Salonga, Lewis in Les Miz 25th Anniv. Concert - The O2

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 4:10pm

PBOL article: Bring on the barricades! Heck, bring on three of them. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the musical Les Misérables, three different productions of the international smash will appear in London in October. One of them is a star-filled concert with pop idols and Broadway favorites.

On Oct. 3 — while the original production continues at the Queen's Theatre in the West End, and the newly directed and reconceived 25th anniversary production plays at the Barbican in London — a concert featuring many alumni of worldwide productions will play a 7 PM performance at The O2 in London.

The two London casts will participate in the concert, joining Alfie Boe (Broadway's La Boheme) as Jean Valjean, pop singer Nick Jonas (a former Gavroche in the original Broadway run) as Marius, Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid, Sondheim on Sondheim) as Javert, Matt Lucas (TV's "Little Britain") as Thénardier, Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon) as Fantine, Jenny Galloway (Mary Poppins on Broadway and in London) as Madame Thénardier, classical artist Camilla Kerslake as Cosette. Members of the original 1985 London production will be on hand.

The 25th anniversary concert at The O2 will feature a company of over 300 actors and musicians.

More on link below.




Article

Updated On: 8/26/10 at 04:10 PM

[p.s.]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 8:03pm

Cheap concert! 300 actors and musicians but nobody to play Eponine.


p.s. But this continues to be interesting:

Producer Mackintosh is currently developing a film of Les Misérables with Working Title and Universal.

Any new news?

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 9:17pm

FYI - Tickets go on sale on June 6th.

I wonder about Jonas' casting as Marius. I also noticed they didn't have a "special guest" for the Eponine part. Maybe, the London cast will perform her part, or maybe Lea Michele hasn't said yes to Cam yet. :)

[Rydia]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 9:35pm

Any word on if this is going to be recorded like the 10th anniversary one?

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 9:38pm

Currently, no details on the recording. We'll find out as it gets close to the performance date. I do hope so....and on bluray too.

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 9:52pm

It's going to be tough matching the 10th Anniversary casting. Can't imagine a landmark Les Mis concert without any involvement from Michael Ball ( the definitive voice of Marius, as Mackintosh once said)...And he did sing the role of Valjean in a private state dinner tendered by the Queen at Windsor Castle for PM Chirac. And while Ruthie Henshall was good, it would have been more nearly perfect had the original Fantine sang the reprise of I DREAM A DREAM - Patti Lupone!

Lea sang the role of Eponine in past West End and Broadway productions ...and now she is going to be Fantine.

Can't believe that Les Mis has been running for 25 years!

I hope the plans for a film project will finally happen! Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman ( in either lead role of Valjean or Javert would work) and Catherine Zeta Jones as Fantine ( Can you believe she was originally cast in the role when Mackintosh first planned a movie version, in the mid-90's or thereabouts? Now she is more age-appropriate for the role).

[philly03]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:08pm

"Lea sang the role of Eponine in past West End and Broadway productions ...and now she is going to be Fantine. "

Lea Salonga succeeded Daphne Rubin-Vega in the Broadway revival production of Les Mis from about February 2007 until November 2007, when she was replaced by Judy Kuhn. I actually liked Judy Kuhn's fantine a lot, but Lea was fantastic as well.

Curious to see what will happen re: recording!

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:12pm

Click on link below for video promo.
BWW Video

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:34pm

I can't imagine that they would release an audio CD of this concert since the new 25th anniversary tour cast recording is already in the works and a concert CD would probably then be in competition for sales of the new cast recording. I could see them maybe releasing a new DVD if they're not worried about it halting sales of the 10th anniversary DVD, but I would imagine the most likely scenario to be a radio broadcast like they did for the 21st anniversary -- or just nothing at all.

[philly03]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:37pm

I would be curious to see if they release a DVD. Didn't they film professionally the ceremony after the record breaking performance? I could see that on it!

A shame, I love Norm Lewis' Javert and would love to have Lea Salonga's "I Dreamed a Dream" preserved!

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:42pm

If I remember correctly, Lea sang the role of Eponine in the original run, not in the recent revival, of LES MIS on Broadway. It followed her run in MISS SAIGON, which established her professional link with impressario Cameron Mackintosh.

http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=76739




Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:42 PM

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:48pm

Jo - Lea was not part of the original run (OLC or OBC). She first performed the role of Eponine on Broadway in 1993. This was followed by the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (London) in 1995. Her next Lez Miz stint was on Broadway as Fantine in 2007. Her first project with Cameron was Miss Saigon in 1989 in London. Cam personally selected her to open Saigon on Broadway in April of 1991.

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:48 PM

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:50pm

Lea was not part of the original cast on Broadway ( Frances Ruffelle was the original Eponine in both the West End and on Broadway), but she was part of the original run ( as compared to a revival) on Broadway ( according to IBDB, that was in 1992).

Jo
Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:50 PM

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:52pm

Since she was a replacement, she was not considered as OBC. :)

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:52 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:54pm

It was three months, actually.

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:55pm

Maybe we are talking semantics, but I have always thought that an original run refers to the length of time that an original production is staged, no matter how many changes in productions ( such as the editing that happened to Les Mis) or casting take place. Hence, my saying that Lea was part of the original run...but never part of the original cast. IBDB lists her original Broadway run ( as a replacement Eponine) as happening for a few months in 1992, so maybe they had listed it wrong?

Jo

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:55 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 10:59pm

I'm on Team Jo. :)

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:01pm

I'm not sure why IBDB lists her as Eponine in 1992. My program and her bio from her site indicate 1993. Oh well...but, I cannot wait to see her at O2 (live or DVD).

:)

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:05pm

LOL - LizzieCurry

Actually, we are all on TEAM LES MIS!!

I first saw the show on Broadway in early 1988 ( bought the original London cast recording, by mistake in lieu of the OBCR, and discovered the voice of Michael Ball in the process ). I saw the show again about 8-9 more times, in London, on Broadway again, in Paris, and even here in Manila.

Jo ( A true Les Mis freak!)

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:08pm

Jo: Wow. I've seen it about 50 times but in far fewer places. :)

musicaltheater1: This is more accurate: http://www.broadwaylesmis.com/actors.asp?id=159

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:12pm

Hey, LizzieCurry --

Ha, another Les Mis afficionado

When I saw it in Paris ( Mogador Theatre), it was the Mackintosh version except it was in French! I think the only lyrics I fully understood then was " 24601!".

Although I do have other non-English cast recordings ( Austrian, Swedish, Spanish) and the original French concept recording ( the musical score was what Cameron Mackintosh fell in love with and inspired him to stage a British production of a completely French story, musicalized by the French composing team of Boublil and Schonberg ).


Updated On: 6/2/10 at 11:12 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:16pm

I love the Paris revival cast recording. I found it, somehow, at a Rasputin Records near my college (the store has since closed) when it was WAY out of print and hard to find in the US.

[jo]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:21pm

I have that one, too -- that was the cast recording of the stage production that I saw in Paris and carried all the changes brought on by the Mackintosh staging.

LizzieCurry -- if you can find the book on the making of Les Mis by Edward Behr, that is a very informative source on how the Mackintosh version came into being

The original concept album of Les Mis was what was composed for its first run in Paris ( at Palais des Sport, if I remember correctly, circa 1980) - it carried the original artwork of Cossette carrying a broom.

If we count this original production ( pre-Mackintosh), Les Mis has been enchanting audiences for almost 30 years!

Updated On: 6/3/10 at 11:21 PM

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:50am

does anyone know if the Les Mis 10th Anniversary Concert will ever be released on blu-ray?

[slmlbl]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:54am

Lea Michele for eponine depending on her Glee schedule is my bet.