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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 2, 2019 22:47:40 GMT
I actually enjoyed that better than seeing it live. I swear the sound was better, and the orchestra sounded absolutely gorgeous. Nice to see them getting some camera action too.
We lost the sound for about 1 second towards the the crescendo of When Tomorrow Comes and the audience literally gasped. I imagine there was some pearl clutching going on too.
3 screens full at Vue Printworks. Never seen it so busy.
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Post by alicesprings on Dec 2, 2019 22:51:58 GMT
Overall a brilliant showing tonight, just got in from the cinema, agree with a previous post about Michael Ball, he seems to be still recovering. But amazing staging, lighting and cast. Have to say Alfie Boe’s Bring him home was excellent. But as was many of the other songs. Brilliant performances by everyone, not a standout person for me personally, all excellent. People applauding in the cinema too, nice atmosphere and no bad behaviour! A couple did leave right at the end (before the encore bits). Nice bit at the end with Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden. Very enjoyable night out.
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 2, 2019 22:55:00 GMT
I normally never do this, but as the run has ended, I'm going to make an exception. I disliked almost every moment.
Shame the streaming worked perfectly, apart from Cam Mack's speech at the start.
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Post by Rory on Dec 2, 2019 22:59:21 GMT
I saw it in the Belfast Odeon which was showing in 2 screens and was so busy that it took about 20 minutes to actually get in to the cinema to take our seats.
No hiccups at all with the screening and I thought it was sublime. The orchestrations were absolutely beautiful and I've never seen or heard it sung so well. I quite liked the simplicity of it. And I loved Matt Lucas and Katy Secombe as the Thenardiers. They wrung every ounce of comedy out of it.
Cameron was quite emotional at the end!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 2, 2019 23:02:08 GMT
I normally never do this, but as the run has ended, I'm going to make an exception. I disliked almost every moment. Shame the streaming worked perfectly, apart from Cam Mack's speech at the start. Because of the concert format? I said after seeing it live that I don’t think it works in that respect and I still believe that’s the case. You couldn’t see the concert as a newbie and have the foggiest about what was going on. But I guess this is for the people who are already converted and just want to “consume” more Les Mis. The new version going into the Sondheim is better than this though, regardless of cast. |
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Post by alicesprings on Dec 2, 2019 23:08:19 GMT
I saw it in the Belfast Odeon which was showing in 2 screens and was so busy that it took about 20 minutes to actually get in to the cinema to take our seats. No hiccups at all with the screening and I thought it was sublime. The orchestrations were absolutely beautiful and I've never seen or heard it sung so well. I quite liked the simplicity of it. And I loved Matt Lucas and Katy Secombe as the Thenardiers. They wrung every ounce of comedy out of it. Cameron was quite emotional at the end! Agree! Katy Secombe is the best Madame thernardier I have seen in my opinion. She had a good partnership with Matt Lucas too. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 2, 2019 23:15:34 GMT
Row R stalls at the theatre and this was, in my opinion, better than Saturday night. A really involved audience who thankfully didn't applaude over the last notes (pet peeve) and were fully engaged. Loved Alfie, thought Michael in the first Act was great, seemed a little hoarse coming back in the second Act. Hate the Thenardiers but that's a personal thing.
A buzz in the theatre that was quite thrilling. Sold out cinemas up and down the country. I am going to try and book a cinema viewing as I'd like to see how it's been shot - there was a rolling camera at the foot of the stage, 2 cameras each side of the stage and one at the back (centre of row R stalls), and one on a moving crane from the dress circle which interfered slightly with sight lines when the students were on the upper gantry, not enough to bother me.
A great evening.
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Post by ceebee on Dec 3, 2019 0:03:07 GMT
I was lucky enough to see this in the theatre a few weeks ago, and went to my local cinema where it was on at least three screens - maybe more. Sound and visual quality was excellent. Interestingly (for me anyway) the most emotionally impactful moment was the falling of the barricade - I found the sound and sight of the orchestra without the actors far more moving. I've no idea why. I guess it's the beauty and craft, and the unique perspective of the camera within the orchestra - a view we don't usually see. It was at that point that the real impact of this show hit me, and it was absolutely fitting that Claud Michel Schonberg received due recognition at the end. A stellar cast but the star of this production is the music and the orchestra. I'd LOVE a purely instrumental recording of this with no singing.
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Post by 141920grm on Dec 3, 2019 0:17:22 GMT
Have to say I wasn't impressed tonight either. The performance itself was average at best, you would've thought everyone would be on fire/buzzing for this special occasion- I've seen Boe & Ball do better last month. I've seen this production 14 times now so my judgement may be harsher than some, but still I'd like to contribute my observations to see if it matches or contradicts everyone else's experience.
The "Stars" encore was the biggest highlight, as was being introduced to Herbert Kreutzer sitting in the audience. "Bring Him Home" sounds better as a quartet than a quintet, or perhaps it was the way it had been divided- John understandably got the honour of the whole first verse, but Dean barely got more than one solo line, then of course Alfie did his key change, but he was either too excited or had no control of his volume as always, it was actually grating on the ears. Sound will probably be mixed down on the DVD though so least of worries.
Regarding the show itself, it was interesting to see the makeup had been toned down to make everyone look more natural on camera. I noticed a few additional acting directions for those on the barricade set- perhaps to make the overall scene more coherent and dramatic as seen by the camera, look forward to seeing the result. The Amis and ensemble were their usual fantastic-sounding selves and made the best of how much they could act in this staging- no complaints at all. It was obvious everyone was told to “act more”, and those who usually don’t/can’t do it, properly overdid it.
Alfie shouted and barked his way through, and I am sorry to report the return of "acting in spite of singing" if it ever departed- there was a very clear separation between his singing and acting. He managed to vary the tone and colour of his voice a bit more than usual since I saw him last month to my pleasant surprise, and there were moments where I thought I could finally be convinced that his Valjean felt and expressed real emotions. Sadly as we progressed to more intense scenes ("What Have I Done", "Who Am I") he would suddenly seem to recall his character's emotional turmoil and drop all the nuance he had managed to achieve so far, in favour of shout-singing while making large erratic bodily movements. I always think of Alfie's voice & volume control as one that goes up in steps (as opposed to John who transitions smoothly between levels), now I can say the same for his mobility as well... there is no communication between his voice and body (and emotions, and facial expressions). Very disappointed this is the version that gets recorded forever. He has done 3 runs as Valjean and unfortunately he still hasn't got it.
Michael definitely tried to up his ante for tonight and I give him credit for that. I was amused to notice that his costume seemed further tailored to look good for tonight, which it did. Very exaggerated emotions, convincing in some places and slightly laughable in others. His Javert tonight had the most depth out of the 8 other times I've seen him throughout the run. The added emotion, however, messed up his pacing even more than his usual disregard for tempo, and he got a lyric wrong during a very pivotal moment for his character. I'm guessing footage of Saturday will be spliced in. Someone should tell him dragging out the last notes of every line using his signature vibrato does not automatically equal more impressive singing/acting. But given he was only able to develop this for 3 months it is forgivable.
Carrie's solo was the most emotional I have heard, and her acting was commendable during her limited stage time. Bradley predictably shone as Enjolras, with his clear voice and infectious self-confidence of his character. Rob tried to shake off his awkwardly-sweet persona for bigger emotions, which in my opinion backfired as his singing lost its usual sincerity as well as making his grief in "Empty Chairs" less believable. I loved seeing Shan improve over the course of this run as influences from the Sondheim production rehearsals seep into her Gielgud performance. Lily was lovely as usual, making the most of her character as a breathy giddy young girl in love. Matt and Katy were okay, though I think they goad each other into overdoing everything; the ad-libs were too many and too unnatural, and I always feel something is lacking when a Thenardier pair go full comedy instead of exploring their sinister side.
All in all this was definitely not the best show I've seen in this production, and I'm glad it's had a relatively (definitely commercially) successful run and everyone gets to experience the special encore in cinemas- but I can't wait to get back to the fully staged production next door in 2 weeks.
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Dec 3, 2019 9:07:53 GMT
All in all this was definitely not the best show I've seen in this production, and I'm glad it's had a relatively (definitely commercially) successful run and everyone gets to experience the special encore in cinemas- but I can't wait to get back to the fully staged production next door in 2 weeks. That's one way to look at it, for me the concert was the highlight of decades of following this show in various incarnations plus seeing the various anniversaries on video only. The live concert version was the icing on the cake for me. I will avoid the new watered-down version in London and cherish my memories of previous performances.  |
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Post by miz on Dec 3, 2019 9:48:56 GMT
As I haven't seen the screening I should not say anything yet but my heart has started to sink. I am hoping watching the final performance on screen will not make me turn against the show I have dearly loved for more than 30 years.
I guess CM needs cash and this star-casting has been a cash cow for him. But at the same time, putting money over substance over and over again could amount to a kind of shorttermism.
It's thanks to his money that the show has survived this long but I wish he could also pay a little more attention to running a business of repute and not a circus.
Still, I am very happy to hear due tributes were paid to the creaters of this masterpiece.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2019 9:53:22 GMT
All in all this was definitely not the best show I've seen in this production, and I'm glad it's had a relatively (definitely commercially) successful run and everyone gets to experience the special encore in cinemas- but I can't wait to get back to the fully staged production next door in 2 weeks. That's one way to look at it, for me the concert was the highlight of decades of following this show in various incarnations plus seeing the various anniversaries on video only. The live concert version was the icing on the cake for me. I will avoid the new watered-down version in London and cherish my memories of previous performances. Couldn’t have put it better. |
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Post by katykate on Dec 3, 2019 9:55:49 GMT
Loved this last night. Perfect sound and picture in our cinema. Thought michael ball tried his best to be evil but is just too nice! Carrie and Shan stood out for me. Loved he encores! Looking forward to seeing the show this sat in WMC and will certainly be booking to see the new cast in the Sondheim next year.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 3, 2019 10:42:53 GMT
All in all this was definitely not the best show I've seen in this production, and I'm glad it's had a relatively (definitely commercially) successful run and everyone gets to experience the special encore in cinemas- but I can't wait to get back to the fully staged production next door in 2 weeks. That's one way to look at it, for me the concert was the highlight of decades of following this show in various incarnations plus seeing the various anniversaries on video only. The live concert version was the icing on the cake for me. I will avoid the new watered-down version in London and cherish my memories of previous performances. That’s such a shame. Feedback on the tour thread is overwhelmingly positive, and even people who had grave doubts about it have seen it and come back with glowing reports. Of course not everyone likes it but I think to call it watered down is a huge disservice. I think you should go see it with a open mind. Just to check. (But don’t come for me for a refund if you hate it 😆). |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 3, 2019 10:46:04 GMT
Have to say I wasn't impressed tonight either. The performance itself was average at best, you would've thought everyone would be on fire/buzzing for this special occasion- I've seen Boe & Ball do better last month. I've seen this production 14 times now so my judgement may be harsher than some, but still I'd like to contribute my observations to see if it matches or contradicts everyone else's experience. Genuine question, and honestly no snark intended at all, but why have you seen it 14 times? You don’t seem to rate any of the leads particularly highly? |
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Post by eponineserrand on Dec 3, 2019 10:56:50 GMT
I must admit I thought Alfie was better than I had seen him previously (although as a preference I would have rather JOJ) Carrie impressed me, she was much better than when I see the concert back in Sept. I like the Thenardier's but the ad-libbing is slightly too OTT and needs toning down a little in my opinion - I hope that doesn't become the norm. I wasnt a lover of Eponine either, a fantastic voice but I prefer her to have more emotion even at the cost of a stronger vocal. Not just Shan - I don't seem to feel as sad when the modern, belty Eponine's die.
Our cinema in Newham was absolutely packed, as a mixed raced girl I can say I've never seen it so white and middle class! hehe! I did ask politely if I could return next monday to have a cool Les Mis desk a-board the cinema had after all screenings were finished, but the cinema manager said they've been ordered to send everything back and added it's usually only Disney who demand their PR returned. Nevermind!
No problems with our stream except at the beginning when Cameron Mackintosh was saying something about being the Master of The House over a tannoy? It cut out then, the rest was perfect.
A shout out to Trevor Nunn and John Caird/Naiper would've been a nice touch at the end. I'll probably get round to seeing the new production at some point but don't think anything will top the iconic revolve for me.
Hope you all had a wonderful evening!
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Post by argon on Dec 3, 2019 11:27:29 GMT
Absolutely amazing show. he passed the Javert coat to Bradley and they sang Stars together. What no Earl, surprised to read considering all the times he stepped in. |
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Post by alece10 on Dec 3, 2019 12:17:58 GMT
Glad those who went to the cinema enjoyed it last night.
Quick question for those who went.
Did people applaud at the end of songs at the end?
I do hope so.
Would be really interested to see if they publish any figures as to how many people saw the screening last night around. Must have been many thousands.
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Post by eponineserrand on Dec 3, 2019 12:29:41 GMT
Kind of, many of the people at our screening did that quiet not-making-much-noise applause to themselves, grinning knowingly at the people we were sat with if you know what I mean - all very British and reserved! (I would have applauded louder, but was waiting for others to start first, which I expect everyone else was waiting for too!)
I noticed a few tears after One Day More as the lights came up for the 10 minute interval.
I've been to a few of these musical screenings and this was by far the busiest I've seen for this type of event. Particularly given it was a Monday night in December!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 3, 2019 12:35:54 GMT
Some applause in Manchester, not everyone. MB got some entrance whoops. I didn’t because I figure I wouldn’t applaud something I was watching live on the tv. The performers can’t hear it and that’s what applause is for so it feels wrong. But having said that when I’ve been to cinema broadcasts where absolutely no one applauds that seems equally odd/wrong.
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Post by daisy24601 on Dec 3, 2019 12:45:08 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2019 13:12:46 GMT
So I was lucky enough to see the show in the Gielgud on Saturday and in my local cinema last night. Sound was a bit muffled in parts and in the darker scenes the subtleties of the lighting design and projections didn't come across but otherwise I thought it was sensational. I hope they do do a DVD/Blu-Ray release though as there is a lot of tidying that could be done.
Cameron very emotional at the end (I thought he might pass out!) but it is astonishing how this show goes from strength to strength - never thought I could enjoy a 'concert' version as much as I have this. They have taken semi-staged to an infinitely more impressive level than the ENO stuff could ever dream of (though I guess the intimacy of the theatre helped - Les Mis was bursting out of that stage rather than lost within it like ENO stuff).
Anyway, it left me feeling that increasingly Les Mis is a clearer claimant of most successful musical of all time than Phantom. A separate conversation no doubt (maybe I'll start a thread comparing my thoughts on the two - perhaps one already exists), but the buzz it continues to create is extraordinary.
(I did have to chuckle re the references of Bradley Jaden being the 'new' Javert - he's just done it for a year. Also the Sondheim version being 'new' - it was launched a decade ago!)
Final thought - have already been over my casting thoughts - but Bradley Jaden is sensational; what a voice! Can't wait to see him back as Javert. Shame he can't play Enjolras AND Javert lol. Fully expect him to be a JVJ in a decade or so......
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 3, 2019 14:04:25 GMT
I normally never do this, but as the run has ended, I'm going to make an exception. I disliked almost every moment. Shame the streaming worked perfectly, apart from Cam Mack's speech at the start. Because of the concert format? No, I don't think that was the reason, and if the concert version ever comes to the Lyceum I would certainly book. More a combination of bad behaviour in the cinema, and principles that, mostly, did little for me. Michael Ball was clearly still below par, but having started, he obviously had to finish. We should be laughing AT the Thenardiers, not WITH them. We certainly shouldn't be clapping along to Master of the House. One my Own should not be sung in a Gospel style. I don't care if you're a former X Factor contestant! Lily Kerhoas was so forgettable I've already forgotten her. As for Alfie Boe...I've never rated him, and I neither saw nor heard anything last night to change that view. How on Earth has he got away with it all these years? Which just leaves Rob Houchen and, much to my surprise, Carrie Hope Fletcher, with a reputation that precedes her, as the pair I was most impressed with. Just my opinions, of course. The ensemble, orchestra, lighting and especially sound design were all excellent, to the extent I heard lyrics I don't ever remember hearing before in any of my 10 previous viewings. (Am I right in remembering that Javert used 'ages' rather than 'years', which seems more appropriate for the period?) I kinda think I now need to see the tour, to get the bad taste of last night out of my mouth! Bet you wished you'd never asked? |
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Post by crabtree on Dec 3, 2019 14:11:30 GMT
I know last night's performance was streamlined of some material, Gavroche's death scene for example, but I wonder how many minutes have actually been lost since that epic opening in October 1985. What was the running time of the first performance. I saw the second performance but can't remember how long it ran. I do remember the quality of the acting, and that the Thenardiers were funny but still dark and disturbing and had some depth.
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Post by 141920grm on Dec 3, 2019 14:15:24 GMT
Genuine question, and honestly no snark intended at all, but why have you seen it 14 times? You don’t seem to rate any of the leads particularly highly? I'm a fan of Les Mis and seen/heard many iterations over more than a decade. I very much enjoyed how this production, through its reduced staging, brought an emphasis on the music, singing and acting, which should always be the biggest "star" of any musical theatre production. To me the actors are a vehicle for the content, and great actors continually evolve their character interpretation, never settle on existing recognition, and work hard to earn their audience's appreciation every performance. It was a privilege to be able to experience this multiple times, and to witness the performance of some great actors, or great actors in the making. I'm saddened I didn't like the principal leads at all, but if you couldn't tell already I rate the alt leads/ensemble/understudies very highly. Many visits during the first 2 months were for JOJ and the ensemble members many of whom I already know and like as performers. Then all of the 2nd to last week for Earl. Obviously they weren’t all JOJ/Earl (which were the best 4 performances I’ve seen overall, with some top understudies) so during the course of my shows I also got to see how the JOJ/Michael, Alfie/Earl and Alfie/Michael chemistry differed- they are no match for my preferred leads, and what leads they are. I rate John and Earl highly not just for their talent and great voices (subjective) but because of the sheer hard work you can tell they put in their craft. John was impressive enough back in Aug, but every few shows I saw after, he had tried and refined something new, giving an even better take on what he had done well enough previously. Earl managed to do the same developing his Javert, but amazingly within a span of only one week! A marked difference from his previous few runs where he was already excellent. Each displayed a real passion to flesh out their character and took risks to trial their interpretations, sometimes executed more brilliantly than other times (live theatre!); and perhaps it is their existing friendship or combined previous experience or both, they rub off on each other very well and it is no surprise their "Confrontation" and both Soliloquies are always my highlight. I went into each JOJ/Earl show knowing they will give it their all but not knowing exactly what they will do- their best scenes are their group scenes where every little interaction differed nightly, adding to my understanding to their interpretation of the character, and not just going through the motions- for me that is the joy of seeing these 2 live, and a pleasure to finally see a Valjean/Javert pairing played as they deserved to be played. John and Earl were brilliant individually when paired with others, but together they bring an extra spark to the whole show and that's what makes their performance particularly memorable, and deserving of the term "legendary". I've said this before but I don't believe the concert staging is an excuse for lazy/reduced acting, and if you'd rather stand still to sing you'd better be able to act through song... That's why I still give Michael credit for trying, though his interpretation is not really my cup of tea and his execution has been a hit/miss. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Alfie as he played his Valjean the same mediocre way (IMO) every time, last night was the first noticeable time he tried to switch things up but his effort was laughable. Maybe he would've done better had he: 1) took the care to explore his character more beforehand and not use the livestream as his trial run, and 2) been professional enough to train himself up not to miss 1/5th of his shows, so he would've had more practice performing as well as learning the craft from his fellow cast members. Sorry for the long answer but I did give the show and its cast an open mind! (and lots of ££...) Sadly remain unconvinced by Boe & Ball, loved every other aspect of the show, JOJ/Earl are at their best yet and it is a crime Cammack only singled out Boe/Ball/Lucas to thank during his speech last night. |
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