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Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert

Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert

List Price: $27.95
Your Price: $20.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not Good at all
Review: As a fan of Broadway shows, this has to be the worst rendition. The actors all approach a mike on a small stage and sing. THIS ISN'T BROADWAY, C'MON!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A performance of a lifetime
Review: To my opinion, Les Miserables is truly one of the greatest musical theater productions i have ever seen and heard. This concert with the best of each of these shows truly brings this entire peice alive and i know anyone who listens to this and sees this concert can't help but admit the greatness thats within it. I love this play and recomend anyone to buy it and own it personally.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Great Musical
Review: I have been hearing songs from this musical for a long time but when I saw the DVD I immediately fell in love with it. With that I did not miss the opportunity to watch a running show in San Francisco. Although I like the cast of the DVD than the San Francisco production, both were great. My all-time favorites of course were Lea Salonga for her timeless rendition of "On My Own" and Michael Ball but "discovering" Ruthie Henshall added more value to my investment. I bought two copies of the DVD- for my sister.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't buy it.
Review: I saw Les Miserables' in N.Y.C. and it is my favorite of maybe 30-40 plays I've seen in my life. Don't miss it. It is one of the best. The singing is incredible.

The DVD/Video is a disgrace to the play. Extremely poor sound quality - low budget. Don't buy it.

Instead, get the Les Miserables' CD (2 set). There are 2 versions of the CD - NY and London. I have both and would recommebd the NY is a little better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A M A Z I N G
Review: One of the most amazing live concert I've ever seen. It's magical. The voices are great and the cast is fantastic. You'll get thrilled by the first finale and don't miss the closing with a world wide Jean Valjean cast. You'll be giving a standing ovation right in the middle of your living room.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Buy the VHS !
Review: I'm not going into details about the concert except to say that it is my all-time favorite and I love everything about it - the music, the cast, the production, the performance! My gripe is with the DVD version. It was absolutely unacceptable! The sound was very poor and the picture quality was just as bad. At times it resembled an old movie from the 40s. When I got to Act II I couldn't even play the scene with Marius and Eponine and had to skip forward because it just stopped dead in its track. Another great disappointment was the cutting of Cameron Mackintosh's, Boubill's and Schoenberg's appearance, among others. There was absolutely no indroduction to the Grand Finale with the 17 international Valjeans. (Even PBS included this in the original showings). It's a shame that such a great work of art can be reduced to such a dribble from it's original form, especially where it's not even 6 years old. If all DVDs were made like this, I would trash my DVD player and return to the VHS format.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: wonderful anniversary production, but . . .
Review: I saw the Broadway production of "Les Miserables" a few months after it opened, so I got to see most of the original cast, a few of whom appear in this production. I agree with previous reviewers who have said that this performance is no substitute for seeing a "live" production, but having said that, this "concert with props" is terrific for those of us who have seen the musical. Of course, anyone who watches PBS regularly is familiar with this production, because everytime the network has had a fundraiser in the past few years, we get to see "Les Miz in Concert" along with the obligatory interruptions pleading for money! So, it's nice to watch this DVD semi-uninterrupted! I use the term "semi-uninterrupted" because unfortunately, (and that's why this DVD doesn't get 5 stars) this particular disk is one of those which has to be turned over in order to watch the whole thing! At least the producers of the DVD chose an intermission for the "turnover"--we can be grateful for that!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I CANT'S BELIEVE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER DID NOT DO THIS
Review: THIS IS ONE OF THE RARE MUSICALS THAT YOU CANNOT IMAGINE ANDREW LLOYD-WEBBER AND CAMERON MCINTOSH NOT GETTING TOGETHER ON. NON- THE-LESS WHEN I SAW IT ON STAGE I WAS SO MOVED I COULD NOT GET UP FROM MY SEAT AND THE VIDEO/DVD IS JUST AS MOVING.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An excellent video for the best musical ever
Review: This is truly the "dream cast" promised on the cover. My only complaint is that Anthony Warlow, my favorite Enjolras, is not on this cast.

This cast puts together most of the performers who performed their characters the best in all the appearances of Les Miserables: Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean), Philip Quast (Inspector Javert), Michael Ball (Marius), Lea Salonga (Eponine), Ruthie Henshall. The Thenardiers, Cosette, and Fantine I saw this summer at London, I believe, are better than the ones on this tape, and Anthony Warlow is a much, much better Enjolras than Michael Maguire (listen to him on teh Complete Symphonic Recording, which is another Les Miserables cast that you MUST get).

I always say that Les Miserables has the strongest and most moving songs in the world. This video only proves my point. While we didn't get the powerful voice of Anthony Warlow, Michael Maguire delivered an excellent Enjolras. Listen to the following songs, and read my description of them:

- Prologue, The Work Song: Depressing and dark. No song in Phantom of the Opera, set in a similar time frame, delivered so powerful an image as this. Philip Quast is especially horrible (not his voice, but his personality) here. He sounds very contemptuous. In contrast, Colm Wilkinson delivers a touching performance when he is set free

- What have I done?: Sad but hopeful. Notice the contrast between this and Javert's end song, "Suicide"

- At the End of the Day: I got confused here. The tone of the song suggested happiness, but the words suggested sadness. Very powerful, and one of my favorite songs.

- I Dreamed a Dream: Like End of the Day, I Dreamed a Dream gives me mixed emotions. At first it begins hopeful, but then ends up to be a very sad song, indeed. If the performer is very good, as Ruthie Henshall is, then she might have you bawling your eyes out this early.

- Who am I?: A song of self-discovery. Uplifting and strong. Good luck trying not to be moved by this song, because you can't.

- Fantine's Death and The Confrontation: WAAAHH! This is one of the saddest songs in the play. I loved Fantine's tragic character (I like Eponine more, though).

- Castle on a Cloud: Sad but also uplifting. It was sung beautifully on the video, inspite of the tiny explosion that occurred in the back that surprised the young performer. It's a pity that it's Little Cosette's only song.

- Stars: THE BEST SONG IN LES MISERABLES. This song made me love the character of Javert, because it was sung so beautifully. It shows Javert to be a man of virtue and honor, and is hampered only by his stubbornness and inflexibility.

- Red and Black: Proud and very powerful. Michael Maguire sings this one very well alongside Michael Ball and the students.

- Do You Hear the People Sing?: The first song I memorized from Les Miserables. It was my favorite for a long time before I actually saw the musical on stage.

- A Heart Full of Love: Happy and sad. Again, mixed emotions. This is because I feel for the happiness and contentment between Cosette and Marius, but I like Eponine more, and I felt that she deserved Marius.

- One Day More!: My second favorite song following Stars. I cannot describe the effect it has on me. Dear God, so strong! Especially the last part, with the hundreds of Les Miserables performers standing and singing all at once. Staggering!

- On My Own: The song that best exemplifies Eponine. It is sung by Lea Salonga, the best singer in the world. I recently saw her in our home country of the Philippines as Kim in Miss Saigon, and she has not lost a bit of her talent.

- A Little Fall of Rain: Even sadder than Fantine's Death. I won't tell you more about it, but you WILL at least be close to crying at this point of the performance. Michael Ball and Lea Salonga duet? How could you NOT cry?

- Drink With Me: A little sad, a little hopeful. This is another of my favorite songs, if only because of the message of unity it proclaims.

- Bring Him Home: A very good song, though not my favorite, but it is still strong in its own way.

- The Final Battle: This is a short song, but one of the strongest in the performance. Listen to Anthony Warlow, not Michael Maguire. MM really doesn't give the power behind his voice necessary for The Final Battle, but Warlow does. Get the Complete Symphonic Recording with the International Cast.

- Javert's Suicide: Remember what I said about Valjean's What Have I Done? Listen to this for a parallel in music but a sharp contrast in message.

- Empty Chairs at Empty Tables: Another sad song. I must be nearing the word limit already, so I'll keep my reviews short. The most powerful moment is when the students appear behind Marius so suddenly, though this is even stronger when actually performed on stage and not in a concert.

- Epilogue: Sad but hopeful. If you love Valjean you will cry here, too, but you will be moved by the ending scene.

Well, that's the review. I hope this inspires you to get this video. It's not a replacement for watching Les Miserables on stage, but more like something to keep you occupied until you do see it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DREAM CAST INDEED!
Review: i had my copy just a few weeks ago and i watch it twice a day.this is my prized possesion ever!!!!i just love philip quast.i think hes perfect for the role.colm wilkinson did a good job portraying jean valjen.lea salonga?THE BEST!!!she is eponine!i espicially love her duet with marius.it was so moving.i think that was one of the best scenes in the show.if they're gonna put all the cast in one les miserables production,im pretty sure that that would be the best les miserables production ever staged.i dont think ill ever get tired from watching this.the casts put up a really spectacular performance.the best show on earth!


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