Les Miserables - not miserable but not great either

Les Miserables - Queens Theatre, London, 30th November 2011

I hadn't really intended to see Les Miserables. I hadn't managed to see Alfie Boe during its proper run (but I got to see him a year ago when he did a few shows before the anniversary concert though I just realised after the show who he was; when I went and people around got excited I just could not understand though he was for me most incredible and I cannot understand the negative comments about him) and since he left and Ramin Karimloo who hadn't impressed me in POTO neither as the phantom nor Raoul took over this Tuesday I wasn't sure whether to go. But as very little interesting was available at TKTS at a decent discount but this show I changed my mind and went. I managed to get a premium ticket in the dress circle in row B for normally 85 GBP for just 39 GBP.

Must say I loved my view, still stalls for me next time again!

Normally not a dress circle fan, but the seat was fantastic so after a magical afternoon watching Matilda I was off to the Queens.

I have seen Les Miserables I do not how often, it is not a show I could see twice a month or so but I try to see it (the London production) at least once a year to see the current cast. I have several other productions around Germany discovered thanks to this musical some of the most amazing performers I know in this country and it is a musical very close to my heart. The piece is just perfect, even with its imperfect moments and characters, for me, so I feel very strongly for it - so please excuse some of the negative comments to come - they are most probably just exaggerated by a fan of the show. ;-)

As said Ramin Karimloo had just started as Jean Valjean the day before so I was curious to see him, but I must say not something I was looking forward to as when he was in PotO I was not keen on him at all, neither as Raoul nor as the phantom. I never saw Lover Never Dies when the hype about him really started so it would be interesting to see how he had developed since.

It was also the first time I saw the show with the new orchestration from the 25th anniversary tour. While a lot of people raved about it, I am still not sure whether I like it or not. Yes, it sounds fuller and fresher but also a lot more "artificial" to me. But still nice to have that change.

Well Ramin... Sorry, but I really did not really enjoy his performance as much as I did others in the past.

Yes he sang greatly (though I really have an issue with his breathing technique and sometimes I was just waiting for him to spit his surplus saliva on the floor, so clearly I could him compiling it and swallowing it a second later several times, really bugged me by the end of the show. Some people have raved about his performance how special it apparently was but whatever they highlighted as special I have seen in others and I have seen it better. In his first scene(s) especially I could not stand his overacting when every word he sang and could support by a gesture he would use that chance and he was far too much shouting for me instead of being just the angry man during "What Have I Done?". I must say though it got less during the show and more bearable for me. Well I suppose some people like this kind of acting - I do not. I prefer Valjean to be more subtle.

His "Bring Him Home", normally a song which gets me all teary, totally left me cold, yes it was sung nicely, but he for me he focused far too much on the singing that he did not make me feel what he sang about. I still recall too well what I felt when I heard Alfie Boe, Drew Sarich, Thomas Christ... sing this but Ramin just did not cause that at all.

Hadley Fraser as Javert was okay. The biggest issue is clearly his voice. It is just simply not suitable for him as a tenor and it sounds so forced and pushed to the limits of its capabilities that e.g. his "Stars" is just not very enjoyable. His acting was also on the weak side. His Javert lacks authority, determination and dignity and just looks and acts too young.

I have in general no issue with younger Javerts, understudy Jeff Nicholson whom I saw the other year, was an amazing Javert but he had the confidence Hadley totally missed for me. What I like though about Hadley is that he gives his Javert a tiny bit more heart and is not a total ice block as some Javerts been I have seen.

Caroline Sheen as Fantine was rather weak for me. Fantine is one most emotional desperate and lost woman for me but Caroline unfortunately fulfil that only partly. Okay, it didn't help that I got quite tired during half of her part in the show, some stupid Spanish tourists next to me on my right thought it would be okay to use their mobile phones and some Japanese tourists to my left thought it would be acceptable to chit chat. With her being a very clear soprano she just could not transport for me this despair, the love for her daughter and the anger with the world through her voice but neither properly through her acting as she was too stiff for me - perfect am sure for Mary Poppins (who she played during the UK tour) but for Fantine, errm no.

I totally adored Craig Mather as Marius. Normally I cannot care less about that character as they are, as Cosette, usually so bland and dull, but Craig was the first Marius I could really connect to. He was so delightful, so touching, has a most superb voice, the right looks (sometimes they just look too old or just simply not right for me) and watching him and Alexia Khadime as Eponine when she dies and sing "A Little Fall of Rain" was most heartbreaking, just gut-trenching.

Or his "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" got me all tearing up.

Alexia, who has been massively been criticised for her portrayal of Eponine on various forums, is for me personally something special. I cannot understand the negative comments.

Her "On My Own" is okay, yes I have heard it sung better, she really should drop the random riff which does not belong in such a song really BUT I have NEVER EVER seen an Eponine with so much rage and grudge, but also so much affection and desire for Marius I felt in every pore and gave me goosebumps.

The other lady though at Craig's side, Lisa-Anne Wood as Cosette, bored me to death. I do not see often a Cosette anyway I like, which I mainly blame on the weak elaboration of that character but she sometimes more sounded like an Eponine would.

I just want a clear engaging singer, just as Gina Beck or Julia Möller were (both being adorable Cosettes), but not this. Cosette is for me a young innocent girl who is totally unexperienced in having such strong emotions and being confused when she feels love the first time so they would not shine through as much as they did from Lisa-Anne Wood for me. Okay, others might have a different opinion but this is how I feel about this character. It also didn't help that I thought that she sounded very unstable and insecure for the high soprano parts of Cosette.

Liam Tanne is also not what I expect an Enjolras to be like.

He was totally lacking charisma for me, looking more like a Marius actually despite the wig. Yes he sung nicely even though he lacked strength getting drowned by the orchestra a few times, but to be a leader I need a lot more. The last time I went to see Les Mis I got to see the perfect Killian Donnelly but Liam just could not deliver it for me.

The Thenardiers were fun, though I have been entertained more by the ones who played them in the past but they did their job good. The rest of the ensemble was nice to watch too. I missed seeing George Miller onstage who has been with the show for years. But since he is "just" swing I had known there would be a rather big chance he would not be on, still had hoped to see him as I just adore him. Well it was not to be on.

Well overall, despite me not being too happy with the casting it was still good to see this show again. The piece just speaks for itself to me, so I can survive a casting I do not enjoy that much - and the crowd around me seemed to like it. I will definitely return!