What's wrong with current LES MIZ revival?

I thought that the entire production was just misguided. The set looked extremely cheap, and the stage was left empty and cast in shadow for much of the production. The direction was about 80% of the problem in my opinion. Also, I do not think that the projections worked, and they did nothing to enhance the production as a whole. Overall, this revival left me very cold.

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Well, of course it's very subjective! Personally I don't like very much the 25th anniversary staging and not just because of the turntable... I prefer the original, to me is more "intimistic". The lighting design is a mess, the stage is a pit of darkness. And the cast is far from being perfect: Karimloo is not a very good actor and goes out of tune more than just occasionally. Will Swenson does a lot of things, but sure he doesn't play Javert. Nikki's performance is a bit dull. I love Nikki and Will as performers, but in Les Miz they don't shine. And the rest of the cast is fine without being particularly memorable.

But this, of course, is just my opinion

Updated On: 1/4/15 at 01:37 PM

It's pretty uninspired except for Ramin's pefomance.

I quite like this staging and wouldn't say it's cheap. My issues are (unless this has changed on broadway)

1 - dates and locations no longer projected so for new comers the story is harder to follow

2 - the barracade deaths are far less moving and not as affective

I never saw the original production so the point of comparison is a non issue for me. I thought this was a great production, certainly head and shoulders above the awful movie version. (I guess that qualifies as a point of comparison) I was very impressed with the Ramin (my Tony winner) who gave me chills throughout the show.

As with most shows, I was distressed to read the negativity about this show. I really loved it more than I thought I would based on what I read on this board. I have learned over the years to try and be open minded and as objective as I can be. As I have posted in the past, I have never seen a show that I could not find something positive to focus on and enjoy. Unfortunately, I feel I am in the minority when it comes to being in awe with live theater these days.

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I thought it was ok but not fabulous. I am glad I saw it. Some parts were really moving - but some of actors I saw were miscast or just ok - while some were excellent.

But one of my main complaints was the sets or the way they worked. I was sitting in the front row mezz - which is fairly close to the stage but not on top of it. I could really hear the wheels of the sets moving. I could barely here some of the dialogue and the songs (castle in the cloud for one) because all I could pay attention to was the sounds of the wheels on the floor being pushed around. That's kind of inexcusable in 2014. There are many sets in other shows which are more elaborate that move without the distracting noise. And they weren't even anything special.

I LOVED the Les Miz revival, but I never saw the original -- only a pale imitation at Wolftrap. I've heard much about the revolving stage, but I can't picture how it would work. Many theaters have a revolving stage, used to change scenes quickly. That's nothing interesting, in my view. I'm assuming that the original Les Miz production did something especially creative with the stage. If someone would describe it, I'd be grateful -- I'd love to understand how the staging worked.

By the way Ramin Karimloo did not impress me in the video of the POTO 25th in London. Neither did his album impress me. However, his interpretation of JVJ blew me away -- despite his youth, Ramin Karimloo was perfectly cast.

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Thanks, Tag, for posting the You Tube link showing the use of the revolving stage. It is indeed unique, and very different from what I had imagined.

I can picture how the turntable might have been used to show the river carrying Javert off after he jumped, although I don't know if my guess is correct. Even without the revolver, BTW, I thought that the effects used for Javert's fall into the river in the revival were fantastic -- lights running upward behind him looking like sprays of water to simulate his fall.

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I still think the revolve staging is as close to perfection as you can get for LES MIZ. But this new revival without the revolve is not all that bad; they've solve the "all the dead students getting up and leaving the stage during a blackout" problem, and they've brought the death of Gavroche back to where we can see it, as opposed to just hearing it (I know some people who were not even aware he had been killed in the previous non-revolve staging).
Has anyone out there seen a production of LES MIZ without the revolve that was able to solve those problems?

I saw the first national tour of Les Miz in Boston with J Mark Mcvey and Susan Dawn Carson. It was opening night and I sat there stunned. My heart pounding out of my chest at the end of act one. The greatest night of theater I ever had.

I was so impressed, that I went to see the show on Broadway a few months later and it didn't compare. It felt listless. Every time I've seen it, it never ever compares to that opening night at the Shubert in Boston in 1989. I think everything needs to be just so for the show to work. And don't EVEN get me started on that movie!

Les Miserables is a show that I love to no end. I did, for what it's worth, did see the original production at the Imperial, but I was far too young to enjoy it and appreciate it (for what it's worth my parents got tickets for Les Miserables and Beauty and the Beast back to back and I enjoyed Beauty much more. )

But, what really drew me in was the music. The first chance I really had to see the show at a point in time where I could really appreciate it was the production at the Broadhurst. I really enjoyed it and came back to revisit it again. Looking back, I think that what got me to come back was the fact that it was a show that I had begun to enjoy through various recordings of it as well as the Albert Hall concert. But, I thought that it was very misguided casting. I couldn't wait for Fantine to die so that way I didn't have to hear Daphne Rubin Vega's ear hurting singing.

When I saw the revival I initially loved it simply because it was another chance to see a show that I loved again. I came out loving it (most likely because it was a chance to see it again.) But, upon reflection, I was comparing it to the original and I liked this revival too. Yes, it's different with regards to staging. But, I still think that without the turntable it does a great job of moving from scene to scene.

There are a couple of things that I don't like about the revival. I don't like the fact that they ditched the projections with the years and the locations so the audience knows where and when we are within the confines of the story. I also think that the projection of the title after "What have I done" is a bit tacky. it reminds me of a TV show or movie with a cold opening. I can see why others don't like it and prefer the original staging to this one. But, to me, I don't think it matters. It's always been the fantastic music and the story that has drawn me to it. And, honestly, I can listen to a recording of the full show and still be just as moved as if I were watching it on stage. So, for me, it comes down to the music.

This revival is the only stage production I have seen of Les Miz, so I really have nothing to compare it to, but I think the set probably has a lot to do with it. When I saw the show, I liked it, mainly because I love the music (and Caissie Levy, whose voice I just adore, makes a fantastic Fantine). However, thinking back, I do not remember much of the set design, or the staging at all. Usually, when I see a musical that I love, I can often think back to the performances and kind of re-play some parts of it in my head. That did not really happen with Les Miz, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that none of the set designs really impressed me. That being said, I still love the show (it is a moving story and has beautiful music) and hope it has a healthy run on Broadway.