Rating: 
Summary: See the Musical First
Review: So many folks have already made keen observations...casting issues, continuity flaws...all fair. This DVD features fine sound and a sharp image.The show is magnificent on stage. Royal Albert Hall is a great venue but remember this is not the show, it is a revue of sorts. Admittedly it is more like a live recording session in costume. What seems to make it less impressive is the way that the cult fans leap to their feet after nearly every song (so much so that it cheapens the really remarkable voices like Javier). The pace is comfortable and I liken the DVD to good listening just like a CD with the added benefit of something to watch if you wish. Master of the House is great but why does a french innkeeper and his wife sing with a cockney accent...maybe the same reason Nazi's in most war movies have British accents I guess. Confusing. Colm Wilkinson has hammed this up too...he joins Robert Goulet and Yul Brenner in the pantheon of typecast musical actors. Hey, if you have a DVD player, buy this and simply enjoy the moving music. The chorus is splendid and the orchestrations are great.
Rating: 
Summary: Huh?
Review: After watching this production of Les Miserable several times my friends and I find it hard not to complain about what we find to be disgraceful. I know some people believe that Eponine is a bitter character, but she isn't. She may be sad, but if she was bitter why would she have returned to the barricade and done all she did for Marius and Cosette? Lea Salonga has a good voice- just not a voice that suites Eponine. Frances Ruffelle does a much better job. She actually sings like her heart is broken and like she is in pain. I've be through what Eponine has; I know what it feels like. We also had a problem with Adam Searles (I think that's his name). I have heard Gavroche with much better voices, and shouldn't he be atleast a little cute? Searles was also kinda fat. A street urchin fat! Everyone else did a pretty good job. Eponine and Gavroche are our favorite characters, and we hate to see them ruined. If you love Eponine and Gavroche as much as we do, don't get this tape. It will only cause you pain!
Rating:
Summary: For Fans Only - A Disappointing Production
Review: I've seen Les Mis a number of times since 1989. I have every major recording that has been released. That said, the concert performance DVD is a letdown to some degree. Yes, the cast is overall very good with a few exceptions. Enjoralas is the weakest link in the major roles and seems to have lost his range since playing the role. Colm Wilkinson has become a hammy performer, but is fine nonetheless. Judy Kuhn and Michael Ball are outstanding and both give not only fabulous vocal performances, but also imbue their characters with a soul not found in many of the other performers. The Thenardiers have also managed to transcend the stiff stage presentation and are a joy to watch. Lea Salonga does a fair job as Eponine, but seems strangely out of place at times. Philip Quast as Javert is stunning. The orchestra is fine and the very large chorus adds a dimension not found in any other performance of the musical (witness a thrilling finale to both acts.) If you're looking for the whole show -- it ain't here. This is basically an "abridged" rendition with some of the cuts good and others strange. This is made up for with subtitles and video clips from the stage production which looks amatuerish when presented this way. Even with all of the above this would be a four-star rating, but the sound on this performance is truly embarrassing for Mr. Makintosh and crew. The orchestra blares over the performers, singers will start and can only be heard as an echo from someone elses mic for 5 seconds or so and then it catches up. There are gaps in this production so large it makes you think that the performer messed up when in reality it is a technical flaw. The DVD has the added annoyance of making you flip the disc over to get to the next act. Plus, there is very little "extra" on the DVD save for bios and the ability to jump to any song you want (which is a great feature for this type of thing.) So, if you've never seen the show -- this may only confuse you. If you've seen it a few times and can't get enough -- buy this DVD and be prepared to be underwhelmed, yet strangely happy that you get to SEE Michael Ball (yes, him first), Colm Wilkinson, Judy Kuhn, Philip Quast and Lea Salonga perform together. If Anthony Warlowe had been there it would have been even more memorable. But, oh well, what's wishing going to do?
Rating: 
Summary: I Love Les Miserables
Review: I have never had the oppurtunity to go to this show in person but I have the CD and the video and next time it comes ot my town I will be there no matter what. I have nearly all the words memorized. I got this tape for Christmas from my parents and I used to watch at least once a week until my sister borrowed and has not yet returned it. Colm Wilkinson is amazing! I think that all of th singers did a good job of singing and acting their parts. I think that every one should see this and read unabridged version of the book. The musical is the best representation of the book that I have yet seen. Buy it now!
Rating: 
Summary: Ruthie Henshall is a disaster
Review: Ruthie Henshall's embarrassingly melodramatic performance as Fantine is disgusting. She's so full of herself it cast a pall over every song she "sings" (it should say "emotes"). She breaks her voice and is more interested in looking pathetic than singing well. Where is Patti LuPone when you need her!
Rating:
Summary: lots of fun to watch
Review: Having never seen the show in person, this video is fun just to watch the actors as they sing. Though disappointing that they don't have a video of an actual production, this is still worth viewing. I have the CD of the TAC, and a friend of mine got a copy of the video for Christmas, and she brought it to my house so we could watch it. Several interpretive aspects of the actors performances are easier to understand by watching them sing. For example, when Fantine sings "Come on, Captain, you can wear your shoes! etc." I had always thought that she was meaning to be bitter and angry, but after watching her sing, I realize that she was being carefree and having lots of fun with it. It's great just to watch the actors' facial expressions. I have a deeper respect for the actor's talent by watching them, more so than I did by just listening to them. For instance, I couldn't stand Alun Armstrong (Thenardier) before watching the video, and I now have respect for him as a performer. Plus watching Colm Wilkinson's lips curl and flare as he sings just brings even more fun to watching the video. Definitely worth getting a copy of. I still want one of my own.
Rating:
Summary: Les Miserables
Review: Les Miserables. This is the one of the greats, but really greats, musicals that have ever been made. Every single song, every orchestred note, every word, every "personagem" holds a world in itself (try felling Javert's paper). And at this production, particulally, there is an extraordinary kind of "restricted interpetration" by each one of the singer-actors(actress); they have to do all their papers with only their voices and faces... their bodys are likelly attached by a standing microphone in front of them. But, although this pecluiarity, their performances are remarkable... there is so much beauty in this show; Ruthie Henshall is everything! So, if you like really great music, performed by extreme competent singers-actors, buy it. You really don't have to think twice.
Rating:
Summary: Just a few comments about this concert
Review: Just a bit of advice on this concert. 1. This recording is NOT a replacement for the show itself. If you have not seen the show, do not buy it until you see it. The concert, despite its great cast, does not deliver the feeling of seeing the show as it was meant to be seen, with full visuals and dialogue. By buying this recording you'll only spoil the show for yourself without enjoying it as much as you could. 2. If you did see the show, you MUST buy this recording. 3. Keep in mind, this recording is also available in CD form (it's called the 10th aniversary recording). If you have a DVD player, go ahead and get this concert. It captures the great acting and costume design, something you will not get in a CD. 4. If you do not have a DVD player, get the CDs, not the VHS. VHS tapes wear out over time, so in a couple of years, the sound will be dull and unclear. The more you watch it, the faster the sound will decay. This makes VHS one of the worst media for distributing musicals or concerts. CDs and DVDs, because they're read by lasers and not by magnetic heads, can last for decades, maintaining the crispness of sound they had when purchased. So, if you want something you can enjoy years from now and don't have a DVD player, get the CDs instead. Costumes are a small price to pay for great performances and great memories.
Rating:
Summary: Les Miserables in Concert
Review: This is one of the most moving video musical presentations I have ever seen. The passion is unsurpassed. As a musician, this is hard for me to say, but I have seen Les Miserables on stage and I must say that the video does far more for me than the live performance. Every major character was superbly portrayed. I was particulary moved by the performances of Colm Wilkinson, Ruthie Henshall and Alan Ball. I would recommend this video to anyone with an ounce of emotion.
Rating:
Summary: great concert
Review: I liked all the performances except Ruthie Henshall's and Judy Kuhn's. Ruthie Henshall was just too nasal for my taste. Judy Kuhn could have sounded more pleasant if she sang an octave lower. I was surprised many people did not like Lea Salonga's portrayal as Eponine. In my opinion she was perfect for the part. She sang with great passion and emotion, still her voice was beautiful, strong, and flawless. The great thing about Leia is that you can actually hear the words in her song clearly (she is, after all, a lyric soprano). Philip Quast, Colm Wilkinson were absolutely brilliant! They gave a powerful and intense performance! Salonga, Wilkinson, Quast and company will leave you breathless.
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