Les Miserables - far from a miserable performance

Advantages: Brilliant, touching, lovely story
Disadvantages: none

...Les Miserables is a musical made from Victor Hugo?s book and is the most amazing musical I have ever been to. It is in its own league. This musical is fantastic. You ever have a chance to see it whether at Broadway in New York or in London, you must seize this opportunity. I went to watch this musical a long time ago but I remember it so vividly. It has far from left my memory. Les Miserables is full of highs and lows, and the magic of it is that the spectators are drawn into those highs and lows, feeling ready to cry for joy at some points and out of sadness at another point. This performance is magnificent, I cannot enforce this enough. The main characters each have their own little toils which they have to deal with and one finds oneself siding with a particular character. I found myself siding with Eponine wishing and hoping...

ozcr 12.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables

Nothing Miserable about "Les Miserables"

Advantages: The most amazing musical EVER !!
Disadvantages: Should be twice as long !!!!!

...I've only ever seen one musical in the West End ..... guess which one !!! I've actually seen "Les Miserables" twice and would many more times if given the chance. Les Miserables is widely recognised as the World's most popular musical. 10 years after it's opening night, the 1996 10th Anniversary concert which took place at The Royal Albert Hall, has become almost as legendary as the show itself. This amazing production is one of the most remarkable performances of Les Miserables ever put together, with the full magnificance of the score accompanied by the outstanding Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The "Dream Cast" put together for this production includes over 250 performers with some of the West End's top musical actors taking the lead roles, many of these stars have appeared in the show worldwide. A bit about "Les...

Lynso1977 06.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables (DVD)

Les Mis - which is not at all miserable

Advantages: Great songs, great scenes
Disadvantages: Takes too long to get served at the bar

...I must have been to see Les Miserable at least 9 times and cannot rate it highly enough. The first time we saw it we had front stall seats, which actually cost around £50.00 at that time, and Colm Wilkinson was playing the lead (Jean Valjean). Jean Valjean was put into prison for stealing bread for his sister's starving child and the show opens with the prison scene. Javert is one of the prison officers who is determined that Valjean will return as his take on life is "once a thief, always a thief". Jean Valjean is also determined that he will never return to prison and will make his way in life. However he is treated as an ex-con by everyone he comes into contact with, except for a local priest, who gives him a bed for the night. Jean Valjean decides to leave the priest's house in the early morning, taking with him...

Tiny236 16.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables - Original London Cast

When Being Miserable Is A Good Thing

Advantages: Compelling film, beautifully shot, great characters
Disadvantages: Not the musical version you may be familiar with

...INTRODUCTION A couple of weeks ago, I fell in love. It seemed an ordinary day at first. We went out as a family to watch our eldest daughter in the school production. About ten minutes into the play, I realised I was feeling something special. I love musicals and this was no ordinary musical. I had been charmed, captured and captivated by the amazing experience that is Les Miserables. I went home, onto Ebay and ordered the DVD of the West End version of the concert. While I was browsing the items for sale there, I discovered there had been a film out in 1998 starring two of my favourite actors ? Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman. Somehow, my itchy fingers clicked on that tempting Buy It Now icon and so, another DVD to add to the collection. But how could a non-musical film compare to what must be one of the best musicals of all time...

KarenUK 11.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables (DVD)

Do you hear the people singing along with Les Mis the DVD?

Advantages: Great Cast, Great Musical, The Extra performance of Do You Hear the People Sing and One Day More.
Disadvantages: No the full score.

...Les Miserables is a near-perfect show. It has great songs and brilliant characters which are often portrayed by brilliant actors. There is no finer display of this casting than the Anniversary DVD. The original Valjean, Colm Wilkinson has not lost any of his wonderful voice and his counter-part Javert, Philip Quast, is equally as 'on-form'. Ruthie Henshall and Lea Salonga are also fine at their parts and the original Marius, Michael Ball is fantastic as usual. Michael Maguire's American accent makes a nice change and provides the perfect voice for Enjolras. As Les Miserables is a predominantly stationairy show anyway, the lack of movement in the DVD is not a problem. The characters are in costume and do a fair amount of moving making the DVD really seem like Les Mis. The songs are well sung by all and there no weak links in the show...

chiggy321 28.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables (DVD)

Far From Miserable!

Advantages: Michael Ball, Cast, Songs
Disadvantages: No Acting

...As in a few days time it is the 21st anniversary of Les Miserables opening in London's west end, I thought what better way to help celebrate then to write a review on the special edition DVD that was filmed in 1995 to mark its 10th anniversary. Ever since I went to see Les Miserables at Bristol theatre when I was about eight years old I have loved the musical. Although for a child of that age, the story was quite hard to get a grasp of, the music was just out of this world, really superb, and it has to be the first musical I have ever seen where they can involve such hard hitting issues, such as the poor and war, along side with a pinch of comedy. # History of Les Miserables # Les Miserables first opened in the Barbican Theatre, London on the 8th of October 1985 and moving to the Palace Theatre on the 4th of December. It later...

spoilt_little_br 03.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables (Collector's Edition) (DVD)

Les Miserables The Musical Review

Advantages: Heart-moving, passionate, tear-jerking
Disadvantages: Buying wine spritzers!!

...I went to Les Miserables last year and can say without doubt in my opinion, this is the most wonderful musical I have heard of. I am basing that on the fact that this was a full house matinee performance which included stunning acts and sets. I had never seen this show prior to going but having previously heard songs from it, I had already began to fall in love with it. We had wonderful seats in the middle of the dress circle (which cost in the region of £40 each for the two of us, a total of £80. Prior to the film starting we sat down and also had a couple of wine spritzers which cost in the region of £5 each - I wondered if this was going to be value for money?? The show was being viewed at the The Palace Theatre. We took our seats for a film that was going to last almost 3 hours! The film is about the French revolution, love...

PNC33UK 26.04.2005 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables - Original London Cast

Les Miserables

Advantages: Fantastically enjoyable
Disadvantages: None

......

Timphil 02.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Sing-A-Longa Les Mis!

Advantages: Wonderful to watch, on-screen lyrics, great cast
Disadvantages: Some minor quibbles

...INTRODUCTION After falling in love with this musical (as I mentioned in my previous review), I bought two DVDs of it ? the film version I wrote about earlier and the concert DVD, which is the one I am reviewing here. This one is listed as ?Les Miserables ? The Musical That Swept The World ? in concert? (That?s a good one for charades!) and stars what is known as ?the Dream Cast?. This is the 10th Anniversary concert filmed at the Royal Albert Hall and stars several well known actors and singers, including Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Inspector Javert, Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Michael Ball as Marius, Alun Armstrong as Thenardier and Lea Salonga as Eponine. STORY A brief précis for those who are not familiar with the story of Les Miserables? Jean Valjean was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread...

KarenUK 17.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables DVD - The Dream Cast in Concert (DVD)

Magical, Musical Masterpeice!

Advantages: Incredible music, wonderfully moving, tear jerking, laugh-provoking
Disadvantages: Not suitable for people of all ages

...Ever since I was little, I have loved musicals. My dream was always to go to London and see hundreds of Musicals in the West End. Last year I was lucky enough to travel to London and indulge myself in going too see some Musicals, among these were Wicked, Billy Elliot, Avenue Q, and the world famous Les Miserables! Les Miserables or "Les Mis", is a world famous musical written by the famous novelist Victor Hugo. Set in the early nineteenth century, it follows the lives of various characters through the French Revolution. As with most musicals, the show includes conflict, love stories and love triangles, friendship among various other story lines. ** PLOT Jean Val Jean could be said is the main character. Jean Val Jean is the man who joins the characters together and pulls the whole play into a fantastic and heart...

SweetTooth93 05.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Les Miserables / Palace Theatre (London)