25th Anniversary Les Mis
With the news that the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Mis is going to be shown in cinemas across the world I've given in and bought a ticket. I'm not over the moon about all of the casting choices, especially given the wonderful people involved in the 25th anniversary tour cast, but this is Les Mis and it has always meant the world to me. Thinking about dates I realised that I'm 24 and the big Tenth Anniversary Cast Recording would have been fifteen years ago! Despite my terrible memory I do have memories of lip synching or singing along to the cast before that, the London cast, so I couldn't have been more than nine years old. That's how important this show is to me. I remember being nine and dressing up in an old trench coat singing about unrequited love before I even had crushes on boys and I remember my neighbour grabbing a broom from the garage for Castle on a Cloud.
I love a lot of television shows, especially Buffy of course, but Les Mis is my oldest and truest obsession. It comes and goes in strength but not a year goes by where I don't listen to it, watch the TAC video, or sing it so I needed to be involved in this show.
The casting is largely unknown factors for me. I've gotten over the disappointment of Nick Jonas being cast. I'm sure he's not bad and Marius is a part often stunt cast. It would hardly be fair for me to criticize the Jonas brother when I was all for pop idol runner up Gareth Gates. From what I hear he does an okay job of it and that's fine. There are some old hats at their parts in the form of the always fab Lea Salonga as Fantine (Finally someone who won't ruin I Dreamed a Dream!), Jenny Galloway, and Broadway Javert Norm Lewis and now Katie Hall (Tour Cosette) has stepped in to play that role. Why they would get some tenor who has never played the role for Valjean I have to say absolutely BAFFLES me when the remarkable John Owen Jones is involved and yes I can't even really complain about Enjolras since I'm a great fan of Canadian Ramin Karimloo and went to see Phantom of the Opera for him when I was in London (FANTASTIC by the way) and he's the only reason I didn't complete dismiss Love Never Dies out of the gate. I know he'll be wonderful.
Why do I still feel a little empty about this whole thing then? Two words: DAVID THAXTON. It's stupid. I really shouldn't care, but he IS Enjolras to me. He completely embodies the role and for two years he became that character every night. There have been other wonderful Enjolrases (Enjolrai?) and I'm fond of Ramin and many of the others who have played the role, but Thaxton has spoiled me for other men in this role. He's blonde, passionate, and feels authentic with the most gorgeous voice that just soars over those notes.
However, he's not a name and I can even (sort of) understand why they would pick Ramin for Enjolras in this concert. Ramin is tall dark and handsome, he's fairly well known now that he's originated the role of the Phantom in Love Never Dies, etc. What I can't seem to get over is Thaxton not being involved at all with the 25th Anniversary. The actors from other casts and people who have played the role before all have parts to play, whether it's just in the ensemble or not. It won't feel right without him. This is all incredibly ridiculous because I have no idea if the guy was contacted and didn't want to do it or has no wish to be involved at all (although he came across as such a fan of the musical that I'd like to hope he would). It's even more of a me being silly because he's currently THE leading man in a production of Passion at the Donmar that has been generally well received. My guess is that because Passion is a limited run show (unlike say Love Never Dies) his contract wouldn't let him take the week or whatever it takes to rehearse for the O2 25th show.
So I shouldn't be disappointed and I shouldn't care, but I will and I do.
Regardless I hope the show is fantastic and pays a fitting tribute to this musical that has meant so much to so many of us and that it's the start of another 25th wonderful years.
I'll be watching in the cinema trying not to sing along and playing spot the cast member in the ensemble! :) Because yes, it is of some comfort that among the amis Combeferre will be played by Jonathan Williams, the guy I saw in London as understudy Valjean (WHY he doesn't just HAVE the leading role already is a whole 'nother post), and Courfeyrac by Killian Donnelly (the current West End Enjolras who is also excellent and wears the "gauntlets of power", wrist cuffs that David Thaxton wore to cover his tattoos throughout his run, as a tribute to Thaxton).
It's so pathetic that I'll be annoyed if Ramin doesn't do the "IS FREEEE!" final battle that Thaxton popularized. :/
And I'm totally not considering spending $35 on a cute Enjolras plush that a girl on DeviantArt makes, except that I am.
I love a lot of television shows, especially Buffy of course, but Les Mis is my oldest and truest obsession. It comes and goes in strength but not a year goes by where I don't listen to it, watch the TAC video, or sing it so I needed to be involved in this show.
The casting is largely unknown factors for me. I've gotten over the disappointment of Nick Jonas being cast. I'm sure he's not bad and Marius is a part often stunt cast. It would hardly be fair for me to criticize the Jonas brother when I was all for pop idol runner up Gareth Gates. From what I hear he does an okay job of it and that's fine. There are some old hats at their parts in the form of the always fab Lea Salonga as Fantine (Finally someone who won't ruin I Dreamed a Dream!), Jenny Galloway, and Broadway Javert Norm Lewis and now Katie Hall (Tour Cosette) has stepped in to play that role. Why they would get some tenor who has never played the role for Valjean I have to say absolutely BAFFLES me when the remarkable John Owen Jones is involved and yes I can't even really complain about Enjolras since I'm a great fan of Canadian Ramin Karimloo and went to see Phantom of the Opera for him when I was in London (FANTASTIC by the way) and he's the only reason I didn't complete dismiss Love Never Dies out of the gate. I know he'll be wonderful.
Why do I still feel a little empty about this whole thing then? Two words: DAVID THAXTON. It's stupid. I really shouldn't care, but he IS Enjolras to me. He completely embodies the role and for two years he became that character every night. There have been other wonderful Enjolrases (Enjolrai?) and I'm fond of Ramin and many of the others who have played the role, but Thaxton has spoiled me for other men in this role. He's blonde, passionate, and feels authentic with the most gorgeous voice that just soars over those notes.
However, he's not a name and I can even (sort of) understand why they would pick Ramin for Enjolras in this concert. Ramin is tall dark and handsome, he's fairly well known now that he's originated the role of the Phantom in Love Never Dies, etc. What I can't seem to get over is Thaxton not being involved at all with the 25th Anniversary. The actors from other casts and people who have played the role before all have parts to play, whether it's just in the ensemble or not. It won't feel right without him. This is all incredibly ridiculous because I have no idea if the guy was contacted and didn't want to do it or has no wish to be involved at all (although he came across as such a fan of the musical that I'd like to hope he would). It's even more of a me being silly because he's currently THE leading man in a production of Passion at the Donmar that has been generally well received. My guess is that because Passion is a limited run show (unlike say Love Never Dies) his contract wouldn't let him take the week or whatever it takes to rehearse for the O2 25th show.
So I shouldn't be disappointed and I shouldn't care, but I will and I do.
Regardless I hope the show is fantastic and pays a fitting tribute to this musical that has meant so much to so many of us and that it's the start of another 25th wonderful years.
I'll be watching in the cinema trying not to sing along and playing spot the cast member in the ensemble! :) Because yes, it is of some comfort that among the amis Combeferre will be played by Jonathan Williams, the guy I saw in London as understudy Valjean (WHY he doesn't just HAVE the leading role already is a whole 'nother post), and Courfeyrac by Killian Donnelly (the current West End Enjolras who is also excellent and wears the "gauntlets of power", wrist cuffs that David Thaxton wore to cover his tattoos throughout his run, as a tribute to Thaxton).
It's so pathetic that I'll be annoyed if Ramin doesn't do the "IS FREEEE!" final battle that Thaxton popularized. :/
And I'm totally not considering spending $35 on a cute Enjolras plush that a girl on DeviantArt makes, except that I am.
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