Opinions: Les Miserables

About two weeks ago I saw the musical, Les Miserables, and now, for your entertainment, these are my opinions on the production. What I liked, what I didn't like, and so forth.

Javert and Jean Valjean were both beyond amazing. The actors they got were so perfect. I mean, I would have appreciated it if Jean Valjean had white hair but that's really not a big deal, you know? It took a couple minutes for the actor to grow on me, at first I didn't like him but I quickly changed my mind. I loved Valjean in just about all of his songs. Who Am I? was particularly awesome. I just loved the part near the end of the song where the background opened up and became a courtroom. I also thought Bring Him Home was perfect. The only song with Jean Valjean that stands out unfavorably is his death. I don't know why.

My favorite character is probably Javert, he is the most interesting character, I think. Pretty much every other character is a very close second but Javert would probably be the best. I was so afraid before I saw the musical that Javert wouldn't be good and for the first song, maybe the first two songs, I was disappointed but it didn't take long before he grew on me and from then on I loved him. He was awesome. Stars was so perfect, The Confrontation was good, too. I love the scenes with him and Gavroche.

Was I the only person who did not like Javert's suicide? Everyone else was gabbing about how cool it was. The last stanza wasn't sung like he was seconds away from jumping off a bridge. Also, the jump looked ridiculous. I wasn't a fan. I'm sorry.

I love Musical Marius. He is so romantic. I just love him. (Michael Ball as Marius being super adorable. Marius enters at 1:00.) Book Marius is creepy stalker idiot, Musical Marius is a lot more mature and less...feverish? :P The actor that played the part in the show I saw was so talented. He blew me away. He was so good! Especially in the scenes after the barricade. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables was great minus the unghostlike ghosts. I was disappointed with the Ghost Revolutionists. That's the most heartwrenching part of the song and my heart wasn't wrenched. I was disappointed. :P

Speaking of the revolutionists, Enjolras (Ahn-johl-rah, according to Wikipedia) was very disappointing. I did not like him at all. He wasn't the Enjolras I love. I think it was because he didn't have the robust voice that the part needs. I had a hard time believing that he lead the barricade building and the revolt. He just wasn't the strong leader he was supposed to be. And he had unattractive hair. He made me sad. Tear face.

Speaking of disappointing characters: Fantine. :( In my mind, Fantine is pitifully sad, beautiful, tragic. (Yes, I am not a book purist when it comes to Fantine.) Here she was angry. Fantine wasn't supposed to be angry! I mean, not really. She was supposed to be tragic. Why was she not tragic? :(

Cosette, Cosette, I don't know what to say. You were so attractive and cute and you sang so well. People say that you have no depth of character but they are just jealous. People say the most absurd thing when they are jealous. I think you are cute. But, Book Cosette, how did you ever manage to find Book Marius attractive? Just wondering. I love the music that was played at your wedding. The Wedding Chorale is a great little piece of music. Probably the happiest moment in the whole three-hour play.

Piece of advice for whoever will take this advice to heart and act on it: the bullet that kills Eponine should be a real blank and not a recording. Suddenly she is laying on the stage, singing her last notes, and the audience is going WHAT THE? So, just some advice. Let me start this out positively: Eponine was fantastic in On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain. (The latter song is so sad!) However, I did not like her before those two songs. I was not happy with her relationship with Marius. Her and Marius were not supposed to be friends. She was supposed to have major crush on him and he was supposed to be embarrassed by her/avoid her. They were not friends. The fact that they were friends in the play really bothered me.

I would have loved to be close enough to see facial expressions. I would have loved to see Gavroche's face a little more. His death was so sad.

And little people know
When little people fight
We may look easy pickings
But we've got some bite
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'd better run for cover
When the pup grows--*BANG*

So sad.

The Thenardiers. Haha They are the comic relief of the play. They were both very good and I liked them. My favorite song of theirs is probably Beggars at the Feast. I like the song Master of the House but I didn't like watching the performance of it. The performance was nasty.

So the casting director was pretty awesome, made a few mistakes, but on the whole was very good. The actors were all very good, I and them differed in some ways on how the parts should be portrayed. The orchestra was brilliantly good.

Whoever did the sets should be knighted. The sets were amazing. My favorite was obviously the sewers, were Jean Valjean just walked around the set well the background changed. I cannot explain it. It was brilliant. I also really loved the garden gate set, it was a cute little set. I liked the bridge set (the bridge that Javert jumped off) very well also. Those would be my favorite three sets.

I want to go see Les Miserables again. :)