Les Mis Arena Spectacular Tour Review
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - Me after watching the show. Hence, here is a very disorganised collection of my thoughts!
TLDR: everyone was amazing.
Bradley Jaden - the man that you are. Wow. I remembered hearing a lot about how amazing he is but I wasn't familiar with him at all. And wow did he exceed my expectations!! I've never really felt connected to Javert as a character - I understand him, but I never really felt what he was feeling until I saw Bradley play Javert. And from the moment he started singing I was captivated by his performance. He elevated the character and gave every line so much personality and meaning that it all felt brand new! Stars was just beautiful. I actually found myself rooting for Javert (and his death didn't feel goofy at all, which is a feat in itself). Probably my favourite of the cast - a lot of hair, a lot of spit (like, a lot...), and a lot of talent!!
Killian Donnelly - I mean, what can I say? I love Alfie and Michael but I specifically chose to see Killian's show because I have a soft spot for him (and I love an Irish man...). And of course he delivered! Not a single note out of place, and he perfectly captured the repentant, fatherly essence of Valjean. His last note in Bring Him Home was gorgeousss. And he and Bradley had great chemistry/tension together, despite the limited nature of the concert staging. They had a very wholesome hug during bows and it was nice to see them taking the moment in :) They deserve all the love!
Marius (Jac Yarrow) - Man, Jac's name is so close to Jack Sparrow that it automatically makes him cool. Jac was great as Marius! I found his performance improved as the show went on, and I think his acting particularly shined during Act 2. Beautiful voice - Empty Chairs was veryyy pretty. Mourning the fact that the boys didn't have the candles.
Eponine (Emily Bautista) - I mean her voice is just incredible and she had some really beautifully placed lines, especially during Eponine's death. It's a bit of an awkward scene to manage with concert staging but she made it seem really natural. On my own was really pretty with all the hanging lanterns as well! I think some Eponine's try really hard to make their version of the song unique/different, but I think the beauty of Emily's version is she kept it simple and effective!
Cosette (Jo Stephenson) - Jo was a lovely Cosette! I didn't extensively check the cast beforehand so I didn't even realise she was an understudy until now. Her voice was soooo angelic and those high notes were *chefs kiss*. Beautiful. And she had a very calm, graceful presence which was well-suited to the character - I would have liked to see just a little bit more of her own personality/spark added to her performance but it was still absolutely gorgeous!
Fantine (Rachelle Ann Go) - Similarly to Jo, Rachelle had a really graceful presence on stage that was perfect for the character. And of course, her voice is smoooooth as silk! Her voice during Valjean's death... whewwwww chills. I think my only criticism would be that some of her vocal choices during I Dreamed A Dream were a bit more "pop", which some people may love! I just tend to prefer the more classical sound.
Enjolras (James D. Gish) - My sister, who knows absolutely nothing about Les Mis, fell in love with James as soon as he came on stage (honey, it's a rite of passage- every Enjolras is a god in human form). Look, I won't lie - as an Enjolras fan I am very specific about the characterisations that I prefer - and James pretty much nailed it! Passionate without being too aggressive, charming without being too boyish, solemn without being too serious. And man.. that voice. Incredible. The only thing I could say is that I think he initially tried to achieve some sort of accent between American and British? And then eventually gave up and resorted to his American accent. Which is fine by me - I actually really like the mix of accents within the cast!
+Enjoltaire - If you know me then you know I am an Enjoltaire shipper and let me tell you, I was on the lookout! Again, interactions between characters was generally limited due to the staging but there were still some really sweet moments - Grantaire just generally always looking at Enjolras. Enjolras patting Grantaire on the back and Grantaire reaching out for his hand. Enjolras jumping to shield Gavroche and Grantaire upon the first gunshots. Drink with me... yeah. Connor Jones was a great Grantaire, but didn't get to see him too much due to the sections cut out of the show :(
Thenardiers (Matt Lucas and Marina Prior) - I mean, what can I say. Literal theatre legends. I think I'm so familiar with the show that the Thenardiers really need to try hard to catch me off guard enough to make me laugh, which they were able to! Good adlibbing between lines, although some were such modern references that it kinda drew me out of the show for a second - that being said, it was very much the more "relaxed" arena show vibe, and not a theatre show, so I can understand those choices. LOVED Matt's Dog Eats Dog. Edit: Love Marina Prior. Fuck Matt Lucas.
My only criticisms: Mainly to do with staging and cut songs/scenes, which I'm not too upset about since I understand the concert setup is quite limited. The overhead lights partially blocked one of the screens, so it was difficult to see during certain scenes but overall not a massive issue. The only thing that really drew me out of the show was the cutting of the Second Attack/Gavroche's death - it's one of my favourite scenes in the show, including the transition from his death to the Final Battle. I just love the buildup in tension and then the emotional release, it feels like such a turning point in the show that makes the rest of Act 2 so sombre. But Killian finished singing Bring Him Home and I'm still emotional and suddenly everyone is dead - wait, what? For a second I thought James was singing the wrong verse accidentally until everyone started getting shot. This is probably not an issue for anyone else, but I was a little disappointed not to see one of my favourite moments. This is why I NEED a fully staged version to come to my city, like, now.
Overall, I feel so thankful to have finally seen this show live for the first time, even if it wasn't in its full-fledged form. It was a magical experience to hear these songs and see this story that means so much to me come to life!!! A dream come true.
Now I have to study for exams. Shit.
annaxmalina
titsay
