#joan thiele
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Sono il tuo film preferito Dentro una colonna sonora mi hai sentito Ero io, ero io, ero io Oppure sono una figura magica nei sogni Vengo a trovarti io la notte, basta che mi spogli La voce poi sarà la tua, la tua, la tua E scriverò di te ancora mille volte Finché non mi troverai nelle poesie Cercami nella parole che ti fanno stare bene Tu mi troverai lì...
.🦋.
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Volevo solo un po' di follia
Che mi porti, porti altrove
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stamattina guardando in loop✨
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Video Revew: Les Misérables, 3rd National Tour, 2000, Act I (long)
In honor of Barricade Day, I’ve decided to re-share the review I wrote some time ago of an outstanding complete Les Mis performance from yesteryear. The multi-part upload I originally reviewed has been taken down, but the whole performance can still be seen on YouTube in a single video here.
This performance by the US 3rd National Tour (a.k.a. the Marius Company) was filmed at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, February 7, 2000.
Main Cast
Jean Valjean: Ivan Rutherford
Javert: Stephen Bishop
Fantine: Joan Almedilla
Thénardier: J.P. Dougherty
Mme. Thénardier: Aymee Garcia
Marius: Tim Howar
Enjolras: Kevin Earley
Éponine: Sutton Foster
Cosette: Regan Thiel
Grantaire/Bamatabois: Trent Blanton
Young Cosette: Stephanie Mieko Cohen
Gavroche: Christopher Carlson
“Work Song,” “On Parole,” “Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven,” “Valjean’s Soliloquy”
Ivan Rutherford’s Valjean lives up to all my positive memories of the three times I saw him onstage. His voice is excellent for the role: bright, rich and mellow, yet with a hint of grit that suits the convict, and effortlessly capable of both sweetness and power. Acting-wise, he’s subtler than some other convict-Valjeans, but still portrays a fully realized, nuanced and engaging character. Other actors are more aggressive to Javert and more visibly ecstatic on “Freedom is mine…” but Ivan’s portrayal seems a bit truer to Hugo’s Valjean, who was always a quiet, self-contained man and whose hardening from his years in prison makes him even less inclined to show emotion. Yet his anger becomes clear with his increasingly fearsome responses when others reject him. The growing darkness in him is evident when he shouts at the innkeeper’s wife, especially with how delicate, polite and frightened she’s portrayed as being. Then at the Bishop’s house we see him disturbingly become “a thief in the night,” as he plots the theft of the silver in a sneering, calculating tone, and then bows his head before the Bishop in feigned abject gratitude, only to steal the silver with a sneaky, quietly growled “…flight!” rather than a wild shout. The theft definitely feels like a premeditated, malevolent act rather than an impulsive, desperate one. Yet he still conveys sympathy-earning vulnerability too, with the abject, beaten dog-like fear he shows when the Bishop first approaches him and when he thinks he’s about to be sent back to the galleys. And at the end, he gives us a truly impassioned Soliloquy, full of rage, anguish, confusion, and ultimate determination to change.
Stephen Bishop was my first Javert and his performance here is exactly the way I remember him. Tall and imposing, with a rich, robust baritone voice, and just the right attitude of dignified condescension. Well I remember his snide, disdainful “No” in response to Valjean’s ‘Yes, it means I’m free!” I remember that Arlene C. Harris, the author of the Les Misérables sequel series Pont-au-Change, wrote in her review of this cast that his Javert was too smug, too much like ‘Gaston (from Beauty and the Beast) in a police uniform,” and I’ll admit I can see a little of that here. But at the same time, he’s very professional and avoids needless aggression. He’s the only Javert I’ve seen so far who doesn’t intimidate Valjean with his nightstick on “Do not forget me, 20601!” and despite his disdain, he hands Valjean his yellow passport in a civil way, not playing the games with it (e.g. smacking it against his chest, pulling it out of his reach at first, or dropping it for him to pick up) that other actors do.
The Bishop has a very nice voice and gentle, serene bearing, though he doesn’t make as strong an impression as some others.
The 3rd National Tour was always known for its outstanding ensemble and they do indeed seem excellent so far. One thing that stands out for me, though, is their subtlety. They don’t do too much shouting when Valjean turns aggressive, nor treat him with too much physical brutality. Compared to some other productions in more recent years, the crowd scenes are definitely understated here. But it works: sometimes less is more. That said, the warders in Toulon have a more brutal edge than in some other productions, noticing every time a convict stops working and either kicking him or shoving him with a gun butt. Even later performances in this same tour toned that business down.
If I’m not mistaken, the short and stocky yet gorgeous-voiced convict who sings “The sun is strong…” is Randal Keith, who at the time would have been understudying Valjean, but later became the final Valjean of both this tour and the original Broadway production, as well as the first Valjean I ever saw in 2001.
“At the End of the Day,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Lovely Ladies”
Joan Almedilla was my first Fantine, and while she’ll never be my favorite in the role, I do like her. In its lower and middle registers, her voice is warm, sweet, and excellently suited to the role. Unfortunately, when she belts in the upper register, her tone becomes nasal and strident, and this annoying quality becomes more pronounced as Fantine falls into poverty and disgrace. Still, her Fantine is solidly sung and effectively acted. After a soft-spoken, frightened factory scene, she vividly depicts Fantine’s tragic transformation, infusing “I Dreamed a Dream” with raw anguish and desperation, and then endures her slow degradation through “Lovely Ladies” until it culminates in her pitifully gagging from the strong drink the ladies give her and desperately stumbling into her laughing client’s arms, the re-emerging to sing a truly fierce, bitter final verse, her former ladylike manner gone. My only quibble about her acting is that, apart from holding her chest/stomach as if in pain (although that’s something, at least), she doesn’t do much to convey her declining health.
I like the way she kisses her locket after “He filled my days with endless wonder.” It shows that the locket was a gift from Tholomyes and makes the fact that she still wears it symbolize her dream that someday he’ll come back to her, which she renounces once and for all when she sells it.
Ivan’s Valjean has excellent new dignity in his brief appearance as Monsieur Madeleine.
The ensemble work is once again outstanding. The Foreman is just as imposing and nasty as he should be, while the Factory Girl is excellent in her initial feigned friendliness as she first peers at Fantine’s letter and in her true venom as she reveals her secret. The poor sick whore in “Lovely Ladies” seems genuinely agonized and the Pimp is a nasty piece of work, grabbing her by the hair to force her to keep selling.
You’ll notice a certain tall, thin young woman whom the camera subtly yet repeatedly focuses on, particularly during “Old men, young men, take ‘em as they come…” where she’s the fierce-looking whore in yellow striking an animalistic pose on the ground. That’s a pre-stardom Sutton Foster, whom we’ll see later in this performance as Éponine.
“Fantine’s Arrest,” “The Runaway Cart,” “Who Am ?” Joan’s Fantine is still compelling, even though her voice still tends to sound nasal. Her fear of Bamatabois and her screams of pain as he abuses her are heartrending, as are her pleas to Javert and her anguish over Cosette, but she also shows spirit and ferocity when she fights Bamatabois off and in her furious “M’sieur, don’t mock me now, I pray!” Yet again, though, she doesn’t make any real attempt to seem sick until she faints as the constables pick her up. Although I notice that just before that happens, she reaches out her hand – possibly implying that she’s already slipped into delirium and seeing Cosette. Trent’s Bamatabois is excellently nasty. The way he erotically strokes Fantine’s arm but then roughly yanks her to him makes it clear why she wants to escape, and his subsequent throwing her around and grabbing her by the hair is brutal.Stephen’s Javert still sings with a handsome, imposing baritone voice and cuts an appropriately stern, stolid figure. Ivan’s Valjean is dignified and generally reserved at this point, but still believable. It’s interesting that on “…that I am not your man?” he holds out his hands for Javert to handcuff then and there if he sees fit. His “Who Am I?” is excellently sung and conveys his inner turmoil subtly yet convincingly. By the way, is it just me, or does he look a little bit like Ernest Hemingway? Of course this is irrelevant to his portrayal of Valjean, but I just happened to notice it.
“Fantine’s Death,” “Confrontation,” “Castle on a Cloud”
Joan’s Fantine is poignant to the end. I like that she doesn’t lie still at the beginning, but turns feebly yet restlessly from side to side: it enhances our sense of her pain and delirium. Her deathbed desperation to ensure Cosette’s future is vivid and moving.
Ivan and Stephen’s “Confrontation” is very effective, with both initially remaining calm and dignified, but the tension on both sides gradually growing until it literally bursts when Valjean smashes the chair. They both sing outstandingly too. I also like the way Valjean’s threatening Javert with the chair leg is handled – instead of being intimidated, Javert just points his nightstick right back at Valjean, and for a moment they stand frozen in “Who will strike first?” tension. But then Valjean lowers the chair leg as if he suddenly feels ashamed of himself and is now choosing to be the bigger man and avoid needless violence. Unfortunately, though, Javert won’t let him avoid necessary violence.
The video skips ahead to “Castle on a Cloud” just as Valjean and Javert start to fight, so we don’t see Valjean knock Javert out and escape, or the scene change where our last sight of Fantine’s body is juxtaposed with out first sight of Young Cosette. I’m not sure if this is a technological error or if the filmmaker did it on purpose to make the scene change more cinematic. It looks more like the latter, though.
Stephanie Mieko Cohen’s Young Cosette is an appropriately sweet, delicate waif with an adorable little voice.
Aymee Garcia is a physically and vocally imposing Mme. Thénardier whose bullying of Cosette and cooing over Young Éponine are spot-on. I’m glad she was my first. (This is a recurring theme in this performance – by the time I first saw the show in 2001, the tour had a new Valjean, Marius, Éponine, Cosette and Enjolras, but Javert, Fantine and both Thénardiers were the same.)
“Master of the House,” “Well Scene” and “The Bargain/Waltz of Treachery”
Now we reach the Thénardiers’ Act I comedy showcase scenes with the first Thénardiers I ever saw.
By this performance, J.P. Dougherty had been playing Thénardier in this tour for over ten years and he would stay another two years before finally leaving. I remember from the reviews I read as a new fan that many tour followers were thoroughly sick of his performance by the end of his run. Fortunately, I only saw him in the role once, so I can still appreciate what he does with the role. I’ll admit that compared to other Thénardiers he’s a bit lacking in energy (maybe back in 1989 and ‘90 he would have had more), but he still manages to be funny and colorful without overacting – at least apart from his goofy high-pitched wail after “Like our own, M’sieur!”
As for another complaint that reviewers sometimes aimed at his Thénardier, that he was too comic and lacking in evil vibes, I don’t think that’s a problem so far. While of course Thénardier needs to become more sinister in the later Paris scenes, I think a genuinely amiable facade is entirely fitting at first. To a lesser extent the same is true for his wife. We should believe that Fantine could have trusted this couple to take care of her precious daughter, even if we can see how slimy they really are.
Aymee’s Mme. Thénardier is excellent. Brash, crude and funny, with a big, rich, attention-grabbing voice.
Ivan’s Valjean continues to make a great impression. He knows full well that the Thénardiers are conning him and offers excellent annoyed expressions and deadpan line delivery, as well as a flash of his temper when he slams the money onto the table after Mme. T.’s verse. Yet he’s so tender and sings so sweetly with little Cosette, and his big, hearty laugh and beaming smile as he spins her around at the end is infectious. He’s truly ecstatic to become her father.
It’s nice to hear the complete preamble to “Master of the House,” especially the subsequently-cut lines about Thénardier at Waterloo.
“Look Down,” “The Robbery,” “Stars,” “Éponine’s Errand”
Comparing this video to a video I shared in the past of the same year’s London cast performing “Look Down” and “The Robbery,” I can definitely see the ways in which the London production was subtly darker and more intense than the US tour. The beggars here don’t seem as harsh or as quick to turn on each other, the pimp doesn’t abuse the prostitute when he breaks up her fight with the old beggar woman, Éponine’s entrance has her cheerfully palling around with Gavroche instead of fighting off Montparnasse’s advances (although she and Montparnasse do have such a moment off to the side later), and Marius only jostles Cosette when he bumps into her, whereas in London he knocked her down. Not that this production feels tame in any way; it doesn’t. But there’s still a clear difference.
Christopher Carlson’s Gavroche is fine, but he doesn’t have quite as much character in his voice as I’d like to hear. He sings strongly and acts well enough, but he’s just a little bit nondescript.
Kevin Earley’s Enjolras commands instant attention with his rich, powerful baritone voice. His tone is slightly reminiscent of Michael Maguire, but decidedly less trumpeting and more elegant. Between his singing, his dignified ardor, and (on a shallower note) his good looks and Hugo-accurate curly blond hair, he definitely makes a strong first impression.
I like the touch of his giving a coin to a beggar woman on the bridge. It shows that Enjolras is no poseur or detached idealist, but striving to help the poor here and now as well as fighting for a better future for them.
Eighteen years before his controversial Phantom of the Opera, Tim Howar makes a likeable first impression as Marius, with his darkly shaded, gentle yet rich voice, and his warm interactions with Éponine and newfound passion for Cosette. The fact that he’s a fairly short man alongside a 5′9″ Éponine lets them add some fresh humor to their exchange in “The Robbery,” with her holding his book high above her head, out of his reach, until he makes her let it go by tickling her stomach, and to “Éponine’s Errand,” when he kneels before her to beg her to find Cosette, only for her to effortlessly and unsentimentally yank him to his feet. Of course Hugo’s class-conscious Marius and Éponine would never be so physically forward with each other, but in the musical it’s endearing.
This brings us to the person who, for many viewers, is undoubtedly this video’s raison d’etre: Sutton Foster as Éponine. Right away it’s no surprise that of all the cast members here, she’s become the biggest star. First of all, there’s her gorgeous voice. Then there’s her fully believable acting. Her Éponine is a true street urchin: tough, scrappy, intelligent, cheeky and playful, yet with brooding moments when she’s alone, and with (thus far) subtle hints of pathos yet not a trace of syrup. I like that she seems to deliver “Little he knows, little he sees” with a bittersweet smile: she wishes he returned her love, but is still happy just to know him and be his friend. The real angst will only come when he falls in love with someone else.
J.P. and Aymee still do a good job as the Thénardiers, although some of the others in other videos I’ve shared of this scene have been more distinctive.
Even though it doesn’t get a closeup, I notice one detail that I remember reading about in reviews of this cast. Regan Thiel’s Cosette doesn’t passively let Marius shield her from Montparnasse during the robbery, but struggles to break free from his protective arms and run back to her imperiled father. At one point she has both her feet kicking in the air!
Last but far from least, Stephen’s Javert is still as stern, imposing, driven and rich-voiced as ever. The dark lighting in “Stars” unfortunately makes him hard to see on camera during his own solo, but we can hear him perfectly well, and his sumptuous, impassioned baritone gives us a magnificent rendition of the song.
“The ABC Café/Red and Black,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” “In My Life”
Whenever Kevin’s Enjolras and Ben Davis’s Feuilly are in the same shot, I can’t help but think “Look, twins!” If I hadn’t already known that Ben was Kevin’s understudy, I would have probably guessed it from their similar curly blond hair. Since the actor playing Joly also looks similar to Tim’s Marius, whom he would have understudied, I assume whoever chose this cast had firm ideas of what they wanted both Enjolras and Marius to look like.
Kevin is a natual-born Enjolras. Idealistic, dignified yet passionate, stern yet devoted to his friends, handsome and Antinous-like in appearance, and with a gorgeous baritone voice. His sound combines some of the earthy power of Michael Maguire’s with some of the elegance of Anthony Warlow’s, so if you’ve always thought your ideal Enjolras would combine the traits of both, look no further. I also notice that as he goes around the café and sings, he touches his friends more than any other Enjolras I can remember. So many shoulder pats! It’s a small detail, but it does enhance the sense of intimacy between Enjolras and his friends, making him more than just an aloof idealist without detracting from his dignity.
Trent Blanton’s Grantaire is deliciously wild. The audience gives him a good laugh, and rightfully so, when he opts to perch on the back of Marius’s chair and drape his whole body over Marius on “I am agog, I am aghast…” Then we get the infamous “Don Juan” business, first with the rolled-up paper, then with the wine bottle, both of which are snatched away in turn by an embarrassed, indignant Marius while all his friends applaud.
Tim’s Marius is endearingly earnest and serious about his new passion in “Red and Black,” and then overwhelmed with joy when Cosette is finally within his sight. A bit too much so, as when Éponine is taking a moment to look at her former foster-sister through the gate, he inconsiderately grabs her and pulls her out of the way so he can gaze at Cosette himself. As Hugo said, love makes a man forget both to be evil and to be good. At least he means well, as a moment later he pours out his gratitude to Éponine and gleefully spins her around.
As far as I know, Regan was the first blonde Cosette in a replica production. I can only assume that a brown wig wouldn’t have suited her complexion. It’s a little bit strange to see her after both Fantine and Young Cosette were not only both brunette, but both Asian. Still, she does a fine job in the role. Her voice is a sweet, pretty soprano, although her vibrato is slightly heavy and her high notes are ever-so-slightly strident, and she fully inhabits the character, portraying her with a gentle, earnest demeanor, yet with spirit too, brimming with yearning and excitement for her new love, and convincingly angry and frustrated on “In my life, I’m no longer a child…” yet without being bratty.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I don’t care much for the way Ivan angrily grabs Cosette’s shoulders on “You will learn!” His Valjean always did this no matter when or where he performed the role. Still, it is clear how deeply he cares for her, and the warm, earnest way he grasps her hand on “There are words that are better unheard…” shows that he doesn’t want just to shut her down, but to make her understand that his secrets are for her own good. The shoulder-grab is just a burst of desperation when she persists.
Sutton’s Éponine is beautifully poignant in her few lines, and the ensemble work is excellent, as always.
“A Heart Full of Love,” “Attack on Rue Plumet,” “One Day More”
I remember from the reviews I read as a middle schooler that Tim and Regan’s Marius and Cosette were a much-beloved pairing. Not least because they were dating in real life, although it didn’t last long after they left the show. (Tim’s eventual first wife was another beloved Les Mis alumna – Ruthie Henshall.) At any rate, they offer a lovely rendition of their romantic duet: gentle, earnest, full of sweet disbelief and subtle rapture, and beautifully sung.
Sutton’s Éponine is touching in her quiet heartache,then beautifully fierce and powerful as she defends the Rue Plumet house from her father and the gang. I love the way she leaps onto Thénardier’s back to stop him from reaching the gate, and her raw, screechy scream is an epic moment.
It’s nice to see Éponine’s subsequently-cut exchange with Montparnasse. It’s certainly a good character moment for this Montparnasse (Matt Clemens, I think), who seemingly considers it perfectly normal to grope Éponine with his knife to her throat while talking about a completely different subject.
J.P. does an excellent job of shedding the amiable facade of his earlier scenes and showing us Thénardier’s ruthlessness. At first he plays the affectionate father he always has on “Éponine, get on home…” but when Éponine rebels, he shows his true colors as he yanks her away from the gate by her belt and snarls “Don’t interfere!” and then in the horrifying moment when he slaps her to the ground.
Kudos to Ivan for how panicked he sounds on “My God, Cosette! I heard a cry in the dark!” That’s the true voice of a father who thinks his child is in danger!
Unless I’m mistaken, Brujon is Randal Keith – my first Valjean a year after this performance. I think he’s also the unnamed student who carries Gavroche on his shoulder in “One Day More” (let’s say it’s Bahorel, though he wouldn’t have been credited as such).
“One Day More” is exhilarating, just as it should be.
#les mis#les miserables#performance review#bootleg#video#us tour#3rd national tour#musical#act i#2000#los angeles#ivan rutherford#stephen bishop#joan almedilla#j.p. dougherty#aymee garcia#kevin earley#tim howar#sutton foster#regan thiel#trent blanton#complete performance
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My current Agathario Spotify rotation
A few disclaimers:
who asked? no one lol but I need to share it because I am obsessed and my brainrot has reached critical levels
veeeery mixed songs because "what's your fav music genre?" has always been the hardest question to answer for me ://
feel free to comment or reblog with your Agathario songs, actually I'd love to make this post a huge communal playlist and then upload it on Spotify
emojy coded cuz why tf not
Toxic Love - The Beach 🖤
Black Magic Woman - VCTRYS 🔥
Take Her Down - Ruben Young 💔
Hypnotic - Zella Day 🫦
Bruises - Lewis Capaldi 💔
Little Girl Gone - CHINCHILLA 🫦
Go Fuck Yourself - Two Feet 🔥
Hold My Girl - George Ezra 💔
Take Me To Church - George Ezra 🖤
Gotta Stop Loving You - Stealth 🖤
Horns - Bryce Fox 🔥
Renegade - Aaryan Shah 🔥
Dynasty - MIIA 💔
Streets - Doja Cat 🔥
lovely - Billie Eilish ft. Khalid 💔
LUNCH - Billie Eilish 🫦
Save Me - Joan Thiele 💔
Burn - Marnik ft. Rookies 🖤
Dark Paradise - Lana Del Rey 🖤
So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek 🫦
abuse me - Ex Habit 🔥
I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys 🖤
Me and the Devil - Soap&Skin 🖤
BABY SAID - Mäneskin 🫦
the fruits - Paris Paloma 🖤
Which Witch - Florence + The Machine 🖤
NEW DROP - Don Toliver 🫦
Burn Your Village - Kiki Rockwell 🔮
#brainrot is def brainrotting#had to find something to do while I wait for our fav lesbians to be back on our screens#and to avoid gnawing at my own hands thinking about them#agathario#vidarkness#agatha x rio#rio x agatha#agatha harkness x reader#aaa#agatha harkness#rio vidal#agatha coven of chaos#agatha all along#kathryn hahn#aubrey plaza#agatha harkness x rio vidal#agatha harkness x you
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I'm curious, what kind of music do you listen to?
I grew up with a lot of music thanks to my father, who collected records that he always played. I love listening to 60s, 70s, psychedelic rock, but I do also love punk, grunge and goth music!
Artists/groups I love; The doors, Donovan, The runaways, Joan jett, Siouxsie and the banshees, Stevie nicks, Fleetwood mac, Cream, The electric prunes, The art of lovin', Electric light orchestra, Shocking blue, Kate Bush, Creedance clearwater revival, David Bowie, The Beatles, Mazzy star, Hope sandoval and the warm inventions, The mamas and the papas, The rolling stones, The sweet, Eagles, Billy Idol, Led Zeppelin, The hollies, Blondie, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran, Doe maar, The cranberries, The moody blues, The cramps, The velvet underground.
Being pagan, I also like to play these artists during the turning of the wheel to connect more with each sabbat; Lisa Thiel, Libana, Spiral Dance, Kellianna (elemental)
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Ma si è mai saputo qualcosa di recenti o passate fidanzate di colapesce? Chiedo per un’amica
My beloved salve, la richiesta della sua amica viene esaudita proprio ora! Ebbene, non si sa esattamente del suo passato a meno che io non mi sia perso qualcosa, rimane comunque una persona decisamente privata, MA si vocifera un qualcosina con Joan Thiele (voci di corridoio ci parlano di loro due che fanno "i tenerini" al concerto del primo maggio), poi io li ho visti con questi quattro occhi che ho in faccia sul palco per due (2) volte e non mi stupirebbe se questo vociare si rivelasse fondato
però, detto questo, il buon Dima è divorziato, se ti piace il genere consiglio di puntare su di lui
#mille anni di attesa anon ma alla fine ti ho risposto mi spiace beloved#smooch#frà risponde#in estremo ritardo#perché aveva gli esami e gli studi e i lavori e tutte quelle brutte cose che non dovrebbe fare perché il suo lavoro è solo guardare sanremo#e archiviare varie cose#comunque in tutto questo vi comunico che ho un vuoto a forma di colapapi e dimamma nel cuore mi mancano
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Source: the Bay Area Reporter, 20 July 2000
There was a time when the future of the musical theater looked like Les Miserables. Now it‘s starting to look like nostalgia.
This standard bearer for the humorless quasi-operatic epic is back in San Francisco after a seven-year hiatus, like a visit from an old friend who isn’t quite as fascinating as you once thought. The touring production at the Curran Theatre is a perfectly respectable affair, but emotional connections have given way to cordial appreciations.
Victor Hugo’s sprawling novel is recounted in the broadest of strokes, like a phonebook sized issue of the old Classics Illustrated Comics. But watching how the musical manages to coherently communicate such an expanse of storytelling becomes part of the entertainment.
Originally created as an outdoor spectacle for a Paris sports arena, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s sung-through adaptation of Hugo was massaged into a more traditional theatrical format by directors John Caird and Trevor Nunn. Even if the ubiquitous turntable and the other devices they employed are beginning to seem a little yellowed at the edges, the economy and grace with which the story is told remains an impressive sight.
The backbone of the show is Schonberg’s music that manages to lace battle hymns, lullabies, and personal anthems with a contemporary edge that doesn’t sound anachronistic. The music sounds important, but possesses a repetitive simplicity that makes it accessible in the moment and less interesting in the long run. The English lyrics that Herbert Kretzmer based on Boublil’s French originals can fall into simplistic rhymes and unexpected phrases like “What’s up?” but they fill the large emotional outlines set by the music. This is not a stripped-down production at the Curran, but a faithful replica of what’s been playing on Broadway for 14 years. The cast is a spirited, talented group that shows few signs of road fatigue. The sound, though, was often out of balance at a performance well into the Curran run. Ivan Rutherford as the noble Jean Valjean, Graham Rowat (subbing for Stephen Bishop) as the obsessed Inspector Javert, Joan Almedilla as the godforsaken Fantine, Aymee Garcia and JP. Dougherty as the comically sinister Thernadiers, and Diana Kaarina as their pitiful daughter Eponine all impressively inhabit their characters. But as the young hero Marius, Tim Howar can get lost in the crowd, and as his beloved Cosette, Regan Thiel comes up short with a lightweight voice and personality. Like all successes, Les Miserables was in sync with its times. But classics are in sync with all times. Victor Hugo’s novel is a classic. Its musical counterpart seems increasingly unlikely to become one as well. Les Miserables will run at the Curran Theatre through Sept. 16. Tickets are $17-$77. Call 512-7770.
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@fagmegumi tagged me to post 10 songs i listen to!
lonesome organist rapes page turner - the dresden dolls
relay - fiona apple
monna lisa - ivan graziani
american teenager - ethel cain
donna donna - joan baez
river deep, mountain high - tina turner
oh no! - marina and the diamonds
glitter and gold - rebecca ferguson
tainted love - gloria jones
scilla - joan thiele
tagging whoever wants to do this god bless
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