Life in Manteca 75b: Manteca Stake Broadway Review: "Bring Him Home"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this.  My voice was tired, and maybe I was deluding myself that I could singe this song.  However, it does have some redeeming parts.  It is not Colm Wilkinson or even Alfie Boe.  It is a baritone struggling to sing with the high tenors.  However it has emotion, and this song is a terrific prayer as Val Jean prays for his future son-in-law.  I tried to get emotion by singing for my son who is a month on his mission in Iowa.
I had fun singing, and am still impressed at some of the talent in our stake.  I thought this was going to be an amateur event, but I was so wrong.  Those who performed were all very professional.

Movie Night: ***^Les Miserables (2000)

This is not the version currently in the movies, but a 2000 miniseries version which is available through instant Netflix.  It has an international cast with Gerard Depardieu, a French actor, as Jean Valjean and John Malkovich as Javert.  Malkovich is eerie in his roll of Javert, as he is so persisitent in his pursuit of evil.  
This version does not have the music, and has a couple of plot twists different than the musical.  These mostly involved the Thernadier family, as Thernadier ended up in prison after his first experience with Valjean for selling a child.  His other experiences were just as distressing, and lead to his harboring great bitterness.  By this we understand more his motivation to rob Valjean when they meet again in the city.  The emotions are in this movie, as in the other versions I have seen.  They make Eponine to be uglier, and with less of a crush on Marius.  However Marius is the neighbor to Thernadier.  It is he who warns Javert of the robbery of Valjean, and put Javert on the trail of Valjean again.
Marius' grandfather has a larger roll.  And takes his grandson in after the barricade.
My only complaint was the suicide.  Javert walks into the river.  Could you really complete a suicide that way?  Cosette is truly beautiful, and could easily steal a man's heart at one sighting.  This movie is entertaining. 

To the Movies: ****^ Les Miserables (2012)

I have seen a few opinions about Les Miserables from--the best movie ever to too dark.  And after visiting the theater yesterday, I can understand both remarks.  Les Miserables is a dark story to begin with.  However with all the expectations, many were predisposed that it was going to be the best ever even before seeing it.  I wave watched the ten year, and 25 year anniversary concerts over and over.  And granted those were concerts not theatrical productions.  But they music from those far surpasses  that in the movie.  The movie was going for character and story, and took the risk of casting theatrical actors in musical parts.  Sometimes it worked, and others it didn't.  So the pluses and minuses.
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean worked.  His singing does not compare to Colm Wilkinson, but he carried the roll.  "Hear my Prayer" is the highlight of the show, and although I would have liked to hear Colm Wilkinson, Jackman delivered the emotion of the song such as to be effective.  It is just so beautiful the way Wilkinson holds that last note.
Russell Crowe as Javert did not work.  The song "I Swear by the Stars" sounded more like some one singing in the shower than a prayer to the stars.  Crowe did  make the suicide scene more believable than I had seen it.
The added song of Valjean singing his love to Cosette added depth to the character.  You also can love instantly.  Being a foster/adoptive parent I know this is true.
The three young people, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) Eponine (Samantha Barks) and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) were the highlight of the show.  They carried their trio and other performing parts with energy and gusto.  I left the theater humming "heart full of love."  "On My Own" was also well done.  However keeping with the dark theme of the director, was done in the rain. Marius sang "Empty Chairs," with such beauty and emotion, I think everyone who has seen this has cried with him.
Fantine (Anne Hathaway) was somewhat of a controversy.  Lea Salonga sings which much greater skill, energy and professionalism.  However, in the mood of the film, Hathaway did an incredible job.  The song "I Dreamed a Dream" was presented later in the movie, after arriving at the bottom, rather than just starting the slide, so there was a different tone (darkness) to the song.  I especially like her in the death scene at the end. 
The innkeepers are a welcome comic relief.  The must have worked so hard at coordinating everything.  I especially like their entrance through the carriage to the wedding. 
So there are more things to like and love about this version of Les Miserables than there are to dislike.  The music is worth going to see, the action is well done, the characterization is good, and the sets are effective (except for the sewer which is over the top) and the theme that when we show love to each other, we show love to God is timeless.  Oh Colm Wilkinson does have a cameo as the priest.  His baritone voice resonates, and somehow he is in the final scene at the pearly gates.  A nice touch.  I recommend this movie, but don't go so far as to say it is the best ever.

Les Miserables: San Francisco

Les Miserables 

Charity took me to see Les Miserables last week.  She had been able to get tickets through the Butler family, who had purchased at the group rate, and had some extras. First off, I must say it is an incredible show.  The colors and the scenes, costumes and set pieces going back and forth, make it truly a work of art and a visual delight.  The music adds the auditory delight.  I love the song, “Bring Him Home.”  And it was performed beautifully.  “I dreamed a Dream” is also a favorite, and it was well performed.  My only regret is that they jumped into it so fast, I missed the first part of the song.  The Timpani covered over some of the vocals which was frustrating, and Javert was hard to understand when he sang “Stars.”

The play clarified some points.  The song “Who am I” has a part sung before the court, where Valjean reveals himself.  Eponine and Cosette were play mates at the inn.  That was something I hadn’t realized.  One song really stood out in terms of the blocking, this being “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”  They had a light representing the friends who had passed away at the barricade.  The friends come out and take their light.  At the end they were all dimmed, with the exception of the light Marius held.  It was very effective. 

Another moving part is the death of Gavroche.  The students were much affected by this.  Eponine did a very good job of singing “On My Own.”  That she gave her life, so her love could have someone else is very moving. 

Another place where they really did a great job with set, and making things move when they really weren’t was in the sewers, including Javert’s suicide.
Even with all the grandeur,  I had a feeling something was not quite right.  I think it had to do with the morality.  On our way home Charity expressed that she enjoyed it all except a couple of side things. She noticed that there were a couple of times in the side business, that people were pretending to be engaged sexual relations.  I had missed this, but had the feeling everything was not right.  I do not think such beautiful things should be used as a forum to promote irreverent and immoral behavior.