This will be a pure text post. Expect pictures to come later with some better phrased fangirling than my previous posts.

I imagine that not everyone is as enthusiastic about seeing Les Mis live for the first time as I am so you can find my thoughts below the cutoff.

Since this is my first time seeing the show live, I was very impressed by the sets and the overall presentation of the musical. That aside, I won’t fawn over that unless there was something that really caught my attention.

To me, the show started very abruptly. There was just one line from the announcer to turn off mobile devices and then the music began. People were scattering to their seats and it was distracting. (But maybe they’re all like this. I don’t know. Phantom at Vegas definitely wasn’t.)

I didn’t think that much of Lockyer!Valjean until “Valjean’s Soliloquy” and the lines “Take an eye for an eye/Turn your heart into stone.” But that number definitely proved to me that he was indeed well-casted in terms of musicality. His range was different from what I expected but it was still beautiful nonetheless. However, “Took my flight” failed to impress because his note sounded lower than the intended pitch and there wasn’t enough dynamic contrast.

What I enjoyed about Lockyer’s performance so much last night was that he was at once subtle and flamboyant in his acting. His movements were large enough for audiences in the back to see but they weren’t overdone. Not once did I see him flail unnecessarily.

“At the End of the Day” was when I realized the amount of talent in the company and my appreciation for them continued to grow during the numbers in Montreuil-sur-Mer. There are so many great voices in the cast that even actors/actresses playing the smallest roles take my breath away.

I have mixed feelings about Morgan!Fantine. She had such a strong start in “At the End of the Day.” Every line was on-spot, but I just couldn’t agree with her interpretation of “I Dreamed a Dream.” The first few lines were rushed and spoken rather than sung. Though she has an amazing voice, I felt like her performance relied more on emotion and I wanted like to hear more of her vocally.

To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed that Morgan and Lockyer presented a romantic relationship between Fantine and Valjean. While it would’ve been much harder to make a nonromantic yet caring portrayal, I would have appreciated less touching throughout her death scene. Both did very well vocally in “Fantine’s Death” though.

“Confrontation” was enjoyable, but I didn’t think it was spectacular. I enjoyed how they emphasized certain lines by switching off vocal dominance. I expected Valjean to run away after hitting Javert with a chair, but that didn’t happen. I was looking forward to chair hitting.

Young Cosette wasn’t as good as I expected and during the forest scene where Valjean helps her back to the inn, the duet of “nanana”s go slightly off-tune. “Master of the House” actually made me laugh and squirm in my seat at the same time. Mme Thenardier did a brilliant job with her stanza.

I didn’t agree with Lockyer!Valjean’s behavior in “Waltz of Treachery” though, because Lockyer was rather gruff and spiteful towards the Thenardiers. I feel like Valjean in the novel would never have been so unforgiving and vengeful, because he’s always so kind towards others.

“Look Down” marks the introduction of Marius, Enjolras, and Gavroche (as well as the general public, Cosette, and Eponine). Quinlan!Marius was much better than the Marius’ I’ve heard online but next to Forbach!Enjolras, he didn’t have enough of that dark, rich sound in his voice. Forbach blew me away with his performance that night. Everything about it was on-spot and his voice is just right for the role. Gavroche was good too, but he sounded like he was out of breath all the time and had to breathe every two lines.

Varela!Javert was fantastic. His rendition of “Stars” had me tearing up. He exceeded my expectations fully.

The ABC Cafe was perfect. Well-casted and well-performed, the student rebels were rowdy and passionate. I expected more bromance between Grantaire and Enjolras but there ended up being more Grantaire/Gavroche love (which I thought was weird). And I have to say “Do You Hear the Peole Sing?” makes a lot more sense with sets.

Wiley as Cosette was fitting; she has a sweet voice with an impressive range, but her voice wasn’t as big as Carlson-Goodman’s. I found the second stanza to “A Heart Full of Love” to be awkward because the two lovers just stood in front of each other frozen while they sang their lines.

“One Day More” can’t be anything but wonderful. The iconic marching and flag-swinging are fabulous live.

Carlson-Goodman!Eponine was amazing. All of her notes were in tune and her emotions carried through her words and actions. “On My Own” and “A Little Fall of Rain” were among the best numbers performed that night because of her powerful voice.

The more I think about it, the more Grantaire’s existential crisis in “Drink With Me” seems abrupt and random. Throughout the ABC Cafe songs, he is a rowdy, crass drinker and then suddenly at the barricades, he has all these deep thoughts. If I hadn’t read the book before, I would’ve thought the crisis was completely out of place.

I enjoyed “Bring Him Home” a lot more than I thought. It has never been one of my favorites from the musical, but Lockyer made it absolutely beautiful. I was disappointed when Forbach!Enjolras didn’t die on top of the barricade. But the cleanup was still very gruesome (which I loved).

I thought I was going to love “Javert’s Suicide” as much as I did “Valjean’s Soliloquy” and “Stars,” but it didn’t move me as much. Lockyer did a better job portraying his dilemma in his soliloquy than did Varela.

Quinlan!Marius’ solo was really great too. “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” didn’t disappoint as Quinlan had good dynamics and musicality. I loved the presentation of the candles and the dead rebels. Very symbolic.

I (hideously) cried my way through “Valjean’s Death.” The lyrics always get me (especially “Yes Cosette, forbid me now to die/I’ll obey; I will try”) and the way that the musical ends with the trio looking back at Marius and Cosette while singing “And remember the truth that once was spoken/to love another person is to see the face of God” was brilliant. The way “Valjean’s Death” connected with the “Finale” brings everything full circle.

Overall, Tuesday was just amazing and I still cannot get over the fact that I saw it live. Reading the 1463 pages brick added so much more to my experience and there were so many parts that felt much more clear because of the extra background I gathered.

I can’t wait to see this on Broadway!

1. feuilllly likes this
2. irisistable posted this