world with Cinderella after Les Mis (hopefuly Cinders will come to Hong Kong!)

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Galloway is the best Madame by far! Haven't seen Les Mis in NY, just saying.

Tell me, this 'Overture', is there actually an overture, or do you mean the little play-in to the Prologue? On the Full Symphonic there's only about 15 seconds of music before the Work Song. It's to the tune of 'Look Down', just 5 bars of it.

The OLCR had a few bars before the work song also, but it was a funny little arrangement of the high bit at the begginging of 'One Day More'.

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You got to do work experience there?! Oh my god I'm jealous. I'm doing work experince in an Architect's office in a few weeks. I did a week in a Solicitor's office before Christmas.

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