Broadhurst Theatre
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 2:00pm
I was fortunate enough to have seen Les Miserables twice during it's original broadway run (1997 & 1999 I believe). Unfortunately, I don't remember too many specifics from those trips, but I do remember being in complete awe each time. "On My Own" can still make me tear up when listening to it. So when the revival opened I was interested in revisiting the show again, but now it a hurry, especially since the "limited engagement" has been extended with no end in sight.
A friend finally returned home to NYC and we decided to try student rush for a Wednesday matinee. We got decent left mezzanine seats. I was in shock over how small the theater is. That is a positive in the sense that anywhere you sit is a good seat, but bad because a production like Les Mis should be big! Honestly, I felt like I was watching a local community production. Don't get me wrong 90% of the actors were amazing, but the show was just, small. Maybe it was just because I was young, but the show always seemed massive and grand to me. This was like a few people and a couple of props.
The music was as beautiful as always, even though musically challenged as I am I could tell half the orchestra wasn't real. "Do Your Hear the People Sing" and "One Day More" still gave me goosebumps.
Drew Sarich gave a very impressive performance as Jean Valjean. His acting was excellent, and the slow but big transformation between ages was comical but still believable. His voice was beautiful and it didn't seem like he was straining to hit any notes. His "Bring Him Home" was fantastic. I had heard good things about him before hand and I will definitely look into his other works.
I would have loved to see Norm Lewis as Javert, but Robert Hunt did not disappoint. However, the staging for the suicide was stupid. Nikki Renee Daniels was on as Fantine and has an angelic voice. I was not disappointed one bit that Lea Salonga was not there. However, Idara Victor was horrible in the role of Cosette. I never really cared for the character, but her singing actually made me like it less. I don't know if she was nervous or what, but yikes. Megan McGinnis was impressive at Eponine, except during On My Own. Her voice was very generic and all she did was stand there in the middle of an empty set. As much as I love the song, I had trouble paying attention. Her and Adam Jacobs were wonderful in "A Little Fall of Rain". Adam really impressed me, and I totally swooned during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". The rest of the cast was good, but nothing really stood out for me.
If you for some reason have never seen the show at all, this production is definitely worth checking out. But if you have seen the original production, this may not be up your alley unless you are just having a Les Mis craving and need a quick fix.
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