Les Misérables

Sounds like Tomas (!!!!) didn't disappoint! Are you going to see it with Flemming in? Shame I couldn't make it.

I'm getting more and more excited about the 25th anniversary tour the more I hear about it. Especially since it's got JOJ in it. Thinking though that I'd like to see it in its Paris stop...might add to the atmosphere.

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD
Well, you really are in for a treat. It was awesome. Prologue starts on a galley ship with all the men rowing these huge oars. When Valjean steals the candle-sticks he is chased by villagers wielding flaming torches and pitch-forks. Javert's hair starts short and gets longer as the show progresses. After Valjean sings 'Another story must begin' the stage blackens and the words 'Les Miserables' appear across the stage. The factory has a long work table with lamps suspended over it. All the chorus/poor now use broad northern accents instead of cockney (as does Madame T). Fantine (Madalena Alberto) is superb - her dress is slightly different, no puffed sleeves. During I Dreamed A Dream there is a backdrop of factories/chimneys - the chimneys belch smoke. Lovely ladies is in a moonlit harbour, disliked the whores costumes though - simply tattered victorian dresses, hardly a corset in sight. When the runaway cart rolls on, a projected painting of a street comes to life and the houses recede - very clever. When Valjean takes little Cosette away from the Thenardiers, it is snowing. Screens are used that look like old Parisian buildings which rotate to turn into the Student's Cafe - 'Cafe Musain' is etched across the window. Cosette is now blonde, she wears her hair down in Act 1 and coiffed up in Act 2. She wears blue and lilac silk dresses. Marius sings to her from below her balcony. One Day More made my hair stand on end - awesome. The barricade is virtually the same albeit slightly smaller and doesn't revolve etc but splits apart to reveal dead Enjolras and Gavroche. Javert's suicide - he climbs up onto the railings of the bridge, which flies upwards like London. He is then suspended in thin air and a 3D vortex is swirling behind him - he then flies backwards (still in mid-air) as if being sucked into it. The sewer tunnel is an amazing 3D holographic projection - it really is jaw-dropping. Whole cast were brilliant. Gareth Gates is truly a great Marius. Gosh what a ramble this is trying to remember everything lol!!! New orchestrations are lush and full. Souvenir brochure - unique to Cardiff. The production is so new it hasn't been photographed yet, the brochure has rehearsal pics, set designs etc but the colour cast pics are of the current london cast, not the touring one. There will be a proper brochure later in the tour, but these first ones are collectors items. Much love xx

This sounds awesome! Atmospheric, but not too in-your-face updated. I like the idea of snow in "Castle on a cloud" and the whole little Cosette scene. I can imagine her in scarce clothes, in the forest, in the cold...

Thanks for these tidbits of info!

justin1976 wrote:WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD
Well, you really are in for a treat. It was awesome. Prologue starts on a galley ship with all the men rowing these huge oars. When Valjean steals the candle-sticks he is chased by villagers wielding flaming torches and pitch-forks. Javert's hair starts short and gets longer as the show progresses. After Valjean sings 'Another story must begin' the stage blackens and the words 'Les Miserables' appear across the stage. The factory has a long work table with lamps suspended over it. All the chorus/poor now use broad northern accents instead of cockney (as does Madame T). Fantine (Madalena Alberto) is superb - her dress is slightly different, no puffed sleeves. During I Dreamed A Dream there is a backdrop of factories/chimneys - the chimneys belch smoke. Lovely ladies is in a moonlit harbour, disliked the whores costumes though - simply tattered victorian dresses, hardly a corset in sight. When the runaway cart rolls on, a projected painting of a street comes to life and the houses recede - very clever. When Valjean takes little Cosette away from the Thenardiers, it is snowing. Screens are used that look like old Parisian buildings which rotate to turn into the Student's Cafe - 'Cafe Musain' is etched across the window. Cosette is now blonde, she wears her hair down in Act 1 and coiffed up in Act 2. She wears blue and lilac silk dresses. Marius sings to her from below her balcony. One Day More made my hair stand on end - awesome. The barricade is virtually the same albeit slightly smaller and doesn't revolve etc but splits apart to reveal dead Enjolras and Gavroche. Javert's suicide - he climbs up onto the railings of the bridge, which flies upwards like London. He is then suspended in thin air and a 3D vortex is swirling behind him - he then flies backwards (still in mid-air) as if being sucked into it. The sewer tunnel is an amazing 3D holographic projection - it really is jaw-dropping. Whole cast were brilliant. Gareth Gates is truly a great Marius. Gosh what a ramble this is trying to remember everything lol!!! New orchestrations are lush and full. Souvenir brochure - unique to Cardiff. The production is so new it hasn't been photographed yet, the brochure has rehearsal pics, set designs etc but the colour cast pics are of the current london cast, not the touring one. There will be a proper brochure later in the tour, but these first ones are collectors items. Much love xx

Wow! I should consider booking tickets...though can't decide between somewhere like Bristol or just wait for Paris.

I like the idea of using northern accents instead of cockney, makes it less Oliver-esque.

Will definitely have to get my hands on the brochure once they've finished it!

I have booked for manchester and Paris and I'm so glad I did. This new tour really is a must. Elements have been taken from other non-replica versions and have been amalgamated into this - and the result is superb.

justin1976 wrote:I have booked for manchester and Paris and I'm so glad I did. This new tour really is a must. Elements have been taken from other non-replica versions and have been amalgamated into this - and the result is superb.

Oh dear, I didn't even realise that booking for Paris had opened! How long is the Paris run? Had better get clued up on this...

Selling VERY fast but tickets are available. i booked mine direct from the Theatre Du Chatelet website and they arrived three days later. Paris is not listed as a venue on the official Les Mis website, but booking opened some time ago.

Jumping to Les Mis in Copenhagen:

Flemming Enevold (Valjean) has been out for weeks, and Tomas "Tomas!" Kofod has covered all his performances. Reason is that while on stage Enevold got a syndrome called "Sudden Deafness", making him loose hearing at short notice, due to disturbance in the electro impulses in the body. He now has a pacemaker to avoid similar episodes in the future.

He's hopefully be back, doing the last couple of performances until New year, but I haven't heard any news on it. It's been quite serious as such, I'm glad he seem to rapidly recover.

Source: http://msndk.starlounge.com/index.cfm?objectid=70124

Wow, the staging for the tour sounds awesome. Wish I could get over there to see it.

Thank you justin for all the interesting details, I want to see the tour so badly, the staging sounds amazing and to see JOJ and Earl together on stage would be a dream come true. Must at least try to get my hands on a brochure when they've made one.

Apparently a live CD of the tour cast is being released! Great news.

justin1976 wrote:Apparently a live CD of the tour cast is being released! Great news.

Sweet!

justin1976 wrote:Apparently a live CD of the tour cast is being released! Great news.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! *fanboy moment*

THANK YOU Cameron Mackintosh!

Sweet mother of holy Moses and macaroni! That's great news!

That's wonderful news! My Christmas can't get better now

....and, 25 years after it first opened there - it's going back to the Barbican

justin1976 wrote:Apparently a live CD of the tour cast is being released! Great news.

Huzzah!!! I've really wanted another English language recording.

justin1976 wrote:....and, 25 years after it first opened there - it's going back to the Barbican

So it'll be playing there and at the Queens simultaneously? That'll be interesting.

justin1976 wrote:....and, 25 years after it first opened there - it's going back to the Barbican

Whoa, wait, what, where, why, when, how?

Dear God I feel more stuffed than that turkey I ate. Merry Christmas everyone!

Lol Lynne Wilmott (Madame T on the tour) posted the info on her twitter page - both about the recording and the Barbican. Merry Christmas xxx

justin1976 wrote:Lol Lynne Wilmott (Madame T on the tour) posted the info on her twitter page - both about the recording and the Barbican. Merry Christmas xxx

So are they sticking the tour in the Barbican, or are they taking the London production out of the West End and putting it back into the Barbican?

Bit of an odd decision if it's the former...having two productions of the same musical running simultaneously in London...

Maybe the tour cast will do a one- off concert on the 9th October to celebrate the actual 25th?

Scorp wrote:

justin1976 wrote:Lol Lynne Wilmott (Madame T on the tour) posted the info on her twitter page - both about the recording and the Barbican. Merry Christmas xxx

So are they sticking the tour in the Barbican, or are they taking the London production out of the West End and putting it back into the Barbican?

Bit of an odd decision if it's the former...having two productions of the same musical running simultaneously in London...

I'm not sure what's happening, but tickets aren't on sale yet for the London production on the 8th of October 2010. I don't think they'll have two productions running simultaniously in London, but it's possible.

Sorry 8th October yes, I'm getting my premiere dates mixed up I think the Barbican may be a special concert or celebration. It's annoying that the official website is rarely updated these days. Whatever is planned, I want to be there

A random bit...

Was going through some old clippings and programs from the first three times I saw the show...mainly trying to fit together when I saw which cast.

Turns out I saw Lisa Vroman as Cosette one of those times. She must have been the one I actually liked.

I am taking refuge in this thread as it appears to be the only sane thread on Les Miserables on the internet (lets not even mention MdN... David Thaxton fangirls taking it far too far.)

Anyone on here seen the tour or the London production recently? I'd like to see an unbiased view.

I saw the tour in Cardiff, having seen the London production countless times. I really enjoyed the tour, it does have a much darker/grittier feel to it and there are differences but they don't detract at all and suit the production. Some of the projected images and paintings are very haunting and beautiful. There are some costume changes and obviously set changes, but in my opinion they work well. I wouldn't say it 'breathes new life' into the musical, it's simply a different take and a very interesting one.

Really random, but Rebecca Caine has some pics of the original production in her Facebook site. Turns out they had two day dresses for Cosette originally, but the second one was removed during rehearsals. I quite like the look of it, but Rebecca Caine herself doesn't seem to have been too fond of it (whereas she loved the black one).

Funny that they after many years re-introduced a second dress for Cosette. Does this apply for the rewamped tour version as well?

Yes Cosette now has several different silk dresses, her hairstyle changes too. (And she is blonde).

Thanks Justin for your thoughts on the tour, I haven't seen the London production since last July and will be waiting until April to see the tour. I've heard mixed reviews on the tour and even more mixed reviews on how things currently are in London. Just had to take refuge here where I knew someone would have a sane, trustworthy answer for me ha.