CurtainUp
CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings
HOME PAGE

Search Curtainup

SITE GUIDE

REVIEWS

REVIEW ARCHIVES

ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP

FEATURES

NEWS

Broadway
Off-Broadway

NYC Restaurants

BOOKS and CDs

OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere

QUOTES

TKTS

PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS

LETTERS TO EDITOR

FILM

LINKS

MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
A CurtainUp Review
Les Miserables

CAN I CONCEAL MYSELF FOR EVERMORE?
PRETEND I'M NOT THE MAN I WAS BEFORE?
AND MUST MY NAME UNTIL I DIE
BE NO MORE THAN AN ALIBI?
MUST I LIE?
— Valjean from "Who Am I?"
Valjean
Ramin Karimloo as Valjean (photo: Matthew Murphy)
Unlike so many musicals of more recent vintage, Les Miserables is a hummer. The songs, and especially show's anthem "The People's Song" with it's rousing "do you hear the people sing?" refrain, will not only replay in your ears on the way home and during the next morning's shower, but virtually lodge themselves in your ear for weeks to come.

Now, this ground breaking operatic musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel is back in town. And it's a humdinger.

Even if you saw it before, or caught the 2012 film version, you won't want to miss the exciting new production of the show fondly nicknamed "Les Miz" by the fans who have made it a colossal world-wide hit. The new stage concept was created to celebrate the show's 25th Anniversary and intended to go on tour after its launch at the Royal Shakespeare Company where it all started.

Don't be fooled by this being tagged as a touring production. This is not a cheaper, scaled down road show but a stunning, innovative spectacle. In fact, the really new-new thing about this innovative presentation is the brilliant stagecraft that takes full advantage of modern technology to give the highly emotional score and melodramatic but heart stirring story a cinematic sweep — but without losing the special quality that live theater so special.

More about the astonishing new visuals later. But first some comments about the New York cast which also validates that "new and exciting" label. The acting and singing are sublime all around, and that includes the youngest members of the ensemble.

Ramin Karimloo, who's new to New York but a London stage star, is a thrilling Jean Valjean. He fully inhabits this complex character — from his first appearance as a prisoner being paroled after nineteen years at hard labor for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family, to the heroic rescue of his beloved adopted daughter's lover and the only survivor of the disastrous student revolt, to his reunion with the happy couple. He ages believably with each magnificently sung aria.

Karimloo's remarkable performance is matched by Will Swenson's portrays of Valjean's nemesis, the obsessive Javert. His acting and singing has never been better. The key female roles are also extremely well done by Cassie Levy and Nikki James (the Tony winning Nabalungi of The Book of Mormon) as the ill-fated Fantine and Eponine. Both manage to die with fervently sung arias.

Also aptly cast and outstanding are Samantha Hill and Andy Mientus as the young lovers. Kyle Scatliffee makes a strong impression as the rebellion's leader Enjolras. Keila Settle and Cliff Saunders handle the requirement for Madame and Monsieur Thernardier to be horrible but also hilarious with aplomb.

A special bravo to Joshua Colley for his irresistibly endearing young Gavroche. Unlike a lot of young singers his vocal delivery is clear and he has real presence, capturing our hearts every time he shows up on stage. According to a colleague who attended an evening performance, Gaten Matarazzo who alternates with him is just as winning.

As for the new design concept, gone is the turntable — and good riddance since it's become a much parodied cliche. Directors Laurence Connor and James Powell now have Matt Kinley's striking scenic images to move the cast through the multiple plot complications. Kinley was inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. Yes, that the same Hugo who wrote the novel but is less known his talents as a visual artist, not because they lacked merit but because Hugo purposely kept his paintings from public view because he feared they would draw attention away from his literary output. A needless case of a creative person's insecurity since Hugo's novels are still widely read today.

The wizardly display of scenic designs, slides and moving projections as realized by Fifty-Nine Productions, reflect Hugo the painter's incorporating charcoal, ink and soot, and sometimes coffee into his canvases (For more about his paintings see http://bittleston.com/artists/victor_hugo/). The dark tone of this art technique works beautifully to evoke the show's dark post-revolutionary aura, particularly scene on the barricades with its dismal ending. The atmospheric stage images are enhanced by Paule Constable's lighting. And to underscore my comment that this being a touring company has nothing to do with penny pinching, we have Andreane Neofitour's eye-popping costumes, for both the dark parts and the colorful wedding scene towards the end.

While the size of the band (17 musicians) is in keeping with less populated orchestra pits, the new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker serve the musicians well. And Mick Potter's sound design mercifully downplays the often hollow sound of over amplified shows.

No matter how familiar the pop-eratic score and story, the three hours are a case of more is indeed more satisfying than the less exemplified by many 90-minute shows. And given the fresh staging and excellence of the cast, you won't be sorry to buy a ticket to hear these people sing once again, and thrillingly so.

Postscript: For anyone who wants more plot details, here courtesy of Les Gutman's 1999 Curtainup review, a highly abbreviated list of the elements from Hugo's massive novel that were incorporated into the musical:

(1) the life-long cat-and-mouse game between th morally righteous parolee, Jean Valjean and the self-righteous police inspector, Javert. . . (2) the secret life Valjean makes for himself, consumed with fulfilling his promise to a dying woman, Fantine, to raise her daughter, Cosette. . . (3) the love story of Cosette and Marius , a Parisian student. . . (4) the revolutionary atmosphere in 1832 Paris prompted by the neglect of the poor (most clearly embodied in a young street urchin, Gavroche, and nurtured by a group of idealistic students, including Marius, under the leadership of Enjolras. . .(5) the seedy, corrupt parallel world of the Thenadiers, an innkeeper and his wife to whom Fantine has entrusted Cosette. They later show up as the leaders of a bottom-feeding gang in the streets of Paris. Their daughter, Eponine who is not-so-secretly in love with Marius, figures prominently in the story

Les Miserables, musical based on Victor Hugo Novel
Music by Claude Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer
Original French text by Alain Boubill and Jean-Marc Natel
Additional music by James Fenton
Adaptation by Trevor Nunn and Jon Caird
Cast: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Will Swenson (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Nikki M. James (Eponine) Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Cliff Saunders (Thenardier), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras)a Keala Settle (Madame Thenardier).
Set and Image Design: Matt Kinley, inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo
Projections: Fifty-Nine Productions
Costumes: Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland
Lighting: Paule Constable
Sound: Mick Potter
Original Orchestrations: John Cameron
New Orchestrations: Christopher Jahnke, Stephen Metcalfe, Stephen Brooker
Running Time: 3 hours, including one intermission
Imperial, 249 West 45th Street (Broadway/8th Ave)(212) 239-6200
From 3/01/14; opening 3/23/14
Ticket prices range from $57to $139.
Reviewed by Elyse Sommer at 3/22, press performance
Musical Numbers
Act One
    Prologue / The Company
  • Soliloquy/ Valjean
  • At the End of the Day / Unemployed and Factory Workers
  • IDreamed a Dream / Fantine
  • Lovely Ladies /Clients
  • Who Am I? / Valjean
  • Famine's Death /Fantine and Valjean
  • Castle on a Cloud /Cosette
  • Master of the House /Thenardier, his Wife, and Customers
  • The Bargain / M. and Mme. Thenardier and Valjean
  • Pariss /Gavroche and the Beggars
  • Stars /Javert
  • ABC Cafe /Enjolras, Marius, and the Students
  • The People's Song / Enjolras, the Students, and the Citizens
  • In My Life /Cosette, Valjean, Marius, and Eponine
  • A Heart Full of Love /Cosette, Marius, and Eponine
  • One Day More/ The Company
Act Two
  • On My Own / Eponine
  • A Little Fall of Rain / Eponine and Marius
  • Drink With Me to Days Gone By /Grantaire, Students, and Women
  • Bring Him Home /Valjean
  • Dog Eats Dog /Thenardier
  • Soliloquy /Javert
  • Turning /Women
  • Empty Chairs at Empty Tables /Marius
  • Wedding Chorale /Guests
  • Beggars at the Feast / M. and Mme. Thenardier
  • Finale /The Company
REVIEW FEEDBACK
Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
  • I agree with the review of Les Miserables
  • I disagree with the review of Les Miserables
  • The review made me eager to see Les Miserables
Click on the address link E-mail: esommer@curtainup.com
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V):

Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review.

For a feed to reviews and features as they are posted add http://curtainupnewlinks.blogspot.com to your reader
Curtainup at Facebook . . . Curtainup at Twitter
Subscribe to our FREE email updates: E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message. If you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country.
The New Similes Dictionary
New Similes Dictionary


Slings & Arrows  cover of  new Blu-Ray cover
Slings & Arrows- view 1st episode free




Book Of Mormon MP4 Book of Mormon -CD
Our review of the show
amazon




©Copyright 2014, Elyse Sommer.
Information from this site may not be reproduced in print or online without specific permission from esommer@curtainup.com