Les Misérables

phantomfett wrote:It'd be fun to see Alun Armstrong in the film!

He'd still be good as Thenardier. He's been in films too. I'm sure they can find people good for the Thenardiers regardless.

This cast makes me strangely jealous/bitter in a way -- jealous that the film of Phantom had about 0.00000000000000000000001% of the talent of this film.

Amen. CamMac isn't perfect in terms of casting and treating his shows with respect. But he's certainly doing better justice for this film so far than ALW did with Phantom. And it all starts with the director.

LadyCDaae wrote:I for one would love to see Wilkinson as the bishop.

~LCD

That's what I've been saying! I'd just die if he did.

Don't know if this is confirmed-confirmed yet but Sacha Baron Cohen is supposed to be M. Thenardier:

http://tinyurl.com/thenardier-1

He'll be great. I liked his Pirelli, and I'm a big Borat fan.

According to Broadway.com, Aaron Tveit has been cast as Enjolras.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/158912/broadways-aaron-tveit-to-storm-the-barricades-in-les-miserables-film/

As a shameless Aaron Tveit fangirl... I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I think he could be really good in the role, but I also think he could be really bad in the role. But I'm going to be positive and assume the former.

phantomphan1992 wrote:According to Broadway.com, Aaron Tveit has been cast as Enjolras.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/158912/broadways-aaron-tveit-to-storm-the-barricades-in-les-miserables-film/

As a shameless Aaron Tveit fangirl... I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I think he could be really good in the role, but I also think he could be really bad in the role. But I'm going to be positive and assume the former.

This. I think he would have been an AMAZING Marius.

But Enjolras? Someone got into a row with me saying that Enjolras its young, naiive, and inexperienced and Aaron will play that quite well.
I don't know, Aaron doesn't seem like the kind of person who I'd follow over the barricade.

I hadn't heard of him, but I don't have any objections based on the few clips I saw on YouTube. Doesn't seem to have the big baritone voice I'd prefer for the role, but he'll do.

ML6 wrote:

phantomphan1992 wrote:According to Broadway.com, Aaron Tveit has been cast as Enjolras.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/158912/broadways-aaron-tveit-to-storm-the-barricades-in-les-miserables-film/

As a shameless Aaron Tveit fangirl... I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I think he could be really good in the role, but I also think he could be really bad in the role. But I'm going to be positive and assume the former.

This. I think he would have been an AMAZING Marius.

But Enjolras? Someone got into a row with me saying that Enjolras its young, naiive, and inexperienced and Aaron will play that quite well.
I don't know, Aaron doesn't seem like the kind of person who I'd follow over the barricade.

Aaron Tveit as Marius would have killed me. But I would have died happy.

I saw Aaron Tveit as Link in Hairspray around this time in 2006 and liked him...though that's not really the most dramatic, challenging role in the history of musical theatre. (And I remember chatting with him for a minute or two in a downstairs lobby area while I was looking for someone.)

I like a charismatic Enjolras...with a sort of zealous magnetism that makes people want to follow him to the barricades. I don't know if Aaron can pull that off...but I do hope so.

A couple links on the movie:
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Hugh-Jackman-Confirms-LES-MISRABLES-to-Begin-Rehearsing-in-January-Film-in-March-20111227
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iQAmpGw3Zkw3phHaiiMcG1JuGcKg?docId=N0673261325067794885A

So they'll be singing live on set. I wonder if reporters might have misinterpreted that tip, because I imagine what it means is that they'll still record the vocals in the studio, but that Hooper wants them to look believable, so he'll want them to actually sing while filming rather than just miming.

SenorSwanky wrote:A couple links on the movie:
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Hugh-Jackman-Confirms-LES-MISRABLES-to-Begin-Rehearsing-in-January-Film-in-March-20111227
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iQAmpGw3Zkw3phHaiiMcG1JuGcKg?docId=N0673261325067794885A

So they'll be singing live on set. I wonder if reporters might have misinterpreted that tip, because I imagine what it means is that they'll still record the vocals in the studio, but that Hooper wants them to look believable, so he'll want them to actually sing while filming rather than just miming.

I think you got that right. A set will have too much background noise to be film quality, no matter how well the cast sings. But they might use it as a basis and put sound on top - or as you suggested, just make it look more believable.

And I am SURE such live singing clips will be used for all its worth in promo, to silence the sceptic voices and to show how stellar the cast and the movie is...

operafantomet wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:A couple links on the movie:
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Hugh-Jackman-Confirms-LES-MISRABLES-to-Begin-Rehearsing-in-January-Film-in-March-20111227
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iQAmpGw3Zkw3phHaiiMcG1JuGcKg?docId=N0673261325067794885A

So they'll be singing live on set. I wonder if reporters might have misinterpreted that tip, because I imagine what it means is that they'll still record the vocals in the studio, but that Hooper wants them to look believable, so he'll want them to actually sing while filming rather than just miming.

I think you got that right. A set will have too much background noise to be film quality, no matter how well the cast sings. But they might use it as a basis and put sound on top - or as you suggested, just make it look more believable.

And I am SURE such live singing clips will be used for all its worth in promo, to silence the sceptic voices and to show how stellar the cast and the movie is...

I may be wrong, but I *believe* that Rex Harrison did all his singing for My Fair Lady live. I think I also remember reading a couple other musicals did all their singing live and only did a few of the big number songs to a pre-recorded track.

I don't trust this cast to do a live stint, though.

Yeah, I imagine some more intimate scenes and lines can be sung live, but the ensemble numbers like the barricade scenes and One Day More and Master of the House will probably mostly rely on pre-recorded tracks.

So can we trust the rumors saying Amanda Seyfried is cast as Cosette, and Taylor Swift as Eponine?

Well, they're both incredibly cute, so at least they'll be nice to look at. I wasn't aware Seyfried is opera-trained, but I'll trust Hooper on this one. He's put together quite a nice cast, I think. Known names except for Marius and Enjolras, but they all seem to at least be able to sing, and we know Jackman, Crowe, and Hathaway will put in fine performances. I can kind of see Swift as Eponine too. She's kind of a gawky waif, and the only song of hers I like (You Belong With Me) is Eponine's story, On My Own in different words.

I'm actually positively surprised by the casting of Amanda Seyfried. She has good pipes, and she's quite magnetic on the screen, without loosing the innocent appearance.

I wouldn't claim she is opera trained - that implies she's trained for everything needed for staging an opera - but classically trained I can see. The ABBA songs might seem like light pop stuff, but try singing them. Many of the songs are complex, and some demand a solid range. It's the same kind of complexity the composers put into their "Kristina" musical, and also into "Chess". Those songs aren't for newbies, as you've probably heard if you've listened to karaoke versions...

Taylor Swift was a bigger surprise...

If she can hit the high notes, I'm good with Seyfried--she has a charming screen presence and her singing was one of the few things about Mamma Mia I actually liked. Swift I'm a little less pleased with--pop singers who can successfully make the jump to acting are few and far between--but like Swanky, I'm willing to give Hooper the benefit of the doubt. After all, I probably wouldn't have thought of Helena Bonham-Carter to play the Queen Mum either, and that turned out rather well.

~LCD

If any of you are friends with Ashley Matthews (who rarely comes on this board anymore) on FB, we got into a lengthy debate about these two bits of casting last night.

Didn't Swift guest star on some TV crime drama at some point? I thought I read that somewhere. All in all, I'm glad they found people who can sing. Whether they can sing the material required of them remains to be seen.

But it's still leagues ahead of that Schumacher crap.

R.

operafantomet wrote:I think you got that right. A set will have too much background noise to be film quality, no matter how well the cast sings. But they might use it as a basis and put sound on top - or as you suggested, just make it look more believable.

And I am SURE such live singing clips will be used for all its worth in promo, to silence the sceptic voices and to show how stellar the cast and the movie is...

It is always preferable to pre-record the vocal tracks prior to filming because you are locked into whatever you're filmed mouthing. In other words, if you record live on set and you're too fast or too slow, you have to match that tempo in the studio when you record the final audio tracks. Singing live along with the track on set will keep you in time with the music and allow you as an actor to concentrate more on projecting emotion physically in addition to actually look like you're singing (you can always tell when someone's lip-synching silently to a pre-record since their throat is doing absolutely nothing).

In Mamma Mia!, they used some of the live singing in the film (the most obvious being the intro to "Super Trouper") because it served the purpose of the scene. As Swanky said, the smaller, more intimate scenes will be the more likely candidates for being recorded live.

R.

Raphael wrote:Didn't Swift guest star on some TV crime drama at some point? I thought I read that somewhere.

IMDb to the rescue--she was the victim-of-the-week in an episode of CSI (original) in 2009. (Synopsis here.) I kind of remember the episode but not much about her performance, which at least means it wasn't terrible like the Justin Bieber guest spot the following season.

All in all, I'm glad they found people who can sing. Whether they can sing the material required of them remains to be seen.

But it's still leagues ahead of that Schumacher crap.

Very true. Assembling a big-name cast for a musical can be hit (Hairspray, Chicago) or miss (Paint Your Wagon, the aforementioned Mamma Mia), but at least some effort is being put into finding people with credible vocal talent for this.

~LCD

Other than Pierce Brosnan's singing, I kind of liked Mamma Mia.

Swift played a ditzy cheerleader in Valentine's Day. That's the only thing I've seen her act in. She was incredibly annoying in it, but intentionally and funnily so, unlike Lea Michele, another candidate to play the role in the film, who is just an annoying person.

Raphael wrote:In Mamma Mia!, they used some of the live singing in the film (the most obvious being the intro to "Super Trouper") because it served the purpose of the scene. As Swanky said, the smaller, more intimate scenes will be the more likely candidates for being recorded live.

Yes, often you can tell that the movie track is different from that of the CD; the latter being more polished. I am 90% sure they also used a live or partly live version of "The Winner Takes It All" in the movie. The track from the movie is not identical to the one on the CD, and to be frank I found the movie one more touching.

But I digress....

I also vaguely recall the audio commentary for that scene indicating they used a mixture of pre-recorded and live for that song as well (live must have been a pain considering the amount of wind they had) because Streep's live stuff felt more emotionally "raw."

And like Swanky, besides Brosnan's vocals, I rather enjoyed the movie as a whole. A fun bit of fluffy entertainment.

R.

There seems to be a bit of an outrage on Twitter today. First Night Records, who put out the OLC of Les Miz has decided not to pay royalties to the original cast any more:
Twitter search:
https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23LesMisRoyalties

I can't seem to find any other articles on this (well, not yet at any rate) But Rebecca Caine and Peter Polycarpou are tweeting about it..

PhantomsGhost wrote:There seems to be a bit of an outrage on Twitter today. First Night Records, who put out the OLC of Les Miz has decided not to pay royalties to the original cast any more:
Twitter search:
https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23LesMisRoyalties

I can't seem to find any other articles on this (well, not yet at any rate) But Rebecca Caine and Peter Polycarpou are tweeting about it..

Oh dear, with Rebecca Caine on the case it'll probably be a "snark war" without end, and a most entertaining one as well.

Joke aside, there must be some clausul allowing First Night Records to do this. I don't approve of it in any way, but I don't think they would dare do it without having the legal issue sorted out. The moral issue is another matter. I'm curious on how the case will end.

operafantomet wrote:

PhantomsGhost wrote:There seems to be a bit of an outrage on Twitter today. First Night Records, who put out the OLC of Les Miz has decided not to pay royalties to the original cast any more:
Twitter search:
https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23LesMisRoyalties

I can't seem to find any other articles on this (well, not yet at any rate) But Rebecca Caine and Peter Polycarpou are tweeting about it..

Oh dear, with Rebecca Caine on the case it'll probably be a "snark war" without end, and a most entertaining one as well.

Joke aside, there must be some clausul allowing First Night Records to do this. I don't approve of it in any way, but I don't think they would dare do it without having the legal issue sorted out. The moral issue is another matter. I'm curious on how the case will end.

A petition has been created, too, on behalf of the fans who respect the actors.

I really hope they win this one. I'm glad I purchased the CD 10 some years ago when their royalties still existed. It makes me feel better about this matter. But still, First Night is behind in the money they owed them for last year. If anything, they should be given the money for that if they don't win. They are entitled to it.

I don't think Cammie will give a fig about all of this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16516727

Audio within this article in which Hooper mentions the film will contain a new song by Schonberg, most likely for Oscar bait. Seems like they'd more likely have to cut material than add, but I hope the song is good.

Original performers told that the curtain's coming down on their payments for recording sales

They made their names in the world-famous musical about revolution. Now actors from the first stage production of Les Misérables are gearing up for a revolt against the company behind the original cast recording, after discovering they will no longer get royalty payments.

Members of the original cast, including Michael Ball, who played Marius in the 1985 production, have just learnt that they will no longer receive royalties from the soundtrack recording, which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies in the UK alone. Cast members say they were unaware a contract clause stipulated royalties would only be paid for 25 years.

Equity, the performers' union, says it will take up its members' cause and is seeking legal advice. The contract was based on a template agreement reached between industry body the BPI on behalf of record companies and Equity.

First Night Records, which made the recording, insists that it has done nothing wrong and has simply abided by the terms of the recording contract agreed by Equity. Similar cast recording contracts that pay royalties to performers in successful shows such as The Phantom of the Opera will also end soon, and are expected to spark copy-cat spats.

Peter Polycarpou, who played Jean Prouvaire in the 1985 production, said that news of the loss of royalties had come as a "bit of a shock". "It's just simply not morally right to keep the royalties back after only a 25-year period," he said.

Frances Ruffelle, who played Eponine, said: "[The royalty payment] really is pennies, but to some of the cast who are ill or retired, it's a winter fuel payment or house repair," she said.

An online petition, Pay the OLC [original London cast] of Les Mis!, is calling for the original performers to be continued to be paid.

Martin Brown, Equity's assistant general secretary, said: "We made an agreement with record producers back in the 1960s that secured payments for artists for 25 years," he said. "At that time, the legal copyright was 20 years, so we secured a five-year extension to the legal copyright. First Night Records are trying to use that nearly 50-year-old contract to terminate payments at 25 years, even though the legal copyright is now much longer."

John Craig, the managing director of First Night Records, said Equity signed the same clause again in 1985 and 1994. "The beef that the players have should be with Equity and not with us," he said. "Their union signed a silly contract, and there are quite onerous clauses in that contract from our point of view, and this gives us an opportunity to renegotiate a contract with more sensible clauses."

He said that, unlike Les Misérables, most cast recordings were unsuccessful and cost a considerable amount to do but – in contrast to pop albums, where recording costs were recouped before royalties were paid – record companies had to pay royalties from the very first record sold under the Equity contract.

"I feel quite bitter that Equity sign a contract and then moan like crazy when we stand behind the terms of it," he said. He said he welcome a chance to re-negotiate the contract.

The Cameron Mackintosh production of Les Misérables has been a hit around the globe and since its London debut in 1985 has become the world's longest-running musical. Its popularity has been boosted in recent years by Susan Boyle's rendition of the song "I Dreamed a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent and will no doubt be further bolstered by the release of the Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper's film version later this year.

Nicholas Allott, the managing director of Cameron Mackintosh, said contracts for cast albums were done directly between the BPI, or its individual members, and Equity.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/cast-of-les-mis-in-revolt-over-royalties-6289937.html