Les Miserables Lovers...3rd UPDATE 10/18: Movie Dates!

[ugadog99]

Deb, wow! I'm impressed. Thanks for sharing!

 

[superme80]

A little bitty brag:


DH sang "Bring Him Home" for a voice recital yesterday. He was channeling Colm Wilkinson.

Hope you enjoy it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-k9HViEJGA

Thank you for sharing!!! Tell him it was beautiful.

 

[wickey's friend]

Very nice!

 

[Deb in IA]

As the OP of this thread, I am so excited to say that my daughter will be a freshman at Otterbein University this fall. She will be in the BFA program in Design and Technology. I am THRILLED (and so is she) that one of her first (if not the first) show with her new school will be Les Mis!!!! And, one of her very dearest friends will be a junior at Western Carolina and will be doing Les Mis in the spring. Their production will be directed by Terrence Mann!

Congratulations to your DD!!
I think that is a sign she's meant to be there!

Deb, wow! I'm impressed. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!!! Tell him it was beautiful.

Very nice!

Aw, thanks for all the nice comments!
I'll let DH know you all enjoyed it!

 

[superme80]

Ok I have officially watched the movie. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it wasn't very good. Anne Hathaway's role, in my opinion, was very overrated. Did she do a good job? Yes. Did she deserve an Oscar? Not really. The standouts to me were the kids. The vocal ensemble did a great job. The costumes and make up were wonderful. The rest just wasn't very good. And I hated how they hacked a bunch of songs and added in new random lyrics. I give it 5 out of 10 stars. Not really worth watching again, but I might in the next 5-10 years.

 

[Deb in IA]

Ok I have officially watched the movie. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it wasn't very good. Anne Hathaway's role, in my opinion, was very overrated. Did she do a good job? Yes. Did she deserve an Oscar? Not really. The standouts to me were the kids. The vocal ensemble did a great job. The costumes and make up were wonderful. The rest just wasn't very good. And I hated how they hacked a bunch of songs and added in new random lyrics. I give it 5 out of 10 stars. Not really worth watching again, but I might in the next 5-10 years.

Yeah, I think Anne basically got the Oscar for that one song (I Dreamed a Dream).

You know, I think your reaction is pretty common among those of us who have loved this show for so long, and have heard so many great interpretations - Colm Wilkinson, Alfie Boe, John Owen Jones, Philip Quast, Lea Solanga, Frances Ruffelle, Michael Ball, etc.

And when you have almost the entire score memorized, because you have listened to the various concert versions so much, the changes in the order and the lyrics really stand out - and for me, were a bit distracting. I kept thinking - Hey, that's not the right words!

But you know, for newbies, I think the movie was a powerful, emotional experience - much like it was the first time we experienced it. It is an entirely different feeling for them, maybe because they don't have that comparisons that we can't help but making.

Just my thoughts.

 

[superme80]

Yeah, I think Anne basically got the Oscar for that one song (I Dreamed a Dream).

You know, I think your reaction is pretty common among those of us who have loved this show for so long, and have heard so many great interpretations - Colm Wilkinson, Alfie Boe, John Owen Jones, Philip Quast, Lea Solanga, Frances Ruffelle, Michael Ball, etc.

And when you have almost the entire score memorized, because you have listened to the various concert versions so much, the changes in the order and the lyrics really stand out - and for me, were a bit distracting. I kept thinking - Hey, that's not the right words!

But you know, for newbies, I think the movie was a powerful, emotional experience - much like it was the first time we experienced it. It is an entirely different feeling for them, maybe because they don't have that comparisons that we can't help but making.

Just my thoughts.

I agree. My friends and family feel bad for me because I can't enjoy it for the story. I enjoy being a musical theater snob. I know what I like and have pretty high standards for the most part. But most of the world disagreed with me, because the movie did its job and raked in a ton of money.

 

[JenM]

As the OP of this thread, I am so excited to say that my daughter will be a freshman at Otterbein University this fall. She will be in the BFA program in Design and Technology. I am THRILLED (and so is she) that one of her first (if not the first) show with her new school will be Les Mis!!!! And, one of her very dearest friends will be a junior at Western Carolina and will be doing Les Mis in the spring. Their production will be directed by Terrence Mann!

That is awesome! Congrats!!!

 

[Imzadi]

A little bitty brag:


DH sang "Bring Him Home" for a voice recital yesterday. He was channeling Colm Wilkinson.

Hope you enjoy it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-k9HViEJGA

WOW!!! He is fantastic!

I'm always apprehensive to click on these vids. What if the person was awful? What do you say to be polite to the OP?

But, no worries here. Your DH has an amazing voice. Obviously this is where your DS inherited his voice from.

 

[minkydog]

As the OP of this thread, I am so excited to say that my daughter will be a freshman at Otterbein University this fall. She will be in the BFA program in Design and Technology. I am THRILLED (and so is she) that one of her first (if not the first) show with her new school will be Les Mis!!!! And, one of her very dearest friends will be a junior at Western Carolina and will be doing Les Mis in the spring. Their production will be directed by Terrence Mann!

Congratulations to your DD--job well done!

 

[JenM]

Also - as a huge fan of the stage musical, I LOVED the movie, and I know lots of fans of the stage show who did as well.

I'm used to changes in the score - the stage musical has been making cuts and changes for ages. The movie made cuts and and changes too (and a lot of the changes were just logistics...you can't sing about how "it's hot as hell below" when you're standing in freezing water), but they also added a few parts of the score back in that have been long gone from the show.

They also incorporated parts of the original novel into the movie, like the convent scene, or added stuff that explained the passage of time a little better, like explaining why Javert never recognized Valjean as the mayor on stage, or (briefly) bringing in Marius' grandfather.

I thought Anne was amazing and totally deserved the Oscar. Can Hugh sing like Alfie Boe? Hell no, but he was a wonderful Valjean. I think it was the first time that I ever realized how much "Bring Him Home" was more about letting Cosette go than it was about saving Marius. Even Russell...critically mauled as he was, he had to be the most sympathetic Javert I'd ever seen. I mod another message board where a lot of people were seeing it for the first time, and he was the one they couldn't stop talking about.

I love the stage musical, but I didn't want the movie to an exact replica of the stage musical. There needed to be changes, since it's being told in a whole different medium.

I think it's one of the greatest stories ever written, and as long as that story was told well, I'd be happy. And I loved how they told the story in the film.

 

[Deb in IA]

WOW!!! He is fantastic!

I'm always apprehensive to click on these vids. What if the person was awful? What do you say to be polite to the OP?

But, no worries here. Your DH has an amazing voice. Obviously this is where your DS inherited his voice from.

LOL!

Yes, I know. If it is awful, I try to say something like "Wow, that was memorable! That really made an impression!" and they can take it however they want . . .

Thanks for your kind words. I'd tell DH, but his head is getting too big . . .

 

[JenM]

Video of Michael Ball singing "Suddenly" in concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ra-9338IVao

I wondered why he didn't cameo in the movie, but I read that he was unavailable due to his schedule playing Sweeney Todd on the West End (which he just won the Olivier Award for!). But the Les Miz team let him be the first singer to record a cover of "Suddenly", which is on his new album.

He also hosted the UK premiere of the Les Miz movie in the UK. It was shown as a TV special in the UK that keeps getting yanked off of YouTube, but it's really cool! The interview with him and Eddie Redmayne is fun.

 

[superme80]

Video of Michael Ball singing "Suddenly" in concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ra-9338IVao

I wondered why he didn't cameo in the movie, but I read that he was unavailable due to his schedule playing Sweeney Todd on the West End (which he just won the Olivier Award for!). But the Les Miz team let him be the first singer to record a cover of "Suddenly", which is on his new album.

He also hosted the UK premiere of the Les Miz movie in the UK. It was shown as a TV special in the UK that keeps getting yanked off of YouTube, but it's really cool! The interview with him and Eddie Redmayne is fun.

Eddie Redmayne was fabulous! And I adore Michael Ball.

 

[Imzadi]

As the OP of this thread, I am so excited to say that my daughter will be a freshman at Otterbein University this fall. She will be in the BFA program in Design and Technology. I am THRILLED (and so is she) that one of her first (if not the first) show with her new school will be Les Mis!!!! And, one of her very dearest friends will be a junior at Western Carolina and will be doing Les Mis in the spring. Their production will be directed by Terrence Mann!

Congrats to DD!

 

[ugadog99]

Yeah, I think Anne basically got the Oscar for that one song (I Dreamed a Dream).

You know, I think your reaction is pretty common among those of us who have loved this show for so long, and have heard so many great interpretations - Colm Wilkinson, Alfie Boe, John Owen Jones, Philip Quast, Lea Solanga, Frances Ruffelle, Michael Ball, etc.

And when you have almost the entire score memorized, because you have listened to the various concert versions so much, the changes in the order and the lyrics really stand out - and for me, were a bit distracting. I kept thinking - Hey, that's not the right words!

But you know, for newbies, I think the movie was a powerful, emotional experience - much like it was the first time we experienced it. It is an entirely different feeling for them, maybe because they don't have that comparisons that we can't help but making.

Just my thoughts.

Absolutely agree.

 

[JenM]

Hugh Panaro and Norm Lewis will be playing Jean Valjean and Javert at a production at The Muny in St. Louis this summer. The rest of the cast (except for Michael McCormick as Thernardier) will be made up of university students.

http://broadwayworld.com/article/BW...21-Highly-Anticipated-Cast-Announced-20130508

I feel old...Hugh Panaro was my first Marius!

 

[ugadog99]

Alfie Boe "Bring Him Home" at the Memorial Day Concert....heaven....

 

[superme80]

Alfie Boe "Bring Him Home" at the Memorial Day Concert....heaven....

Alfie Boe opening his mouth to sing = heaven

 

[Mikelly1221]

Alfie Boe "Bring Him Home" at the Memorial Day Concert....heaven....

He could sing the phone book and I would be thrilled!