Showing posts with label fantastic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantastic. Show all posts

Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1995) Review

Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1995)
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Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1995) ReviewWords fail me when I try to describe this video. Les Miz is a glorious play, what with the genius of Boublil & Schonberg. I didn't think I would much enjoy this video because of its lack of actual set & acting and also the few short pieces cut. But it still blew me away. Best of all was the cast. It truly was the definitive edition.
Colm Wilkinson is just the perfect Valjean. His voice has such emotion & resonance to it. And he has such a strong presence as an actor.
Philip Quast was another excellent performer. I've once heard his voice described as "flinty" and I think that that's a good word for it. He really portrays Javert with such coldness, he makes the character quite vivid.
Ruthie Henshall's Fantine is one of those rare performances in musical theatre which simply cannot be surpassed. Henshall's voice is so stirring, heartbreaking, reverberating, deep, chilling, and beautiful. Her "I Dreamed a Dream" is excellent!
Michael Ball's Marius needs to introduction. He's THE Marius, what else is there to say? His voice so, so powerful and he sings with such heart. His "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" is truly captivating.
Michael Maguire's Enjolras is often criticised. Yes, this wasn't the best performance he probably could have given and he did miss a few notes. But he still has a great voice. People argue that Anthony Warlow is a better Enjolras. While I agree that Warlow has the vocal edge, there's something in Maguire's performance that makes him so much like Enjolras and just so perfect for the part.
Judy Kuhn's Cosette was the one performance which I can say is good but not great. She didn't strike me the first time I heard her, though she has grown on me. She does have a lovely voice, but I just don't go for the whole "ringing soprano" thing. In fact, almost all Cosettes & Christines and the like in general just annoy me. I think Kuhn sounded better as Pocahontas.
Hannah Chick's little Cosette was SO adorable! She didn't miss a note during "Castle On A Cloud" which she just sang so sweetly. At the same time, she didn't seem to overact the sweetness, which I've seen all too many Cosettes do. And the way she kept singing after the stage light explosion was very professional.
And Adam Searles, gotta Love him. Similar to Maguire, I have heard Gavroches with better voices that Searles but he just has the part of Gavroche down so well. He just has the perfect street-wise, smart-aleck attitude perfectly.
I was shocked as to how many people disliked Lea Salonga's Eponine. Even more shocking was how people insisted that Frances Ruffelle was much better. I think Salonga was THE most phenomenal singer of the night. To me, Ruffelle sounds terrible! Many have called Salonga too "bitter" or "angry" but Eponine is a bitter, angry character! Salonga sings with such force, and at other times (e.g. "A Little Fall of Rain") with such sad sweetness. Her "On My Own" was so excellent that watching it is an intense experience. I could barely tear my eyes from the screen the first time I saw her sing it. I think there is no question that she's THE definitive Eponine. 'Course that's just my opinion.
All in all, this was the greatest performance of Les Miz I have ever seen!Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1995) OverviewThe 10th anniversary of the international musical sensation Les Misérables is celebrated in this 1995 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. The all-star cast features Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Ruthie Henshall (Fantine), Michael Ball (Marius), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Lea Salonga (Eponine), Philip Quast (Javert), and Alun Armstrong (Thenardier).Favorite songs from the Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg score include "Who Am I?", "I Dreamed a Dream," "Master of the House," "One Day More," "Do You Hear the People Sing?" and "Bring Him Home."

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One Night Only - Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall (2004) Review

One Night Only - Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall (2004)
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One Night Only - Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall (2004) ReviewOthers have described the details of the show so I won't bore you except to say that if you're a Rod fan, especially one like me who's loved his work for (groan) over 35 years, I'll just say that... THIS ONE'S GONNA FLOOR YA. Just a fabulous performance (and for once, consistently great camerawork and great editing.) But I do want to tell you about one song, one very special moment. As we know, late one night a thousand years ago Long John Baldry discovered Rod as he was singing in a lonely train station, and took him under his wing. Rod's returned the favour big time. Imagine if you will being a very young woman busking on the streets of Glasgow... and one week later descending a beautifully lit grand staircase to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall to sing "I Don't Wanna Talk About It" on live national TV with Rod Stewart. God, how this girl keeps it together is beyond me, but she does, she in fact KILLS. It's an exquisitely beautiful, deeply moving, very human moment. A great moment of artistic generosity on Rod's part, and a lump-in-the-throat moment for the viewer as Amy Belle experiences what must have been the peak moment of her life. It's unforgettable, and there wasn't a dry eye in this house I can promise you. Oh, and any Rod fan who's hesitant about this American Songbook stuff, not to worry, his performance of these old chestnuts is fabulous, as though they'd been written for him or by him. And the final number, "Sailing," is a knockout. I think this DVD simply backs up what I've always maintained, which is that Rod is the greatest solo act of our generation. Rod, if you're reading this, a million thanks for all the pleasure over five decades, all the unforgettable shows, from a little kid from the Boston Tea Party...One Night Only - Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall (2004) OverviewONE NIGHT ONLY ROD STEWART LIVE AT R - DVD Movie

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