I own four English recordings of this show, and I enjoy each of them for different reasons! I do have my favorite (which will probably become obvious), but I would be happier if I could combine all my favorite elements from them all into one recording! 🙂
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Original London Cast. This was the second recording I bought, and perhaps I was a bit biased since I liked the Broadway cast so much, but this is probably my least favorite recording. The orchestrations lack the power of the later recordings, and despite all the people who have tried to convince me otherwise, I still find the Cockney accents really annoying!! 🙂 Good things about this recording would definitely have to be the cast…you can’t go wrong with Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Michael Ball as Marius and Frances Ruffelle as Eponine! I also love Patti LuPone as Fantine — she is probably my favorite in that role. Rebecca Caine as Cosette is fabulous as well. But my REAL favorite thing about this recording is the inclusion of the songs “Little People”! Is it just me, or is “A fly could fly around Versailles ’cause flies don’t care” one of the greatest lyrics ever?? 🙂 I really do like that song, and I think it’s a shame that they shortened it in the later versions! |
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Original Broadway Cast. This was the first recording I got my hands on after seeing the show live, and I thought it was fabulous! I love the orchestrations, especially near the beginning…I could listen to “Look Down” over and over again! The cast in this one is wonderful as well. Colm and Frances are still there, although the lack of Michael’s beautiful voice as Marius is definitely noticeable. Judy Kuhn is all right as Cosette, though not my favorite. Michael Maguire as Enjolras is outstanding. Terrence Mann as Javert is amazing. To introduce someone to the musical, I would say this is the best recording!! |
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Complete Symphonic recording. I admit it – this one is my favourite! First of all, it is the entire show, which gives it an edge over the others. It’s wonderful to be able to relive the entire performance through this recording. I have mixed feelings about the orchestrations here…they’re a little heavy on the synthesizers at times, but there are other parts, such as an electric guitar coming in as Javert is singing, that I just adore! The cast here is probably as a whole not as good as the Broadway cast, but it includes some incredible performers!! Gary Morris as Valjean is all right…it took me a while to get used to someone who was not Colm, but I really do enjoy his interpretation now. Tracy Shayne as Cosette is my favorite in that role. Her voice is so pure and light, exactly how Cosette should be. Kaho Shimada really impressed me as Eponine. She can’t compare to Frances for me, but there are some really pretty moments to her performance. Michael Ball as Marius…what can you say? 🙂 Philip Quast as Javert is wonderful. I don’t think I would be able to pick between him and Terrence Mann if I had to…they’re both so great! But the BEST thing about this recording is Anthony Warlow as Enjolras!! As much as I like Michael Maguire on the OBC, Anthony took his place as my favorite Enjolras the first time I heard him in this role! His interpretation is utterly captivating, and his voice is just beyond compare. |
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Tenth Anniversary Concert recording. Many people call this a “dream cast” recording, and it is indeed very close! First of all, I have to say that I love the orchestrations in this one too. Of course, after seeing the size of the orchestra at the concert, how could they go wrong? 🙂 Once more we’ve got Colm and Michael Ball, as well as Philip Quast as Javert. Ruthie Henshall as Fantine is fairly good, as is Judy Kuhn as Cosette. I better make quick mention of Anthony Crivello as Grantaire…he’s great! 🙂 Lea Salonga as Eponine has her good points, but I found the over-enunciation made her sound a bit too harsh for the role. I prefer the distinctive sound of Frances’ voice. The biggest…I don’t want to say “mistake”, but perhaps “drawback”, is the absence of Anthony Warlow as Enjolras. Michael Maguire does a decent job, but it is below his own performance on the OBC, and IMHO, far below Anthony’s. |
