Les Mis thoughts after seeing the US tour in 2023!!
New lyrics: in the middle of Lovely Ladies, a woman sang about being bloody and tired. And then there was some new lyrics leading up to Master of the House. Both served the story really well.
The transition in At the End of the Day where they went from poor townspeople to the factory workers when the people behind the women took off the women’s cloaks? GENIUS.
I love love love that the women from Lovely Ladies were fighting to defend Fantine in Fantine’s Arrest!!! It’s so cool to see that solidarity between them. When they were dragging her back from Bamatabois, when they were trying to stop him from beating her, when they were trying to get her to run when Javert came. All so good.
I’ve only seen it twice before this tour, once on a previous tour and I honestly don’t remember if they used the revolve at the earlier tour. For sure my latest time seeing it was at the West End before they got rid of the revolve, so that’s what I remember the most.
But since they didn’t have the revolve, they had to get creative, especially with the barricade and the deaths. Gav’s DEATH. It fucked me UP. They had him go to the other side of the barricade that we can’t see, and when he was singing, Grantaire, just looked so afraid. A shot rang out, and Grantaire clutched his chest. But then Gav climbs over the barricade, and just when you think he’s made it, another shot rings out, and Gav tumbles into Enjolras’ arms, and then Enjolras gently hands him to Grantaire!!
And while everyone is singing about dying at the barricade, Grantaire just gently places Gav down on the ground and cries over him and I am JUST SO FUCKING. GAH.
AND THE EMPTY CHAIRS AND EMPTY TABLES. When the women in Turning of the Years placed the candles on the ground, and while Marius was singing Empty Chairs and Empty Tables, Les Amis all came on stage and picked up the candles. Then they held up their candles towards Marius, then in unison they blew the candles out and in one, two, three twirls, they were offstage and Marius was alone. FUCKING incredible.
Jean Valjean (Nick Cartell) is so good. Not in my top 3 but still incredible. His voice was spectacular.
Fantine (Haley Dortch), however? She’s definitely in my top 3. Amazing voice, amazing acting. I loved every minute of her onstage.
Javert (Preston Truman Boyd) was AMAZING. What a voice, and he managed to convey Javert’s descent into madness before his death.
Eponine (Christine Heesun Hwang)also, I’m in love. She had me weeping. I loved how they portrayed her relationship to her parents; when Thenardier hit her, I just about lost it.
This production has my favorite Marius (Gregory Lee Rodriguez) yet. The way he made a fool out of himself in A Heart Full of Love by grandstanding??? The way he hid behind the column at the gate??? THIS is the puppy-dog Marius that everyone loves, and I finally felt that love.
Enjolras (Devon Archer) played a much more friendly, caring Enjolras. Still intense and headstrong, but in between, he shared smiles with his friends and seemed very concerned about Grantaire. They traded looks and smiles the WHOLE TIME, my little enjoltaire heart was dying.
GRANTAIRE. MY BOY GRANTAIRE. I already said earlier his role with Gav’s death. But also I love the way Kyle Adams played Grantaire. Very nonsensical, disruptive but in a cheery way. But when he’s not vying for the center of attention, he looks lost. When Lamarque died and things started to spiral into chaos, he looked so afraid. But then Enjolras turned to him, and he put on a mask and started singing.
His eyes always followed Enjolras, and from Do You Hear the People Sing? and onwards, Grantaire followed Enjolras closely, while also keeping an eye on Gav. He acted like Gav’s caretaker, holding Gav when Eponine died, trying to keep Gav out of trouble. It made Gav’s death even more tragic.
He plays a more angry and desperate Grantaire at the barricade; when he sang his line in Drink With Me, he let Enjolras close, but when Enjolras tried to embrace him, Grantaire shoved him away before going off to the side and hugging Gav desperately.
And before Enjolras died, both Grantaire and Enjolras tried to help someone who was shot, and then Grantaire held Enjolras’ face in his hands, and there was a pause, and then Enjolras scrambled up the barricade and Grantaire was left, just reaching up towards him. (IT’S SO VERY GRANTAIRE CALLING ENJOLRAS APOLLO AND WORSHIPPING HIM)
And then at the end, Grantaire just scrambles up the barricade, trying to get to Enjolras, and gets shot, valiantly holding up his drink in defiance.
Anywaaaaays i’m back on my les mis bs hahaha
Linked below are my thoughts about the last time I saw the US tour in 2018!!
https://taikafan.tumblr.com/post/170214842361/les-miserables-us-tour-20172018-review#notes
