Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
List Price:
Our Price: $21.80
You Save: $14.18 (39%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $7.85 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDFormat: Cast Recording
Published: 1990
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: Decca U.S.
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Overture/Work Song
- Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven
- What Have I Done?
- At the End of the Day
- I Dreamed a Dream
- Lovely Ladies
- Who Am I?
- Come to Me (Fantine's Death)
- Confrontation
- Castle on a Cloud
- Master of the House
- The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery
- Look Down
- Stars
- Red and Black
- Do You Hear the People Sing?
- In My Life
- A Heart Full of Love
- Plumet Attack
- One Day More!
- Upon These Stones (Building the Barricade)
- On My Own
- Upon These Stones (At the Barricade)
- Javert at the Barricade/Little People
- The First Attack
- A Little Fall of Rain
- Drink with Me
- Bring Him Home - Valjean
- Dog Eats Dog
- Javert's Suicide
- Turning
- Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Marius
- Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast
- Les Miserables, musical: One Day More - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Upon These Stones (Building The Barricade) - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: On My Own - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Upon These Stones (At The Barricade) - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Javert at the Barricade / Little People - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: The First Attack - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: A Little Fall of Rain - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Drink With Me - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Bring Him Home - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Javert's Suicide - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Turning - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Wedding Chorale / Beggars at the Feast - Original Broadway Cast
- Les Miserables, musical: Finale - Original Broadway Cast
Free Music Notes for Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: A Spectacular Musical
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been a huge fan of Les Misérables for many years now, and while I do not own every version, I do have both the Original London and Broadway Recordings, and I have heard selections from the Complete Symphonic Recording (CSR) and the Tenth Anniversary Recording (TAR). Before I break it down by character, let me just say that any recording of Les Misérables is worth your money, even the highlight recordings are enjoyable.
Orchestrations - London. The Broadway recording is fuller and clearer, however, it is also a lot more rushed. Now, for certain songs like "One Day More", that works, but at other times it can be a problem. The orchestrations on London seem more refined, they're slower and you have to opportunity to catch more and experience it better.
Jean Valjean - London. Colm Wilkinson is the definitive Valjean, and plays him on all of the recordings with the exception of the Complete Symphonic Recording. On Broadway he is rushed too much, he speaks quickly, and tends to say every word like it is its own sentence; it ruined "What Have I Done?" for me. What makes Wilkinson the best Valjean, while he is good in the TAR, is exemplified in the London recording. He is a wonderful actor, and appropriately conveys every emotion needed for such a complicated character. His voice is full and powerful, and he hits some truly high and difficult notes with such perfection that he makes it seem easy.
Javert - Tenth Anniversary Recording. Philip Quast is by far the best Javert, without any questions. He performs Javert in both the CSR and the TAR tremendously. While the Javert from London, Roger Allam, is quite good, he leaves a lot to be desired, and I have a strong dislike for Terrance Mann's performance on Broadway, it felt weak. What Quast did that was truly impressive, at least to me, was that he took a character I never really liked, and made me love him. I was blown away by his rendition of "Stars" in the TAR, truly amazing. He fills the characters shoes perfectly, he sounds tough and intimidating, a truly complex and interesting character performed beautifully.
Fantine - This is a matter of taste. I prefer Patti LuPone's Fantine on the London recording, though all of the other Fantines are excellent as well. No matter which recording you end up with, you'll get a good Fantine.
Thenardier - London. Alun Armstrong plays Thenardier on both the London and Tenth Anniversary Recording, and he is spectacular. Yes, he does have a cockney accent, which is somewhat confusing since all of the characters are French, but he is still amazing. He performs Thenardier exactly as he should be, crooked, rude, conniving, and just a little bit skeevy. His renditions of "Master of the House" are just fun to listen to; you can see why that song is such a crowd pleaser.
Enjolras - Broadway. Even though I don't think Michael Maguire is the perfect Enjolras as so many make him out to be, he is quite good. He performs on the TAR as well, though he was vocally less than perfect there. His Enjolras is tough and determined and convincing, though Craig Pinder on the London recording is very good as well, and I've never heard the CSR Enjolras.
Cosette - Tenth Anniversary Recording. Now don't get me wrong, I adore Rebecca Caine's Cosette on the London recording, but Judy Kuhn is just a better performer. Vocally I would say the two are equally impressive, but Kuhn really makes Cosette seem so much more real. She's equally as good on both the Broadway and the TAR, but I would give it to the TAR, simply because Cosette sings many of her songs with Marius, and the Marius on the Broadway version is awful. A final note, on the London recording In My Life and A Heart Full of Love are not only lyrically different (and In My Life is much shorter) but they are all one track, entitled "Love Montage" which includes a song not present on any other recording I have seen called "I Saw Him Once". This song is absolutely beautiful, one of my favorites on any recording; it's definitely worth searching for and getting a hold of.
Marius - London! This is not even a question, there is absolutely no debate here, Michael Ball is, without a doubt, the definitive Marius, no one has ever surpassed him. I cannot say enough about his performance, it's powerful and nuanced, and you sense the conflicting emotions that Marius goes through at different parts of the show. His rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is truly breathtaking and heartbreaking, one of the most powerful performance I've ever heard. He is wonderful on the London, TAR, and the CSR, however, I would choose London only because it is the one I have listened to most. The only other Marius that there has been was David Bryant on the Broadway recording, and he is awful.
Eponine - Here is the only character where I'm not sure. Truthfully, I wasn't blown away by any renditions of "On My Own", Eponine's main song and one of the most popular from the show. The three Eponines are Frances Ruffelle on the Broadway and London Recordings, Lea Salonga on the TAR, and Kaho Shimada on the CSR. It really seems like there are four different portrayals of this one character (I didn't at first believe that Frances Ruffelle did Broadway, she sounds so different). I guess this comes down to a matter of taste. Of them all, I guess I would have to go with Frances Ruffelle on the London recording, her "On My Own" has an understated elegance, and it's quite beautiful, though Kaho Shimada did an excellent job as well.
As for the other smaller characters, Young Cosette is enjoyable on all the recordings, as is Gavroche, though the boy who plays him on Broadway for some reason bothers me. I guess if I could suggest only one recording, I would have to go with the Original London Cast Recording as being the best overall. Though some of the songs have slightly different lyrics (including "Stars", "Drink with Me," and "On My Own") it is never a problem, and you have to remember that the London recording was the first, and it is truly spectacular.
Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast) Poster
After Les Misérables became a huge hit in London, it moved to Broadway, bringing along two stars from the London production, Colm Wilkinson as the heroic Valjean and Frances Ruffelle as the despondent Eponine. Filling out this 1987 cast are Randy Graff (Fantine), Terrence Mann (Javert), David Bryant (Marius), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Michael Maguire (Enjolras), and Leo Burmester and Jennifer Butt (the Thénardiers). Whether you prefer the London cast or this one just might depend on which one you heard first, though minor revisions to the show since its London debut make the Broadway version more familiar to current audiences. In fact, the 10th anniversary concert might have the best overall cast of the lot, while the three-disc symphonic recording is a must for completists.Regardless of cast, Les Misérables has become a sensation. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score is filled with beautiful ballads ("Bring Him Home," "I Dreamed a Dream") and rousing anthems ("One Day More," "Do You Hear the People Sing?"), and Victor Hugo's classic novel of a student uprising in early-19th-century France provides a compelling story line that continues to thrill audiences all over the world. --David Horiuchi
Broadway & Vocalists Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Broadway & Vocalists Music CDs
George Shearing, Mel Torme - Elegant EveningSHEARING,G/TORME,M; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $7.05
Price in other shops:
Stan Getz - Spring Is HereRelease date: 1993-01-11; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Rosemary Clooney - Girl SingerRelease date: 1999-04-01; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
The Blenders - NogRelease date: 1998-10-20; Music CD
Best price: $9.70
Price in other shops:
Brave Combo, Tiny Tim - GirlTIM,TINY/BRAVE COMB; Release date: 1996-03-19; Music CD
Best price: $10.36
Price in other shops:
Belleville a Cappella Choir - Southern Journey, Vol. 11: Honor The Lamb - The Belleville A Cappella ChoirRelease date: 1998-02-10; Music CD
Best price: $83.93
Diane Schuur - Love SongsRelease date: 1993-05-11; Music CD
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
![Love Is the Thing [Vinyl] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Nat King Cole - Love Is the Thing [Vinyl]Release date: 1996-11-19; Music CD
Best price: $169.99
Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt: Greatest HitsRelease date: 1998-01-13; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis Jr - Sounds of 66Release date: 1996-09-17; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast RecordingRelease date: 2006-05-23; Music CD
Best price: $11.10
Price in other shops:
Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth - Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)Baker & Taylor; Release date: 2003-12-16; Music CD
Best price: $10.51
Price in other shops:
![A Chorus Line [Original Broadway Cast Recording] Image](/images/A-Chorus-Line-Original-Broadway-Cast-Recording-B001VRDRFQ-X.jpg)
A Chorus Line [Original Broadway Cast Recording]Release date: 2009-05-05; Music CD
Best price: $6.87
Price in other shops:
Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast)Release date: 1996-08-27; Music CD
Best price: $10.56
Price in other shops:
Evita (1978 Original Broadway Cast)Release date: 1990-10-25; Published: 1990; Music CD
Best price: $14.98
Price in other shops:
Alain Boublil - Miss Saigon (Original 1989 London Cast)Release date: 1990-02-02; Music CD
Best price: $18.02
Price in other shops:
Charles Hart - The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)Release date: 2001-02-06; Music CD
Best price: $18.36
Price in other shops:
Les Miserables: The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert HallWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-02-19; DVD
Best price: $23.99
Price in other shops:
Les MiserablesUniversal; Release date: 2011-02-22; DVD
Best price: $9.81
Price in other shops:
Les Miserables Original London CastAEC One Stop Group, Inc.; Release date: 2004-06-01; Music CD
Best price: $17.10
Price in other shops: