#video recordings

[cometomecosette]

Standout Moments from "Les Mis" Recordings: 1985-'87

In honor of the 40th anniversary year of the musical of Les Misérables (not counting the original French version), and following the example of @professorspork's Great Wicked Watch, I've decided to do a Great Les Mis Watch and Listen. Over the course of this year, I want to explore as many complete video and audio recordings of Les Mis as I can find, both official and bootleg, in chronological order from 1985 to the present day.

I've also decided to draw inspiration from @professorspork's Wicked Punctum Project. In her Wicked watch-through, she picks out small moments (or "punctums") from each bootleg that stand out for her the most. I've decided to do the same thing for Les Mis. As with the Wicked project, this one will cover some moments I love, some I dislike, and some that just stand out as unique, But since I can't resist going on and on, I'm writing longer rambles about each moment, and instead of just one at a time, I've decided to share a few at a time.

Let's start with the recordings from the musical's first three years, 1985, '86, and '87.

Original London Cast Recording

The beginning of “Look Down.”

That’s right. My moment doesn’t involve Colm Wilkinson, Patti LuPone, Michael Ball, or any of the other leads. It’s the opening verse of “Look Down,” because the way it’s performed sums up the tone of the OLC recording. The tempo is slower than it would later become on Broadway, and the beggars sing their pleas in an intimate, understated way. It doesn’t sound like a grand chorus in a mega-musical: it sounds like real homeless people on the street quietly begging for help. The prevalence of rough-sounding, unpolished voices among them enhances this quality. At this point, the show wasn’t Les Miz, The World's Most Popular Musical, it was just Les Misérables, A Musical, as its original poster read. Not a polished, mass-produced theatrical hit, but an intimate, gritty, earnest new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel. At least that’s the impression the OLC recording creates for me, and the slower, more understated rendition of “Look Down” typifies it.

Honorable Mention: The fact that in "On My Own," Frances Ruffelle sings "This world will go on turning" instead of "His world..." At first, I thought she was just singing "His world..." with her Cockney accent, dropping the H, but having seen video clips of her singing the song, I can confirm now that she sings "This." It means that the final verse isn't about Marius anymore: it's about Éponine feeling excluded by and insignificant to the whole world, with her unrequited love as just one aspect of it all.

1985 London audio bootleg (original cast at the Barbican Centre)

Colm Wilkinson’s soft and gentle “You will learn. Truth is given by God to us all in our time” in “In My Life.”

This bootleg of the show’s original, nearly three-hour form is fascinating in many ways. But for me, the standout moment is a familiar one; Valjean’s response to Cosette’s plea to learn about the past in “In My Life,” which can be delivered gently, sternly, or even harshly depending on the actor. I prefer it sung gently, but I didn’t know what to expect from Colm Wilkinson in this early performance, especially because he sounds a bit stern in that scene on the Original Broadway Cast Recording. But that was probably because Judy Kuhn was a more forceful Cosette than Rebecca Caine. Here, he sounds impeccably soft, gentle, and fatherly on those final lines, which works perfectly with Rebecca’s always gentle, dignified, and sweet-toned Cosette. It’s also a striking contrast to the brooding intensity of his scenes with Javert. This early performance of Colm’s particularly contrasts the fire of Jean Valjean the convict with the calmness and kindness of his gentleman personas.

Honorable Mention: The different version of Gavroche’s death, which is more like the version on the French Concept Album. In it, Gavroche sings a reprise of "Look Down," in which he first dismisses the National Guardsmen as idiots and again insists that he "runs this town," but then gets shot and realizes he's dying ("They've got Gavroche at last"), and then sings just two feeble lines of "Little People" with his last breaths.

1986 London audio bootleg

Jackie Marks’ “HOLY GOD, IS THERE NO MERCY?!!” in “Fantine’s Arrest.”

This performance still features most of the original London cast, but with Jackie Marks and Simon Bowman having replaced Patti LuPone and Michael Ball. The standout performance is Jackie Marks’ Fantine, and the standout moment in her performance is this line from “Fantine’s Arrest.” It stands out because her Fantine has been an especially soft-spoken and delicate one; less passionate and powerful than either Patti LuPone before her or Randy Graff after her, and more girlish, frightened, and pitifully sad. Yet gradually, she reveals her inner fire and passion, first in the later verses of “I Dreamed a Dream,” but most of all in her arrest scene. When she sings her desperate, sobbing-toned pleas to Javert, and then wails “HOLY GOD, IS THERE NO MERCY?!!” with a raw anguish not heard from many other actresses, we know that this Fantine has truly been torn inside-out by all she’s been through.

Original Broadway Cast Recording

Randy Graff’s ad-libs in “At the End of the Day”: “Give me that letter back! Give that back to me! AAAAGGGHHH!”

The OBC recording has a unique rugged intensity to it, which I think is what makes it a “love it or hate it” recording among the fandom. Personally, I like it. This quality is typified by Randy Graff’s controversial Fantine. I’ll admit that her voice isn’t always “pretty,” but her warm and rich yet slightly rough timbre suits the character of a suffering woman, as well as the passion she brings to the role. Nothing sums up her Fantine better than her ad-libs during her fight with the Factory Girl, as she fiercely shouts for her letter back, then breaks into raw, strangled screams, presumably as the Factory Girl pulls her hair, twists her arm, or some such thing. It’s different from the first impression of gentle grace and refinement that other Fantines create, but it’s an honest and visceral portrayal of a poor mother fighting for her daughter’s life while facing unbearable brutality from others.

Original Tel Aviv Cast Recording

Dudu Fisher’s angry orders to Cosette at the end of “Attack on Rue Plumet” and Tal Amir’s distraught “Papa!”

This is a live recording of a non-replica production, with many unusual tempos, musical choices, and acting choices. One such acting choice is this one, which unfortunately stands out because I don’t like it. When Dudu Fisher’s Valjean resolves to leave Paris, he sounds more impatient with Cosette’s reluctance than any other actor I’ve heard, and shouts “HURRY, COSETTE! It’s time to close another door and live ANOTHER DAY!!” (Or rather, the Hebrew equivalent.) He also sounds a bit harsh with her in “In My Life,” but this is worse. Now, I understand that he’s terrified at this point, but still… I don’t like Valjean to yell at Cosette. I don’t like him to be harsh with Cosette. Rationally, I accept it as a valid acting choice, but it’s not pleasant, or how Hugo wrote their relationship. Still, I like the way Tal Amir’s Cosette responds, with a strangled half-shriek of “Papa!” as he pushes her into the house – a level of raw anguish at being torn from Marius that other Cosettes rarely give us.

Honorable Mention: Fisher’s Valjean sobbing uncontrollably over the students’ deaths after “The Final Battle,” with a violent coughing fit between his sobs to foreshadow his own death. That's a moment I do like: I can imagine it was powerful onstage.

1987 Szeged video bootleg

Vikidál Gyula’s tearful “Bring Him Home.”

No, believe it or not, I didn’t choose the end of "Who Am I?" That’s the most unintentionally funny moment, but the real standout moment comes later. This is another non-replica production, with some unusual musical choices. As Jean Valjean, Vikidál Gyula is a rugged-voiced rock singer with a baritone range, so he can’t sing the high notes with the soaring sweetness of other Valjeans. (This is why at the end of “Who Am I?” he shrieks “ONE!!!!!” in the most hilariously melodramatic way instead of singing the note.) How does he cope with “Bring Him Home,” then? He acts his way through the song. He cuts notes short, sing-talks some lines, wails other lines, and lets his voice crack and go off pitch. Through at least half the song he sounds as if he’s crying. It’s not a pretty rendition, but it vividly conveys Valjean’s desperation to save Marius for Cosette’s sake, and his anguish in knowing he’ll lose Cosette and in facing his own mortality.

Honorable Mention (Serious): Grantaire singing “If I die, I die with you” as a solo line, then clasping hands with Enjolras. Unfortunately, for some reason Grantaire is cast as a gray-haired, bearded old man, but at least they gave him this.

Honorable Mention (Funny): One guess. It never gets old.

1987 London video bootleg (Martin Smith as Jean Valjean)

Jayne Draper's Éponine rudely shoving Gavroche in "Look Down."

Usually, during Gavroche's lines about Éponine in "Look Down," one of two things happens. Either Montparnasse comes on to Éponine but she fights him off, establishing her toughness, or else she exchanges friendly, teasing gestures with Gavroche, establishing her lively, playful nature. Neither happens here. Instead, it looks like Gavroche tries to pal around with her, but she just shoves him aside before wandering off. Now, the video quality is abysmal, so we can’t see the actors’ facial expressions. Maybe that shove was more playful than it looks, or maybe it was protective – Éponine trying to keep her little brother away from the unsavory “work” their parents force on her. But I wonder if they were trying to make Éponine still seem like a rude brat at first, like she was as a child, only to reveal her sympathetic side gradually through her love for Marius. I just wish I could see her face clearly to know for sure!

Honorable Mentions:

*In the Work Song, Martin Smith’s Valjean shielding the “I know she’ll wait…” convict from being beaten by the warden. Even before he meets the Bishop, we see his heroic instincts.

*In "Confrontation," Clive Carter's Javert taunting Valjean with a "Yes, bring it on!" hand gesture when Valjean first threatens him with the chair, only to skitter backward in shock and fear when Valjean reminds him of his strength by breaking it.

[stone-cold-groove]

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission.

[soupevil]

Video of me trying to write the number 3 in professor layton game for 1 minute

[urskogsbullen]

[prokopetz]

The constant rolling disaster that is Overwatch's game development aside, what really perplexes me about how Blizzard is handling the broader franchise is their continual insistence that a canon narrative exists in spite of their equally continual refusal to tell anyone what it is.

Like, okay, the events of the games aren't canon. Fair enough: the games are multiplayer-only, and you can't account for player actions.

Oh, and the animated short films aren't canon either – they're properly understood as in-universe propaganda, not depictions of actual events. That's a little high concept for you guys, but fine.

But surely the comics are canon, right? Well, no; some of the comics (we're not telling you which ones) were canon at one point, but the writing team has decided to go in a different direction.

My dudes, what is left? The weird Source Filmmaker porn? Is that canon? Well, apparently it's at least as canon as anything else!

[glenhannah]

1978 Technology.

Flashback to the era of VHS, Super 8 films, cube flash cubes and Kodak film stock. Look at the features on that VHS player. It can record for up to 3 hours. I recall when 4 hour VHS tapes came out and you could actually record TWO movies on a tape. Later came Long Play (LP) a feature that could extend the recording time of a 4 hour tape to 8 hours. Do you have memories of this equipment!

Prices are Australian Dollars. See the Kangaroo!

Those early VHS players were big beasts weren't they?

[justiceavsolutions]

Revolutionizing Court Recording: The JAVS Advantage

In this guest post, we explore the transformative role of Jefferson Audio Video Systems (JAVS) in the field of court recording. JAVS has revolutionized how legal proceedings are recorded and reviewed, shifting from traditional methods to advanced digital solutions. Their state-of-the-art technology ensures high-quality, secure audio and video recordings, which are crucial in the legal domain where every detail matters. JAVS systems are not only about recording; they enhance the efficiency and accessibility of court proceedings, offering features like quick search, playback, and remote access. This adaptability has been particularly vital in facilitating remote court proceedings in recent times. With a focus on customization, JAVS tailors solutions to meet the unique needs of different courtrooms. Their commitment to innovation, security, and customer support positions JAVS as a leader in court recording technology, shaping the future of legal proceedings and ensuring the integrity and reliability of court records.

[mmxxviii]

everyone is talking about the sub dm prompt but i need everyone to know this will stick with me forever

i can’t stop watching it

[cometomecosette]

Standout moments from "Les Mis" recordings: 1988-1990

My Les Mis watch- and listen-through in honor of the musical's 40th anniversary continues. Now I've reached the end of the '80s and the beginning of the '90s.

Drawing inspiration from @professorspork's Wicked Punctum Project, I'm choosing specific moments from recordings (video or audio, official or bootleg) that stand out the most in my mind, and writing down my thoughts about them.

Complete Symphonic Recording

Anthony Warlow and Michael Ball’s “One more day before the storm…”/“Do I follow where she goes?” in “One Day More."

The CSR was my first Les Mis recording and it’s still the “default” version I tend to hear in my head when I think of the songs. It was almost impossible for me to choose a single standout moment from this recording. But after much internal debate, I finally chose Marius and Enjolras’s counterpoint in “One Day More.” Anthony Warlow’s Enjolras sings his call to arms with such burnished, dignified, stentorian fervor – the spirit of revolution embodied in powerful sound. And in counterpoint is Michael Ball’s Marius, with his equally rich and powerful yet “syrupy” (in a good way) and oh-so-emotional voice, singing of his conflict between love and duty. Their contrasting voices capture the two characters’ contrasting personalities in a beautiful and thrilling way. The moment is only made more exciting by chorus entering behind Warlow’s voice with “The time is now! The day is here” at the end of the passage, and by the symphonic orchestrations.

Honorable Mentions:

*Philip Quast’s militaristic, staccato “You have no rights! Come with me, 24601!” in “Confrontation.” No other Javert has ever sung that line so perfectly, not even Quast himself in the 10th Anniversary Concert.

*Ross McCall’s little cries, gasps, and struggling, pained voice as the mortally wounded Gavroche.

*Barry James’ wild, psychotic laughter as Thénardier as the end of “Dog Eats Dog.”

Original Vienna Cast Recording

Sona MacDonald’s sweet, gentle “Come to Me.”

If I weren’t specifying moments, I’d say that Sona MacDonald’s Fantine in general is the highlight of this recording. At age 27, she was younger than most other early Fantines, with a lighter, sweeter voice than was usually heard in the role at the time. This makes her capture the tragic youthfulness and vulnerability of Hugo’s Fantine, which more mature-voiced “leading lady” actresses can’t quite do. Of the specific moments in her performance, I finally settled on her death as the standout. Her voice is so gentle and tender, and of the Fantines I’ve heard so far, she’s the first Fantine from a replica production to sing the final note gently rather than belting it. (Riki Gal in the Israeli cast and Kútvölgyi Erzsébet in Hungary sang it gently too, but those were both non-replica productions.) In the musical’s early years, Fantine’s last moments seem to have typically been played as somewhat tortured – which admittedly is true to her death in the novel – but this version creates a sense of beautiful and well-deserved peace.

1989 Australia Day Concert

Anthony Warlow's Enjolras in "The Final Battle."

I’m sure that Warlow’s Enjolras is one of the main draws to this filmed concert. We all know and love him from the Complete Symphonic Recording and here we get to see him! His whole performance is outstanding: so impassioned yet stately and dignified, a true “marble lover of liberty,” and of course his voice is magnificent. But I’d say that his standout moment is “The Final Battle,” where even in concert format, we can tell that this is where Enjolras snaps. Up to this point, his passion has been a contained fire, fierce yet not wild. But after seeing Gavroche die and knowing death is imminent for himself and all his friends too, the breaks come off, and he ferociously roars “LET US DIE FACING OUR FOES!!! MAKE THEM BLEED WHILE WE CAN!!” and “…until the earth IS FREEEEE!!!” This change at the end is much more effective than if he had spent the whole barricade sequence yelling and being unhinged (e.g. like David Burt in the OLC bootlegs).

Honorable mentions (good):

*Marina Prior’s facial expressions as Cosette, especially in “A Heart Full of Love” and as she fibs to Valjean in “Attack on Rue Plumet.” She’s just so adorable and seems so young and sweetly awkward. Even though she was 27, she’s the first Cosette so far whom I can fully believe is a teenage girl. 

*The raw, anguished passion of Normie Rowe's "If I die, let me die!" in "Bring Him Home." I don't think I've ever heard another Valjean put as much into that line.

Honorable mentions (questionable):

*John Diedrich’s ghoulish face makeup as Javert.

*The fact that there are no costume changes for the ensemble, and the men all wear their student costumes, even in their earlier roles like the Bishop, the Foreman, or Bamatabois. As a result, it looks as if the Amis de l’ABC labor in a chain gang, buy Valjean’s soul for God, persecute Fantine, carouse at Thénardier's inn, etc.

*The fireworks in the sky that represent the gunfire at the end “The Final Battle” – that’s right, a brutal mass slaughter is represented by a display of fireworks, which inspire the audience to break into applause, as if they were applauding the revolutionaries’ deaths.

1989 London audio bootleg (Peter Karrie as Jean Valjean)

Jacinta Whyte’s fierce, growly “JUUUST the old man and THE GIRL!!” in “Attack on Rue Plumet.” 

With this bootleg, we hear the role of Éponine shifting decisively away from the original Frances Ruffelle model. Jacinta Whyte’s voice is clear, warm, and slightly brassy yet beautiful, without a trace of the “kittenish waif” sound that has defined most Éponine voices so far. And she doesn’t sound as if she’s playing the character as a kittenish waif either. While of course the previous Éponines have also been fierce and defiant in “Attack on Rue Plumet,” this performance takes that scene to a new level. As she belts out her defiance with a snarl in her voice (and follows it with an impressive scream too), it's clear that this Éponine is no broken bird, but a true fighter who can take care of herself on the streets. In the past I’ve head some fans credit Lea Salonga with being the first actress to make Éponine strong and feisty rather than waif-like, but they obviously never heard this one!

Honorable Mentions:

*Michael Cantwell’s annoyed, half-growled “Marius, you’re late!” as Enjolras in “The ABC Café.”

*A very young Mario Frangoulis as Marius just can’t get the lyrics to “A Heart Full of Love” quite right! First, he sings “A heart full of you” when it should have been “…of song,” which probably adds to the intense embarrassment with which he sings the next line, “I’m doing everything all wrong!” Then, much worse, he sings “Your name is Marius Pontmercy” instead of “My name…” :)

Original Stockholm Cast Recording

Karin Glenmark’s urgency and Tommy Körberg’s gentleness in “Come to Me.”

This is just a 21-track highlights recording, but I still managed to find a small standout moment. In “Come to Me,” Karin Glenmark’s Fantine belts “Look M’sieur, where all the children play!” (or rather its Swedish equivalent) in such a delirious, desperate tone, but then Tommy Körberg’s Valjean soothes her by singing “Be at peace, be at peace evermore” (or rather its Swedish equivalent) with utter softness and gentleness. Their contrasting delivery of these two lines perfectly capture the torments of Fantine and Valjean’s compassionate efforts to comfort and help her. Incidentally, I’ve just learned that Tommy Körberg voiced the Beast in the Swedish dub of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. While this album doesn’t convey much of his capacity for the Beast’s initial rage and ferocity– it unfortunately cuts “Valjean’s Soliloquy” and “Confrontation” – it most definitely conveys how lovely he must have been as the gentle, selflessly loving Beast in the later part of the movie.

[niidsch]

Pokémon SoulSilver ◇ 2009

[taylornation]

The anthology of work that became everything to us is nominated for five GRAMMYs… 📃 Album of the Year 📃 Record of the Year - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) 📃 Song of the Year - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) 📃 Best Music Video - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) 📃 Best Pop Vocal Album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT members are proud of you, Chairman! 🤍  Also, we couldn’t miss us. 🥹 Congrats, Gracie Abrams, on your nomination for… 📒 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - us. (feat. Taylor Swift)

[dylbennet]

dylan chillin moments

[goblinbugthing]

pov: that new cotl animated short

[maxedes]

as mentioned sky germany has three kids reporter this weekend & they got to interview max.

a short rundown:

- he was very cute with the kids (always cute talking german & cute with kids. so we got cute squared)

- the kids were so nervous (especially about asking for a selfie) but he was so nice to them & they seemed very comfortable once they started talking

- they asked who would drive for him & what the team name would be if he had his own f1 team. he picked lando & oscar as drivers & mentioned his sim team verstappen.com as a name.

- next question was who would play him in a movie. he said he‘d rather not have the movie but maybe leonardo dicaprio

- answer to his all time favorite driver is michael schumacher

- he looked a little lost about the question what his job would be if he weren‘t in f1. he said maybe a motor go driver.

- then max vs 1 kid drew the zanvoort layout while blindfolded. max won by a mile. he couldn‘t let the kid win if he wanted to.

- he let the kids wear his helmet & told them they looked really cool

- they wanted to know what the best & worst thung was about being a driver. best is driving & worst ist media (but he said with the kids it‘s fun, he just doesn‘t like the adults hahaha)

- he privately mostly drives an audi. i didn‘t catch which one exactly but it just looked like a standard svu (?). nothing flashy just a normal road car.

- the kids debriefed the interview together & mentioned how nice he was & that they had a lot of fun.

edit: link to the drawing challenge

[helpfulhellhounds]

bodyguard au anyone? process video here.

[image description: painting of jaskier and geralt sharing a glance as they walk together, with an urban backdrop. geralt wears a black button-up shirt, and jaskier wears a red blazer, white button-up, and crossbody bag.]

[themachine]