Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary

I saw this at the cinema three times and I am counting the hours until I get the DVD.

If you are a fan of Les Miserables, this is not to be missed.

I believe it is even better than the 10th Anniversary Concert. More of the actual musical is included, such as The Robbery. Lovely Ladies is in a more complete form. A lot of the little verses between songs is included, for example, Garvoche's introduction of the Thenardiers and the conversations between Maruis and Eponine. It isn't complete, however, some verses have been cut, most noticeably, Dog eat Dog, which in my opinion is no great loss as it is my least favorite song anyway.

The performances are all fantastic, although, Marius is a little weak. The little urchin who plays Garvoche is very impressive. The look of contempt on his face when he exposes Javert is priceless. Matt Lucus brings humor as Thenardier. Jenny Galloway reprises her role from the 10th Anniversary Concert and I think gives a better performance in this version. It is hard to limit discussion, as everyone was brilliant right from Jean Valjean to Jarvert to Cossette (Collette?).

I cannot recommend this enough.

In my opinion, no previous Jean Valjean or since have or will ever come close to performing this role with the unparalleled dynamic, powerful and heart breaking perfection of Alfie Boe. If I had rated this production on his performance alone, out of a possible 10 I would have given it the maximum allowed by IMDb's system. I give him 1,000 stars for the look, the voice, the acting ability, everything. I'll never understand why they didn't cast him in the recent movie version, as I didn't understand the casting of Anne Hathaway and good god...Russell Crowe??? First and foremost this is a musical, and as such, calls for top notch voices, not just pretty faces and box office powerhouses.

My exception to that rule is Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway. As the Thenardiers they were a joy to behold. So talented and witty. Their tongue in cheek portrayal of those two scoundrels was right on target. They deserved at least a 20 out of ten.

What can I possibly say about Lea Salonga as Fantine that has not already been said by just about every critic since her career began? I place her on a par with Mr. Boe in this production and always have loved her in anything she has done. As far as I'm concerned she can do no wrong.

Norm Lewis was wonderful as the always threatening antagonist Javert, hell-bent on hunting down Jean Valjean to the ends of the earth. He has a huge presence on the stage here, as he has on Broadway and television. Very talented and powerful performer.

Now, we come to why I did not give this production a solid 10 stars. First, let me say I take no pleasure in making negative comments. I prefer to accentuate the positive whenever possible, BUT the absurd choice of inserting boy band 'singer' (and I use the word singer loosely) in such a pivotal role baffles the mind. In my opinion Nick Jonas doesn't have the singing chops, the acting chops or the physical appearance this role begs for. If he didn't have his pre-teen fan base and had auditioned to be one of the hundreds of singers in the massive chorus, I don't believe they would have selected him even for that!

Every time I became immersed in the experience of watching and listening to this production, this miss-cast kid would pop up and *poof* the spell would be broken and I would think WHY would the producers of this monumental, prestigious event prostitute themselves and the integrity of this masterpiece of musical theater, a tribute to the artists who created the words and the music and those who so brilliantly participated in it over twenty-five years, by casting this role so badly? Bottom line; I would rate his performance minus 100 stars and bestow (if I could)a minus 1,000 stars for those who cast him in it.

So, there you have it. But for Nick Jonas, I would have given this production a solid 10 stars and the only reason I didn't rate it lower than 9 stars was out of respect for everyone else involved.

Every performance was impeccable. Many of the performers rival and in some cases surpass those of the 10th Anniversary Dreamcast. Seeing the show on the big screen with a bigger sound system really make the nuances of the genius score come to life. What is so great is the way they made use of soft split screens to be able to watch multiple performers' reactions and "dialog."

Norm Lewis, whose subtle facial expressions and genuine passion commanded the stage/screen, sang Javert with such power and depth that I actually, for the first time, empathized with his character. Alife Boe's Val Jean was brilliant, with an operatic quality. Samantha Barks shined as Eponine with a stunning vocal performance. Ramin Karimloo was a standout with his brilliant portrayal of Enjolras. I didn't quite understand the decision of casting Nick Jonas as Marius. He really gave it his all and had some nice moments in the sweeter songs, but lacked the vocal fullness and attack for the more powerful songs. It was adequate but uncomfortably contrasted by his much stronger, seasoned cast mates.

The occasional cut to various instrumental highlights was a wonderful addition and seamlessly included the orchestra as an important part of the ensemble. The encores with the original cast, backed by a chorus of hundreds was breathtaking. If you're a Les Mis fan, this movie is a must.

Beautiful concert version of Les Miserables, with an incredibly talented cast. Norm Lewis is a personal favorite and he makes a very compelling Javert. All the performances are strong, emotional, and very compelling. The only exception, being Nick Jonas. I'd like to be clear that Nick Jonas is not a bad singer, but when you put him next to so many infinitely more talented singers, his performance seems very out of place and weak. He sings in tune, but with no vibrato or natural projection. He is outshined by anyone he sings with. He is very much a pop singer and doesn't belong in this production. That being said, this concert was still very well done and very enjoyable. I definitely recommend watching.

I'm not an expert on "Les Miserables," but as a former opera singer, I am an expert on singing. The 25th concert celebration is very memorable.

Led by the rapturously voiced Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, the cast includes Broadway singer Norm Lewis as Javert, Lea Solanga as Fantine, Nick Jonas as Marius, Ramin Karimloo as Enjoras, Samantha Barks as Eponine, Katie Hall as Cosette, Jenny Galloway as Mme. Thenardier and Matt Lucas as Monsieur Thenardier.

The performances were filled with excitement, emotion, and beauty, with only a couple of weak links, one being Nick Jonas as Marius. He worked very hard, but his voice didn't fare well in comparison with the others. Since he's a member of the Jonas Brothers, it's obvious that the producers wanted to bring the youngsters to the theater. Judging by his applause, they succeeded. The other weak link was Matt Lucas as Monsieur Thenardier, whom I had trouble understanding.

The rest of the cast is terrific, with Alfie Boe passionate and sensational as Valjean, Norm Lewis, an intense, formidable Javert, Lea Solanga, a glorious Fantine, the beautiful, lyrically voiced Katie Hall as Cossette, and the British version of Lea Michele, Samantha Barks, a powerful Eponine. All of these singers knocked it out of the park with not only their vocal beauty but the emotion of their performances.

At the end of the concert, we were introduced to the original 1985 cast, the international tour cast, and the current cast, and we were able to hear Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones, Simon Bowman and Alfie Boe sang "Bring Him Home." There was also an appearance by Michael Ball, the original London Marius, and several others, as well as the composers, the lyricist, and the producer, Cameron Mackintosh, all very rich men.

The audience went crazy, and with good reason. The music of "Les Miserables" is very stirring and thrilling, and when sung and acted well, as it is here, it's a real treat.