Post by Brae on Sept 15, 2005 13:14:30 GMT -5
Okay I don't have a lot of time before I have to go downtown and do some stuff. So sadly this will be a little shorter then I expected! I am working on a longer review to email to my brother and a few other people, so if you want a copy of that PM me your email addy! 
Sorry this is kind of short and not as indepth as I had hoped, but I will answer as many questions as I can!!
Jean Valjean (Randal Keith): I was in unsure about his Valjean until he sang “Who am I?” … yep that was it! He was fine! LOL His ‘Bring him Home’ was one of the best renditions I have ever heard! (Colm included!)
Javert (Robert Hunt): I struggled with my thoughts on him for the first little bit, but after the ‘Confrontation’, I had no problems, and
“Stars” was fantastic!
Fantine (Joan Almedilla): Too Young, she looked and sounded around 13 or 14! Yes, we know Fantine was young in the book, but not that young! She just could not hit the high notes, and excessively overacted.
Madame Thenardier (Jennifer Butt): The Original Broadway Mme. Thenardier! She looks young, but plays a fantastic Mme. Thenardier!
M. Thenardier (Norman Large): Just as I had always envisioned the role of Thenardier!!!! His Master of the House great!
Marius (Adam Jacobs): Enjoyable as Marius, his “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, was well done and ranks high on my list of best renditions of that song.
It was that performance of Empty Chairs that was his saving grace, for during the Finale (Valjean’s death) he flubbed the
”Cosette, your father is a saint.....” line all he said was “He took me from the barricade” …. holy awkwardness Batman! LOL
Cosette (Ashley Fox Linton): Understudy. Cosette gets the shaft when it comes to stage time, but this Cosette had the vocal ability that one expects Cosette to have, and makes Cosette likeable and memorable, not an easy feat!
Enjorlas (Ryan Williams): Understudy. Too old for the role - way too old to be an A B C student! LOL That being said, he did have a decent voice, and was believable as a revolutionary leader! (even if it was just a student revolution).
Eponine (Melissa Lyons): I have my doubts & issues (although small) with her until “On My Own”, which was well done. "A Little Fall of Rain" was preformed well, not overacted, but touching and memorable.
I usually don't like to crtique child preformers, but Young Cosette did "Castle on a Cloud" much better then I was epecting and Gavroche, although I though he could have been better, he did do a good "Little People" and Death scene.
Sorry this is kind of short and not as indepth as I had hoped, but I will answer as many questions as I can!!
Jean Valjean (Randal Keith): I was in unsure about his Valjean until he sang “Who am I?” … yep that was it! He was fine! LOL His ‘Bring him Home’ was one of the best renditions I have ever heard! (Colm included!)
Javert (Robert Hunt): I struggled with my thoughts on him for the first little bit, but after the ‘Confrontation’, I had no problems, and
“Stars” was fantastic!
Fantine (Joan Almedilla): Too Young, she looked and sounded around 13 or 14! Yes, we know Fantine was young in the book, but not that young! She just could not hit the high notes, and excessively overacted.
Madame Thenardier (Jennifer Butt): The Original Broadway Mme. Thenardier! She looks young, but plays a fantastic Mme. Thenardier!
M. Thenardier (Norman Large): Just as I had always envisioned the role of Thenardier!!!! His Master of the House great!
Marius (Adam Jacobs): Enjoyable as Marius, his “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, was well done and ranks high on my list of best renditions of that song.
It was that performance of Empty Chairs that was his saving grace, for during the Finale (Valjean’s death) he flubbed the
”Cosette, your father is a saint.....” line all he said was “He took me from the barricade” …. holy awkwardness Batman! LOL
Cosette (Ashley Fox Linton): Understudy. Cosette gets the shaft when it comes to stage time, but this Cosette had the vocal ability that one expects Cosette to have, and makes Cosette likeable and memorable, not an easy feat!
Enjorlas (Ryan Williams): Understudy. Too old for the role - way too old to be an A B C student! LOL That being said, he did have a decent voice, and was believable as a revolutionary leader! (even if it was just a student revolution).
Eponine (Melissa Lyons): I have my doubts & issues (although small) with her until “On My Own”, which was well done. "A Little Fall of Rain" was preformed well, not overacted, but touching and memorable.
I usually don't like to crtique child preformers, but Young Cosette did "Castle on a Cloud" much better then I was epecting and Gavroche, although I though he could have been better, he did do a good "Little People" and Death scene.
I've seen Randall Keith play Valjean once in Detroit in 2001 (I think) and I really liked him (the others I have seen are Colm and MIchael Burgess from the Canadian run) and it was really disappointing to have an understudy in THE main role. I hate to knock someone because I'm sure he was trying really hard...but he just didn't do it for me 
