I saw the show this time around with Alison and her friend Tara. Our seats were in the front row, on the left side of the centre block of seats. They were really a wonderful view, besides not being able to see inside the crow’s nest at all. 🙂 We were also sitting right in front of the strings section in the orchestra, so I probably paid a little more attention to them than I should have. 🙂 But I just LOVE the overture for this show. Matthew Bennett was a decent Mr. Andrews…I really missed Michael Cerveris though! Stephen Buntrock as Barrett was not too hard on the eyes. 🙂 I can see how he’d be a pretty compelling Enjolras! And he’s got a wonderful voice too, though he didn’t quite have the adorable accent that Brian has. It was still Martin Moran as Bride (yay!) and it was Adam Pelty as Fleet! He was just too adorable! 🙂 I spent entirely too much time watching him. I also spent entirely too much time watching Marla Schaffel, but she’s just such a wonderful actress. The new Charles Clarke, John Bolton, was okay, I s’pose. The three Kates were the same as the last time I saw it, but I didn’t care for Christopher Wells as Jim Farrell very much…I missed Clarke a lot too! Anyway, the whole prologue was fabulous, as it always is. I managed to ignore the bellboy most of the time, and the kid didn’t get on my nerves much either! 🙂
Victoria Clark wasn’t near as hyper for the whole show as she was last time, and Bill Buell was just a little weird…Alison asked me if he was supposed to be drunk. 🙂 He just kind of slurred most of his lines. It was strange.
Anyway, Barrett’s song was really good, though I had to keep laughing at whoever was stoking right in front of us, ’cause the poor guy had a heck of a time getting the boiler door shut each time. 🙂 I spent most of “What a Remarkable Age This Is” either watching Adam as Mr. Latimer or else watching Jennifer Piech over in the corner. “Lady’s Maid” was good, though I didn’t think the chemistry was as good between Jennifer and Christopher as it had been between her and Clarke. “The Proposal” was lovely…not quite as good as Brian’s, but I wasn’t expecting it to be! 🙂 “Doing the Latest Rag” was a blast to watch…my eyes were glued to Adam in his plaid outfit. 🙂 And then the final scene of the act is just a favourite of mine altogether…the sets are too amazing, and it’s just a wonderful scene. I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet that I wasn’t a huge fan of Paul Kandel as Ismay. I had trouble understanding a lot of what he said, even though I knew what he was going to say!
“Dressed in Your Pajamas…” was really good…I adored Henry Stram’s (Etches’) expressions during the song. I didn’t notice this the first time, but he’s obviously aware of exactly what’s happening, and is doing his best to keep it in and avoid alarming all his treasured passengers. It was very well done. “The Blame” was okay, though I enjoyed it much more last time, just because of the actors. The whole “to the lifeboats” bit was very moving, as always, though I didn’t actually start crying yet. “Still” was fabulous…I really don’t like the song on CD that much, but it really gets to me on stage. “Mr. Andrews’ Vision” was actually better than I had been anticipating, and aside from being a little concerned when Matthew fell over the piano bench, I enjoyed it quite a bit. 🙂 And, of course, the finale was incredible!!! I was crying quite hard by the very end, especially thanks to Marla and Stephen, who were so moving in that scene.
We stood up for curtain call, though hardly anyone else in the theatre did…I can’t imagine why! And we also got to talk to some of the cast afterwards, and they were all incredibly nice!!
The Quotes:
“Hi, I’m Martin.”
Martin Moran, just in case we missed it.
“I wasn’t in this last year. I was in that one.”
Stephen Buntrock, pointing at my Les Mis pin
“He’s coming to watch on Sunday! I’m nervous!”
Stephen again, when Brian d’Arcy James came up in conversation
“I can’t believe you have that!”
Marla Schaffel, when Alison asked her to sign the Jane Eyre CD
The Pictures:
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Me and Martin Moran |
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Me and Marla Schaffel |
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Me and Stephen Buntrock |
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The cast:
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Capt. E.J. Smith |
JOHN CUNNINGHAM |
| 1st Officer William Murdoch | DANNY BURSTEIN |
| 2nd Officer Charles Lightoller | AARON PAUL |
| 3rd Officer Herbert J. Pitman | WILLIAM YOUMANS |
| Frederick Barrett, Stoker | STEPHEN R. BUNTROCK |
| Harold Bride, Radioman | MARTIN MORAN |
| Henry Etches, 1st Class Steward | HENRY STRAM |
| Frederick Fleet, Lookout | ADAM PELTY |
| Quartermaster Robert Hichens | DAVID ROSSMER |
| 4th Officer Joseph Boxhall | DREW MCVETY |
| Chief Engineer Joseph Bell | MATTHEW R. JONES |
| Wallace Hartley, Orchestra Leader | MATTHEW R. JONES |
| Bandsman Bricoux | DAVID ROSSMER |
| Bandsman Taylor | DREW MCVETY |
| Stewardess Robinson | MICHELE RAGUSA |
| Stewardess Hutchinson | STEPHANIE PARK |
| Bellboy | PIPPA PEARTHREE |
| J. Bruce Ismay | PAUL KANDEL |
| Thomas Andrews | MATTHEW BENNETT |
| Isidor Straus | LARRY KEITH |
| Ida Straus | ALMA CUERVO |
| J.J. Astor | RANDY CLEMENTS |
| Madeleine Astor | CHRISTINE LONG |
| Benjamin Guggenheim | JOSEPH KOLINSKI |
| Mme. Aubert | KIMBERLY HESTER |
| John B. Thayer | JOHN JELLISON |
| Marion Thayer | ROBIN IRWIN |
| Jack Thayer | CHARLES MCATEER |
| George Widener | SCOTT BURKELL |
| Eleanor Widener | CHRISTA JUSTUS |
| Charlotte Cardoza | CAITLIN CLARKE |
| J.H. Rogers | DREW MCVETY |
| The Major | WILLIAM YOUMANS |
| Edith Corse Evans | MINDY COOPER |
| EMILY LOESSER KIM LINDSAY JENNIFER PIECH CHRISTOPHER WELLS |
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| Charles Clarke | JOHN BOLTON |
| Caroline Neville | MARLA SCHAFFEL |
| Edgar Beane | BILL BUELL |
| Alice Beane | VICTORIA CLARK |
| DANNY BURSTEIN MINDY COOPER AARON PAUL ADAM PELTY |
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| Kate McGowen | JENNIFER PIECH |
| Kate Murphey | KIM LINDSAY |
| Kate Mullins | EMILY LOESSER |
| Jim Farrell | CHRISTOPHER WELLS |
| DAVID ROSSMER CAITLIN CLARKE WILLIAM YOUMANS MINDY COOPER ALMA CUERVO CHRISTINE LONG SCOTT BURKELL CHRISTA JUSTUS KIMBERLY HESTER ROBIN IRWIN LARRY KEITH JOSEPH KOLINSKI JOHN JELLISON DREW MCVETY MATTHEW R. JONES RANDY CLEMENTS |
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| On Shore | |
| Frank Carlson | SCOTT BURKELL |