Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (1995)

Really Surprised!

good back-story, and good acting

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I don't think anyone can doubt that Les Misérables has by now become a classic piece of musical theatre. It is a truly epic musical, both in its scope and in regard to its themes. It touches a number of universal issues, such as poverty, love in its many different shapes and forms, mercy and forgiveness, and law versus justice. Claude-Michel Schönberg's symphonic music is perfect for conveying such a story. It makes a viewer feel a myriad of emotions - from pity to amusement to sadness - depending on what a particular song is about. Both the music and the lyrics are a perfect fit for the story that is being told and the combination of the two creates a musical unlike any other. The cast we see in this performance was selected from a number of productions of Les Mis and it can really be called a dream cast. Colm Wilkinson's Valjean is an embodiment of Christian mercy. Philip Quast's Javert is a truly imposing figure. Ruthie Henshall's Fantine is willing to do anything for her child. Michael Ball's Marius is charming and in love. Judy Kuhn's Cosette is innocent and equally in love. Lea Salonga's Eponine is lonely and heartbroken. Everyone is perfectly cast and all of the characters are really believable, even though the musical is staged as a concert and not as a full show with choreography, scenography etc. It is a living proof that with good actors all these other things are just decoration and are not necessary to create a truly memorable show.There is only one flaw in this production. Namely, the musical was awfully abridged. Sometimes this takes the form of omitting a few verses of a song, which, while annoying for the die-hard Les Mis fans, could be forgiven. What is harder to overlook is the fact that some songs were cut completely, which is not only strange seeing that the concert was meant as a celebration of the musical, but also creates plot holes and huge leaps in respect to the characters, their behavior and knowledge of the events. Explaining such holes with short texts on screen is truly unsatisfying. I realise that performing the entire score would make the concert about 3 hours long, but I do believe that the musical deserves to be seen in its entirety.

Drawing cast around the globe made this Les Miz concert a dream cast indeed. Lea Salonga (Eponine) and Phillip Quast (Javert) were the best singers/performers among the cast. Their respective voice qualities and stunning performances were truly amazing. They're simply the best!!! Michael Ball (Marius) was great as a singer. Wasn't quite impressed with vocal qualities of Judy Kuhn (Cosette) nor Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), however, Wilkinson did very well in acting. Ruthie Henshall (Fantine) was good but I prefer Patti Lupone's more matured, deep voice.I've heard quite a number of Les Miz performances (either recorded or live on stage) and I would say Lea Salonga's "On My Own" and "A Little Fall of Rain" renditions were the best so far. Same credit holds true for Phillip Quast's rendition of "Stars".I would definitely recommend this DVD as a must-have for musical fanatics...

I like it. I don't love it. Simply because I have seen better people play some of the roles. I was lucky enough to see Patti LuPone and Frances Ruffelle (who later won a tony for the same part) as Fantine and Eponine in London back in 1985 and think they were much better than Ruthie and Lea. Also, Anthony Warlowe is much more convincing than Michael Maguire. Everyone else is pretty good though. I think Judy Kuhn is probably the best female singer in the cast and love her performance. Cosette is my favorite role and don't think anyone brings as much to it as she does; which is probably why she got nominated for a tony with such a small role.

The first million times I saw this on tape and DVD, I was entranced from the very first drumbeat. This tale of the redemption of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict breaking his parole, features heart-felt lyrics covering a full range of emotion- hope, despair, love, hate, pity, wrath, etc.The performance begins in a prison when Valjeans receives his yellow ticket of leave- he is on parole. He finds that he cannot make a living unless he stops showing the ticket, as the law requires, so Valjean breaks his parole. Eventually, he becomes mayor of a town and adopts Cosette, the daughter of a dying prostitute. Eventually, Cosette falls in love with Marius, a revolutionary fighting for the impoverished lower classes while Valjean attempts to reconcile with his past."Les Misérables" is often seen as a depressing story (the title tells all, I suppose), but the musical does a good job of providing some comic relief (especially from the crooked Thenardiers) without compromising heavier scenes, such as the songs "Look Down" and "Empty Chairs, Empty Tables." The production also benefits from scenes with Enjolras (the revolutionary leader) including the uplifting songs "Red and Black" and "Do You Hear the People Sing?".I cannot imagine a stronger performance of "Les Misérables," since the performers were the world's best at their respective parts. This is one of the most classic tales of redemption, up on the list with "On the Waterfront."