Wicked vs. Les Miserables Debate- Page 4

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 5:37am

Interesting quiz, my thoughts:

1. Have you seen both? If yes proceed.

Les Miz 4 times, Wicked 7 times

2. What is your favorite part of each?

Les Miz: On My Own. Eponine has alwys been my favorite character.
Wicked: The Wizard and I
(for me part = song, I guess)

3. What do you dislike about each.

Les Miz will always be perfect to me. Seriously, I can't think of anything- not even the way that no one gets good lighting until their death scene. :)

Ok this doesn't really have anything to do with the musical itself, but sometimes I wish Wicked was more like Maguire's book. And I don't just mean the way it ends on stage- I really liked the darkness of his book, and I would have loved to see a take that was a straight interpretation of that, death and witch sex and all, instead of the pop-ness that is Wicked. But then again, if it was dark it would not be the Wicked that I have seen so many times now.

4. What is the most memorable moment of each show?

Les Miz- Eponine's death. I can weep listening to "A little Fall of Rain" on my ipod. There's bigger and better moments- the barricade, Javert's death, etc- but Eponine always does it for me.

Wicked- "it's meeeee" and then the lift in DG. I prefer The Wizard and I or No Good Deed as songs, but *every* time, no mater who the Elphaba, I get chills right there in DG.

5. Who do you identify most with?

Eponine
Elphaba- nope I am not green, nor can I fly, but I still identify with her :)

6. Are you a male or a female? 7. How old are you- (range it 10-20,20-30,30-40, etc...

Female, 20s

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 6:05am

While I do not think Wicked and Les Miz are even comparable. I personally did not like the musical. Loved the book. Musical didn't do it for me...

just my 2 cents

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 6:44am

I personally did not like the musical. Loved the book. Musical didn't do it for me...

Which one are you referring to?

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 6:49am

Les Mis...

I don't know...For me it lacked the raw emotion and heartache that is present in the novel.

But then again - it must be hard turning such a literary masterpiece into entertainment theatre.

[Forester]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 9:04am

Some of the post is amazing. One of the poster actually think Gregory Maguire is superior to Victor Hugo.

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 6:22pm

I just do not think the styles are even comparable.

Though, let us not bash Gregory here. I have read three of his books all very interesting, though provoking and bery entertaining.

And - on the other side had read some other Hugo works and was not impressed.

Though Les Miz the book is wonderful. The musical....bleh

[Derek]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 8:10pm

SPOILER

some have mentioned how the fact that elphaba lives is a bad thing in Wicked and if she died the musical could have been better. i dont mean to sound rude or nasty in any way but everytime i see wicked and that trap door open and out pops Idina Menzel / Shoshana Bean / Kristy Cates / Eden Espinoza / Maria Eberline / Jenna Leigh Green / Saycon Sengbloh / Ana Gasteyer the audience goes crazy lol. In my opinion I think its so much better when an audience is upset (As in For Good) and than are made happy (when Elphaba lives). Lol, i know i worded this whole thing very strangely but i hope you all get what im saying lol. audiences walk out of a theatre hoping to be smiling i think. Dont get me wrong I LOVE LES MIZ. They just arent the same kind of musical at all. Both in my opinion will become (if not already) legends

[Derek]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 8:11pm

PS - ^ I totally didnt realize how many women have played that part lol

[Thenardier]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 12:35am

Oh, no....you HAVE to have a turntable. J/K

At the time, and still now, Thenardier. Not that I am a poor French man with an inn, going around robbing people...but I love comedy...Furthermore, when hs number comes up (Master of the House) I get very excited. Mainly because this was the song that sparked my interest in theatre.

Posted: 7/23/05 at 12:37am

I don't like Les Mis, thanks to my high school director.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 12:48am

Those people make me ashamed to be a Wicked fan. Although I'm also a Les Mis fan, which seems impossible according to those posts...

[o_kheem_o]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 8:36am

OMG like.. i mean... no way.. like.. duh! like.. green faces!! like flying? oh! like...... yah.

so tempting. i know this is old. but i had to let out my inner-air-headed-child. these wicked fanatics claiming it's better than Lez Mizzle just bring it out in me.

'fo shizzlez.

let's make more controversy.

"MiZ SaiGoN's helicopter is like, so WAY cooler than eLpHaBa'z green face." o_O

[luvliza89]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 9:07am

My thoughts on this post:
"Okay, but I don't understand why these people can RELATE to Elphaba. Here are some questions for em':

1.) Are you green?
2.) Can you fly?

If you answered no to one of those questions...then you CAN'T relate to Elphaba. I'm sorry."

Answers:
1.) No. But, if you're gay, have a different skin color or just don't fit into the bright and bubbly blonde world around you, then YES one can identify with Elphaba.

2.) Again, no. But flying for Elphaba is the equivalent of basically overcoming any obstacle in life, like telling the world "Yeah I'm pround to be who I am!".

So it is easy to relate to Elphaba, esp through teens. And for the record I'm not a big fan of either musical.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 9:49am

Les Miz and Wicked are in no way comparable. There are two COMPLETELY different musicals. And it seems like people are talking which is better in terms of stars in the shows. I think both shows are great (but I like Les Miz more) and it doesn't matter who's in them because they are both good. People were also comparing Idina Menzel to Colm Wilkinson? That just doesn't work.

I happen to like Les Miz better because I think it is more unique in the way that Wicked is almost like another cinderella story. It's about the outcast who achieves her dreams yada yada. Les Miz has like four differnt stories rolled into one. Another reason is that I would never be able to be in Wicked. I don't belt. Les Miz is much more my style.

All in all, there is no possible way to actually, physyically decide which show is better. It's a matter of personal opinion.

[Millie42]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 11:12am

Thank you for posting that! I was terribly amused.

I especially like that brilliant and clever poster that came up with "LES MIZerable!"

Sorry, continue your bickering.

[alexandernevermind]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 11:39am

Apples and Oranges, baby.

[James885]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 1:20pm

Exactly. There's no comparison. Although I enjoy the music from Les Mis a lot more than the music from Wicked, even though I like both shows.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 1:30pm

Oh GOD, I can't believe people could even think of comparing the two. I think that Wicked is terrible; the plot makes no sense (especially when compared to the real Wizard of Oz) and the music is mediocre at best. I also don't like how, in their attempt to make Elphaba sympathetic, they make the Wizard into the 2-d villain. Now I need to write a musical to vindicate him!

Les Mis is amazing. The book is even better. There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever.

By the way, I really enjoyed the "Gone with the Wind to Gigli" analogy, by the way. IMDB people are such morons...

Updated On: 7/28/05 at 01:30 PM

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 5:07am

Les Miserables takes place approximately 40 years after the famous French Revolution (source: the video STAGE BY STAGE). The 6th of June is actually a song on the Les Mis French Concept Album- I believe it is the day of the uprising.

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 5:11am

Actually Les Mis did start very small...When Cameron Mackintosh came in the picture it was edited, revised, and put on in the Barbican. It was said to be a flop by critics, but the people loved it. So Les Mis did start out very small. In fact, I don't think it ran very long in France.

[Marius_Pontmercy]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 6:59pm

This is a really late post but I vote Les Mis. When I saw Wicked, I sort of predicted everything that happened . but when I saw Les Mis, I was so surprised around every song.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 7:01pm

I think they're both pretty bad so....whatever.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 7:09pm

this thread old
not about debate
about dead link to
imdb
new poster
join today
is trolling

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:35pm

Y dis bld

[lotiloti]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 11:49am

Just to correct you lesmisforever. It was not a 'small' show, when C.M came on board. Mackintosh became involved, after being given the original french concept album. He then went on to produce the production you know, with the composers & the RSC at London's Barbican theatre. This then transferred to the Palace theatre in London's West End.