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.

Bravo, little Gavroche. You're the top of the class!

"This child was pale, thin, dressed in rags, with tow trousers in the month of February, and was singing with all his might." 

~Les Miserables, volume 3: "Marius," book 8: "The Noxious Poor", chapter 22: "The Little Boy Who Cried In Part Second." 

(Ha.  The citation was longer than the quote itself. Therefore, that was the last of my citations.  You know the quotes all come from the book, right? If you really want to know where a certain quote comes from, contact me and I'll look it up for you.)

Such is our introduction to Gavroche Thenardier, the ragged little gamin who stole my heart from his first appearance on the pages of Les Miserables.  Until that moment, I'd been feeling a bit depressed with my reading of the massive book.  Jean Valjean's death-defying escapes were over for the present (indeed, Valjean hadn't appeared much for some time), Fantine (a character I'd liked) was dead, and the book was mainly dealing with a lovestruck law student who was mooning around watching chickens on a manure heap and dreaming about some girl he'd seen in the park.  Thus far, I hadn't found a truly likable character of whom I could sit up and take notice, someone who would make me smile when he/she appeared and feel annoyed when the narrative droned on without him/her.  

And then in bounced Gavroche.  And I sat up and took notice.

For the next couple of books, I followed Gavroche's story with intense interest, with bated breath at times because after all, I didn't know how the story was going to end.  And then I came to this line.  "Courfeyrac suddenly perceived somebody at the foot of the barricade, outside in the street, under the balls."  That was when I sat bolt upright, clutching the book closer and closer to my face, willing Gavroche to be okay as he skipped about in the street dodging the grapeshot.  And then, well... *sob*  Control yourself, Amy, it's JUST A STORY.

Moving on.  Gavroche was, hands-down, my favorite character in my first reading of the novel (and I might add that I read a slightly truncated version of the Charles E. Wilbour translation, which left out the blah-de-blah-ing about the Battle of Waterloo and the Paris sewers) and is still one of my favorite characters in the story.  He's probably the most quotable person in the whole novel, and I'm going to stop rambling now and just let you see for yourself.  All quotes are by Gavroche (obviously) and come either from the musical or the book, and I've indicated which below.  {I've also occasionally added my own comments in brackets like this.}

*

The child knocked against [and old crone] as he passed, then drew back, exclaiming, "Why! I took that for an enormous, enormous dog!" He pronounced the word enormous the second time with a pompous and sneering voice which capitals would express very well: an enormous, ENORMOUS dog!

~book

A girl, seeing them all three marching in a row, Gavroche at the head, broke into a loud laugh.  This laugh was lacking in respect for the group.  "Good day, Mamselle Omnibus," said Gavroche to her. {It was here that I really began to appreciate Gavroche's humor-- a thing sadly lacking in the latter half of Les Miz!}

~book

... he splashed the boots of a passer with mud.

"Whelp!" cried the man, furious.

Gavroche lifted his nose above his shawl.  "Monsieur complains?"

"Of you!" said the passer.

"The bureau is closed," said Gavroche.  "I receive no more complaints."

~book

"That inspector thinks he's something, but it's me who runs this town.  And my theater never closes and the curtain's never down.  Trust Gavroche.  Have no fear.  You can always find me here."

~musical

Meanwhile Montparnasse had become thoughtful.  "You recognized me very easily," he murmured.  He took from his pocket two little objects which were nothing but two quills wrapped in cotton and introduced one into each nostril.  This gave him a new nose.

"That changes you," said Gavroche, "you are not so ugly; you ought to keep so all the time."

Montparnasse was a handsome fellow, but Gavroche was a scoffer. {Do tell!}

~book

"We get over the walls and we make fun of the government.  That's all."

~book

"Listen! Listen to me! LISTEN, EVERYBODY! ... General Lamarque is dead."
~musical

"Little folks are good for something then! that is very lucky! I will go!  Meantime, trust the little folks, distrust the big-- you see that big fellow there?  He is a spy."

~book

"Good evenin', dear Inspector, lovely evening my dear. I know this man, my friends, his name's Inspector Javert! So don't believe a word he says, 'cause none of it's true.  This only goes to show what little people can do."

~musical

"I want the big musket," answered Gavroche.

And he took Javert's musket.

~book

Gavroche had an idea which decided him, but which he did not tell, for fear Marius would make some objection to it.  The idea was this: "It is hardly midnight, the Rue de l'Homme Arne is not far, I will carry the letter right away and I shall get back in time."  {The enormity of this will not be clear unless you realize that Marius sent Gavroche out of the barricade with a letter for Cosette telling him not to return until after it's all over.}

~book

"Small boy," said [Valjean], "what is the matter with you?"

"The matter is that I am hungry," said Gavroche tartly.  Then he added, "Small boy yourself!"

~book

"You talk genteelly.  Really, nobody would guess your age.  You ought to sell all your hairs at a hundred francs apiece.  That would make you five hundred francs." {this is probably my favorite Gavroche quote ever}

~book

The sergeant crossed his bayonet.  "Will you tell me where you are going, at last, wretch?" 

"My general," said Gavroche, "I am going after the doctor for my wife, who is put to bed."

~book

The gun went off; the detonation burst upon them.  "Present!" cried a cheerful voice. And at the same time with the ball, Gavroche tumbled into the barricade.

~book

{Gavroche gives a long and detailed report on the strength of the foe.}  This information given, Gavroche added, "I authorise you to give them a dose of pills."

~book

"You need somebody quicker and I volunteer!"

"No, no, Gavroche, don't you dare! Someone pull him down at once!"

"Look at me! I'm almost there!"

~musical

"And little people know, when little people fight--we may look easy pickings, but we've got some fight. So never kick a dog because he's just a pup.  We'll fight like twenty armies and we won't give up! So you better run for cover when the pup grows up!"

~musical

My Name Is Jean Valjean: The Les Miserables Ensemble

We all know strong characters are what really make a story. And boy, oh boy, Les Miserables has a horde of amazing characters. So as you can imagine, the actors in the concerts have a lot to live up to! It's crucial that each and every role is absolutely nailed. So which concert got it the best? The 10th Anniversary or the 25th Anniversary?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we present... the characters of Les Miserables?
*Note: For brevity, henceforth we shall be referring to the concerts as "the 10th" and "the 25th."

First of all, Jean Valjean is probably the greatest hero ever to grace the musical theater stage.  Do not debate us on this point, or we shall be forced to do… um… something.  (Actually, if you really want to debate, hop over to the comment box and we’ll have fun refuting everything you say.  Nicely, of course.)  We won’t waste space here recounting all of Valjean’s good points (they are manifold) so if you wish to read more about him, you can check out Amy’s guest post at her sister’s blog. 

Colm Wilkinson, 10th

Alfie Boe, 25th

Now, about the different portrayals of this character… we feel that Colm Wilkinson from the 10^th Anniversary Concert absolutely and utterly OWNS the role.  He’s the one and only Jean Valjean.   Alfie Boe of the 25^th possesses a beautiful voice and great stage presence, but his performance lacks Colm’s raw power.  Valjean is supposed to be a hardened criminal, a man who has been embittered by years of turmoil and pain.  He changes drastically, of course, and becomes a man who understands the true meaning of forgiveness, but he’s still a tough guy.  Alfie Boe seems too squeaky-clean—there’s never a single smudge of dirt on his face.  His voice is beautiful, but we definitely prefer Colm.  “Keep Colm and Call Quast”—which brings us to…

Inspector Javert –

Ah, Inspector Javert... would it freak you out if we told you he is one of our favorite characters? Yes, this guy gets a really bad rap. He's the one who doggedly pursues Valjean for the entirety of the story; he's the relentless hunter who believes in full and complete justice, no matter the cost; he's the man who will stop at nothing to see Valjean back in prison. Yet both of us have a very special place in our hearts for Javert. One of the reasons he was so intent on justice was he believed in a works-based salvation. He mistakenly believed that in order to please God and gain an eternal home, he had to work for it. "Honest work, just reward, THAT'S the way to please the Lord..."

This breaks us. He was so misled! We might very well be the only two teenage girls on the planet who cry at his suicide. Javert is so torn apart by this radical forgiveness granted him by Valjean, the man whom he hunted and pursued for years on end, that he cannot bear to live.  This is why we love Javert (morbid, we know). We honestly can't help it. And he really is an admirable character with admirable qualities: staunch determination, fierce loyalty to the law...

So now for the big question. Which actor brings the role of the infamous Inspector Javert to life?

Philip Quast, 10th

Norm Lewis, 25th

The problem with the two Javerts is that they are both fabulous. They both have incredible voices and convey the character of Javert very well. But we agree the best Inspector Javert is the 10th's notable Philip Quast. He is a big, intimidating man with an even bigger voice. A phenomenal actor, he displays the fierceness and personal turmoil of Javert. Norm Lewis is certainly commendable, but Quast does a terrific job in portraying the terrible inner struggle Javert was going through.

Fantine-
Cosette’s mother, Fantine, may be the most tragic character in the entire story.  Fired from her job because of prejudice on the part of her coworkers, left to fend for herself on the dangerous streets of Montfermeil, Fantine ultimately sacrifices everything—her possessions, her morality and eventually her life—for her beloved daughter Cosette.  Pardon us while we sob hopelessly for a moment.

Fantine is what well-bred people of her time would call a fallen woman—we won’t go into details here, but it’s sufficient to say that Fantine made some major mistakes in her life.  Yet we can’t help loving her, because Fantine’s unselfish love for her little girl is a beautiful testimony to the undeserved, self-sacrificial love that Christ has for us.  (You can read this post for an in-depth analysis of Fantine.)

Ruthie Henshall, 10th

Lea Salonga, 25th

We think that Lea Salonga from 25^th did a superb job of portraying Fantine.  She brings us to tears every single time.  Her lovely voice, her superb acting… everything is spot-on.  She manages to put such depths of emotion into each and every song, especially in the scene where Javert arrests her and Valjean intervenes.  “I never done no wrong… my daughter’s close to dying.  If there’s a God above, He’d let me die instead.”

Special note from Amy:

Heehee, this is the one character on which Petie and I slightly disagree.  I absolutely love Lea Salonga’s portrayal of Fantine, but I really like Ruthie Henshall’s beautiful performance in the 10^th as well.  Her voice is a little rougher than Lea’s and doesn’t quite convey as much emotion, but she still brings across the tragic character in a way that never fails to move me.  Her wig, though—eep, we won’t go there.

Special note from Petie:
I’m not a huge fan of Ruthie Henshall’s performance because 1) her hair and her dress severely bug me and 2) her voice grates on my nerves.  She has some real talent, but it’s almost like at some times, she’s trying too hard. I was very disappointed with her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” because near the end it sounds like she’s suffering from a bad sore throat. Some might claim that it’s emotion, but it just doesn’t appeal to me.  

Eponine–
Oh, dear. Just saying this girl’s name makes us tear up. Eponine is the true heroine of Les Miserables. She is strong, but vulnerable. She’s resourceful, but needy. She loves Marius, probably because he’s the first and only person in her life to show her the least bit of love and attention. She’s a desperate, starving girl who just needs somebody to love her. Are we the only ones who totally break down when Eponine sings, “Without me, his world will go on turning. A world that’s full of happiness that I have never known?”

*Petie and Amy pause for a moment to wipe away tears and pat each other comfortingly.* 
Don’t worry; we’ll be all right… in a decade or two.
(For a complete and detailed rave on Eponine, please read Petie’s post on this overlooked heroine.)

Lea Salonga from 10th

Samantha Barks from 25th

Lea Salonga from the 10^th (who also plays Fantine in the 25^th!) and Samantha Barks from the 25^th both just blow our minds. We’ve already raved about Lea Salonga’s voice and to say that Samantha Barks is great at portraying emotion is the understatement of the year. 

So who’s better? Wellll….

Lea has the better voice, but Samantha has some terrific acting. They are both gorgeous girls, and they completely bring Eponine to life (which is, uh, ironic considering Eponine’s tragically untimely demise). So this is a character where we must say, both these actresses nailed this role. We really can’t decide who’s better. But if you twisted our arms and threatened to take away our 10^th Concert CDs, then we’d have to say Lea Salonga is our favorite. But only by a little bit, mind you.  

Cosette -
Let's be honest: Cosette is a bit of an airhead. She instantly falls in love with someone she's never seen before or spoken to, and she can be pretty demanding at times (to Jean Valjean of all people! We can never forgive her for that.). Of course, we don't blame her for wanting to know about her past (wouldn't you be curious?), but still, we're not the biggest fans of her as a character. HOWEVER, she is Cosette, Fantine's treasured daughter and the child whom Valjean loves far and above his own life. So we have to love her a little bit. You know, for Valjean's sake, of course.

Judy Kuhn, 10th

Katie Hall, 25th

We are all for Katie Hall from the 25th. She just looks like how we picture Cosette: young, sweet, innocent, and maybe even endearing (IF we were prone to be endeared to Cosette... which we're not). She has a very pretty, clear, almost child-like voice, which is perfect considering she's supposed to be only 17 or 18. Katie is also a great actress; her emotions and facial expressions are very well timed and executed. Judy Kuhn from the 10th has a beautiful voice, but 1) she's WAY too old to play Cosette and 2) as such, she's not very believable at times. And most importantly, she hardly puts any emotion into the Tragic Ending Scene. Really? Jean Valjean is dying, and she doesn't seem sad at all. Ugh.

Enjolras –
How do we begin to describe Enjolras?  “Impassioned” is a word that comes to mind; “tragic”, “foolish”, “powerful” and “brave” all seem to fit him as well.  We’re both huge Enjo fans, and we cried buckets when he was killed at the barricades, both in the book and the musical.  Enjolras’ story is so sad—he had so many hopes and dreams and ambitions and was so swept up in his vision for freedom that he ended up sacrificing his own life (and the lives of his friends) for… nothing.  We have our moments of almost disliking Enjolras (like the time when he didn’t stop Gavroche from climbing over the barricade in "The Second Attack") and our moments of loving him (pretty much every time he appears).  And of course we can’t forget his Red Vest of Power and Awesomeness, which is just one more part of what makes Enjolras so wonderful.

Michael Maguire, 10th

Ramin Karimloo, 25th

Choosing a favorite portrayal of Enjolras is a hard call (isn’t that the truth for most of these comparisons?) but we have to go with the amazing Ramin Karimloo from the 25th.  Michael Maguire, who plays Enjolras in the 10th, is a great singer with a powerful voice, but he’s a little too old for the role and doesn’t seem to be quite as gung-ho as Enjolras is supposed to be.  Ramin Karimloo, on the other hand, has a phenomenal voice, looks like Enjolras ought to look, is young enough for the part and, last but not least, perfectly captures Enjolras’ fiery charisma.  When he first appears, we’re this close to leaping from our seats, through the TV screen and onstage beside him to sing the song of angry men (er… women).

Monsieur and Madame Thenardier-

Let’s get this straight right from the very beginning—WE HATE THE THENARDIERS.  Slimy, money-grubbing, ruthless, cruel and all-around disgusting, they are definitely the most despicable characters in the entire musical.  (That doesn’t mean we aren’t amused by their comic relief at times, though… after all, in a story as sad as this, a little humor is quite welcome occasionally!)

Alun Armstrong, 10th

Jenny Galloway and Matt Lucas, 25th

For the best portrayal of Monsieur Thenardier, we award Alun Armstrong from the 10^th.  (This has nothing to do with the fact that we are quite familiar with his craggy face from many of our favorite Dickens adaptations.)  His singing voice is frankly better than that of Matt Lucas in the 25^th, plus he looks the way we imagined Thenardier should.  Greasy hair, grimy army uniform, stooped back… yep, spot-on.

Jenny Galloway plays Madame Thenardier in both the 10^th and 25^th anniversary concerts, so we really can’t pass judgment here! She does an equally good job in both.

The Bishop -
The Bishop only has about 5-10 minutes of screen time, but he is a major part of the Les Miz story. He's the one who first shows Valjean forgiveness and begins Valjean's road to redemption with the simple gift of two candlesticks. So in the concert, the part of the Bishop has to make a big impression in a very small amount of time.

Earl Carpenter, 25th (heehee, doesn't Alfie Boe look so evil
in the background?

To be honest, we think Paul Monaghan from the 10th is... scary-looking, to say the least. He does leave a big impression, but not exactly a good kind of impression. Instead of "Wow, he just blew me away," it's more like "Whoa... that dude was creepy." Not exactly what we want to come away with from that scene. (He does have a beautiful voice, though.) So obviously, we infinitely prefer Earl Carpenter from the 25th. He exudes the whole demeanor of a humble bishop, possesses a fabulous voice, and leaves us with tears in our eyes.

Gavroche -
Gavroche is just adorable. He's a little boy with a big heart. He's a brave fighter and a strong survivor. He lives on the streets, and he's proud of it. We are simply crazy for Gavroche. He's confident and cocky, fearless and loyal. The Thenardiers did not deserve to have a boy as fabulous as Gavroche.

And a boy as fabulous as Gavroche did not deserve to die.

So you can imagine how heartbroken we are when he's shot down at the barricades... it's so unfair. He shouldn't have died; he's just a little boy. It's sickening, really. At that point of the story, we temporarily dislike Victor Hugo. Immensely.

Robert Madge, 25th

Both these young actors are extremely talented, but we have to go with Robert Madge from the 25th. Apart from the fact that he's cute as a button (that cheeky grin at the end of "Little People"? SO. CUTE.), he just portrays all the qualities and characteristics of Gavroche to perfection. But we must also give a huge round of applause to Adam Searles in the 10th; he was spectacular as well!

Little Cosette -
We just want to reach right through the screen and envelop Little Cosette in a big bear hug. She’s so cute in a pathetic way—she needs love so badly and yet can’t even remember her own mother.  We already hate the Thenardiers, of course, but seeing the way they treat poor Little Cosette, we’d be happy to strangle them with our bare hands.

Mia Jenkins, 25th

We honestly can’t decide between the two Little Cosettes—both do an excellent job in their roles.  Hannah Chick from 10th deserves a big round of applause for keeping calm and carrying on when the balloon burst during "Castle on a Cloud," but she looks about twelve and Cosette is supposed to be much younger than that.  Mia Jenkins is utterly adorable and perfectly captures Cosette’s sweet wistfulness, so we’ll go with Mia Jenkins from 25th as Little Cosette.

And that concludes our evaluation of the Les Miserables concert actors. Let's have a round of applause, shall we?

(And if you noticed the omission of a Certain Major Character, do not let your heart be troubled. There is much, much more coming on that subject in our next post...)  :) 

~ Amy and Petie

This Is Where It Began

I found this video last week and knew I just had to share it during our Les Miz celebration!  This week we'll be primarily addressing the casts from the 1995 and 2010 productions, but it's fun to see the original 1985 London company as well.

Three things that struck me while watching this video (things that I felt I ought to share with y'all):
1- That is NOT a headband thingy on Colm Wilkinson.  It is a microphone.  (Why do I feel like saying that in a Kahmunrah voice...?)
2- I may bash Frances Ruffelle when it comes to the 1988 Symphonic Recording (seriously, she's awwwwwful there) but she's pretty good in this! Still not the greatest Eponine, of course, but not bad.
3- That is not Michael Landon singing in One Day More.  It is Michael Ball.  Don't let the hair deceive you.



P.S.  Having waaaay too much fun thinking up post titles that come straight from Les Miz song lyrics... :D

Will You Join In Our Crusade: The Les Miserables Concert Comparisons!

Welcome, welcome, welcome!! The time has come...

Will You Join In Our Crusade: A Les Miserables Concert Comparison

a blog series by Amy and Petie

June 4-9, 2012

We are both Les Miserables fangirls. We each became acquainted and fell in love with the novel first. Then we experienced the glory of the musical concert: both versions! There is the 10th Anniversary Dream Cast Concert, and then the 25th Anniversary Concert. Both are fabulous. And both versions made us even bigger fans of Les Miserables.

After reading the book, Amy declared herself a die-hard devotee. But then she watched the 10th anniversary concert, and declared it again, louder, and then she watched the 25th anniversary concert and screamed it. For Petie, it began with the dramatized audiobook and then the book (twice!), and then she met Amy via the blogosphere, who stated passionately that no one could call herself a fan of Les Miz without seeing the concert. Therefore, after finally watching both versions of the concert, Petie likewise declared herself a die-hard devotee.

We've been emailing back and forth for several weeks now, debating our favorite actors for each version of the concert, who's better in which role, who totally nailed a certain role, which songs gave us goosebumps, and which scenes made us cry. Finally, we both decided we couldn't keep our fangirling to ourselves; we must share it with the blogging world and convince all our followers of the absolute epicness of the Les Miserables concert (if they aren't convinced already - because if they are, we congratulate them on their impeccable taste in musicals).

But of course, it wouldn't do to just simply tell you to watch the concert. As dedicated fans, we feel it is our duty to give you our full and complete opinions on which version of the concert and which actors are hands-down the best.

Thus, after nearly two months of collaboration, emails, writing, and re-writing (we spread it out and took our time so it wouldn't completely consume our lives...), we are very pleased to announce the commencement of Will You Join In Our Crusade: A Les Miserables Concert Comparison.

We chose to do this series during the first full week of June for a specific reason.  June 5-7 marks the 180th anniversary of the Paris Rebellion of 1832, a major event featured in the story of Les Miserables. Also, 2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the novel's publication!

So join us this week, will you? We wrote each of our posts together and with great care. Expect them to be detailed, gushy, emotional, fangirly, and miserably long (ha! pun intended). Here's the schedule:

• June 5 - My Name is Jean Valjean: The Les Miserables Ensemble
• June 6 - Like You've Never Heard Us Ooh and Ahh: Why Michael Ball Is Epic and Nick Jonas Is Not
• June 7 - The Music of a People: The Songs of Les Miserables - Part 1
• June 8 - The Music of a People: The Songs of Les Miserables - Part 2
• June 9 - Do You Hear the Distant Drums: Our Conclusion to this Amazing Week

All posts will be published on both our blogs. We encourage you to visit both so you won't miss out on any of the juicy comment wars!

*important disclaimer: As much as we love Les Miserables and greatly want all of you to love it as much as we do, we cannot proceed without a word of caution. We can't endorse entirely all the content of this concert. As wonderful as it is, Les Miserables is a mature story that covers a lot of gritty, adult themes. We would definitely recommend that children under the age of 13 watch with a parent. There are just a couple songs in the first act that contain either mature material, downright unnecessary content, or some uses of crude language (because of which, we will be omitting those songs from our posts on the songs of Les Miz). We just wanted to give you a friendly warning. Please do not misinterpret our fan-ship. :)

As this blog series is celebrating two Very Important Anniversaries, we would like to encourage all of you to post about Les Miserables throughout the week. Let's celebrate this stupendous, history-making novel!

We're here because we are both genuinely touched by the story of Les Miz. We're here because we wish to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the Paris Rebellion, and the 150th anniversary of one of the best novels of all time. We're here because the characters are like family to us. We're here because Les Miz is a story like none other, and the musical enriches and enhances Victor Hugo's tale in a magical way. We're here because we're fans of the talented actors who made these concerts the breathtaking experiences that they are. We're here because we're two girls who can't go a day without belting out the tunes from the show. We're here because Michael Ball dissolves us into little puddles... Ahem. (There will be plenty more on that subject. Trust us.)

People, we're here because we love Les Miserables, and that's all there is to it.
So...

in much anticipation,
Amy and Petie