Les Miserables

***Warning: This is by far a wordier post than normal, read it or not... but scroll down for some great songs from Les Mis if you'd like. - At least listen to the first video I posted!***

I've posted about Les Mis before (here - the post where I mentioned how they needed to make a musical version, and now... check this out). And I'm posting about it now... And I'll post about it later. Because...

YESTERDAY I BOUGHT TICKETS TO GO SEE IT AT THE UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL!!!

And I'm so excited! I'm going with a friend, and we decided that since we weren't going to be spending money on a hotel, and we wanted really awesome seats, we would splurge. So we did. We're sitting on the 6th row, dead center. I can't wait!

We'll be going on 24 July, which is a state holiday so I don't have to worry about getting work off. The play is at 2, so we'll drive down in the morning, watch the show, and drive back up that night. It'll be perfect, and I can't wait!!! (have I said that already?)

Since I bought the tickets I've been listening to lots of things Les Mis. A coworker sent me a link for the 25th anniversary performance on youtube. It was put in multiple parts, but I loved listening to that while working yesterday. My one complaint - No Jonas brother has any right to sing in Les Mis in my opinion. His voice was too pop-ish and he sounded like he was straining through his whole part. No good. It was good for me to listen to Les Mis with different voices though, reminding me that I can appreciate it even when it's not being sung by the voices that I recognize and love from the Complete Symphonic Recording.

Before we get into the wonderfulness that is the Complete Symphonic Recording... Let me share with you this little gem that a co-worker sent to me yesterday after we had talked about Les Mis. Seriously, it's incredible.

Valjean quartet with - Colm Wilkinson, Alfie Boe, Simon Bowman and John Owen-Jones. Wilkinson was the first to play Valjean 25 years ago (he's the first one to sing), and Boe performed in the 25th anniversary concert (the last to sing). I'm not sure about the other two, but I love all their voices and would be extremely happy to watch any of them play the part of Valjean.

And now - enjoy!

Here are a few (okay, more than a few, honestly, I could have included all 44 tracks... except maybe 'Castle on a Cloud', I've never loved that one. oh! and 'lovely ladies'...) favorites from that version.


The Confrontation -

Look Down -

Stars -

One Day More -

Drink With Me -

Bring Him Home -

The Final Battle -
(maybe a weird one to post, but I like the soldier's voice at the beginning, and it's the last time you hear Enjolras - whom I'm kind of in love with)

Javert's Suicide -

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables -

Finale (just becuase) -