Les Miserables: 10/28 Matinee- Page 3

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 1:45pm

Yes, it will.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 4:09pm

It's a well-staged show. It's very well put together. The cast is just emotionally absent. In my opinion, at least.

I had the same reaction when I saw the original run about a year before it closed. I'm seeing it Wednesday. I'm hoping the new cast will make me a believer in why this show is such a big deal.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 4:15pm

Did anyone happen to see if and/or what merchandise was being sold?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 6:18pm

No merchandise.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 6:59pm

At the stage door, how long did it take for the cast to come out, how long did you wait in total? I'm going in December to a matinee, and I know they may not come out in the cold, but I have dinner and a bus to catch within an hour and a half of the show ending, and I want to know how much time I will have for the stage door.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 9:24pm

What the hell does Broadway caliber mean, anyway. I hate to break it to the original poster, but as a professional working actor in NY, Broadway is NOT always the benchmark of artistic integtrity and talent. There are plenty of actors working Off-Broadway, Off-off Broadway, and regionally that are quite as talented and sometimes even more so than on Broadway. As far as stage goes, yes, Broadway is the biggest moneymaker. Hence castings of Julia Roberts, Usher, and the list goes on. Are there more competently trained no name actors in an off-off Bway play that could act circles around them? You bet you a**. Broadway is a commercial venue. Im guessing that the original poster probably has never even SEEN a show off-Broadway.
Casting is a very slippery slope, and talent, while being a factor, is not the only factor. To sit in a Broadway audience and think that you are seeing the best NY has to offer is naive. Are the people on Broadway immensley talented?? Of course they are, but you discredit the 184 talented people that didnt get that same part because they were 5'8 instead of 5'7, were in St Louis doing The Music Man during casting, weren't an alma matter of the music director, and the list goes on and on.
The original poster of this thread shows a complete ignorance to the profession of acting, plain and simple. While I respect their right to say whatever they wish, they need to understand that their diatribe is read by a wide variety of theatre folk from amateur to professional who take their crap seriously.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 9:35pm

The comment about Gary Beach playing Thénardier as Roger DeBris perfectly describes his performance, IMO.
Updated On: 10/29/06 at 09:35 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 9:45pm

MusicAndPassion - 15 minutes, altogether. Alex was out before the audience was done exiting.

HamletWasBipolar - I know where you're coming from completely. I am not an actor, I am an audience member. I'm no more qualified to judge a show than Ben Brantley is. (Brantley, by the way, holds a degree in English, not anything related to theater.) My reviews, as usual, are just my thoughts. I've seen enough shows to know what great acting is and what terrible acting is. Christine Ebersole is giving a great performance. Julia Roberts did not give a great performance. Are there people who could do better? Of course. Les Miz, obviously on title recognition, alone, is not going for the Julia Roberts market.

I understand all you've said, and yes, I've seen plenty of Off-shows and regionals and the like. In my time, I've seen many great performances and many terrible performances. I have the utmost respect for the actors on stage, wherever they are. I do feel bad for those who got the part. My qualm with this casting is the fact that these performers seem uncomfortable and tired. Many of them have been doing the tour for years (one guy says that he did 2000 performances on tour in his bio). The others haven't found their sealegs yet. I'm not saying they're bad actors. I'm saying they're not don't convey the necessary emotions yet. It's the 6th preview and those are just my thoughts. I went in expecting mind-blowing performances. These people were picked out of probably thousands who tried out. They're great singers. They're still working on getting characters.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 9:55pm

Many of them have been doing the tour for years

Many? I'm not so sure.

Alexander Gemignani, Norm Lewis, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Aaron Lazar, Drew Sarich, Blake Ginther, Doug Kreeger, Justin Bohon, Nehal Joshi, Jeff Kready, Victor Hawks, J.D. Goldblatt, Farah Alvin, Becca Ayers, Nikki Renee Daniels, Marya Grandy, Megan McGinnis, Haviland Stillwell and Idara Victor, as well as all the kids and two of the swings are all completely new to Les Miz.

If they appear tired, that's unfortunate, but it's likely not the fault of being on tour for too long, since only a handful of them were ever even on the tour before. The person mentioning 2,000 performances (Robert Hunt, I assume?) is actually fairly unique among the Les Miz alumni currently in the revival.

Updated On: 10/29/06 at 09:55 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:04pm

Matt Clemens, actually.

I think my equating them to being tired, I agree, isn't due to being on tour. They just seem uncomfortable.
Updated On: 10/29/06 at 10:04 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:05pm

Ha, Matt Clemens. Wonderful swing. I assume he hasn't gotten to go on yet.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:07pm

I may have been a little harsh in my words for your post. But a few hings you should keep in mind...you said they seem tired...well they did just finish tech week, and are rehearsing everyday in addition to performing during previews, and Les Miz isnt just a walk in the park in length and stamina. The ensemble has 7 different costume changes that all members endure within the first THIRTY minutes of the show. Im sure they ARE tired. The show hasn't opened yet, which is why reviewers dont review the first preview.
One other thing that stuck out...this thing wreaks of attracting the Julia Roberts audience. In my acting community, there are many other shows that are attracting our viewing attention. None of us are really that excited over seeing it. It is totally about the buck and the tourists.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:07pm

Not on Broadway, at least. I'm sure in 2000+ shows, he's been on once or twice :).

What else has he done?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:09pm

Hamlet - not to mention a personal life to make them tired :)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:11pm

Hamlet - I understand completely. That's why I've used the word "yet" in almost every post. They're doing well, but they're not up to snuff - yet.

I can see what you mean about attracting the tourist crowd and most-likely agree with you. Either that or Cam Mac has an extreme amount of hubris that he wants to shove in the non-successful shows faces.
Updated On: 10/29/06 at 10:11 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:11pm

What else has he done?

You know, I'm not sure, but I've seen him go on in every single ensemble track on tour. (He wasn't even a swing until he'd been with the show for 3? 4? years. He was Montparnasse and didn't cover anybody.)

Best Bishop I've ever seen, hands-down.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:13pm

See. That's to whom Bennett dedicated A CHORUS LINE.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:16pm

And that's whom John Breglio forgot when he produced the revival...but that's a different story.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 10:25pm

Gary Beach plays EVERY role like Roger DeBris.

[KQuill]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 11:44pm

Gary Beach plays every role like Gary Beach...

[ken8631]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:49pm

Gary was good (couldn't understand lyrics at times though), but Nick Wyman was an excellent Thenardier. What's he doing nowadays?

[LilBwayLady]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:54pm

I heard rumors of Drew Sarich being in Les Mis....i might have got the information wrong it could have been a more local preformance but does anyone else have any imformatoion on this?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:05pm

Drew's in the ensemble and sings "Drink with Me to Days Gone By." I forget the character's name but it starts with a G.
Updated On: 10/30/06 at 01:05 PM

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:49pm

The song is called "Drink With Me." The character's name is Grantaire.

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:53pm

A friend of mine went to see the show this past Saturday. Is it true that Victor Hawks has gotten leaner and buffer since "Urinetown"? I know he shaved his head.