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Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert

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Les Miśerables - The Dream Cast in Concert
Directed byGavin Taylor
Written byAlain Boublil
Herbert Kretzmer
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Produced byCameron Mackintosh
StarringColm Wilkinson
Philip Quast
Alun Armstrong
Jenny Galloway
Judy Kuhn
Michael Ball
Lea Salonga
Ruthie Henshall
Anthony Crivello
Michael McCarthy
Edited byNigel Cattle
Music byClaude-Michel Schönberg
Distributed bySony Pictures (US/CAN)
BBC Video (UK) (current US/CAN distributor)
Release date
17 November 1998
Running time
148 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert (1995), also titled Les Misérables in Concert, is a concert version of the musical Les Misérables, produced to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the West End production. It was filmed in October 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall and released on DVD, VHS and LD in 1998 and re-released on DVD in North America in 2008. The latest DVD presents the concert in its original 16x9 ratio. Although filmed with HD cameras, a Blu-ray edition has not been released yet. The 10th Anniversary cast stars Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Inspector Javert, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy, Lea Salonga as Éponine, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Michael Maguire as Enjolras, Alun Armstrong as Thénardier, Jenny Galloway as Madame Thénardier, Adam Searles as Gavroche, Hannah Chick as Young Cosette, and several others, and was directed by John Caird. The performers were chosen from the London, Broadway and Australian productions of the show and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by David Charles Abell. It also aired on PBS part of the Great Performances series.

Production

The 10th anniversary concert of Les Miserables is known as the 'Dream Cast in Concert' because of the hand selected cast. Colm Wilkinson reprised his role as Valjean after starring in the original West End and Broadway productions. Philip Quast was cast as Inspector Javert after the producers of the show witnessed his performance in a musical production in his hometown of Australia. Wilkinson and Quast are widely recognized as the 'Dream Casting' of the idolized roles of Valjean and Javert.

This presentation uses a "modernised" and more heavily orchestrated score than that of the original musical. It follows the traditional "musicals-in-concert" format with the cast lined up against a set of microphones with the orchestra and chorus behind them. The entire company wear costumes and use only necessary props (such as Javert's baton, Thénardier's notebook, etc.). Apart from minor movement on the concert stage, the performers do not participate in major action scenes. Where necessary, the video switches to action from the stage production.

A few action-based scenes from the musical are not included in the concert, such as the street brawl broken up by Javert, Gavroche's death, and the confrontation between Marius and Thénardier at the wedding feast, to name a few. Some musical numbers, such as 'At the End of the Day', 'The Runaway Cart' and 'Turning', were also shortened.

Notable Events

During the performance, while Hannah Chick was singing the line "Crying at all is not allowed" from the song 'Castle on a Cloud', a balloon stored in the ceiling that was to be released at the end of the show, accidentally popped. It visibly startled her, as seen by her sudden flinch, but she recovered immediately and continued on with the song.

The five international English-speaking Valjeans featured in the encore song played the convicts in the opening number 'Look Down'.

Encore

The programme ends with an encore in which seventeen actors who portray Jean Valjean in seventeen different nations join Wilkinson on stage to each sing a few bars of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" in their native languages. They are then joined by the entire cast and choir to sing the last verse of "One Day More!", receiving applause and a standing ovation. Red, white, and blue balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling and sparklers erupt on stage as the show finishes.

Cast

Main performers

Colm Wilkinson Jean Valjean Original London/Broadway Cast
Philip Quast Javert Original Australian Cast/Complete Symphonic Recording
Ruthie Henshall Fantine Replacement London Cast
Jenny Galloway Madame Thénardier Replacement London Cast
Alun Armstrong Thénardier Original London Cast
Lea Salonga Éponine Replacement Broadway Cast
Michael Ball Marius Pontmercy Original London Cast/Complete Symphonic Recording
Michael Maguire Enjolras Original Broadway Cast
Judy Kuhn Cosette Original Broadway Cast
Anthony Crivello Grantaire Original Broadway Cast
Adam Searles Gavroche
Hannah Chick Young Cosette
Paul Monaghan Bishop of Digne
Michael McCarthy Factory Foreman

The seventeen Valjeans

The following are the seventeen Valjeans who participated in the second encore (in order):

Country Actor
 United Kingdom Phil Cavill
 France Robert Marien
 Germany Jerzy Jeszke
 Japan Takeshi Kaga
 Hungary Gyula Vikidál
 Sweden Tommy Körberg
 Poland Krzysztof Stasierowski
 Netherlands Henk Poort
 Canada Michael Burgess
 Austria Reinhard Brussmann
 Australia Rob Guest
 Norway Øystein Wiik
 Czech Republic Jan Ježek
 Denmark Kurt Ravn
 Ireland Jeff Leyton
 Iceland Egill Ólafsson
 United States Craig Schulman

Burgess, Schulman, Guest, Cavill, and Leyton also appeared as the five principal convicts in 'Look Down' at the beginning of Act 1.[1]

DVD release

The DVD was released by Sony Pictures on 17 November 1998. This Region 1 fullscreen DVD is now out of print. It has a run time of 159 minutes.

A two-disc widescreen collector's edition was released by BBC Video in Region 1 territories on 19 February 2008. Viewers have reported that a segment of "Little People," is inexplicably removed. This release also does not contain the speeches. The second disc contains Les Misérables: Stage by Stage, a documentary from 1989.

Recent versions of the DVD include the missing segment of Little People.[2]

A remastered special edition DVD of the concert was released on November 20, 2012.[3]

Soundtrack

Disc 1
  1. Prologue
  2. On Parole/The Bishop
  3. Valjean's Soliloquy
  4. At the End of the Day
  5. I Dreamed a Dream
  6. Lovely Ladies
  7. Fantine's Arrest
  8. The Runaway Cart
  9. Who Am I? - The Trial
  10. Fantine's Death
  11. The Confrontation
  12. Castle on a Cloud
  13. Master of the House
  14. The Bargain-Waltz of Treachery
  15. Look Down
  16. Stars
  17. ABC Café/Red and Black
  18. Do You Hear the People Sing?
  19. Rue Plumet - In My Life
  20. A Heart Full of Love
Disc 2
  1. The Attack on Rue Plumet
  2. One Day More!
  3. Building the Barricade/On My Own
  4. Back at the Barricade
  5. Javert's Arrival/Little People
  6. A Little Fall of Rain
  7. Night of Anguish
  8. First Attack
  9. Drink with Me
  10. Bring Him Home
  11. Second Attack/The Final Battle
  12. The Sewers
  13. Dog Eats Dog
  14. Javert's Suicide
  15. Turning
  16. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
  17. Every Day/A Heart Full of Love (Reprise)
  18. The Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast
  19. Epilogue (Finale)
  20. Encore 1: Entrance of International Valjeans
  21. Encore 2: Do You Hear the People Sing?/One Day More!

See also

References

  1. ^ Les Misérables in Concert CD liner notes
  2. ^ "Les Miserables: The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall: Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Lea Salonga, Judy Kuhn, Michael Maguire, Alun Armstrong, Ruthie Henshall, Philip Quast: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  3. ^ "BBC to Release Special Edition DVD of LES MISERABLES 10th Anniversary Concert, 11/20". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
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