Defending Eponine Thenardier

(Please excuse the multitude of "Little Fall of Rain" pictures in this post...

I took a ton of screen-caps and couldn't bear to let them go to waste.)

I never thought I'd have to write a post with that title, let me tell you.

Because when I saw the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Dream Cast In Concert, I was under the impression that everybody loved Eponine just as much as I did.  I mean, how could you help it?

*Amy climbs down off of Snobby Soapbox*

Well, I was wrong.  It would seem that there are, in fact, people out there who don't share my exact opinion (shock of shocks) and who dislike Eponine.  Now, I'm not here to point fingers at anyone or to belittle anyone's opinions in anyway, and blah-de-blah [fill in the rest of long boring disclaimer any way you wish].  But I AM here to defend one of my favorite characters in my favoritest musical of all time, and defend her I will! FOR THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL!

Um, pardon me. Don't know how that last sentence got in there.

Now, over the past couple of months I've heard some flak about Eponine, and though I'm not here to make anyone feel bad (see above) I do want to refute those points about her, point-by-point.  (Hmm.  Redundancy.)  One of the biggest points against Eponine is her whole heroine status.  Some seem to think that Eponine is more of a villainess than a heroine in the book, and that she was made too nice in the musical.  My opinion?  Eponine is a heroine, and yes, her character in the musical is actually pretty different from her character in the book.  And that's okay.  


Now, all this is coming from a Book Snob to End All Book Snobs, I will have you know.  I'm a diehard member (maybe even vice-president) of The Book Is Always Better Club, and if you get me started I will take you into a corner and keep you there for three hours while I enumerate all the reasons why any and all movie versions of Little Women are almost pathetic when compared with the original novel.  (Hmm, idea for a post?)  And yet, I do believe that Eponine's character is much better in the musical than it is in the book.

In both the book and musical, Eponine is the daughter of two of the slimiest and most despicable humans that ever crawled the earth.  "Watch out for old Thenardier, all of his family's on the make.  Once ran a hash-house down the way-- bit of a swine, and no mistake!" Monsieur and Madame Thenardier will stop at nothing to further their own selfish gains, and therefore they have no qualms about thievery.  In the book, Eponine is an accomplice to her parents' knavish ways (at least at first), but in the musical she wants nothing to do with their crimes.  "What'll I do? He'll think this is an ambush--he'll think I'm in it too!" In the book, young Eponine is cruel to young Cosette--in the musical, this is implied but never shown.  "Cosette, now I remember. Cosette, how can it be?  We were children together... look what's become of me." And in the book, Eponine is clearly jealous of Cosette-- after all, Cosette reappears after ten years only to steal away the young man Eponine has begun to fall in love with! In the musical, Eponine is not necessarily jealous, but definitely heartbroken.  "These are words he'll never say... not to me, not to me."

In the book, Marius sends Gavroche with a letter to Cosette.  In the musical, he (oh-so-heartlessly) asks Eponine to perform that errand.  And she does it.  In the book, Eponine comes to the barricade to be near Marius, and manages to save his life by running in front of a bayonet aimed at him (consequently getting fatally wounded herself).  In the musical, she returns to the barricade to let Marius know that the letter's been delivered, and in the process gets hit by a stray bullet.  In both the book and the musical, she dies in Marius' arms, acknowledging her love for him at last.

Boublil and Schonberg have been accused of romanticizing Eponine's character.  In the book, Eponine is described as ugly and even repulsive.  She's missing teeth, her voice is hoarse and almost masculine and she suffers from hallucinations induced by alcoholism.  "Lovely, lovely, lovely."  In the musical, Eponine is generally portrayed by drop-dead gorgeous actresses (um, hello, LEA SALONGA) and in most cases (with the exception of a certain young lady whose initials are Frances Ruffelle) she possesses a crystalline, stellar voice that moves the entire audience to tears.  Eponine's definitely more likable in the musical.

And I'm okay with that, y'all.  Why?  Because I seriously love Eponine in the musical.  She's one of my favorite characters (hey, I only have six!) and I can't help pitying her, admiring her and crying for her.  Yes, Eponine's a sympathetic character, but that's not a bad thing.  I mean, seriously, who wouldn't rather like her than dislike her??? We aren't so callous as to just want a character to hate on.  (And hey, if you really do want characters to hate on--and I'll confess, I do at times--then Eponine has two parents up for grabs.  Heh.)

Victor Hugo, when he wrote the character of Eponine, created a young woman who had some serious issues. She wasn't perfect, in fact far from it, yet she gave herself up completely at the end.  Yes, she was a thief.  Yes, she was jealous and even cruel.  Yes, she lied.  But might I just remind you to think about the hero of Les Miz?  Jean Valjean was a convicted criminal.  When he finally got out of prison, he stole candlesticks from the first person to show him kindness.  Immediately after that, he even went so far as to steal forty sous from a helpless little boy (and subsequently beat himself up over it with remorse, later).  And yet Jean Valjean's story is one of forgiveness and redemption.

Isn't Eponine's the same?

I didn't cry over Eponine's death in the book until the very end, simply because I hadn't felt much for Eponine until that point.  But then at the end, something happened that brought me to tears.  With her last dying breath (literally) Eponine directed Marius to look in her pocket and find a letter from Cosette that Eponine had been supposed to deliver.  She hadn't done it as yet... but then, as she was dying, she felt remorse for her jealousy and wanted Marius to have the letter from his beloved.

(Now, you could say that Eponine knew she was dying and therefore figured, "okay, what's the point, I can't have him, he may as well marry her", but I will not hesitate to label you a cynic if you say that.  So beware. :P)

I'm returning to my earlier point (about Eponine being better in the musical than in the book) to say just one last thing... Victor Hugo wasn't perfect.  (He made Enjolras get executed by a bunch of soldiers, folks.  TIED UP AGAINST A WALL.  Now that is just wrong.)   I honestly believe that Boublil and Schonberg made a better Eponine than Hugo did, and you can recoil in shock and horror all you like (and even black-bean me from The Book Is Always Better Club) but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

At the very end of the musical, Eponine makes one last appearance (and all the blood is magically gone from her chemise.  How on earth did THAT happen?).   With Fantine, she comes to take Valjean to heaven. Now, this part of the musical is pretty theologically unsound and I'm not going to get into all that right now, but suffice to say that I consider it a fitting end to Eponine's story.  It might seem odd on the surface, that Eponine would come to be present at Valjean's death.  I mean, they never actually met except for those few brief moments when she delivered the letter (and was disguised as a boy anyways).  But Eponine doesn't appear at the finale because she knew and loved Valjean.  Rather, Eponine comes with Fantine because they both represent self-sacrificial love.  Fantine gave her life for Cosette... and Eponine gave hers for Marius.

Take my hand and lead me to salvation.  Take my love, for love is everlasting.  And remember a truth that once was spoken... to love another person is to see the face of God.

So, you know what? If you love Eponine, then GREAT! Take a seat by me.  If you don't, well, you're entitled to your opinion.  I'm still going to defend Eponine... even if it's only on my own.

P.S. Oh, and please do yourself a favor and check out this video of "A Little Fall of Rain" in Madrid.  I can't embed it, but it's pure gorgeousness and anyone who considers herself an Eponine fan--as well as anyone who doesn't--needs to see it.

The Music of a People: The Songs of Les Miserables - Part Two

{In case you missed it, hop over here and read part one.}

Do You Hear the People Sing-

Do You Hear the People Sing? - Enjolras and company

Eeep! This song reminds us just how much we love Ramin Karimloo - er, we mean Enjolras. "Do You Hear the People Sing" could be called the theme of Les Miserables. In a way, it pretty much sums up the entire story. Enjolras and his friends sing it once, and then this fabulous song ends the entire concert, with the entire company belting out their hearts, inviting us to join their crusade.

The first time we hear this song, we fairly melt with awe. Enjolras sings with such passion and intensity as he speaks of freedom and unity. "Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!"

Yes.  We agree.

We simply cannot get over Ramin Karimloo from the 25th as Enjolras. He's everything we could have ever imagined Enjolras to be. His portrayal of Enjolras is so intense that we truly do want to join in his crusade, be strong, and stand with him.

In My Life-

We are seriously, seriously annoyed by Judy Kuhn’s performance (10^th) in this song.  Her voice is quite beautiful, but she shows little or no emotion as she sings her only sorta-solo, and we’re left with a feeling of disappointment.  (And is it just us, or do other people keep expecting her to burst into “Just Around the Riverbend” when she sings “So many things unclear… so many things unknown”?) Katie Hall (25^th), on the other hand, does an excellent job of making Cosette—dare we say it?—almost likable in this song. 

Unfortunately, Katie Hall’s performance is tainted somewhat by the appearance of Guess Who.  Nick Jonas’s voice is disgustingly weak in this song, but it’s his never-changing facial expression that really bugs us.  He’s supposed to be fantasizing about the girl he loves (and has loved for three entire hours) but instead he looks like someone punched him in the stomach.  And though Michael Ball does an excellent job, this song (and the one following) are two in which we heartily dislike Marius no matter who’s playing him.  Temporarily, that is.

In My Life - Cosette, Eponine and Marius.  Sob.

However, Samantha Barks saves the song with her incredible acting.  Lea Salonga’s voice is incomparable in 10^th, but Samantha Barks completely owns this song.  We’re left with huge lumps in our throats when she stares brokenly after Marius as he goes to join Cosette.  “In my life, there’s been no one like him anywhere, anywhere where he is.  If he asked… I’d be his.”

A Heart Full of Love-

A Heart Full of Love - Marius and Cosette (10th)

WehateMarius, wehateMarius, wehateMarius, wehateMarius...

Okay, okay, maybe not hate exactly, but it's hard not to when he's being such a shallow coxcomb at this part. "A Heart Full of Love" is actually a sweet song, but Marius and Cosette both are so enraptured with each other after just one incidental meeting that it's almost cheesy. But those kinds of thoughts immediately dissipate as soon as Eponine steps into the picture. Her hopelessness and despair instantly makes the song absolutely gorgeous, heartrending and tear-worthy. Marius and Cosette are proclaiming their undying love for each other with Eponine watching from the background. It's awful. And then in the 25th, Marius and Cosette kiss at the end. Right. In. Front. Of. Eponine. We truly most sincerely despise Marius at that point.

We really like both versions of this song. Of course, the 10th stars Michael Ball, and Michael Ball is Michael Ball, no matter what sort of lovestruck imbecile he's playing. Judy Kuhn as Cosette is pretty annoying, although she sure can sing. Lea Salonga as Eponine, well, there's no need to continue those ravings, right? From the 25th, we love Katie Hall's performance as Cosette. She almost makes Cosette likable (emphasis on almost). And Samantha Barks as Eponine just kills us. Her pained facial expressions are perfect; she almost looks like someone stabbed her in the gut, which is exactly what Marius is doing to her. Samantha nails the emotion. That's probably our only complaint with Lea Salonga in the 10th; she makes Eponine look pouty.

Then, of course, there's Sir Twerp-a-lot. We really should stop making fun of him, as it's evident the poor boy has no lungs and therefore it's not his fault. But c'mon. SERIOUSLY. This is how Michael Ball sings it: "A heaarrttt fullllll of lovvvvvveeee" in a swoon-worthy voice that makes us want to, well, swoon. Now Nick Jonas: "A heart. Full. Of love," with a look of utter agony on his face. No, people. Just no. Um, did he forget he's supposed to be in love?

A Heart Full of Love - Cosette, Marius and Eponine (25th)

Attack on the Rue Plumet-

Eponine finally gets her chance to shine—and we cheer our heads off! Samantha Barks does a great job in this exciting, intense scene, but more of the original song lyrics are included in Lea Salonga’s version (10^th).  Plus, Lea frankly screams better.  “I’m gonna scream, I’m gonna warn them here!”  We really have to hand it to Eponine.  Who knows what her slimebucket of a father might have done to her for daring to spoil his robbery attempt?  Yay Eponine!

Attack on the Rue Plumet - Eponine

Alun Armstrong also does a better job of this scene in 10^th than Matt Lucas does in 25^th.  While Matt Lucas comes across as gross and annoying, Alun Armstrong really seems quite menacing when he threatens Eponine.  “You heard, my girl! You’ll rue this night! I’ll make you scream—you’ll scream all right!”

Attack on the Rue Plumet - Marius

And yet again, we have to do a facepalm over Marius.  He comes bouncing out of the shadows to congratulate Eponine on saving the day once more, but before her delight can even register, he’s zoomed over to “dearest Cosette” and is completely ignoring poor Eponine once again. Grrrrr.

One Day More-

One Day More

*Petie and Amy put their faces in their hands and wail* URGH. This is such a tough choice. Both versions are just so doggone epic. "One Day More" is the finale to the first act of Les Miserables, and wow, what a finale it is! This song could very well be the best song from the whole concert. It's hopeful, emotional, heartbreaking, and triumphant.

The 25th

As hard as it is, we choose the 10th for the best performance of this song. The main reason? Michael Ball, peoples. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: you can hear him over every single other person in that entire ensemble. "I did not live until todayyyyyy!!!" Nick Jonas in the 25th just cannot compare. And we also find it hilarious that Valjean and Javert share a mic in the 10th. :)

But we can't forget two major things from the 25th version of "One Day More."
1) Ramin Karimloo is Enjolras. DUHHHHH.
2) Gavroche is up on Combeferre's shoulders! How cute is that?

*fangirly giggles* Have we mentioned how much we love Enjolras/Ramin?
There he is with his trusty rifle and of course the Red Vest of Power
and Awesomeness!

On My Own-


Okay, first of all let’s give a huge round of applause to Samantha Barks for doing such a lovely job with this song in 25^th.  *applause*

And now that that’s out of the way, we can begin to gush over Lea Salonga’s version in 10^th.  We are really big fans of Lea Salonga, a fact you may or may not have guessed already.  She has such a gorgeous voice and incredible stage presence (peoples, she IS Eponine) and all of her songs in Les Miz are pretty close to perfect.  But if she had never done “In My Life” or “Little Fall”, we would still be huge fans, because she absolutely owns “On My Own”.  (Hmm.  That definitely sounded redundant.)

Lea Salonga, on her own.  *spontaneous applause*

“In the rain, the pavement shines like silver.”  It’s Lea Salonga’s voice that shines like silver (if voices shine, that is—do they?).  The pathos she puts into, “I feel his arms around me,” the resigned anger in, “And I know it’s only in my mind!” and the heartbreak of, “…a world that’s full of happiness… that I have never knooooooown!” break us every single time.  “I love him, I love him, I love him—but only on my own.”

Javert's Arrival/Little People-

Javert's Arrival/Little People - Gavroche

This song just makes us grin. Javert is pretending to be a sympathizer for the revolutionaries, but who should come along and expose him for the police officer he truly is? Yep, smart little adorable Gavroche, in all his cocky-cute self. "It only goes to show what little people can do."

We love Robert Madge from the 25th. His expressions are so endearing, and he's so proud of himself. And at the end of the song, he gives this awww-worthy, cheeky smile. Bravo! We only wish 25th had included the full lyrics of "Little People" the way 10th did.  Sigh.

Night of Anguish/ Drink With Me-

“Marius.  Rest.”  Enjolras reaches out a hand to stop Marius as he turns blindly away after Eponine’s death.  He puts a hand on Marius’ shoulder, an awkward gesture from a young man unaccustomed to sentimentality, but a testimony to Enjolras’ concern for his friend.   (We prefer Ramin Karimloo overall, but Michael Maguire’s portrayal of this seemingly insignificant event is much more touching.)

Drink With Me - Grantaire and company

Grantaire steps forward to lead the Friends of the ABC in one final song together.  “Drink with me, to days gone by.  Can it be you fear to die? Will the world remember you when you fall? Can it be your death means nothing at all?” Hadley Fraser’s Grantaire in 25^th is so much more memorable (and pitiable—do please tell us we’re not the only ones who cry over him) than the whatshisname dude in 10^th, and the 25^th version of this hopelessly tragic song is by far our favorite.  If it weren’t for Nick Jonas’ squeaky, “Would you weep, Cosette, for me?” at the end, that is.  (It’s a good question, though…)

Bring Him Home -

Bring Him Home - Valjean

Ohhhhh, wow. Can we just fall over in ecstasy from the sheer gorgeousness of this song? Valjean is pouring his heart out to God, offering his life in exchange for that of Marius (the dirty, selfish little twerp) all because Marius and Cosette love each other. Valjean loves Cosette and hates to give her up, but because he loves her, he wants Marius to live. Wow. Jean Valjean is truly one of the most self-sacrificing human beings on the planet.

Alfie Boe does a beautimous job in the 25th, but somehow, we can never lose sight of the fact that he's performing. Now Colm Wilkinson from the 10th, on the other hand, seems to be living it. When we watch the 10th, we're seeing Jean Valjean himself up on that stage, singing his heart out in a prayer for a boy he has no obligation to love. So "Bring Him Home" belongs to Colm from the 10th.

Dog Eats Dog/The Sewers-

One word sums up our perception of Thenardier in this song: ewwwwwwww.  This guy is gross and despicable.  The end.

The Sewers - Valjean and Marius

Moving on to a slightly more pleasant topic than that of robbing dead bodies in the Paris sewers (gag), we definitely prefer this song as it appears in the 25^th. Alfie Boe actually has Nick Jonas slung across his shoulders (see, he DOES have the advantage of being little enough to be lugged around the stage) whereas Colm Wilkinson in 10^th just stood there and Michael Ball was nowhere in sight.  Plus, the 10^th version spends far too much time zooming in on the orchestra as they play the hauntingly sad reprise of “Bring Him Home.”  It’s lovely music… but we want to see Jean Valjean, not the bassoonist! (However, we do get cold chills up and down our spines when Colm Wilkinson sings, “Look down, Javert, he’s standing in his grave! GIVE WAY!”)

Javert's Suicide -

Javert's Suicide

Well, the title explains it all. We love how this song is like a Javert-version of Valjean's "What Have I Done." This is where Javert decides he can no longer wrestle with his utter confusion, and he can't understand Valjean's actions. He realizes he has been totally mistaken, and he is ashamed that he cannot bring himself to convict Valjean, after all these years of hunting him. "There is no way to go onnnnnnnnn!" So, you guessed it, he kills himself.

*Petie and Amy collapse into hiccuping sobs* We need more tissues. Pronto.

This song is so difficult to choose a favorite. Philip Quast puts more emotion into it, we think, and he is definitely the better singer. BUT Norm Lewis tears up, and that's a HUGE plus for us. But if you demanded we choose and threatened to come after us with Enjolras' rifle, we'll have to say Philip Quast. But it's a painfully close call.

We've been raving so much about Philip Quast, how about we give some applause to Mr. Norm Lewis? *cascading round of applause*

Every Day-

Cosette finally gets her teeny-weeny moment to shine when she comes to comfort Marius after his pathetic solo (and we mean pathetic in the best possible way). Jean Valjean is close on her heels, come to make his ultimate sacrifice and give away his little girl.

Every Day - Cosette and Marius

The harmony on his song is just gorgeous, and Judy Kuhn actually does a lovely job with Cosette’s part in 10th. “Don’t think about it, Marius, with all the years ahead of us…” The real credit for making this song amazing, however, has to go to Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball (cough, cough). Believe us, nobody can beat the way they sing, “She was never mine to keep”… “Cosette, Cosette!”

Though Alfie Boe sings beautifully in the 25th version, we’re for 10th all the way—Marius and Cosette’s kiss in 25th was anticlimactic, and did we mention that Colm and Michael are the best of the best?

Valjean's Confession (25th only) -

Valjean's Confession - Valjean

Ooohhh... we are having to hold each other back from leaping through the screen and strangling Marius within an inch of his life. Valjean is telling Marius everything (hence the "confession" part of the title) about his past, about Cosette, and about his true identity, once again being willing to separate himself from his precious Cosette in order to spare her from shame. And Marius, not wanting to spoil his own reputation, allows Jean Valjean to walk away from his life forever. Marius, this is the part where we glare at you and dislike you temporarily. BEWARE OUR ANGRY EYES.

Of course, we like the 25th version of this song because, well, it's only in the 25th version. :) Funny how that works... Alfie Boe does a beautiful job, and Nick Jonas is, well, Nick Jonas, standing there in all his five-foot-tall glory with his ever-present pout. (Okay, so maybe he's not that short, but sometimes he sure looks like it.)

Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast-

Ring out the bells upon this day of days! No matter what our feelings for Marius and Cosette as a couple may be, nobody can keep from wanting to scream and shout and jump up and down when they finally wed. Sadly, the 10th concert doesn’t include the wedding (except for the chorale at the beginning) and leaves out the Thenardiers’ party-crashing, which is a real shame because that’s an important element of the story. Plus, we would have paid good money to see Michael Ball punch out Alun Armstrong. (Disclaimer: we have nothing personal against Alun Armstrong.)

Wedding Dance - Marius and Cosette (apologies for the poor quality!
They were moving so fast it was hard to get a good screencap)

The 25th version of this song really wins by default—Cosette’s wedding dress is breathtaking and the chorus’ jubilant song sweepingly beautiful, but Marius and Cosette’s so-called wedding waltz rather resembles two little kids playing see-who-can-get-the-dizziest.

Beggars at the Feast - Mme. and M. Thenardier

As for Beggars at the Feast, the sleazy Thenardiers’ last appearance, the applause goes unquestionably to the 10th version. Alun Armstrong beats Matt Lucas any day.

Is Les Miz week almost done already? How tragic…
We’ll see you tomorrow!
~ Petie and Amy

The Music of a People: The Songs of Les Miserables - Part One

Do you hear the people sing?

 It’s been said that Les Miserables should be called an operetta, because unlike most musicals it is sung-through.  Yep, with the exception of Enjolras’ two or three spoken lines at the barricades, the entire musical consists of singing.  It’s phenomenal really, when you think about it.  To take Victor Hugo’s massive, prose-loaded Victorian (heh, heh, pun not intended) novel and turn it into music is a vast undertaking.  But with geniuses like Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg writing the songs, nothing seems more natural than for Les Miserables to be sung in its entirety. 

Both concert versions contain amazing renditions of these beautiful songs.  It’s hard to pick favorites, but we are girls who do hard things, so without further ado we beg to put before you our comparisons…

…the songs of Les Miserables.

Prologue/On Parole –

Prologue/On Parole - Valjean and Javert

The Prologue, while it is a mind-blowing beginning to the concert, is a tough song to hear. The prisoners of Toulon are in despair at their situation ("The sun is strong, it's hot as hell below!"), wishing for their deaths ("How long, oh Lord, before you let me die?"), and giving up all hope ("I've done no wrong, sweet Jesus, hear my prayer."). Then Javert comes on the scene, in all his intimidating glory. "Now bring me Prisoner 24601! Your time is up and your parole's begun!" We get our first peek at Jean Valjean, a hardened criminal who's appalled at his unjust treatment. He's released on parole and harshly judged wherever he goes. But then he meets the Bishop, who is the first to show him any kindness.

Both concerts execute this song very well. Of course, we are biased to the 10th, considering it stars Colm Wilkinson and Philip Quast as Valjean and Javert. The passion and conviction in Colm's voice as he declares "My name is Jean Valjean!" gives us shivers. Likewise, Philip totally nails the line, "And I'm Javert! Do not forget my name. Do not forget me, 24601." You can tell Javert is completely rubbing in the fact that he still considers Valjean a criminal with a number. And the way Valjean (er, we mean Colm) sings, "Took. My. Fliiiiiiiiiiiight!!" makes us realize we have taken a trip to Epic City.

Valjean’s Soliloquy/What Have I Done?-

What Have I Done? - Valjean

This song is where we really begin to feel empathy for Jean Valjean.  Forgiveness--the most radical and unexpected thing he’s ever encountered--has just been bestowed on him, and he doesn’t know what to do.  “How could I allow that man to touch my soul and teach me love? … He told me that I have a soul--can such things be? I had resolved to hate the world... the world that always hated me.”  Thus far, Valjean has known nothing but cruelty and pain.  “Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone! This is all I have lived for, this is all I have known!” But he resolves to give his life over to God, to change his ways and become a better man. He tears up his parole ticket and starts on a new journey.  “Jean Valjean is nothing now--another story must begin!”

Undoubtedly, it is Colm Wilkinson in the 10th who completely owns this song.  Alfie Boe’s rendition is stirring, but Colm’s sends major goosebumps up and down our arms.  We can feel every bit of Valjean’s inner turmoil and anger, and when he sings the last line, we’re in tears often as not.  (Heehee.  We’re in tears often as not throughout the entire musical... but that’s not the point.)

At the End of the Day-

At the End of the Day - Fantine

France was a hard place to live during the time of Les Miserables. "At the End of the Day" explores the harsh reality of the people and their desperate lives. "At the end of the day you're another day older. And that's all you can say for the life of the poor. It's a struggle, it's a war, and there's nothing that anyone's giving. One more day standing about, what is it for?" This song also introduces us to Fantine, a struggling single mother who is mistreated and fired from her workplace because of her out-of-wedlock child. We prefer the 25th version, because Lea Salonga is the one playing Fantine (no prejudice there).


I Dreamed a Dream-

I Dreamed a Dream - Fantine

Lea Salonga.  The End.

All right, all right, we’ll elaborate a little more...
Fantine’s main song is so achingly beautiful, we can’t help loving it no matter who sings it.  But as we said in the characters post, it’s Lea Salonga in 25th who best conveys Fantine’s pain and despair with her gorgeous voice.  “But there are dreams that cannot beeeeeee...” Ruthie Henshall’s version is kind of mediocre, and her facial expressions can’t begin to compare with the emotion on Lea Salonga’s face.  And the emotion in Lea’s voice? Forget it.  This is no contest at all.  Do you peoples have any idea how hard it is to cry and sing clearly at the same time?  It’s incredibly difficult, believe us.  But Lea Salonga sings and sobs at the same exact time, and we firmly believe that the entire audience (whether they be at the actual concert or watching the DVD at home) are doing the latter with her.  “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed…”

The Runaway Cart-

The Runaway Cart - Javert

Hoo boy, it's on now. Javert is starting to have suspicions about Valjean's true identity. You can see the skepticism in the his eyes, and the fear and hint of shame in Valjean's. Javert doesn't quite accuse Valjean yet (after all, Valjean is an esteemed mayor!) because he's under the impression that the true Jean Valjean has been captured. But Javert's not convinced. Finally, he leaves Valjean to privately ponder his dilemma.

The best performance of this song goes to the 10th. We love how it shows clips from the stage production, portraying the actual wreck of the cart. Oh, and the look on Philip Quast's face as he sings... *spine tingles* In contrast, Alfie Boe and Norm Lewis just stand there in the 25th. Sigh. It could have been so amazing, but they didn't do much with it.

Who Am I-

Who Am I? - Valjean

One of the most beautiful songs in the entire musical... how can we even begin to rave and gush about how much we love it?  We can’t, so you’ll just have to take our word for the fact that it’s heart-rending--and uplifting. “My soul belongs to God, I know.  I made that bargain long ago.  He gave me hope when hope was gone; He gave me strength to journey on!” Jean Valjean is faced with a terrible choice.  Forget the rock and the hard place idiom—Valjean is trapped between an avalanche and a raging forest fire.  

We’re beginning to sound like broken records here, but it is so, so hard to pick a favorite version of this song.  Colm is our favorite Valjean, as we’ve said, and he sings this with so much emotion and angst-- but Alfie’s voice is utterly beautiful and he doesn’t squeak at the end. :D (Amy thinks the squeak is a vital part of the song.  Petie thinks it kills the effect.  We’ve agreed to disagree.)  So as far as this song goes, we choose Alfie Boe from 25th.

Fantine's Death/Come to Me-

Fantine's Death/ Come to Me - Valjean and Fantine *sob*

OH, OUR SOULS. Lea Salonga from the 25th. Forever and ever, amen.
'Nuff said.

Oh, fine. We'll be more specific. But really, we like the 25th version of this song better for the same reasons we love the 25th version of "I Dreamed a Dream."  Lea has so much raw emotion in her face and voice as she sings of her precious child. We must also commend Alfie Boe. He plays opposite her so heartbreakingly well.

Confrontation-

Confrontation - Valjean

“Valjean, at last... we see each other plain.  Monsieur le Mayor, you’ll wear a different chaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiin.”  The Confrontation might not be one of the most popular songs in the musical, but it’s completely mind-blowing and we usually have to pick our jaws up from the floor when it ends.  Philip Quast’s menacing tones in the first line are shiver-inducing, but we also have to give a shout-out to Norm Lewis for the way he sang that low note.  Wow.  (For just two seconds, it makes us wish we could sing bass-baritone.)

We like both versions, but 10th definitely gives us more goosebumps.  Philip Quast’s performance is just spine-tingling.  The power in Colm’s voice makes Valjean’s dangerous side come back into play, and it’s almost scary! “I am the stronger man BY FAR! There is power in me yet... my race is not yet run!” Alfie’s rendition of that line is bit weak, spoiling the effect, so ultimately we prefer 10th.  (And did we mention Philip Quast’s Javert yet?  What, we did?  Well, it bears repeating.)

Pardon us while we gulp down sobs at the very end.  Valjean could have just knocked out Javert and gone racing out into the night, but instead he chose to tell Fantine one more time that he would protect her little girl.  Yes, yes, Fantine was dead already… hush.  It’s the principle of the thing.  And the way they both sang the exact same line with very different intent at the end?  “I swear to you… I will be there.” CHILLS.

Castle on a Cloud-

Castle on a Cloud - Little Cosette

Ah, here is where we meet Little Cosette, whom we've already stated is played to perfection by the 25th's Mia Jenkins. She lives in such a horrid place, but that doesn't stop her from dreaming: dreaming of her mother, dreaming of a better life, dreaming of love. We always tear up at the beginning when Fantine pauses on her way offstage and looks at Cosette. *melting*

"Castle on a Cloud" is such a hopeful song. We love how it's just so simple and sweet, just like Little Cosette. And then that slimy Mrs. Thenardier has to barge in and ruin it. Speaking of which...


Thenardier Waltz of Treachery-

“Don’t come any closer!” Petie and Amy shriek at the Thenardiers.  “We don’t want to get any slime on our clothes.”  Monsieur and Madame Thenardier (hereafter abbreviated as M. and Mme. T. because we are lazy typists) are suddenly faced with the prospect of giving up their little slave—er, adopted daughter.  The idea is not a happy one, but eventually the T.’s manage to get over their grief and bereavement enough to let Valjean take away their useful—um, beloved little girl.  And of course the fifteen hundred francs he gives them don’t exactly hurt.

We’re being sarcastic here, in case you didn’t notice. 

Waltz of Treachery - Little Cosette and Valjean

 Alun Armstrong does an excellent job in the 10^th version (and of course Jenny Galloway is great in both) but really we have to go with Matt Lucas’s hilarity in the 25^th. 

“Let’s not haggle for darling Colette—”

“COSETTE.”

“Cosette…”

Honestly, the two Valjeans do an equally good job in this song.  Colm Wilkinson nails the sarcasm (see, Valjean DOES have a sense of humor) with his, “Your feelings do you credit, sir…” but Alfie Boe’s protectiveness of Little Cosette (carrying her offstage! Everybody say “awwww!”) is just adorable.  Nope, we can’t decide.


Look Down- 

Look Down - Bahahahaha! It looks like they just
had an argument.  "Fine!" "FINE!"

The 25th owns this song. All the way. Robert Madge as Gavroche is perfection. He's confident and cocky, and we love how he describes his life on the streets: "'How do you do, my name's Gavroche! These are my people, here's my patch. Not much to look at, nothing posh, nothing that you'd call up to scratch. This is my school, my high society..." The other element that determines the 25th's ownership of "Look Down" is Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras. He's just so passionately charismatic; he blows us away. And we could listen to his voice all day long...

One of our favorite parts of this song is Eponine's entrance, which is only shown in the 25th. This is where we first see her, and the way she saunters onstage, confident and tough, while Gavroche narrates, is so thrilling.
Actually, if it wasn't for Sir Twerp-a-lot (read: Nick Jonas as Marius), the 25th would've nailed this song to a T. (But Twerp's presence does serve a purpose; he serves to remind us why we love Michael Ball so much.)

Robbery/Javert’s Intervention-

Sadly enough, this song only appears on the 25^th.  We would have paid good money to see the drama unfold on 10^th, but it was not to be.  Sigh.   In this song we get our first glimpse of Elderly Cosette (as opposed to Young Cosette, you know)—and so does Marius.  This song gives us another moment of comic relief (and believe us, with a tragedy like Les Miz we need all the comic relief we can get), because Marius and Cosette’s first meeting is nothing short of hilarious.  “I did not see you there, forgive me.”  *Amy and Petie sarcastically swoon from the pure romance of the moment*  Really, this is far, far better than anything Jane Austen could ever have come up with.  Of course.

Unfortunately, the 25^th still cuts some of this song, leaving out Eponine and Marius’ first dialogue together (“Don’t judge a girl on how she looks.  I know a lot of things, I do!”) and failing to verbally establish the fact that Eponine is in love with Marius (“Little he knows… little he sees.”).  However, with Samantha Barks’ emotive face, the dialogue isn’t necessary.  We KNOW she loves Marius… and we’re heartbroken for her. 

Stars-

Stars - Javert

Norm Lewis, you know we love you, but... this song completely and utterly belongs to Philip Quast from the 10th. If you think we've been gushing over Philip Quast already, you ain't seen nothing yet.

This, this is what determines our fanship of Javert. Yes, yes, we know this song is all about Javert's relentless pursuit of Valjean, and how he will never rest until Valjean is behind bars. But Javert is such a determined man, and there's no doubt he believes in justice! But what really crushes our hearts is how he believes God expects him to deliver full and complete justice in order to gain his entrance into eternity. Poor, confused, misled man. We can't help but love him.

And we will forever love Philip Quast. We shall always be two of his biggest fans. And we shall never turn to another Javert.

This we swear by... the STAAARRRRRRS!!

Red and Black-

HOORAY FOR ENJOLRAS!

(Excuse us, but that had to be said first of all.)

This song is when it really starts getting good.  (Not that it wasn’t before.)  Our apologies to any and all Michael Maguire fans, but we absolutely, without a doubt, favor the 25^th version over the tenth.  Why?  Two words, peeps: Ramin Karimloo.

Red and Black - Enjolras FOREVER!

He completely owns this song, putting so much passion, fire and charisma into it that we’re ready to shoulder rifles and join him at the barricades.  And we do—in our minds, anyway.  “Red, a world about to dawn! Black, the night that ends at last!” The only complaint we have about the 25^th’s version of Red and Black is the presence of Nick Jonas, a.k.a. Sir Twerp-a-lot.  His rendition of Marius’ lovestruck lines (“I feel my soul on fire…”) cannot possibly be called pretty, pretty angel music.  Instead, he sounds strained and ridiculous.  Michael Ball does a fantabulous job in 10^th, however, and if only he and Ramin Karimloo could have been paired for this song… *Petie and Amy sadly shake their heads over what might have been*

Michael Maguire’s rapid blinking during some of the most inspiring lines in 10^th kind of ruins the intensity of the moment, but we have to admit he has an amazing voice.  And of course we can’t forget to squeal a little over Gavroche’s second appearance in both versions—“Listen! Listen to ME! LISTEN, EVERYBODY!” Adam Searles (10^th) does a better job of hamming up his Big Moment of Important Announcement (“General Lamarque… IS DEAD!”) but Robert Madge is our favorite Gavroche overall, so we’re pleased with his version as well. 

Really, the only thing that we wish could have been different in 25^th (other than the banishment of Nick Jonas) is the absence of Enjolras’ Red Vest of Power and Awesomeness.  But never fear, it will appear in the second act… so stay tuned.

*To Be Continued*

~Amy and Petie

I did not live until today.

Just a wee bit of melodrama there.

I really HAVE lived before today, but I just like using Les Miz lyrics for my titles. :P

Anyways, this video will blow your socks off. It's Michael Ball as Jean Valjean, ladies, in the Royal Variety Performance for the Queen in... 2007, I believe. And it's amazing. The only drawback? The fact that MB isn't playing both Valjean AND Marius. Sigh. One cannot have everything, you know.

(Also--first blonde Eponine I've ever seen, which threw me for a loop at first, but she's actually pretty good.  Not a Lea Salonga, of course, but quite nice.)

Look out tomorrow for the beginning of the Songs Comparisons. It's what we've all been waiting for... one day more!

Like You've Never Heard Us Ooh and Ahh: Why Michael Ball Is Epic and Nick Jonas Is Not

{Dearest Lovely Readers, we are warning you in advance.  Prepare for some extreme fangirling.}

In our characters post, we skipped over a major character simply because we wanted to dedicate an entire post to him...

Marius Pontmercy.

We adore Marius and we abhor Marius. We pity Marius and we loathe Marius. We're fond of Marius and we despise the mention of his name.... just in case you haven’t guessed, we have a love-hate relationship with this guy. He falls in love with Cosette after bumping into her on the street for approximately two seconds, he’s a die-hard revolutionary who fights for freedom, he’s oblivious to the fact that a starving, desperate girl is in love with him, he risks everything for those he loves, he considers his reputation more important than loving and forgiving his father-in-law, he holds Eponine as she dies, he falls at Valjean’s feet begging for forgiveness…

Yeah, sometimes we hate Marius. But he always redeems himself, and by the end, we love him again. The character of Marius is a big role to fill. He must be likable, hateable, pleasant, impassioned, pitiable, good-looking and be able to sing exceedingly well. And of course, we have staunch opinions on how this character should be portrayed.  Unfortunately, this character has not always been portrayed in, shall we say, the best way possible.

Cameron Mackintosh (the producer of Les Miz, btw), for reasons best known to himself, cast 17-year-old pop singer Nick Jonas for the role of Marius in the 25th anniversary concert. We were horrified disgusted reduced to puddles of helpless laughter not happy about this.

We don’t have anything personally against Nick Jonas. We haven’t really heard any of his pop music so we can’t objectively form an opinion about his musical abilities.  In all honesty, his voice isn’t that bad.  It's fairly decent, actually. (Shh, don't tell anyone we said that.)   We gag whenever he opens his mouth, but that’s because we’re immature.  But Nick Jonas is a bit young to be playing Marius (he's supposed to be 23), and while he never technically missed a note, his voice just isn't strong enough for the part.  Compared to the rest of the company, his voice is downright weak.  Sometimes we even feel the need to sit back and ponder if the boy can actually hold a note for longer than two seconds: “A heart. Full. Of Love.” No, peoples.  Just no. Nick Jonas does not need a heart full of love; he needs some lungs full of air. And especially when he’s paired with the stellar Samantha Barks... well, that’s when it really becomes cringe-worthy. But we'll get to that later.

See what we mean?

The biggest problem that we have with Nick Jonas is his acting. Oh, our stars and stockings… the boy looks he is suffering from indigestion the whole. entire. time. We’re not kidding; he never changes his facial expression for the duration of the show.  And people, you’re not supposed to giggle through Marius and Eponine’s song “A Little Fall of Rain” (much more on that in a moment), but we can’t help it when Nick Jonas sings it. Now, Samantha Barks as Eponine is stunningly brilliant, but Marius is supposed to sing with misery and pathos and sheer pain in his voice… instead Nick Jonas sounds like he’s pouting because he got grounded.

"I.  Need.  Tums.  Now."

So if Nick Jonas didn’t get the part right (and isn't THAT the understatement of the year...)

The Official Nick Jonas Pout

...then who did?

Well… well, well, well. *Petie and Amy exchange mischievous glances and rub their hands together in glee*

Ladies and gentlemen, we will now introduce you to the sterling individual who completely and utterly OWNS the role of Marius. He speaks Marius, breathes Marius, moves Marius, IS Marius. Not only that, but he has the voice of an angel, blow-your-socks-off amazing stage presence, phenomenal acting, and killer dimples to boot.

Yep, it’s MICHAEL BALL. Ze one, ze only Marius Pontmercy. Applause, please. *Amy and Petie clap their hands over their ears to preserve their poor eardrums from the deafening cacophony of sound.*

We may very well be the biggest Michael Ball fans in the whole entire world. EVAH.   In fact, we most firmly maintain that...

And now you all know what we were driving at with all those hints about puppies.  This has become one of our biggest inside jokes of all time--namely, that whenever Michael Ball smiles, a puppy is born.  (And all the Michael Ball fans said, “AMEN!”)

See? A puppy!

Okay, so maybe by the time the 10th rolled around, he was a bit too old to play Marius, but we honestly couldn't care less. Have you heard this guy sing? If you haven’t, remedy this situation immediately, you poor dear! (And all the Michael Ball fans said, “AMEN!”)

Oh, and according to Petie, every time he cries a puppy dies.  It's like the whole fairy thing in Peter Pan. 

Michael Ball's voice, peoples, heads the list of “Top 100 Reasons Why Michael Ball Is Better Than Nick Jonas.” When you hold his incredible, powerful, emotion-packed voice up against Nick Jonas’ whiny, strained, hyperventilating tones... is there really any question about it?

There isn't, but just in case you did have a question, watch this:

(You are permitted to squeal over "my world if she's not the-heh-heeeeere...")

The finale to the first act of Les Miserables is a smashing, all-cast song titled "One Day More." And you can literally hear Michael Ball's voice over everyone else's in the entire cast, ringing out loud and true. He's got some amazing lung-power that makes Nick Jonas' voice sound like a half-hearted, withered whisper. (And all the Michael Ball fans said, “AMEN!” ... Hmm.  You're probably getting tired of hearing that.  Should we stop?  Okay, we'll stop.)

And another puppy...

But even though he's capable of belting out the notes so strongly that we suspect a microphone isn't necessary, he's pretty great at doing soft songs too.  Take what is probably our favorite Les Miz song ever, for instance.  "A Little Fall of Rain."  *Amy and Petie hand each other Kleenex as a preventative measure*

In this song, according to the subtitle explanation thingies on the 10th DVD, "Eponine arrives at the barricades and is fatally wounded."  Brief, succinct, and to the point... but allow us to elaborate.  In this song, Eponine returns to the barricades after delivering a letter from Marius to Cosette, but in the process, she gets hit by a stray bullet.  "I took the letter like you said, I met her father at the door.  He said he would give it-- I don't think I can stand any more..."  She collapses and Marius holds her as she slips away, comforting her and promising to stay close by.  She tells him she loves him... and then she dies.  *Petie and Amy tell each other that they are going to be big girls and get through this--YES, THEY ARE.*

Another puppy!  Okay, okay, you get the idea.

Frankly, the 25th “Little Fall of Rain” can’t hold a candle to the 10th. And what’s more, Nick Jonas can’t even hold a lighter to Michael Ball.  You need proof?  We'll give you proof.

10th's "Little Fall" is nothing short of gut-wrenching.  Lea Salonga's voice is beyond gorgeous, of course, but it's Michael Ball's performance that we're here to rave about, and rave about it we will.  We're also here to bash Nick Jonas's performance, and bash it we will.  While Michael Ball is holding Lea Salonga close during the entire song (and that's when we totally lose it), comforting her as best he can, Nick Jonas just stands there, awkwardly making an occasional swipe at Samantha Barks' hair.  Ooh-OOOH-ooh. How sweet.

You can hear the sadness and hopeless hopefuleness (yes, we made up that phrase) in Michael Ball's voice; Nick Jonas sounds like he's in dire need of some Tylenol.  Michael Ball sheds actual tears at the end and Nick Jonas merely screws his face into a grimace not unlike that of a toddler preparing to throw a tantrum.  Our verdict? Michael Ball wins.  (Well, duh.)

Probably one of the most tragic parts of the 10th's "Little Fall" comes after the song, when Enjolras comes over to put his hand on Marius' shoulder.  Though he hadn't seemed like much of a sentimental chap before, at this point Enjolras is truly sorry for his friend and is attempting to comfort him.

*sigh* If only Enjolras would hop through the screen and comfort us
as we sit here blubbering like two baby sea monkeys...

Really, the only advantage that 25th "Little Fall" has over 10th (and we can't believe we're actually saying those words) is that more of the lyrics are included--the song begins with Joly shouting, "There's a boy climbing the barricade!" In 10th, the song doesn't begin until Eponine's first line, "Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius..."

Nick Jonas’ portrayal of Marius is so blah that we can’t even really understand why Eponine (or Cosette for that matter) is supposed to be drawn to him in the first place. Now in the 10th, it’s obvious why Eponine falls for Marius (and we two starry-eyed Michael Ball fans go, “DUHHHH”) but in the 25th, why? Why would a girl as strong and resourceful and, yes, needy as Eponine fall for Sir Twerp-a-lot? She must have seriously been desperate.

Near the end of the second act, Marius finally gets his solo, a tearjerking ballad entitled "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables."  And again, Michael Ball completely owns the song.  From the first notes of "There's a grief that can't be spoken, there's a pain goes on and on," to the final strains of "where my friends will sing... no more..." he manages to keep us in perpetual tears.   (It's not really a difficult task, because we're both uber-emotional when it comes to Les Miz, but that's beside the point.)

"Empty Chairs" has become one of Michael Ball's trademark songs, and rightly so.  Nobody, but nobody else can sing, "Oh my friends, my frieeeeeeeeeends!" the way he can.  It's that tremendously strong voice again, folks.

The 25th's version of "Empty Chairs" isn't completely ruined, however.  Nick Jonas did his best to make it awful, but he couldn't succeed entirely because when Ramin Karimloo made an appearance (what more needs to be said?), the song became Awesome with a capital A.  The ghosts of Marius's dead friends appear behind him as he sings in 10th as well, but the effect is not nearly as... effective... because Ramin Karimloo wasn't there.

Truth be told, Michael Ball is the whole reason we even like Marius.  The Marius of the musical, that is.  (We strongly encourage you all to read the book--you'll discover so much more depth in Marius!)  Poor musical-Marius just doesn't get enough stage time to really develop his character, but Michael Ball manages to convey everything that matters about Marius in the limited amount of time he was given.

We've been rather mean to poor little Nick Jonas in this post, however, and we do feel a bit remorseful.  So let's say something nice about him for a change, to wrap up this post.  *Amy and Petie put on their Deep Thinking Caps and use them for a good forty minutes*  Ooh! We've thought of something! Nick Jonas  played dead exceedingly well. In fact, we greatly enjoy the scene where he’s being carried through the sewers, because he has no lines whatsoever and our ears get a bit of a rest.  (Oh, and although Amy doesn't quite agree, Petie wants to point out that Nick Jonas has fabulous hair.)

Ahem.

Michael Ball, if you ever read this, then first of all please leave a comment because you'd make our century.  Secondly, we just want you to know that we love you forever and like you for always and as long as we're living, our Marius you'll be.

So, in conclusion, peoples, Michael Ball is Marius Pontmercy. And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

~ Petie and Amy

P.S.  Anyone interested in purchasing an adorable puppy or two?  We seem to have an abundant supply on hand.