Les Misérables

You do all realize that this Eponine casting drama guarantees that we'll all be immortalized on Taylor Swift's next album in a song about how mean musical theatre fans can be *LOL*

R.

So, names are coming out about who is who in the ABC Cafe gang. They're all previous or current UK actors familiar with the stage show. When I get a confirmation on who is who, I'll post it here. I know a certain person who admitted today who he was playing but he deleted the tweet.

Decided to see if I could get last-minute tickets to see the tour tonight, the final performance in Raleigh. I hadn't seen the show since the original tour was last here in 2001 or 2002, and I saw J. Mark McVey as Valjean both times, 10 or 11 years apart.

It was a pretty strong cast, and I actually really like, for the most part, the new staging with the projections. It's more effective in person than you'd think. Sometimes it's unnecessary, but it also sometimes enhances the depth of the setting.

McVey is one of the stronger Valjeans we've had in America. Pretty good acting; a little over-the-top at times, but a pretty solid presence. The Young Cosette tonight was actually McVey's daughter Kylie, so there was real father-daughter cuteness there when he rescued her. She and the Gavroche I saw, Anthony Pierini, were both adorable.

I last saw Andrew Varela on stage as Piangi in the Phantom tour in December 2009, and I didn't so much like him in that role, so his Javert exceeded expectations, particularly vocally, since he's a tenor, and the role is best sung by baritones. He has a nice lower register. He's pretty decent acting-wise as well, though he doesn't quite have the gravitas I like, the air of authority that a guy like Philip Quast just naturally carries.

Betsy Morgan is an utterly fantastic Fantine; find clips of her on YouTube if you can.

I was disappointed Chasten Harmon was off tonight because I love what I've seen of her as Eponine, but her understudy Nadine Malouf was great, really deserving of being principal.

Didn't really like Richard Vida as Thenardier that much, though Shawna Hamic as Mme. T was pretty good.

Julie Benko was a strong Cosette, and Max Quinlan a pretty decent Marius; they had chemistry in Heart Full of Love that actually brought tears to my eyes, which that song almost never does.

Jeremy Hays was a very good Enjolras, and Joseph Spieldenner a really strong Grantaire. I loved James Zannelli as the Bishop as well. Overall, a really strong ensemble with great voices. Seemed to be giving it their all, even on a getaway night.

As well as Varela, Phantom veterans in the cast include Richard Todd Adams (Lesgles, Foreman, understudying both Valjean and Javert) and Jason Forbach (Feuilly, u/s Enjolras).

http://www.thepublicreviews.com/interview-ten-minutes-with-rebecca-caine/

"I think only the original cast actually knows what they contributed. I mean, all the moves that are being done to this day at the Queen’s were improvised 25 years ago. I put in all those high notes for Cossette, all those floated high notes, Michael and Frances worked out the harmony that they did. Patti LuPone put that climbing scale into I Dreamed a Dream; I remember her coming in one afternoon and saying, ‘Can I do this?’ and they said yes. "

THIS! Very valid for POTO too. When people write they don't like Michael Crawford as the Phantom, I always have this in the back of my head. I mean, people are entitled to not like Crawford's Phantom, but what he pour his soul into some 26 years ago is still done today, pretty much the same way. You can dislike his voice, or other treats specific to him, but you can't think he is crap and still like the Phantom. Get what I mean?



Originally Michael was a very strong Marius, and they don’t really cast them like that anymore, they cast them very, very ‘lite’. (...) You had people like Graham Bickley initially, and Simon Bowman, they were much more manly, they were less poppy.

Again, very valid for POTO. Your typical Raoul is a lot more "lite" nowadays than originally. Not just compared to Steve Barton, also to the original international Raouls. Ditto for Christines and their poppy sound, though this mostly applies to London.


I’m very interested in maintaining what I think to be a good soprano sound in musicals, because I think that’s being lost. It’s partly due to something called the Estill technique, which has its uses, but it’s making everybody sound a bit the same. (...) You don’t get the two different colours. It’s important to keep that soprano sound because it says something, whether it’s a certain refinement, or a different kind of purity, or a virginity. Whatever you read into that sound, it’s important that we don’t lose it and that it all doesn’t become a little bit too chesty, a little bit too belty, a little bit too twangy, and sound like everybody else.

That's interesting. I've never heard of the Estill technique, but hooray for her to maintain the classical soprano instead of the generic "musical" voice. The latter is indeed "like everybody else". I'm glad that she mentions Gina Beck as one of those keeping the pure, classical sound. I agree.


This is one of the least snarky interviews I've read on Rebecca Caine in recent years. I used to think her snarkiness was refreshing, but it became a bit boring after some months. So reading her actual thoughts on stuff she knows best was interesting. I can only envy those having her as their tutor and mentor. Thanks for sharing, ladygodiva.

Any word on shooting locations or who the costume designer and cinematographer are? IMDb doesn't reveal.

operafantomet wrote:"I think only the original cast actually knows what they contributed. I mean, all the moves that are being done to this day at the Queen’s were improvised 25 years ago. I put in all those high notes for Cossette, all those floated high notes, Michael and Frances worked out the harmony that they did. Patti LuPone put that climbing scale into I Dreamed a Dream; I remember her coming in one afternoon and saying, ‘Can I do this?’ and they said yes. "

THIS! Very valid for POTO too. When people write they don't like Michael Crawford as the Phantom, I always have this in the back of my head. I mean, people are entitled to not like Crawford's Phantom, but what he pour his soul into some 26 years ago is still done today, pretty much the same way. You can dislike his voice, or other treats specific to him, but you can't think he is crap and still like the Phantom. Get what I mean?



Originally Michael was a very strong Marius, and they don’t really cast them like that anymore, they cast them very, very ‘lite’. (...) You had people like Graham Bickley initially, and Simon Bowman, they were much more manly, they were less poppy.

Again, very valid for POTO. Your typical Raoul is a lot more "lite" nowadays than originally. Not just compared to Steve Barton, also to the original international Raouls. Ditto for Christines and their poppy sound, though this mostly applies to London.


I’m very interested in maintaining what I think to be a good soprano sound in musicals, because I think that’s being lost. It’s partly due to something called the Estill technique, which has its uses, but it’s making everybody sound a bit the same. (...) You don’t get the two different colours. It’s important to keep that soprano sound because it says something, whether it’s a certain refinement, or a different kind of purity, or a virginity. Whatever you read into that sound, it’s important that we don’t lose it and that it all doesn’t become a little bit too chesty, a little bit too belty, a little bit too twangy, and sound like everybody else.

That's interesting. I've never heard of the Estill technique, but hooray for her to maintain the classical soprano instead of the generic "musical" voice. The latter is indeed "like everybody else". I'm glad that she mentions Gina Beck as one of those keeping the pure, classical sound. I agree.


This is one of the least snarky interviews I've read on Rebecca Caine in recent years. I used to think her snarkiness was refreshing, but it became a bit boring after some months. So reading her actual thoughts on stuff she knows best was interesting. I can only envy those having her as their tutor and mentor. Thanks for sharing, ladygodiva.

I agree with nearly everything she says as well, and I def. see her comments in relation to Phantom too; I remember watching an interview with the OLC Carlotta, Rosemary Ashe and she talked a bit about how the opening verse in Hannibal is sung was much to her doing, she said she always enjoyed doing soaring high notes and just decided to show off her voice, not knowing what a pain it'd be for actress' following after her in the role LOL

StrangerThanUDreamt wrote:

operafantomet wrote:"I think only the original cast actually knows what they contributed. I mean, all the moves that are being done to this day at the Queen’s were improvised 25 years ago. I put in all those high notes for Cossette, all those floated high notes, Michael and Frances worked out the harmony that they did. Patti LuPone put that climbing scale into I Dreamed a Dream; I remember her coming in one afternoon and saying, ‘Can I do this?’ and they said yes. "

THIS! Very valid for POTO too. When people write they don't like Michael Crawford as the Phantom, I always have this in the back of my head. I mean, people are entitled to not like Crawford's Phantom, but what he pour his soul into some 26 years ago is still done today, pretty much the same way. You can dislike his voice, or other treats specific to him, but you can't think he is crap and still like the Phantom. Get what I mean?



Originally Michael was a very strong Marius, and they don’t really cast them like that anymore, they cast them very, very ‘lite’. (...) You had people like Graham Bickley initially, and Simon Bowman, they were much more manly, they were less poppy.

Again, very valid for POTO. Your typical Raoul is a lot more "lite" nowadays than originally. Not just compared to Steve Barton, also to the original international Raouls. Ditto for Christines and their poppy sound, though this mostly applies to London.


I’m very interested in maintaining what I think to be a good soprano sound in musicals, because I think that’s being lost. It’s partly due to something called the Estill technique, which has its uses, but it’s making everybody sound a bit the same. (...) You don’t get the two different colours. It’s important to keep that soprano sound because it says something, whether it’s a certain refinement, or a different kind of purity, or a virginity. Whatever you read into that sound, it’s important that we don’t lose it and that it all doesn’t become a little bit too chesty, a little bit too belty, a little bit too twangy, and sound like everybody else.

That's interesting. I've never heard of the Estill technique, but hooray for her to maintain the classical soprano instead of the generic "musical" voice. The latter is indeed "like everybody else". I'm glad that she mentions Gina Beck as one of those keeping the pure, classical sound. I agree.


This is one of the least snarky interviews I've read on Rebecca Caine in recent years. I used to think her snarkiness was refreshing, but it became a bit boring after some months. So reading her actual thoughts on stuff she knows best was interesting. I can only envy those having her as their tutor and mentor. Thanks for sharing, ladygodiva.

I agree with nearly everything she says as well, and I def. see her comments in relation to Phantom too; I remember watching an interview with the OLC Carlotta, Rosemary Ashe and she talked a bit about how the opening verse in Hannibal is sung was much to her doing, she said she always enjoyed doing soaring high notes and just decided to show off her voice, not knowing what a pain it'd be for actress' following after her in the role LOL

Operafantomet, I somewhat agree regarding most of Rebecca Caines interviews being on the snarky side, but I did love the posted interview. I once saw an iterview on the web somewhere around 2004 Rebecca Caine said regarding Micheal Crawford that she did'nt feel that Michael treated her very warmly, but she did learn a lot onstage as well as backstage from him. (I am a fan of his but I understand that it is different when you work with someone.I absolutely love Jillian Lynne but apparently if I were one of the dancers in Phantom I would be singing a different tune, )

and when Rebecca was in Toronto with Colm Wikenson, Colm said on a Canadian tv chat show, that she was just another actress who plays Christine)

and I had heard about the interview with Rosemary Ashe, I never saw it but I heard about it. so it was refreshing to hear about some of it again,

In Working in the Theatre there was an interview with Michael Crawford, Patti Coheour and Judy Kaye, Judy Kaye spoke of going to London to see the Phantom and then talking to Rosemary Ashe, Rosemary Ashe said to Judy, "It is not all the Top notes but all the sustained "Ds" that get to you.

Seems like there's a lot of overlap in those two films' audiences, so might be wise to push it back yet another week or two.

Unless they plan on doing a limited release in order to secure 2012 award eligibility, with wider release happening a few weeks down the line....

Les Mis or The Hobbit? Decisions, decisions...

~LCD

I don't give a rip about The Hobbit, so I'll be at Les Mis on opening night for sure, unless plans dictate otherwise. When is the deadline for Oscar eligibility?

Eh, no French, merci. But, yeah, it would've been cool as a pre-election movie. I remember walking across my college campus the night before the '04 election, and the bell tower was ringing Do You Hear the People Sing? Liberals FTW.

From the Courier Mail. The first pic of Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/hugh-jackman-barely-recognisable-on-the-set-of-tom-hoopers-new-film-version-of-les-miserables/story-e6freq7o-1226305643686

Wow. I like!

Awesome! Can't wait for December.

He looks great, and I've no doubt his Valjean will "clean up" very nicely. I agree, December cannot come fast enough.

~LCD

I'm SO excited. I wish he had longer hair in this scene though.

Viscountess wrote:I'm SO excited. I wish he had longer hair in this scene though.

Prisoners now generally have to have close-cropped hair, and I imagine they've done historical research to suggest they would have shaved their heads then...and in a very quick, uneven way, which is cool.

Found more pics.

Don't know where they were from originally, but I reblogged them:

http://phantom-media.tumblr.com/post/19636003236/first-look-at-behind-the-scenes-of-les

Colm!

Who is that on the top right?

~LCD

Presumably a constable who apprehends Valjean. Seems they're filming those scenes first. Wonder if they're shooting roughly in chronological order.

Ah, that makes sense--I didn't think it looked like a named character/actor I recognized.

I don't know about chronological order (which would be neat considering the long journey Valjean and Javert go on) but I can see why they'd film the prologue first, especially with the hack-job shaved head (which I think looks terrific; you get the sense it was chopped off by some guard who had to shave a whole line of convicts and didn't care how the results looked).

~LCD

Thanks to tumblr, a video has been posted of Jackman getting his yellow ticket of leave. You can hear him sing just a bit:

Taken from: http://ccosette.tumblr.com/post/19730212814/miserables-movie-update-of-the-day-first-video-of

Here's the direct youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DjvhTXVZROs

Is it me, or does Jackman look a bit like a Jedi in that robe?

(Kind of amusing. We are getting more information regarding the Les Miz movie leaked than the POTO 25th tour. )

Heh, I just came here to post that, but PhantomsGhost beat me to the punch! Is it so weird that that one note has me hopping up and down in my chair with anticipation? And I like the churchyard setting (nice and symbolic).

~LCD

That's not him GETTING the ticket; it's him tearing it up as he sings the end of his soliloquy. "Another story must begin...." Awesome to see.

Here's some stills of the same scene, including a couple great shots of him hurling the ticket of leave in the air.

~LCD

PhantomsGhost wrote:(Kind of amusing. We are getting more information regarding the Les Miz movie leaked than the POTO 25th tour. )

...and the tour has premiered, while the movie is still in filming...