Les Misérables: The Staged Concert

Les Miserables has been my favorite musical since I first saw it in LA in the 80s. I've seen all of the Anniversary specials and concerts as well as several love stage performances and this one is by far my favorite! I was overjoyed when I found it on Prime! Alfie Boe and Michael Ball are phenomenal as always, but even the rest of the cast lives up to the hype. Don't get me started on Bradley Jaden...wow! The extra performances at the end of the curtain calls is just the icing on the cake. If you are a Les Miz fan or even if you've never seen it, I think this is a must watch!

Everything on the screen has paled in impact compared to the original stage production which I attended a number of times in the 1980s.

And the movie was the worst example.

Finally, this production does justice to the score and the original stage production.

My favourite version of Les Miz yet - despite it being only semi-staged. Most of the cast are spot on, though a couple of the male bit-parts could do with toning down the melodrama. I think this version is more frenetically paced than usual, giving it a great energy, but there are points where it could afford to breathe more. Boe's "Bring Him Home" is perfect and devastating. Fletcher is stunning. "Turning" is still useless. Women and gays will probably enjoy Enjolras in particular. I'll take the Albert Hall version of Phantom, and this version of Les Miz. If I owned the Hooper/Jackman version or the 25th anniversary version, they'd be straight in the bin. The charity bag. 8/10

Its a bit complicated to get your head around what the difference is with this staged concert and the normal show. But I think basically it was a pared down version of the show while it moved temporarily to a smaller theatre while waiting for the new Sondheim Theatre to be built. The sets are reduced and the stage and audience is much smaller. Why they felt it was necessary to film this version I'm not sure. But as with other Les Mis recorded versions it is a joy. However, I am not sure what it offers anything that the 1995 dream cast version and 25th anniversary version don't. Except perhaps Michael Ball as Javert, who is probably my favourite Javert I have seen. And it was very emotional when he reminds us that this is probably the last time he will perform Les Mis in the West End due to his ageing years.

This is definitely not to be watched as someone's first entry into the world of Les Mis. I recommend either reading the novel or watching more complete dramatic versions first (e.g. 2018 BBC), before moving on to the musical. And only once familiar with the musical should you watch this as a treat for fans 9 years after the last recorded version.

What a brilliant performance. Have seen all the different shows, this was as good as it gets