Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: Magnificent!
Hit: 5 Stars
I love this CD to death! I didn't want the 10th anniversary concert CD because I own the 10th anniversary video, and, frankly, it is not MY dream cast. I mean, really:"The Dream Cast!" It should be called: "The Very Good And Nearly Ideal Depending On Your Point Of View Cast!"Everyone is wonderful in this cast, save Marius. I like Michael Ball much more, but I can still live with this one. He just simply isn't as good.
I was fine with Randy Graff as Fantine, and her "I Dreamed A Dream" was nicely sung, but more full of emotion , making it just less than equal to my favorite Fantine, Patti LuPone, the singer/actress, while Randy is the actress/singer, in my opinion. I wasn't too hot on her last note of "Fantine's Death", and it sounds as if she died of bursting her lungs. A bit too loud and shocking for a bed- ridden, near-death Fantine. However, she is better than Ruthie Henshall, who seems to have no emotion and a rather nasal voice.
Colm Wilkinson, Judy Kuhn, Terrence Mann- all very good. Colm Wilkinson and Judy Kuhn are very good, and have become the quintessential Valjean and Cosette. Colm's acting is superior to his singing, in my opinion. "Bring Him Home" is good, overall. His falsetto is shaky in places, but that's livable. Michael McGuire is also a perfect Enjolras, and his section in "One Day More" is chilling!
Now, to Eponine. This one subject of everyone seeming to hate Frances and loving Lea is really killing me. Sure, Lea is nice, in Miss Saigon and Mulan , however. Her Eponine is nicely sung, and she's really cute, but where is her emotion? Where is Eponine's anguish, pain , and sometimes resentment, but the remaining unconditional love for Marius? Nowhere. Her voice is too formal, too "trained" for Eponine. She does not fit onto my 'Dream Cast'.
Frances is the epitome of Eponine, and, quite frankly, I am sick of hearing about how "squeaky" she is. She is one of my favorite female vocal artists, and I'd like to see her insultors get up and get a Tony for their portrail of Eponine! And at the age of 19! So, please keep your crude opinions to yourself. I never saw Lea get a Tony as Eponine! Frances exuberates emotion and the tragic beauty of Eponine, and has a beautiful, unique voice. She contrasts completely with well-trained Judy Kuhn, so her gorgeous voice is heard all the time. Lea just blends in with the other chorus girls. Her "On My Own" bores me, as does her"Little Fall of Rain". Frances shines with feeling and inner beauty(outer,too!), during "On My Own". Her "Little Fall of Rain" made me weep so that I couldn't listen to it for a while without breaking into tears. The poor girl! No one left to love her, and the one she loves most never noticed her, until her death, where she is in deadening pain, but radiant in heavenly and angelic Eutopia in her love's arms, at last! I'm crying now!
Other good people in the cast are the Thenardiers. Just good. I've heard better, heard worse.
The orchestration is very good, and every song shines, except yucky "Little People" with the so-so Gavroche and weak exclamation of "liar" before the song. He is strongly outshined by the adorable young girl who portrays young Cosette.
So, I say a wonderful CD that is just as good (better, in some aspects- Fantine and Eponine), as the 10th anniversary CD. A great buy.
Free Music Review: Best Recording Ever!
Hit: 5 Stars
If there were ever a recording of Les Misérables that could be described as "perfect", this is definitely the one. This has to be the most phenomenal cast that has ever been assembled to perform Les Misérables. Colm Wilkinson reprises his role of Jean Valjean, and his performance has only become more powerful since the London cast. Most fans would agree that Colm Wilkinson is the one and only true Valjean. Frances Ruffelle also reprises her role of Eponine from the London cast. She earned a Tony for her performance, and with one listening of this recording, it's not hard to see why. Her renditions of "On My Own" and "A Little Fall of Rain" are so incredible that they rank among some of the great Broadway performances of all time. When I first heard Terrence Mann in the role of Javert, I couldn't stop thinking of him as the Rum Tum Tugger from Cats. However, the more I listened, the more I appreciated his wonderful vocal range and his passionate portrayal of Javert. I finally have come to believe that his performance is better than that of Philip Quast's. Randy Graff is also incredible as Fantine. She sings with such emotion that you can actually feel the character's agony. Although Patti LuPone from the London cast was great, Randy Graff sings with much more intensity and feeling. It's really too bad that they leave out her arrest scene after "Lovely Ladies". It's hard to compare the Thénardiers in this recording with those of the other three English recordings because they don't sing with Cockney accents, however, I think that Leo Burmester and Jennifer Butt give great performances. While most people disagree, I think that David Burt's performance as Enjolras from the London cast was better than Anthony Warlow's on the Complete Symphonic Recording. However, regardless of which one was better, Michael Maguire from this cast blows them both clear out of the water. His voice is incredibly powerful and he brings across very well Enjolras' dreams of revolution and battle. Judy Kuhn is clearly the best Cosette, although Rebecca Caine was wonderful in the London cast. Unfortunately, she doesn't get much of a chance to show off her voice because the role of Cosette is very minor. If there was one thing I could change about this recording, it would be the casting of Marius. David Bryant's voice isn't bad, but he has no emotion in his voice and definitely is the weakest cast member. Then again, no one could really hope to compare to Michael Ball. Finally, Anthony Crivello got the recognition he deserved when he reprised the role of Grantaire on the 10th Anniversary Concert. Grantaire usually goes unnoticed, but his wonderful vocals are very noticeable in "Red and Black". Braden Danner and Donna Vivino as Gavroche and Young Cosette complement the cast very well and give great performances. The orchestra on this recording is the best. It is considerably larger than that of the Original London Cast and smaller than that of the Complete Symphonic Recording. The orchestrations flow well and complement the singers. The one major problem with this recording is that it leaves out so much important material. However, all around, this is an incredible performance of Les Misérables, and I would recommend it for beginning listeners and die-hard fans alike.Free Music Review: A Comparison of Three Les Mis Soundtracks
Hit: 5 Stars
As there are many Les Miserables albums out there, I've done a comparison of some ascepts of the three soundtracks that I own: the Original Broadway Cast (OBC), the Complete Symphonic Recordings (CSR), and the 10th Anniversary Concert (TAC).JEAN VALJEAN: Colm Wilkinson is by far a better Valjean than Garry Morris (CSR). Still, Morris is very good, it's just that anyone pales in comparison to Wilkinson as Valjean. Though Wilkinson is basically the same on OBC and TAC, I would say that he has a bit more emotion on TAC.
JAVERT: TAC outstrips the other two soundtracks by far. Philip Quast shows much more emotion in TAC than CSR. His TAC version of "Javert's Suicide" is absolutely stunning. Terrence Mann in OBC is a decent Javert, also.
FANTINE: In my opinion, Ruthie Henshall from TAC is the best Fantine. Her voice is very emotional but never strained (like Randy Graff in OBC.) However, Debbie Byrne in CSR is a HORRID Fantine. She has a pretty voice, but it is soft and weak and never changes.
LITTLE COSETTE: All three Little Cosettes are very good. Marissa Dunlop in CSR has the cutest voice, whereas Hannah Chick in TAC sounds the most pathetic, whichever one you prefer.
MME. THENARDIER: CSR and TAC tie in this one. Jenny Galloway of TAC is hilarious, whereas Gay Soper in CSR has a very good mean voice. Mme. Thenardir does not make much of an appearance in the OBC version.
THENARDIER: My favorite Thenardier is the OBC one. His voice is humorous but not overdone. Alun Armtrong from TAC is fairly good, too. However,Barry James in CSR overdid his voice to the point that you can hardly understand him.
GAVROCHE: Adam Searles in TAC is THE best Gavroche. His voice is so bubbly and he plays Gavroche with such enthusiasm. Ross McCall in CSR is pretty good, too, though a bit heavy on the Cockney. I detest the way Braden Denner mangles "Little People" in OBC.
ENJORLAS: All three soundtracks have excellent Enjorlas. Michael Maguire in OBC wins by a only a bit.
MARIUS: This is a tie between TAC and CSR. Michael Ball does an amazing job in both. David Bryant makes an OK-Marius, but he is emotionally and vocally weaker than Michael Ball.
EPONINE: This one is difficult, all three actresses have a different interpretation to Eponine. Lea Salonga in TAC is an angry and strong Eponine (downside: her voice is almost too pretty and she'd be a better Cosette), Kaho Shimada in CSR plays her like she is a sad and frightened little girl (downside: she is a bit too soft sometimes), while Frances Ruffelle in OBC has heartbreak written all over in her scratchy tone (downside: sometimes her voice is a bit painful on high notes).
COSETTE: Judy Kuhn is absolutely AMAZING in OBC. She does well in TAC, too, but her high C in "A Heart Full of Love" sounds a bit off. Tracy Shayne of CSR has a girlier-sounding voice than Judy Kuhn, but I find it annoying and shrill.
OVERALL: My favorite Les Mis Soundtrack is the TAC because it does not contain a weak spot in the cast. CSR is good because they include a lot of material that you don't get to hear on other soundtracks. The OBC displays some of the TAC cast at their best.
BOTTOM LINE: You can't go wrong getting either CD.
Free Music Review: How can people say such things about this recording?
Hit: 5 Stars
I only went on Amazon.com to find out who was playing Fantine in this recording (my booklet for it fell apart long, long ago) and I was amazed by the slander going on, and the constant plugging of the CSR and the TACR. Gahh.
I got into Les Mis in 1st grade when my friend played Castle on a Cloud over the phone for me, and I was so enchanted that I bought highlights of the Original London Recording. I remember hating Fantine and loving Cosette. Then in 5th grade or so I bought the full OBC and it was switched... loved Fantine, hated Cosette. Well, now I love both Fantine and Cosette, but I digress.
I got Les Mis in Concert in 7th grade or so, got the CSR last year, then got the complete version of the OLCR not too long ago. I cannot say that I prefer one over the other, honestly. Each has its ups and downs, and it's best for me to combine them. I'll go through each part, as others seem to be doing, and evaluate performances compared to the other recordings.
Valjean - I saw someone here say Gary Morris is better than Colm Wilkinson. That makes me very, very sad. Colm Wilkinson is THE Valjean. As for which performance of his is better, it depends on the song. While I prefer OLC's "What Have I Done," in general I prefer him on the OBC(for example, "Who Am I?")
Javert - I have no preference on Quast or Mann. The guy from the OLC doesn't act enough for my taste. That's the main problem with the OLC IMO, they're too focused on just singing (except for Colm, he tries his hardest to act.)
Fantine - Definitely whoever played her in the CSR. But I really have no problem with Randy like everyone else seems to. As for Patti Lupone, I wasn't horribly impressed. I'm a big fan of Ruthie Henshall, but I still like CSR Fantine better.
Thenardiers - Am I the ONLY one who hates the Cockney accents in the OLC? This is France, not England! And CSR is just "ugh." So, definitely the OBC. I may be biased because I saw Jennifer Butt perform the role, but hey.
Enjolras - NO ONE compares to Anthony Warlow. Michael MacGuire is good of course, but Warlow is hard to beat.
Marius - I actually agree that Michael Ball is the best. His rendition of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables touches me everytime.
Eponine - Now, while I ADORE Lea Salonga, I just don't think she is right for Eponine. Nor do I like Frances Ruffle. The best Eponine I've heard recorded is Kaho Shimada. I LOVE her portrayal, and it's even more impressive because she didn't know English at the time.
Cosette - CSR because she sounds so sweet and young, actually sounds fifteen for once. But I do love Judy Kuhn in the role too. As for the girl in the OLC, ugh, no.
Really, don't listen to people who tell you which soundtrack to buy. Everyone is different. And maybe you'll be like me and like to mix them all to create your ideal recording. I dunno. But I really don't agree with these people who are saying "All you need is the TARC and the CSR" because the TARC cuts out a lot and the CSR's Valjean is just cringe-inducing horrible.
Free Music Review: THE BEST RECORDING OF LES MIS!! IT SENDS CHILLS UP MY SPINE!
Hit: 5 Stars
This original broadway cast recording wins the Mizziy Award 4 being the best reordng of the show! .. Colm wilkinson sounds best on this album, he has never sounded better (not even on the TAC)! this may be because on the TAC he sounds too old .. on the OLC to young, but he is perfect on this rendition.. his "who am I" on this recording is send chills up my spine every time i listen to it.Terrace Mann as javert, Terry Mann is a great javert .. he makes him sound .. human.. That is the Javert Hugo wrote of.. i think that terrace mann is even better that Phillip quast .. but dont get me wrong, Quast is only slightly less than mann, on the count of how quast speaks most of his lines rather than siniging them. when i first hear mann sing javert suacide.. i had not yet seen the show.. the song still gave me the hibbie jebbies.. it was wonderful! Mann also has wonderful diction wich shows best in the prologe talking to valjean.. he uses his wonerful voice to make the his part of the prolougue a rythimic and fun thing to hear .. unlike phillip quast. Mann does a outstanding job of playing my FAVORITE CHARECTER!
Randy Graff as Fantine, was wonderful. also potraying the darkness and sadness that hugo created the cheracter with.. her "i dreamed a dream" is amazing.. she is as good as lupone ..
and some will prefer Lupone to Graff.. it just depends on your personal prefrence.
Jennifer Butt as madame tenerdier, was okay.. i personall prefer Sue jane tanner (OLC) to her .. Butt just sounds to perfect and Uppity for Madame tenerdier.. but still she is great.. just not the best....
Leo Brumster as Tenerdier , once again created a charecter that matched hugo's, he is the only tenerdier able to be gruff, not cokney, and still be hilarious.. he makes master of the house the best ever recorded! (most of them like alun armstrong and Barry james are too Slap Stick and un funny).. but brumster is amazingly funny... if it werent for terry man he would steel the show!
Francis Ruffille as eponine, she sounds wonderful on this recording .. better than on the OLC! enough said.. i was amazed at her "on My Own".
David bryant as marius, was though most people SAY he was bad, WAS AMAZING he beast Michael ball hands down Bryant .. againg is Hugos Marius.. potraying the deep bravary that Marius was ment to have.
Michel Maguire as enjolras, was also Hugos enjolras.. potraying the bravary of enjolras.. the only poroblem with him is that he seems to think.. enjolras should not think.. but KNOW! but still he is great .. toped only by Anthony WarLowe (Complete symphonic recording)
Branden Danner as gavvie, was the best i have ever heard.. and yes once again potraying the charecter that hugo wrote of.. he sounds adolesent and mature will still being Gavvie GO BRANDAN!
Enough said i willl end my review here .. (wich could go on praising for ages)! but i will say that this is the only recording of Hugos charecters and it is worth every penny! you will never stop listing to this Jem.
PS> if uve ever listened to another les mis recording .. opun first listing to this u may not like it IT WILL GROW ON YOU I PROMISE!