I was really excited to see the show again, mostly because the wonderful Colm Wilkinson was starring, but also because I’d heard really good things about the whole cast, and my last experience with the show had been less than a total success. I was also seeing the show with several good friends – Karen and Gill Blackman and Lindsey Wiegers.
We were sitting about 14th row in the orchestra, so I didn’t have to worry about that detached-balcony-feeling. And the cast certainly did not disappoint. From the opening notes, I knew this was going to be wonderful.
Colm was everything I could have possibly expected. It was Todd Alan Johnson as I Javert, who I had seen in Vancouver (see Second Experience), so I knew what to expect there too, and though I still didn’t like him, it wasn’t as big a disappointment as the first time.
Susan Gilmour as Fantine was excellent. She looked really familiar to me, and it wasn’t until recently that Karen pointed out that I have her singing I Dreamed a Dream on TV that I realized why. 🙂 She has a very pretty voice though, and her acting is very good.
Just a random note…I don’t understand why they took out the line “It’s a runaway cart!” during the runaway cart scene. If I didn’t already *know* it was a runaway cart, I think I would be sitting there going, “Why on earth are they all running around the stage in slow motion?” But maybe that’s just me.
The Thenardiers were very good…I’d seen J.P. Dougherty as Thenardier both the other times I’d seen the show as well, so I knew he would be good. I had major problems with the little Cosette, who was not only off key half the time but actually dropped one of the lines. However, I saw her subsequent times, and she was better, so maybe it was just an off night.
The students were fabulous. I didn’t care much for Kurt Kovalenko as Enjolras, but Tim Howar as Marius was incredible (which became a recurring theme over the next few months :-), and Stephen Bishop as Grantaire was hilarious! (Though I didn’t actually see him the first time…I guess I’m combining all my reviews into one here. :-). Jessica-Snow Wilson as Eponine was really good as well…she’s the only one in the cast who didn’t sound classically trained, but it kind of worked, since she’s supposed to be from the street anyway. And Regan Thiel as Cosette was absolutely adorable. She’s the only one I’ve ever seen that made me like that role!
I guess I’ll summarize by just saying that I really enjoyed the show overall. We also hit the stage door after the show, of course, and the whole cast was very friendly. I got to meet Colm, which was great, and Tim was simply the sweetest guy ever.
The Quotes:
“Of course it’s sad! Even the kid gets it…little people know, BANG!”
Tim, after we told him we cried
“Okay, he’s good…”
Lindsey and I, when Tim made his appearance
The Pictures:
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Gill, me, Lindsey and Karen before the show |
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Me and Susan Gilmour |
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Lindsey and Susan Gilmour |
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Lindsey and Regan Thiel |
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Me and Tim! |
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Me, Karen, Tim Howar, Regan Thiel, Gill and Lindsey |
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Me, Gill, Tim, Karen and Lindsey |
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Me and Regan Thiel |
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Kurt Kovalenko and Lindsey |
The cast: (in order of appearance)
| Jean Valjean | COLM WILKINSON |
| Javert | TODD ALAN JOHNSON |
| Chain Gang | BEN DAVIS J.P. DOUGHERTY GREG HOLT TIM HOWAR RANDAL KEITH KURT KOVALENKO GLENN SAN MARCO STEVE SCOTT SPRINGER ETHAN WATERMEIER |
| Farmer | STEPHEN PAUL CRAMER |
| Labourer | GLENN SAN MARCO |
| Innkeeper’s Wife | ANNE TOLPEGIN |
| Innkeeper | JERRY JAY CRANFORD |
| The Bishop of Digne | DAVID BENOIT |
| Constables | JASON REIFF JIM RYAN |
| Fantine | SUSAN GILMOUR |
| Foreman | ETHAN WATERMEIER |
| Workers | STEPHEN PAUL CRAMER STEVE SCOTT SPRINGER |
| Women Workers | ANNE BUELTEMAN AYMEE GARCIA DIANA KAARINA EMILY KOSLOSKI CORNILLA LUNA ANNE TOLPEGIN |
| Factory Girl | CHRISTINE ALLOCA |
| Sailors | BEN DAVIS RANDAL KEITH STEVE SCOTT SPRINGER |
| Whores | CHRISTINE ALLOCA ANNE BUELTEMAN DIANA KAARINA CORNILLA LUNA REGAN THIEL ANNE TOLPEGIN ELIZABETH WATTS JESSICA-SNOW WILSON |
| Old Woman | AYMEE GARCIA |
| Crone | EMILY KOSLOSKI |
| Pimp | JIM RYAN |
| Bamatabois | GREG HOLT |
| Fauchelevant | JIM RYAN |
| Champmathieu | DAVID BENOIT |
| Young Cosette | MAGGIE MARTINSEN |
| Madame Thenardier | ANNE BUELTEMAN |
| Thenardier | J.P. DOUGHERTY |
| Young Eponine | ELENI ALEXIS ANDERSON |
| Drinker | STEPHEN PAUL CRAMER |
| Young Couple | DIANA KAARINA GLENN SAN MARCO |
| Drunk | JERRY JAY CRANFORD |
| Diners | DAVID BENOIT ANNE BUELTEMAN |
| Other Drinkers | GREG HOLT RANDAL KEITH EMILY KOSLOSKI CORNILLA LUNA JIM RYAN ANNE TOLPEGIN |
| Young Man | BEN DAVIS |
| Young Girls | CHRISTINE ALLOCA ELIZABETH WATTS |
| Old Couple | AYMEE GARCIA STEVE SCOTT SPRINGER |
| Travelers | JASON REIFF ETHAN WATERMEIER |
| Gavroche | JASON L. MAYS |
| Old Beggar Woman | ANNE TOLPEGIN |
| Young Prostitute | CORNILLA LUNA |
| Pimp | JERRY JAY CRANFORD |
| Eponine | JESSICA-SNOW WILSON |
| Montparnasse | GLENN SAN MARCO |
| Babet | JASON REIFF |
| Brujon | RANDAL KEITH |
| Claquesous | JIM RYAN |
| Enjolras | KURT KOVALENKO |
| Marius | TIM HOWAR |
| Cosette | REGAN THIEL |
| Combeferre | ETHAN WATERMEIER |
| Feuilly | BEN DAVIS |
| Courfeyrac | STEPHEN PAUL CRAMER |
| Joly | STEVE SCOTT SPRINGER |
| Grantaire | GREG HOLT |
| Lesgles | DAVID BENOIT |
| Jean Prouvaire | JERRY JAY CRANFORD |