Well...

OT: Les Mis! by Neshomeh on 2008-07-19 05:54:00 UTC Reply

I got to see Les Miserables tonight, and it was absolutely amazing. Never were hype and fandom more deserved! I was very fortunate to have a great cast to carry the roles, which demand that you connect to them in a very brief period of time. I cried more than I usually do at plays, which just goes to show how well they did and how well-crafted Les Mis is to begin with.

I had all kinds of things to say, but it's late and I'm tired, and they've slipped my mind. I'm sure they'll come back to me later, and in response to whatever the other fans here might have to say. {= )

~Neshomeh

The tellings. by Neshomeh on 2008-07-19 20:44:00 UTC Reply

Props to Sara. I liked the turn of phrase. {= )

So, thoughts. First of all, Eponine is way more sympathetic than I thought just from hearing the soundtrack. Whoever does her voice in the original cast recording is really, really annoying, which makes it hard to like her. The actress I saw was very good, though. She's probably the most interesting female character in the play.

I'm still not entirely sure what the play is "about," but I am sure it isn't about the Revolution. This is very strange to me. The Revolution feels like the climax of the story because it has the biggest action, but for everyone but the students, it's merely incidental. It forces Valjean, Javert, Eponine, and Marius into some choices they wouldn't have had to make otherwise, but other than that, it accomplishes nothing. As the chorus observes, the world goes on more or less unchanged. It's completely tragic in that sense, and it confuses my sense of plot. I don't think there is a plot in the regular sense--it's just the chronicles of the lives of a few people trying to get by the best they can in a hard world.

When I say I don't know what it's about, I think I mean I'm not sure what the take-home message is. Maybe there isn't one of those, either. Maybe we're just supposed to think about it thoroughly.

In all the drama, it was good to have the Thenardiers to break the tension once in a while. They're so delightfully horrible, and they add comedy without trivializing the drama. In fact, the way those rats seem to have the last laugh just highlights the terrible state of things.

All of the cast was very good with the possible exception of Fantine, which is too bad. Even though I cried at her death scene, I was glad I wouldn't have to listen to her anymore. Javert was probably the best. He had some kind of accent; I'm not sure what, but it made him stand out, and his voice was great. Valjean sounded like Valjean--very impressive, what with the demanding range in the part.

Men have an unfair advantage when it comes to range. Anyone can train their voice to go higher (whether it sounds good is another matter), but the bottom of your range is the bottom of your range. You can't train your vocal cords to be longer than they are. Also, there's only so high a soprano can go before nobody wants to hear those notes, even if she's exceptionally gifted. {= P

All those long-haired bass/baritones reminded me of my long-haired bass/baritone. ^_^

~Neshomeh

Hee. by Sara on 2008-07-21 01:53:00 UTC Reply

You lucky dog, you.

Yay about Eponine--I agree that her voice on the soundtrack was...well...bleh, to put it into a sound-word. And too bad about Fantine. Sort of a switch in voice goodness/badness for the characters as opposed to the soundtrack, then?

Eee, Javert and Valjean! Good to know that Valjean was pulled off well--that range is damn impressive.

I'd have to agree about that unfair advantage--case in point, my voice instructor. The man can hit those low notes beautifully, but do the most spot-on Julie Andrews vocal impression ever, high notes and all.

Thank you for tellings! ;-D
My thoughts... by Tomato on 2008-07-20 17:28:00 UTC Reply

The world does not change, but the people do. Valjean finds peace and redemption, Cosette goes from being a drudge to a young woman with the man of her dreams. Javert is unable to accept the changes in his worldview and chooses death instead. That's where the plot is.

If there's a message, I think it has to do with redemption. At least, that's what I wrote in my term paper last year.

The Javert I saw had an accent, too. Somehow, it really fits the character.

How wonderful! by BeetleFire on 2008-07-19 19:43:00 UTC Reply

A friend of mine recently returned from London, and has described several times how she was able to see Les Mis there. We are extremely envious of her (and you as well). Glad the experience was all you hoped for!
Magnifique! by Tomato on 2008-07-19 14:20:00 UTC Reply

Where did you see it?

I cried, too...once when I saw it the first time, one when I listened to the soundtrack, and once when I saw it again. (The first two were during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," and the third was during Javert's death scene.) When did you start crying?

Well... by Neshomeh on 2008-07-19 16:43:00 UTC Reply

There were several times. ^_^; Fantine's death, Gavroche's death (which I did NOT see coming)--pretty much any time people died, actually--a couple of Eponine's songs, "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." I think perhaps because I was already familiar with the soundtrack, it didn't take much to drive it home, if that makes sense.

Incidentally, I agree that "Stars" seems out of place, even though I haven't read the book. It's a beautiful song, a great song, but it's kinda like, "the scene is over, but oh, wait, I have a solo now." And it doesn't really tell us anything about Javert that we don't already know, i.e., he wants the world to follow the rules, be stable, and make sense. Of course, it doesn't. Poor him.

I saw it at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Apparently they "reimagined" it, with different sets and staging and stuff, but I have no basis for comparison. All I can say is that it worked.

~Neshomeh

Oooh...*can't wait for tellings* by Sara on 2008-07-19 06:45:00 UTC Reply

I love Les Mis...just the songs themselves have made me cry before, but I've never gotten to see it.

You had better post the all kinds of things that you have to say! *prods*