Oscar Nominated "Suddenly" Coming to LES MIS on Stage?

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 9:23am

Well, I simply must say, I hope they don't. I found it pretty dull and an unnecessary addition to the musical. Its film. They could have established the "sudden" connection between Valjean and Cossette with some solid eye contact after the thenardier episode and that gorgeous brass instrumental that serves as the passage of time between then and BOOM Paris.





Oscar Nominated "Suddenly" Coming to LES MIS on Stage? Updated On: 1/22/13 at 09:23 AM

[winston89]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 9:26am

Don't worry, there aren't any plans to put that song in the show.

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 9:29am

It could work in the stage version as a "montage-esk" scene in which we see Cosette age into an adult, similar to "I just Can't Wait to Be King" in the Lion King so they don't have to use the projections. It also would help to explain why Valjean treats Cossette as a child.

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 9:33am

See, now thats almost how I imagined it working in the movie. As some kind of montage sequence showing their relationship grow as Cossette herself grew. Then again that might contradict the song being called "Suddenly".

[Tsao5]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 9:40am

If they put the song in........which would be kinda pointless as it is a trifle of a song...........they have to take something else out so as to not make the show longer.

Changing Dream to later after lovely ladies is good though, would give the song more
oompf.

[Phan#24601]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 10:17am

I hope not. I liked the bit in the film, but not so much that I believe it needs to be added to the stage production, especially if it means cutting a classic piece in order to add it.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 10:32am

Why didn't they do that montage style thing in the movie - it was asking to be done!! Also with 'I dreamed a dream,' I thought we would see Fantine with the man who 'slept a summer by [her] side' from years ago walking through woods and sh*t... I mean of course this is underestimating an audience's intelligence by putting the images in front of them instead of relying simply on the text which was obviously Hooper's intention with the likes of 'Dream'...

[goodoneinlou2]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 11:45am

I certainly hope not!

One of my favorite parts of Les Miz on stage was the (very) brief interlude following Valjean's aquiring Cosette from the Thenardiers. There's a magical moment that I always loved where Valjean gives Cosette a doll, dresses her up and then he and she sing simple "La-las" to a reprise of "Castle on a Cloud." She takes the melody and he harmonized. It always was so simple, yet so effective. It said so much by simply having their voices blend.

I hope that they do not replace that moment with an entire "This is the way I feel" song. Simpler is sometimes better.


Updated On: 1/22/13 at 11:45 AM

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 11:46am

Claude-Michel Schonberg:

Zis is a moment only a camira can capzure

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 12:35pm

Please god it doesn't need to be any longer.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 1:02pm

I would be ok with moving IDAD but adding Suddenly is unnecessary since while it captures that moment, it doesn't really move the story along.

[little_sally]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 1:45pm

Musicaldudepeter, I thought we may get a flashback during "I Dreamed a Dream" too, a la Lucy in Sweeney Todd. I'm glad we didn't.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 1:54pm

If they were to add ANY of the new material, I would like to see the new "Please know me as Javert" interlude, as it ties up two borderline plot holes in the stage production's libretto- namely, "Does Javert know Valjean is the Mayor, and is his whole presence an entrapment con?" and "Where has Javert been since Valjean's parole violation- has he been tracking him nonstop this whole time?"

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 2:36pm

I took a personal intermission during this song.

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 3:00pm

Darquegk, I completely agree about the "Please know me as Javert" piece. In addition to tying up plot holes, it also shows Javert in a calm environment where he is trying to be somewhat pleasant if still formal. To Russel Crowe's credit, I think he finds a way to show that even in those normal everyday conditions, there is still something "off" about Javert. This episode also gives him a level of deeper humiliation in not recognizing Valjean, driving his obsession to a darker place still.

[swmwithsharks]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 3:23pm

The only reason "Suddenly" even exists is because to be nominated for an Oscar, a song must be "original"(written for the film), so none of the songs which appear in the stage version of Les Miz would qualify. This is why whenever a stage musical is adapted for film, there is invariably a new song written and shoehorned in.

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 3:25pm

Totes. Just wish they'd written a better one.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 8:42pm

While IDaD is more powerful after "Lovely Ladies," I think moving it there will create a problem in the way the production moves along on stage. It just seems that the female audience really uses IDaD to change from factory costumes to whore costumes. That change would be rushed if IDaD moved.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 10:43pm

I call it "You Must Love ... Cosette." And no.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/22/13 at 10:47pm

Ew no.

[ken8631]

Posted: 1/24/13 at 3:26pm

The only change I think would make sense would be to substitute the bishop for Eponine at the very end.....

[hunterh24601]

Posted: 1/24/13 at 7:34pm

Its actually not a bad idea to adde suddenly to the broadway production but maybe do it as the curtain is closed

[Wynbish]

Posted: 1/24/13 at 7:37pm

o_0

... As in, when the show is over?
Updated On: 1/24/13 at 07:37 PM