The newly remastered DVD of the glorious 1995 tenth
anniversary concert of Les Misérables with 5.1 Surround
Sound released last November by BBC Home
Entertainment has got to be the definitive recorded version of the much beloved
musical to date. Not only is it a presentation of nearly the compete show, but
it gathers together what is often thought of as the dream cast for the
performance. Music is in the hands of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the
addition of a chorus 150 voices strong. It is nothing less than a complete joy.
That it comes so close in time to the opening of its Academy
Award nominated celluloid cousin is perhaps a mixed blessing. No doubt it will
profit some from the hoopla and publicity surrounding the film. Those movie goers
who enjoy the film may well want to hear what it sounded like on stage. On the
other hand there will be those so impressed by the star power of a Hugh Jackman
and maybe even an Anne Hathaway that they choose to wait for the film DVD. That
would be a mistake. As effective as the film is, it can't compete with the
stage version. Even in concert, where the cast is in costume but performs
before microphones at the front of the stage, the show is an emotional
powerhouse. One gets caught up in it and it is very easy to forget they are on
stage.
There is, of course, a more recent concert version
celebrating the 25 anniversay of the show available on DVD, and for those of us
who thrill to the music of Schönberg and Boublil, it has its excellent moments
as well, what it doesn't have is Colm Wilkinson, the original and the
definitive Jean Valjean. Not that there is anything wrong with its star, Alfie
Boe. He has an operatic voice that soars with power, but he is not Wilkinson.
Wilkinson has a voice that is unique and his version of "Who am I?"
is a dramatic tour de force, his "One Day More" stirs the soul, his
"Bring Him Home" is unmatchable. Indeed once you've heard him, he
becomes the measure by which to judge all the Valjeans since and all still to
come.
Other definitive performances in the 10 anniversary concert
are Alun Armstrong and Jenny Galloway (who also appears in the 25 concert) as
the Thénardiers. Lea Salonga who sings the tragically doomed Fantine in the
newer version sings the tragically doomed Éponine in the 1995 concert, a role
she did in the Broadway production. Moreover in the 1995 concert you get the
excellent Michael Ball playing Marius instead of the boyishly miscast Nick
Jonas. As for the villain, Philip Quast an Australian, though no Russell Crowe)
is a perfect Javert.
From some of the critical reaction to the current film,
there are those it would seem, not quite enthralled with the music. They find
much of the recitative puerile. They call much of it treacle. They dislike the
repetition of the melodies. Of course, they are not the first to find fault
with the show. London reviewers dumped on it when it opened in 1985; the London
reviewers were wrong, and if popular reaction is any indication so too are the
current complainers. While the verdict is still out on the film and its
handling of the music, the verdict on the music has long been in. Puerile,
treacle, repetitious be damned—audiences love it. There are musical moments in
this show that stay with you forever—the comic "Master of the House,
"the majestic finale of the first act, Javert's suicide, the death of
Valjean, the. . . . but why go on, you really have to list every musical number
in the show.
Bonus material on the two disc set includes some twenty
minutes of newly discovered interview material with producer Cameron Mackintosh,
composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil. There is also a
British documentary from 1988, Stage by Stage: The Making of Les
Mis which was included on the DVD's original release. It features
performance footage from a number of productions from around the world. There
is also a little commemorative booklet with some nice pictures, but no complete
cast listing, and a replica of the ticket to the London reception after the
show.
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