So first I have to say that this was Les Miserables, so no matter what issues I had with the production, it's still always going to be one of my all time favorite shows.
Right from the bat anyone who is familiar with the musical realizes things are going to be a little different this time around. The second the lights came up and I saw the first projections on the scrim, I knew this was going to be more like the movie than the original production I had seen so many times before. The order of the songs wasn't changed like in the movie, but many elements just felt more movie-like than the original staging. Honestly, many of these are little things that only a Les Miserables enthusiast would realize -- Valjean's hair, for example, is usually long and scraggly in the beginning and then gets shorter and tamed as time moves on. Here Valjean started with a shaved head (like Hugh Jackman in the movie) and wore various wigs later on. That's not necessarily a good thing or bad thing, just different. I actually like it that way better.
Also, I just have to mention that this was the first week of previews so there were a few line issues and forgetting to come in here or there. It will be interesting to see if anything changes in previews before they freeze the show.
SPOILERS AHEAD. I tried to be good, but there are a few things I couldn't avoid giving away.
The pros:
- Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean. He was stunning in every way. Yeah, there was one moment where he forgot his lyrics and sang someone else's part, then stopped and just waited until he figured out his words and then kept going, but it's previews so I'll forgive him. Holy shit balls though, that man can sing. His "Bring Him Home" was the best I've ever heard. The clarity and smoothness of his voice is unmatched by any Valjean I've ever seen. And I mean, he acted the part perfectly. He even came out to sign at the end of the show, which was a pleasant surprise since it was a matinee and I assumed he'd stay inside and steam his voice until that night. He was clearly on vocal rest, not speaking but smiling and nodding as he signed autographs. I was incredibly impressed by his performance, and him as a person.
- Caissie Levy as Fantine. This was the casting choice I was questioning most when I heard about it for the first time. Levy never screamed Fantine to me. Boy did she prove me wrong. Her voice was made to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" and it was utterly flawless. She didn't bring anything particularly new or exciting to the role, but her voice was unbelievable and it was different enough from other Fantine's I've heard to make it interesting.
- Javert's suicide. Will Swenson didn't impress me until this moment. It was the first time I'd ever seen Javert go mad in such a believable way. We truly followed his journey from sane to insane and this was the climax of that journey. I'm not going to give away the specifics of how they chose to do the jumping off the bridge bit, but it was certainly shocking. The whole scene/song was just a great moment and I thought Swenson redeemed himself and I understood why he was cast for that role.
- "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and the candles. Andy Mientus was nothing to write home about. Yeah, he's adorable and yeah, he has a sweet voice. This song though, this was his moment. Incredible. The way it was staged was remarkable -- there were candles around him, one for each dead friend, and when they appeared as ghosts they stood by the candles, blowing them out at a particular moment. I would go so far as to call the scene breathtaking. So Mientus really stepped up for that.
- Kyle Scatliffe as Enjolras. Okay, Enjolras is and has always been my favorite character in this show. I've always been fascinated by him and I always have high hopes for Enjolras when I see the show. This was the absolute worst casting decision I have ever seen on a Broadway stage before. Scatliffe acted like Marius' father, scolding him when he was late to the meeting, treating him like a baby. There was no friendship there AT ALL. The relationship between Enjolras and Marius is one of love, not romantic but brotherly and admiration and absolute love. Marius makes an incredible choice to "join [his] brothers there" rather than run after Cosette. In this production there was no chemistry. In fact, I don't know when I've ever seen such a freaking lack of chemistry between two characters before in my life. Like I can't even express how saddened and angry this made me. Enjolras is supposed to be a strong man, who is really still a child, fighting for a cause that he believes in so strongly that he's willing to sacrifice his life. From Scatliffe, all I got was an egotistical douchebag who didn't care about anyone else but himself. He was dragging everyone else down with him because of how badly he wanted to win, not giving a second thought about the "friends" that might die. Scatliffe and Mientus just didn't connect at all, and it was disappointing because I truly think that relationship is one of the most important in the entire show. Enjolras' death is the most iconic death in the show, the way it is traditionally staged with the barricade turning and we see him hanging by his foot with the flag draped over him. I felt nothing but "thank goodness" when Enjolras died here, and boy if that didn't make me furious.
- The set, set changes, lack of turntable. I really understand why they cut out the turntable, to update the production and make it feel new and refreshing. But, the lack of a turntable made me realize just how important it is to telling the story of the show. Overall, Les Miserables is traditionally a minimalist show in terms of the set. No way can that be said for this production. There were giant walls that were moving in and out and turning and just overall making the production slower than it had to be. My sister pointed out that the turntable helped show the passage of time, and she's right. Without it I felt a little lost, even though there were projections used here and there -- like in the sewers -- to show movement. The barricade is supposed to be the biggest piece of scenery, but it was overshadowed by the other giant moving pieces. ALSO, the turning of the barricade is so important, both with Gavroche's death and Enjolras, and we didn't get that. Enjolras was wheeled out in a cart after the barricade went away. No epic death for Enjolras then, okay.
They say that as an audience member at the theater you are experiencing everything with those around you, your fellow audience members. I really felt this here, and it was obvious that Les Miserables is just one of those shows that can bring people together.
Moral of the story, someone take me to see it again after it opens.
