Top 10 Elphabas (IMO)
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Okay, so before I post this, There’s a disclaimer. THIS IS NOT A LIST THAT REPRESENTD EVERYONE, NOR IS IT A LIST THAT IS MEANT TO SHAME OTHER ELPHABAS. This list is simply my opinion of my top 10 favourite Elphabas, who’s performances I most enjoy. I think that all women who play Elphaba in any production reserve the right to call themselves superstars, as they are all extremely talented and amazing. If your favourite Elphaba isn’t on this list, I’m sorry and just remember that this is my opinion. So, without further ado, let’s start
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10 - Alexia Khadime
Alexia Khadime was the first ever black lead Elphaba, and the third woman to take over the role in the London production. Alexia’s portrayal of Elphaba is truly unique, and at times very poweful and endearing. Her vocalisations and also her personification of the character give Elphaba a hopeful and ver adorable side that often we don’t see with other actresses.
BEST SONG - DEFYING GRAVITY
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9 - Jennifer DiNoia
Jennifer DiNoia is a world renowned actress and a crowd favourite of Wicked fans. Jennifer has the distinction of playing the role of Elphaba more times than any other actress to play the role, in various different countried including both Broadway and West End. Her distinct voice and gorgeous tone set her apart from all other Elphabas, and makes her a very unique Wicked Witch indeed.
BEST SONG - THE WIZARD AND I
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8 - Eden Espinosa
Eden Espinosa holds the title of ‘Queen of Riffs’ amongst the Wicked family. Her creation of the ‘Things I’ve Never Felt’ and ‘Fiyero’ riffs in two of the shows showstopping numbers are two of her most renowned changes to the show. Eden’s powerful and commanding voice, and her beautiful style of acting, make her not only a crowd favourite, but one of the most famous amongst Elphabas.
BEST SONG - DEFYING GRAVITY
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7 - Willemijn Verkaik
Willemijn Verkaik is not only one of Broadway and the West End’s favourite Elphabas, she is also the original German and Dutch Witch too! Her smooth voice and ability to hit all of the notes without strain make her one of the best Elphaba’s ever to grace a stage at Wicked. Willemijn holds the record of most performances as Elphaba, over 2,000 performances in total. She is also the only Elphaba to have performed in three different languages (English, Dutch and German).
BEST SONG - DEFYING GRAVITY
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6 - Patrice Tipoki
Patrice Tipoki, one of Australia’s favourite Elphabas, makes a powerul Wicked Witch through her booming voice and beautiful riffs that fit in well with the music without distracting from the song. Her outstanding ‘Fiyero’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ riffs are two of her most outstanding vocal gems. Patrice is one of the most underrated Elphabas, ans is one that everyone who is into Wicked should listen to.
BEST SONG - NO GOOD DEED
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5 - Donna Vivino
Donna Vivino’s beautiful voice and her outstanding range set her aside from all other Elphabas and make her a crowd favourite. She embodies Elphaba, in her look, her maner and her voice. She is one of the only actresses to ever be able to make her Act 1 Elphaba vastly different from her version in Act 2, showing the clear transition that the character goes through. For this reason, she is one of the most treasured Elphies in Oz.
BEST SONG - NO GOOD DEED
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4 - Emma Hatton
Emma Hatton is one of the most memorable Elphabas that has ever graced a stage at Wicked with her presence. Her loud and poweful voice immediately establish Elphaba’s determined and strong character, but also her beautiful head voice in moment such as ‘I’m Not That Girl’ and the beginning portion of ‘Defying Gravity’ are unmatched by any ither Elphaba, and neither is her sheer volume. Her voice fills the theatre and is one of the most beautiful belts I’ve heard from an actress.
BEST SONG - DEFYING GRAVITY
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3 - Alice Fearn
Alice Fearn is the current West End Elphaba and has recently signed a contract to continue this position for another year. She continues to capture hearts in London’s West End with her beautiful renditions of the songs of Wicked, but also her ambitious acting and vocal choices. Her vibrato is unrivalled, and perfectly placed, as are her riffs. Alice understudied both Rachel Tucker and Willemijn Verkaik, learning from the two vastlt different Elphaba’s and sort of blending them together to create her own unique and beautiful character.
BEST SONG - THE WIZARD AND I
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2. Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Bean is everyone’s favourite Elphaba; her gorgeous voice and thrilling acting make everyone in the theatre rise to their feet at the end of each act for her. Shoshana is an actress who is able to present three different sides to Elphaba, the sweet bubbly girl during The Wizard and I, the determined and powerful woman in Defying Gravity and finally the wicked and fiery witch in No Good Deed. Shoshana captured all of our hearts when she took over from Idina Menzel and became the second woman ever to play Elphaba. And let’s just say, she did an amazing job!
BEST SONG - DEFYING GRAVITY
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1. Rachel Tucker
Rachel Tucker holds a special place in my heart. She was my first ever Elphaba, and in her long and glorious reign as the green girl, I managed to see her the most times out of any. Rachel holds the title of longest running UK Elphaba at two years, and rightly so. Her growly, powerful voice is both jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring to listen to. Her ferocious No Good Deed and Defying Gravity rule almighty as the best renditions of the songs I have ever heard, and I know many others will agree with me when I say that she has made herself a legend in the Wicked Family.
BEST SONG - NO GOOD DEED
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Thanks so much for reading my list. As I said at the beginning, this list is not for everyone, and it certainly is not me trying to enforce an opinion onto all Wicked fans. It is simply my opinion and a review of my favourite Elphabas for people to read, so they can understand my fascination with Wicked
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Thank you for reading! Have a Wicked day!
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Les Misérables
Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary: The Dream Cast In Concert - October, 1995 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean), Philip Quast (Javert), Ruthie Henshall (Fantine), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Michael Ball (Marius), Lea Salonga (Éponine), Michael Maguire (Enjolras), Alun Armstrong (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Adam Searles (Gavroche), Hannah Chick (Little Cosette), Paul F Monaghan (The Bishop), Anthony Crivello (Grantaire), David Bardsley (Combeferre), Matt Cammelle (Feuilly), Jérôme Pradon (Courfeyrac), Peter Polycarpou (Jean Prouvaire), Darryl Knock (Joly), Mike Sterling (Lesgles), Nick Holder (Brujon), Tony Timberlake (Babet), Stephen Matthews (Claquesous), Keith Burns (Montparnasse), Michael McCarthy (Factory Foreman), Jackie Marks (Factory Girl), Gareth Snook (Bamatabois), Andy Reiss (Pimp), Peter Polycarpou (Labourer), Glyn Kerslake (Constables), Beverly Klein (Old Woman), Christopher Howard (Loud Hailer), Halcro Johnston (Farmer), Adrian Beaumont, Alasdair Harvey, Alistair Robins, Allan Hardman, Annette Yeo, Cameron Stewart, Charles Shirvell, Christopher Coleman, Claire Machin, Claudia Bradley, Cliff Brayshaw, Craig Schulman, Danny Coll, David Alder, David Arneil, David Delve, David Malek, David Shannon, Egill Olaffson, Ellen Jackson, Fenton Gray, Gerard Leighton-Duffy, Glenn Carter, Grania Renihan, Gyula Vikidál, Hadrian Delacey, Helen Hobson, Henk Poort, Irene Warren, James Barron, James Head, Jan Ježek, Jeff Leyton, Jerzy Jeszke, Joanne Redman, Jody Crosier, John Barr, John Owen-Jones, Julia Howson, Julia Worsley, Krzysztof Stasierowicz, Kurt Ravn, Linda-Mae Brewer, Lynden Edwards, Mario Frangoulis, Mark Turnbull, Mark White, Martin George, Martin Scott Warden, Matthew Gould, Matthew White, Michael Burgess, Michael Cantwell, Myra Sands, Neil Couperthwaite, Nicholas Pound, Nicola Sloane, Norma Atallah, Paul Baker, Paula Simpson, Peter Ledbury, Phil Cavill, Philip Cox, Rebecca Storm, Rebecca Thornhill, Reinhard Brussmann, Richard Burman, Rob Guest, Robert Marien, Sara West, Sarah Hay, Steve Balsamo, Susie Fenwick, Takeshi Kaga, Tommy Körberg, Tricia Deighton, Øystein Wiik
NOTES: Features key performers from the original Broadway and London casts like Colm Wilkinson, Phillip Quast and Lea Salonga. Includes the encore performance featuring 17 Valjeans from various productions.
Les Misérables - 25th Anniversary Concert Live At The O2 - October 3, 2010 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Nick Jonas (Marius), Samantha Barks (Éponine), Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras), Matt Lucas (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Robert Madge (Gavroche), Mia Jenkins (Little Cosette), Earl Carpenter (The Bishop), Hadley Fraser (Grantaire), Jonathan Williams (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Killian Donnelly (Courfeyrac), Alistair Brammer (Jean Prouvaire), Jamie Muscato (Joly), Edward Baruwa (Lesgles), Phil Snowden (Brujon), Stephen Tate (Babet), Tony Timberlake (Claquesous), Keith Burns (Montparnasse), Jeff Nicholson (Factory Foreman), Grainne Renihan (Factory Girl), Valda Aviks (Crone), Cameron Blakely (Bamatabois), Peter Polycarpou (Pimp)
Les Misérables - Asia Tour - June 2, 2016 (Highlights)
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Simon Gleeson (Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Patrice Tipoki (Fantine), Emily Langridge (Cosette), Paul Wilkins (Marius), Kerrie Anne Greenland (Éponine), Chris Durling (Enjolras), David McDonald (Thénardier), Jennifer Butt (Madame Thénardier), Austyn Myers (Gavroche), Rachel Schier (Little Cosette)
NOTES: On My Own, Upon These Stones, Bring Him Home and two angles of the same One Day More
Les Misérables - Dallas - August 2, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master)
FORMAT: VOB (no smalls) (SD)
CAST: Nehal Joshi (Jean Valjean), Edward Watts (Javert), Allison Blackwell (Fantine), Dorcas Leung (Cosette), Justin Keyes (Marius), Elizabeth Judd (Éponine), John Campione (Enjolras), Steven Michael Walters (Thénardier), Christia Mantzke (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: A great capture of Dallas Theatre Center’s inventively staged production of Les Miserables. The much-talked about production did not disappoint; the modernized visuals create many new layers to the show, and make you think about events and characters in a whole new way. Nehal, Allison, Justin, and Christia were probably my favorites, but the entire cast is so talented, it’s difficult to choose any as standouts. A very nice capture overall. There are a couple quick dropouts in act one, but no major blackouts. There is one head that can be seen occasionally, but it only blocks a small portion of the stage and only affects the action for about 20-30 seconds of the entire show. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent as usual. Includes curtain call and playbill scans.
Les Misérables - Duisburg - 1996 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: Jerzy Jeszke (Jean Valjean), Hardy Rudolz (Javert), Cornelia Drese (Fantine), Deborah Dutcher (Cosette), Felix Martin (Marius), Sanni Luis (Éponine), Martin Berger (Enjolras), Tom Zahner (Thénardier), Anne Welte (Madame Thénardier), Willi Welp (The Bishop)
Les Misérables - Dutch Revival - Spring, 2008
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: René van Kooten (Jean Valjean), Wim van den Driessche (Javert), Nurlaila Karim (Fantine), Suzan Seegers (Cosette), Jamai Loman (Marius), Céline Purcell (Éponine), Freek Bartels (Enjolras), Gerben Grimmius (u/s Thénardier), Marjolein Algera (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Complete show, Amateur capture A, Double dvd
Les Misérables - Fifth National Tour - October 5, 2018 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Nick Cartell (Jean Valjean), Josh Davis (Javert), Mary Kate Moore (Fantine), Jillian Butler (Cosette), Joshua Grosso (Marius), Paige Smallwood (Éponine), Matt Shingledecker (Enjolras), J Anthony Crane (Thénardier), Allison Guinn (Madame Thénardier), Sam Middleton (Gavroche), Cate Elefante (u/s Little Cosette), Matt Moisey (Grantaire), Monte J Howell (Combeferre), Tim Quartier (s/w Feuilly), Christopher Viljoen (Courfeyrac), Patrick Rooney (Jean Prouvaire), Gabriel Sidney Brown (Joly), Andrew Maughan (Lesgles), Felipe Barbosa Bombonato (Babet), John Ambrosino (Claquesous), Steve Czarnecki (Factory Foreman), Ashley Dawn Mortensen (Factory Girl), John Ambrosino (Bamatabois)
Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - November 11, 2006
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Victor Hawks (u/s Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Éponine), Aaron Lazar (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Jacob Levine (Gavroche), Drew Sarich (Grantaire)
NOTES: A nice capture here of Victor as Valjean. The capture is a little on the dark side, but still enjoyable.
Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - February 17, 2007
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Éponine), Drew Sarich (u/s Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Jacob Levine (Gavroche)
NOTES: A really nice video of the first broadway revival. Widescreen. Cleaned up nicely in remastering. And it has Sarich.
Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - May 12, 2007 (Matinee) (jstarz's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Drew Sarich (u/s Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Mandy Bruno (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Ann Harada (Madame Thénardier), Stephen Trafton (u/s Grantaire)
NOTES: Filmed in widescreen (though encoded in 4:3, so there are bars at the top and bottom of the screen), this is a nice capture of some of the new cast members. Drew and Ann give great performances in their roles. The second disc also includes the first 15 minutes of the February 24, 2007 Evening show, filmed from the rear right orchestra.
Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - June 1, 2007
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Ben Davis (Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Marissa McGowan (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Ann Harada (Madame Thénardier)
Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - August 24, 2007
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Drew Sarich (Jean Valjean), Robert Hunt (Javert), Nikki Renée Daniels (u/s Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Megan McGinnis (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Chip Zien (Thénardier), Becca Ayers (u/s Madame Thénardier), Brian D'Addario (Gavroche)
NOTES: Some nice closeups/mediums. A nice capture of the new cast. Capture can be dark at times, but mostly in the darker scenes. Includes a technical difficulty when the Barricades first come out, the show is stopped and includes the announcement.. A-
Les Misérables - Fourth UK & Ireland Tour - January, 2019 (House-Cam's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Killian Donnelly (Jean Valjean), Nic Greenshields (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Bronwen Hanson (Cosette), Harry Apps (Marius), Tegan Bannister (Éponine), Will Richardson (Enjolras), Martin Ball (Thénardier), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Thénardier)
Les Misérables - Hollywood Bowl - August 9, 2008
FORMAT: WMV (HD)
CAST: J Mark McVey (Jean Valjean), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Javert), Melora Hardin (Fantine), Michele Maika (Cosette), John Lloyd Young (Marius), Lea Michele (Éponine), Tom Lowe (Enjolras), Sage Ryan (Gavroche)
NOTES: J. Mark McVey, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Michele, Melora Hardin, John Lloyd Young, Michele Maika, Michael McCormick, Tom Lowe, Ruth Williamson. Juni's master filmed in widescreen and can be a little shakey at times in tight zooms. Nice to see the audience version compared to the Proshot one. A-
Les Misérables - Japan - 1997
FORMAT: video | TRADER'S NOTES: Looking for a replacement link
CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Jean Valjean), Mayo Kawasaki (Javert), Hiromi Iwasaki (Fantine), Yu Hayami (Cosette), Kazukata Ishii (Marius), Minako Honda (Éponine), Kojiro Oka (Enjolras), Yukio Yamagata (Thénardier), Bibari Maeda (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Yamaguchi’s first of fourteen year as Valjean.
Les Misérables - Madrid - 1993 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Pedro Ruy Blas (Jean Valjean), Miguel del Arco (Javert), Gema Castaño (Fantine), Luisa Torres (Cosette), Carlos Marín (Marius), Margarita Marbán (Éponine), Enrique R del Portal (Enjolras), Francisco La Hoz (Thénardier), Connie Philip (Madame Thénardier)
Les Misérables - Madrid Revival - July 14, 2011 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Gerónimo Rauch (Jean Valjean), David Ordinas (Javert), Virginia Carmona (Fantine), Talía del Val (Cosette), Guido Balzaretti (Marius), Lydia Fairén (Éponine), Daniel Diges (Enjolras), Enrique R del Portal (Thénardier)
NOTES: Multi-Camera proshot
Les Misérables - Netherlands - 1991/1992 (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: VOB (no smalls) (SD)
CAST: Henk Poort (Jean Valjean), Ernst Daniël Smid (Javert), Pia Douwes (Fantine), Marika Lansen (u/s Cosette), Danny de Munk (Marius), Vera Mann (Éponine), Uwe Kröger (u/s Enjolras), Filip Bolluyt (u/s Thénardier), Simone Kleinsma (Madame Thénardier), Maya Hakvoort, Peter de Smet
NOTES: This video starts with the Les Mis flag and the last scene is a close-up.
Les Misérables - Paris - 1991
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Robert Marien (Jean Valjean), Patrick Rocca (Javert), Marie Zamora (Cosette), Jérôme Pradon (Marius), Stéphanie Martin (Éponine), Julien Combey (Enjolras), Laurent Gendron (Thénardier), Marie-France Roussel (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Act 1 + finale of act 2. This is 100% NOT Louise Pitre playing Fantine
Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - March 1, 2014 (Preview) (Highlights) (where is your red schaaaf's master)
FORMAT: MOV (HD)
CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Will Swenson (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Gaten Matarazzo (Gavroche)
NOTES: First preview. It includes most of the show. Loud excited audience. Blind shot from stage right third row, with no zooms. Keala Settle sprained her ankle at some point between The Robbery and One Day More, resulting in her not being in One Day More and using a cane during Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast.
Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - March 8, 2014 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Will Swenson (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Joshua Colley (Gavroche)
NOTES: Audience was full of excitement! The last 20 seconds are missing from the very end due to battery issues
Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - August 21, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Nathaniel Hackmann (u/s Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Joshua Colley (Gavroche), Mia Sinclair Jenness (Little Cosette), Angeli Negron (Young Éponine), Adam Monley (The Bishop)
NOTES: A fantastic capture of this lavish production. It’s refreshing to see different faces in the lead roles, and both Nathaniel and Earl carry the show well. Nathaniel’s vocals are powerful and he has a great rapport with Caissie and Samantha. A lovely capture overall with no obstruction. Look Down is mostly blacked out and there are a couple quick dropouts during The Bishop scene and Lovely Ladies, but the show is otherwise fully intact. There is also some washout in high contrast wide shots. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scans.
Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - July 1, 2015
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), John Rapson (u/s Javert), Erika Henningsen (Fantine), Melissa Mitchell (u/s Cosette), Chris McCarrell (Marius), Brennyn Lark (Éponine), Wallace Smith (Enjolras), Gavin Lee (Thénardier), Rachel Izen (Madame Thénardier), Sam Chuck (Gavroche), Joe Spieldenner (Grantaire), Weston Wells Olson (s/w Combeferre)
NOTES: Act I begins at "The Runaway Cart" and nearly complete Act II. Some obstructions, but audio is quite good. Rapson's last Javert.
Les Misérables - Spanish Tour - December 21, 2013 (House-Cam's master)
FORMAT: video
CAST: Nicholas Martinelli (Jean Valjean), Ignasi Vidal (Javert), Elena Medina (Fantine), Talía del Val (Cosette), Guido Balzeratti (Marius), Lydia Fairén (Éponine), Manu Pilas (u/s Enjolras), Armando Pita (Thénardier), Eva Digo (Madame Thénardier), Samuel Gomez (Grantaire)
Les Misérables - Tecklenburg - 2006 (1) (Pro-Shot's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: Chris Murray (Jean Valjean), Marc Clear (Javert), Jana Werner (Fantine), Barbara Köhler (Éponine)
NOTES: Different from the other video of this production; multicam proshot. Definitely a different performance too.
Les Misérables - Third UK (25th Anniversary) Tour - June 20, 2010 (thewho's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Madalena Alberto (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Luke Kempner (u/s Marius), Rosalind James (Éponine), Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Ashley Artus (Thénardier), Lynne Wilmott (Madame Thénardier), Jordi Clark (Gavroche), David Lawrence (The Bishop), Adam Linstead (Grantaire), David Covey (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Christopher Jacobsen (Courfeyrac), Rhidian Marc (Joly), David Lawrence (Lesgles), Carl Mullaney (Claquesous), Carl Mullaney (Bamatabois)
NOTES: Act 1 starts at At The End of the Day, Act 2 starts at Drink with me. okay quality though blurry and shaky throughout.
Les Misérables - Third UK (25th Anniversary) Tour - September 17, 2010 (thewho's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Christopher Jacobsen (u/s Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Madalena Alberto (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Gareth Gates (Marius), Rosalind James (Éponine), Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Ashley Artus (Thénardier), Lynne Wilmott (Madame Thénardier), David Lawrence (The Bishop), Adam Linstead (Grantaire), David Covey (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Peter Manchester (u/s Courfeyrac), Jamie Muscato (Jean Prouvaire), Rhidian Marc (Joly), David Lawrence (Lesgles), Luke Kempner (Montparnasse)
NOTES: Barbican Center Theatre, London. First time in history two same productions of a major musical played in the same city.
Les Misérables - West End - May 9, 1987 (House-Cam's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (SD)
CAST: Martin Smith (u/s Jean Valjean), Clive Carter (Javert), Kathleen Rowe McAllen (Fantine), Jacinta Mulcahy (Cosette), Maurice Clarke (u/s Marius), Jayne Draper (Éponine), Martin George (Enjolras), David Delve (Thénardier), Myra Sand (Madame Thénardier), Cameron Stewart (u/s Grantaire)
NOTES: Commonly mistaken as December 28, 1988! Martin Smith was part of the West End cast for 6 months starting December 1986, and the non-circulated first-generation DVD labels the date as 1987/05/09.
Les Misérables - West End - December 28, 1991 (House-Cam's master)
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Stig Rossen (Jean Valjean), Paul Leonard (Javert), Jenna Russell (Fantine), Sarah Jane Hassell (Cosette), Daryll Winslow (Marius), Meredith Braun (Éponine), Mike Sterling (u/s Enjolras), David Hampshire (u/s The Bishop), Amanda Dainty (u/s Factory Girl)
NOTES: Black and white. Audio is nice and clear. A more rare color version does exist. (Proof: https://youtu.be/KI_KHnLwk_k)
Les Misérables - West End - May 6, 2006
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Tim Godwin (u/s Jean Valjean), Cornell John (Javert), Kerry Ellis (Fantine), Julia Möller (Cosette), Hayden Tee (Marius), AJ Callaghan (u/s Éponine), Nolan Dark (u/s Enjolras), Barry James (Thénardier), Tracie Bennett (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Taper’s comments: Amanda and Nolan are better than the principles and Tim sounds uncannily like JOJ (Home Counties accent not-withstanding). He first understudied in 1999, when JOJ was the principal, which may explain the similarity. About half of the Chain Gang song missing and filming starts in earnest during Valjean on parole. Other parts missed because of ushers include several random one-second cover-ups, part of the wedding and about half of Finale. Heads in the way sometimes block the action on the lower right of the stage, but they are shot around well. Vantage point provides some interesting views such as of Fantine during Lovely Ladies. Wonderful performances from the entire cast but especially then soon-to-be-Elphaba Kerry Ellis.
Les Misérables - West End - September 19, 2013
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Daniel Koek (Jean Valjean), James Gant (u/s Javert), Na-Young Jeon (Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Rob Houchen (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Anton Zetterholm (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Wendy Ferguson (Madame Thénardier), Ilan Galkoff (Gavroche), Caoimhe Judd (Little Cosette)
Les Misérables - West End - June 14, 2014
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Daniel Koek (Jean Valjean), Tam Mutu (Javert), Na-Young Jeon (Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Dougie Carter (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Anton Zetterholm (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Wendy Ferguson (Madame Thénardier), Carl Mullaney (Grantaire)
NOTES: Final performance of the 2013/14 cast
Les Misérables - West End - July 9, 2015 (Highlights) (musicalmania123's master)
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Peter Lockyer (Jean Valjean), Jeremy Secomb (Javert), Rachelle Ann Go (Fantine), Zoe Doano (Cosette), Rob Houchen (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Bradley Jaden (Enjolras), Phil Daniels (Thénardier), Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Highlights only. Most of Act 1 and first 20 minutes of Act 2.
Les Misérables - West End - May, 2011
FORMAT: MP4 (HD)
CAST: Jonathan Williams (u/s Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Rebecca Seale (Fantine), AJ Callaghan (u/s Cosette), Gareth Gates (Marius), Samantha Barks (Éponine), Killian Donnelly (Enjolras), Martin Ball (Thénardier), Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier)
Les Misérables - West End - Spring, 2013
FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD)
CAST: Chris Holland (u/s Jean Valjean), Tam Mutu (Javert), AJ Callaghan (u/s Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Jamie Ward (Marius), Danielle Hope (Éponine), Christopher Jacobsen (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Vicky Entwistle (Madame Thénardier)
NOTES: Please make sure your copy isn't September 19, 2013!
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The Longest-Running Elphaba’s in the World: Backed Up With Data
Have you ever gone like, “Damn this person’s been Elphaba for a long ass time. Is she the longest-running Elphaba??? 🤔” And then you google and you see people saying Jackie Burns. Dee Roscioli. Willemijn Verkaik. Rachel Tucker. Jemma Rix. SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?!? Well folks, now that corona has given me time, I put this to bed with data.
First off, the basis of this is an extrapolation by counting days in the role. I did count the exact number of performances for one person in one run (ahem Willemijn in 2017) and she did 170 performances. The data puts her at 173 so it’s pretty close and I ran with it. For people who were standby first, I assumed that they went on 15% of the time (also extrapolating from Willemijn’s attendance in 2017) and the general assumption that 15% sounds reasonable.
LONGEST RUNNING FROM FIRST TO LAST PERFORMANCE
Here’s where I look at longest-running Elphaba’s by time in the role from their first performance or first day as standby to last performance. (I only sampled these people but I know some like Alyssa Fox already have more days between their first/last performance than Rachel.)
Jennifer DiNoia (4548 days and counting)
Willemijn Verkaik (3552)
Jackie Burns (3153)
Kerry Ellis (2970)
Dee Roscioli (2721)
Jemma Rix (2557)
Rachel Tucker (2497)
LONGEST RUNNING BY TIME IN THE ROLE
Now I’m only counting days in the role and disregarding any time away. For standbys, I’m counting the day they started, not their first performance in that run.
Jennifer DiNoia (2731 and counting)
Willemijn Verkaik (2083)
Jemma Rix (1972)
Dee Roscioli (1608)
Rachel Tucker (1407)
Jackie Burns (1313)
Fun fact: The longest break from the role in this list goes to Jackie Burns with 4.5 years (2013-2017). The rest did it pretty consistently. Both Rachel and Will had a break of 2.5 years (October 2012 - September 2015 and July 2014 - January 2017)
Tl;DR Data says that Jennifer DiNoia is the longest-running Elphaba by time period. But what about the number of performances? Jenny started off as an understudy/standby while Will, Jackie, and Rachel were lead for their entire tenure. Now we get into assumptions, extrapolation, and guessing.
LONGEST RUNNING BY NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES
Arguably the measurement most people use and care about. Like I mentioned above, days in the role is a pretty good indicator of the number of performances but we’re working with the assumption that they pretty much miss one show a week. Collectively, when you take into account vacations and time off, this might actually be the case.
Willemijn Verkaik (1864)
Rachel Tucker (1407)
Jemma Rix (1360)
Dee Roscioli (1321.55)
Jackie Burns (1313)
Jennifer DiNoia (1165.55 and counting)
HOW DID I COME TO THIS CONCLUSION: People like Rachel and Jackie were easy; they always did eight shows a week and they were always lead. So their number is the same as days in the role.
Willemijn and Jemma did six shows a week internationally (in DEU, NL, AUS). So I found out how many weeks they were in the role (divide days in role by 7) and then minus that number from their days in the role to account for how they only did six shows a week.
Jemma did four shows a week in Sydney where she shared the role equally with Patrice Tipoki and Pippa Grandison. So I found the number of the weeks again, and then added that to ‘days in the role’ (for the 8 performances a week). Then I divided the resulting number by 2.
For people who did any standby time (Jenny and Dee), I multiplied their days in the role as a standby with 0.15 (extrapolated standby rate that I came up with earlier.) Jemma got two shows a week as a standby so I multiplied her days in the role by 0.2 (2/8 shows a week = 1/4)
CONCLUSIONS
How cool is it that the three longest-running Elphaba’s in the world aren’t American?? (Ignoring the fact that international productions have far less turnover than Broadway)
Longest-running Elphaba in the world by performances: Willemijn Verkaik.
Longest-running Elphaba in the world by time: Jennifer DiNoia.
ADDENDUMS/DISCLAIMERS
The main question when calculating the number for performances is “how often did these performers call out?”. Some are much more consistent than others and this model just assumes everyone calls out the same amount. That obviously isn’t true but this is just an average. I don’t have the data to actually know their true rates. For example. if Jackie’s attendance is actually 90%, she’d have 1350 performances.
If you have any questions, see anything wrong/inaccurate, or are pretty skeptical and wanna talk about my thought process through this, feel free to hit me up. If there’s anyone you think should be counted here, let me know as well.
DATA AS OF MARCH 22, 2020
(If anyone wants to check out the math involved)
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