Les Miz on Bway

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 1:53am

I finally saw the show tonight, to a packed house. 

I saw the tour a few years ago, so the physical production was no surprise. There wasn't really much of anything added to the Broadway version, which made me a little sad. I was waiting for that WOW moment. 

Ramin was a great Jean. I felt like, him and most of the other cast members, weren't exactly telling the story. They were throwing out words here and there and emphasizing words that just weren't important. He was great on his money notes, no question. But I wasn't exactly wowed by his characterization. 

Overall the cast was fine. The stand out to me was the new Eponine. I thought she really delivered. She hit every note, and I really enjoyed her acting. The Marius was giving me like Spring Awakening-angst. Which, at times was kind of an interesting choice, but he gave me no sense of character or time. There was no change in his character from the beginning of the show through to the end. Which I felt, again, didn't really tell the story. Cosette was fine, but c'mon, we couldn't get some better hair? Her hair looked so pedestrian compared to everything else. 

Gavin Lee & his "wife" (sorry, no Playbill) - were hilarious and really got to me. I wanted to hear her sing more. She has a fabulous belt on her. 

Wallace Smith was...hm. He wasn't bad by any means. His voice was great, but, I think this is just a placement thing, but his "money" notes never registered. I was waiting for the big booming sound, but nothing. And his wig was awful. No black man is going to have that color hair. 

Just a note about the sound. I expect Les Miz to be with a lot of big, booming voices. And granted everyone in this show has a great voice, but no one seemed to bring any "power" to their notes. I was sitting fairly close, and it still felt like I was hearing everything through headphones. Is this just how it is now? I wanted that vibratto to ring from the rafters, and it just never did. Maybe it's just how singers are expected to "place" their voices now, but I was just waiting for this big amazing sound. Even in the group numbers it all felt very canned. 

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 2:07am

The show felt a little "distant" when I saw it last summer, too, so I get what you're saying. I actually thought this production was in better shape when it was on tour; the cast was all in great voice, the sound quality was excellent (at least in the theatre I saw it at), and the production looked very nice for something on the road. I just wish that a bit more of that "freshness" was able to transfer over to Broadway. 

 

Hopefully they will launch that new tour, because I'd love to see this production again with the right cast.

Updated On: 8/21/15 at 02:07 AM

[BWNUT]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 5:54am

I was hoping the cast was just having an off day when I saw this last summer.  But this just confirms my fear that this Bway version  is substandard. The only reason I saw this again was Ramin and he was a big disappointment.  His voice was raspy and strained and he sung-spoke a lot a la Hugh Jackman to compensate. And because he was  struggling with the vocals, characterization suffered.  I also had trouble with the sound.  I felt it was so muted I had the urge to yell "Turn it up!" more than once. The LA and La Mirada productions were so much more satisfying. Even the Vegas iteration was better than this IMHO.

 

Updated On: 8/20/15 at 05:54 AM

[RaiseYouUp]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 7:39am

I couldn't agree more with this assessment. I saw it about 3 weeks ago also felt that the performers were just kind of walking through their parts. And yeah, the sound was just ok. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 9:36am

I saw the show last year while it was in previews. It was a hot mess. I did not really care for anyone in the cast (Ramin was out the night I went), and I thought the physical production and direction were just sloppy. I thought that the touring cast was much better than the Broadway cast.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 10:18am

I've seen the revival four times now, which is actually not very much in the grand scheme of how many times I've seen Les Miz in a given time period. (I once saw the tour five times in one weekend, and I probably saw the tour 20 or so times that year. This was over 10 years ago, though.)

Agreed on Gavin Lee and Rachel Izen -- apart from Earl Carpenter, they were the highlights when I saw it last. And who needs a playbill when you can look at a cast list here?  https://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/14020/Les-Misrables 

It's a decent production, but it has always felt slightly like a tribute to Les Miz rather than the actual show.

[sorano916]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 10:43am

I believe that this Broadway production can be a hit or miss... depending on who you have a leads.

 

I think the ensemble is great, I have no qualms over them.

 

I think the best cast that I saw of this production was when I saw it back in November...

 

Ramin was having a good day. John Rapson was Javert, Jason Forbach was Enjolras, Melissa O'Neil was Eponine, Matt Rosell was Marius and then the rest of the leads were the regulars of the time (Keala, Cliff, Sam, Caissie). So, basically any tour person in an understudy role.

 

I'm not really a fan of most of the current leads... Earl as Javert, Chris as Marius, Wallace as Enjolras, Erika as Fantine. They don't really give commanding performances. Each very nice people but not my favorite in their respective role. 

 

Interestingly enough, I don't have trouble with the sound, except when someone's mic somehow turns off. I've sat all over the theater, too.

Updated On: 8/20/15 at 10:43 AM

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 10:46am

How was Hannah Shankman as Fantine last night?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 12:26pm

She was fine but made no impression? I just feel like, since no one was emotionally connected to their characters, there was no story being told. Her "I Dreamed A Dream" was fine. No qualms with it, but it didn't ignite anything. 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 1:08pm

Don't worry, the show will be closing in the spring and touring in the fall. 

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 1:20pm

If you saw the show last night, you didn't see Hannah. She only did the matinee, which I happened to see. I thought she was miles better than Erika, who personally lacks any kind of character, decent British accent, or the ability to sing the score as written and has an incredibly strong belt, all completely different from Hannah. She had a strong belt, a strong characterization of the character, and she managed to have a British accent. I thought her performance was overall really decent, and it's a shame she didn't replace Caissie over Erika. 

[brdway411]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 1:45pm

I have seen Les Miz a lot over the years. My only big problem with the show is the missing turn table. I miss it. I must have been lucky because I have enjoyed all the cast members when I have seen this production about 5 times so far. Need to go back and see the new cast members, maybe next week. 

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 1:55pm

Wha does not having a "decent British accent" have anything to do with an American actress playing Fantine in an American production?

[trpguyy]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 2:32pm

LizzieCurry said: "Wha does not having a "decent British accent" have anything to do with an American actress playing Fantine in an American production?"

(Fantine, who is French and lives in France)

[brdway411]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 3:00pm

The accent thing always bothered me with Les Miz. The Inn keepers have heavy English accents, Gavrosh  has English accent, everyone else has an American accent. Pick  a country. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 3:16pm

Really?

The current Broadway Thénardiers are from the UK, so it makes sense, and Nick Wyman was an exception, but the forced-accent thing hasn't been a trend since maybe the early '90s. The only American I ever saw fake an accent in the 70+ times I saw Les Miz was Carmen Cusack, and that was because she was so used to using one and blending in while working in the UK.

It's a little mixed up right now (and will be moreso when Alfie Boe comes on board), but that's because people are using their native accents, not forcing an "English" one.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 3:38pm

It didn't bother me until we got to "Master of the House" then it was a little jarring. But if the InnKeepers didn't do a cockney type accent, it would feel a little off. 

The accents didn't bother me. It was the total lack of vocal energy that bothered me. 

[theminutepast]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 9:17pm

The Les Miz on Broadway right now is uninspired. I was lucky enough to be in London this summer for the first time and I saw Les Miz. It was like seeing it for the first time. What made it special was the intensity of the actors, the power of their voices, the fact that there were 14 members of the orchestra, and the turntable. It was spectacular, which is incredible when you consider Les Miz has never stopped playing in London. The house was sold out, too.

Updated On: 8/20/15 at 09:17 PM

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 8/20/15 at 11:33pm

The Marius was giving me like Spring Awakening-angst.

I remember turning to my friend when we saw this about a year ago and saying "I feel like all of the younger characters were directed to act as if they are in a production of RENT, but singing songs from LES MIS." It was just too much for me.

[Bob Smith2]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 8:28am

I just found out that the new cast includes Alfie Boe (as JVJ) and Montego Glover (as Fantine). I am in England so will be unable to see the show. However my immediate reaction was that this would be one of the most amazing performances you could ever see.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 8:30am

Bob Smith2 said: "I just found out that the new cast includes Alfie Boe (as JVJ) and Montego Glover (as Fantine). "

 

Not quite. They start September 1.

[Eurotrash]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 9:58am

Alfie Boe did the 30th anniversary show in the UK and brought the house down, and was brilliant so you are in for a treat. Also, parts of the show were designed to have east-end London accents for obvious reasons, and all the the lyrics were also designed for this, so best not mess with it.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 10:03am

You mean the 25th?

[firebolts]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 8:24pm

Does anyone know why they decided not to record a revival recording with he opening cast?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/21/15 at 8:30pm

Search "les miserables" on iTunes and that should tell you why, firebolts.