Maggiemags Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 Early posts in this thread originated in the "night two" thread, but needed its own space. Please use this to report on the little snippets of news that come in from the show from elsewhere on the net. Another twitter 'review': NeilMaidman at 00.07: @Gareth_Gates great performance tonight @ WMC.Best production of Les Mis that I have ever seen and believe me, I have seen a few!! Brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Justin1976 has [posted this on Gareth's official site , it is great so I decided to bring it over :smile: WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD Well, you really are in for a treat. It was awesome. Prologue starts on a galley ship with all the men rowing these huge oars. When Valjean steals the candle-sticks he is chased by villagers wielding flaming torches and pitch-forks. Javert's hair starts short and gets longer as the show progresses. After Valjean sings 'Another story must begin' the stage blackens and the words 'Les Miserables' appear across the stage. The factory has a long work table with lamps suspended over it. All the chorus/poor now use broad northern accents instead of cockney (as does Madame T). Fantine (Madalena Alberto) is superb - her dress is slightly different, no puffed sleeves. During I Dreamed A Dream there is a backdrop of facories/chumneys - the chimneys belch smoke. Lovely ladies is in a moonlit harbour, disliked the whores costumes though - simply tattered victorian dresses, hardly a corset in sight. When the runaway cart rolls on, a projected painting of a street comes to life and the houses recede - very clever. When Valjean takes little Cosette away from the Thenardiers, it is snowing. Screens are used that look like old Parisian buildings. Cosette is now blond, she wears her hair down in Act 1 and coiffed up in Act 2. She wears blue and lilac dresses. Marius sings to her from below her balcony. One Day More made my hair stand on end - awesome. The barricade is virtually the same albeit slightly smaller and doesn't revolve etc but splits apart to reveal dead Enjolras and Gavroche. Javert's suicide - he climbs up onto the railings of the bridge, which flies upwards like London. He is then suspended in thin air and a 3D vortex is swirling behind him - he then flies backwards (still in mid-air) as if being sucked into it. The sewer tunnel is an amazing 3D holographic projection - it really is jaw-dropping. Whole cast were brilliant. Gareth Gates is truly a great Marius - I loved him!!! When he cried after Eponine died I cried too. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables was hauntingly beautiful - he sang it so well and his accent/acting are fantastic, I was damn proud of him. Gosh what a ramble this is trying to remember everything lol!!! New orchestrations are lush and full. Souvenir brochure - unique to Cardiff. The production is so new it hasn't been photographed yet, the brochure has rehearsal pics, set designs etc but the colour cast pics are of the current london cast, not the touring one. There will be a proper brochure later in the tour, but these first ones are collectors items. Much love xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floz Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 What a fab report. Thanks for bringing it over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggiemags Posted December 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Oh, wow! that was so good to read! Thanks Justin - and thanks Heather for bringing it over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 What a fantastic report, thanks so much Justin and Heather for bringing it over. Love this bit especially. Gareth Gates is truly a great Marius - I loved him!!! When he cried after Eponine died I cried too. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables was hauntingly beautiful - he sang it so well and his accent/acting are fantastic, I was damn proud of him. I really can't wait to see it, all these little details make me want to more then ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 That's a brilliant report from Justin. He's said about the programme being changed for the other venues, I didn't think of that when we were loooking at it. Will be able to get the new one when we go to Birmingham, so will then have both. Justin sent me a message on Facebook and said again that Gareth was superb and a brilliant Marius. He's seen the show several times before so this is genuine praise from him, which is great. Thanks for bringing his report over Heather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdrop Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Wow. What a great report from Justin. It's lovely to read nice things about Gareth, but it's also great in that it has loads of detail, and information to help us imagine what it will be like. Thank you to Justin for writing and Heather for sharing it with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorral Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thanks Justin for your review and Heather for bringing it over. Just read on Les Mis facebook, this from someone who has just been to see it. Saw it last night, was simply incredible! It had a new freshness to it! JOJ was fantastic as usual, earl brilliant and i thought id never say this Gareth Gates was brilliant! The new set fitted beautifully (especially the projections) and the new orchestrations added a fantastic freshness! Was simply amazing, i've seen... it many times in the west end and this was the best yet! i look forward to seeing it in Bristol! Thankyou Cameron Mackintosh!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thanks Dorral, its great to read all these positive comments of people who seen the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdrop Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Great find, Dorral. :heart: Another person who didn't realise how wonderful Gareth is, but does now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggiemags Posted December 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 A couple of responses on Facebook to the question: 'How was Gareth Gates as Marius?' Gareth is superb as Marius !!! any doubters will be made to eat their words I promise you !!! whole company is faultless !!! : ) You would have thought he'd been playing the role for years, absolutely outstanding as were all the cast! Loving all this! :frantics: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floz Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 Keep ' em coming. This is all brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 How wonderful is this, makes your heart glow. :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 I'm loving reading all these positive comments about Gareth in the show :smile: By the way I had told Justin I'd brought his post over to GPG , and he said he was still mesmerised and cannot wait to see it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggiemags Posted December 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 From someone who went to the first night: Must say, Gareth was very good, he's had a lot of doubters and I'm glad to say he will prove them wrong Posted here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdrop Posted December 19, 2009 Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 That makes for a very interesting read, thank you. They take the show very seriously on there, don't they?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted December 19, 2009 Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 I just read the thread from page 1, lol and agree, makes interesting reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted December 19, 2009 Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 Great find Maggie and a very good read. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggiemags Posted December 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 They take the show very seriously on there, don't they?! Don't they just?! Most of the discussion is way over my head - MASSES of theatre jargon and stuff like: "Does he [JOJ] sing the B flat or shout it?" Eh? And so on. But therefore even more 'Yay!' to that teeny tiny review imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 I'm putting this in here, but I'm not sure we shouldn't have a special thread for all these brilliant comments about Gareth. This was on the Fans Facebook page Sian Katherine Alexander Just got back from the show with my friend and probably the best thing I have ever and will ever see. After years of listening to the dreamcast recordings on repeat, watching the dvds and the like, I never thought it would be able to live up to those that had gone before but this was just pure brilliance. Gareth Gates ...was outstanding and his version of Empty Chairs has actually passed Michael Ball's in my heart, JOJ and Earl were perfect, as was every cast member. Not one thing was out of place or wrong or did I wish had been done differently...maybe aside from sitting near someone who liked to rustle sweet wrappers in the quietest, most emotional scenes while I was sobbing quietly into my tissue.Being able to hear the pure Welshness of some of the cast just added another brilliant, different flare to this production. Just perfect and I'm so glad I went. Love it :heart: :heart: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggiemags Posted December 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Gareth Gates ...was outstanding and his version of Empty Chairs has actually passed Michael Ball's in my heart OMG! This just gets better and better! It's just WONDERFUL to hear all these people coming round to what we've always known all along. I'm SO thrilled for him. I hope he's somehow getting some of this feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdrop Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 That is absolutely outstanding - I was convinced there would be a fair few people being sniffy about Gareth being in the cast, but so far I've not heard a single negative thing from anyone who has been. Which is a hell of a lot better than the new cast got when they replaced the old lot in the West End, which makes it even more impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floz Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 as Maggie says - this is just getting better and better. I am just loving all these reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 On the Les Mis Facebook page Bethan Williams Saw show last night - absolutely amazing!JOJ - Fantastic! Gareth Gates was a superb Marius! Set was spectacular! Loved it all! Diolch yn fawr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdrop Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 That's lovely. Thank you. Also under the Discussion section about a new recording there is: Sian wrote about an hour agoI really hope they have a DVD or CD. I listened to my dreamcast recording after the show and while I still love it, I just miss the 25th anniversary versions of the songs, if only for the Welsh voices you can hear under the songs or for Gareth's version of Empty Chairs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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