I was not going to share my opinions of the extremely disappointing production I saw of Les Miserables last week (which included a performance by Colm Wilkinson that night as the Bishop), but now having had the opportunity to speak with a few colleagues who felt exactly the same way, I have decided to send a report. I originally thought that perhaps my feelings were so extreme because I'd seen the original and knew the show too well. Not the case.
The general sense and biggest problem In general - is that this version is so heavy handed, every moment is played to the point of being over wrought. It's too much and completely lacking in subtlety, which was one of the beautiful things about the original production. Even the Thenardiers - the clowns of the evening - are too much. They seem like they popped out of an SNL sketch. And the same goes for some of the most tender moments in the piece. They wring out every ounce of emotion in a line until there's nothing left.
There are also many casting issues. This has got to be one of the oldest looking group of students to ever appear in a production of Les Mis. The actor who plays Enjolras looks twice as old as he should be. One of the most frustrating parts of the evening. I only noticed 2 students that looked right. The actor who played Marius had a terrific voice but his look was entirely wrong for the part.
Finally Jean Valjean. Much has been said about Ramin Karimloo's performance, and there is no deny thing that he is a very talented performer. However his diction was very difficult to understand throughout the prologue and first act. He hit all the right notes, but he screamed all the way through them. He was directed at a breakneck pace that gave us little or no time to care for the character. And he has many distracting affectations with certain hand gestures while he sings.
The same can be set of the sets as the rest of the piece. It's all over the top and much too much. Where is the simplicity? I left this production nearly completely unmoved, and that is sad. I hope that audiences who haven't seen the show before have a more rewarding experience.
Best performance for me-.-by far, Melissa O'Neill as Eponine -who I understand they are replacing for Bway.
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