Les Mis Original London Cast

5 stars
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I really like musicals. I mean really really like, musicals. Especially Broadway musicals. I find there's something very attractive about stories set to music. I don't know why, but I'd much rather go see a musical than a regular play and/or movie.

The first Broadway musical I fell in love with was Wicked. Then Crazy for You, then Rent, but then came Susan Boyle and Jamie Pugh on Britain's Got Talent. Both of them turned out to be amazing singers, but what struck me was that both songs were beautiful and from the same source: Les Mis.

I considered buying it for about a week or two. Did I really want it? In the end I decided it was worth it. Little over a month later I still can't get over how much I love this play.
There are some songs that touch my soul and send shivers up my back: I Dreamed A Dream, Red and Black, Do You Hear the People, One Day More, On My Own. Then there are the songs that are just really catchy, and not in a bad way: At the End of the Day, Lovely Ladies, Master of the House, Little People.

The few problems I have with this recording are purely based on the vocal talents of some of the singers. Eponine for instance...what the heck? Woman's got range, but her actual voice grated on my nerves the first few times I heard her. Cosette is boring, and Fantine is eh (which sounds like Broadway sacrilege when you realize that it's Pattie Lupone's voice your finding fault with). After a few listens, however, Eponine's voice became less grating and more in character with the picture I had of her in my mind. Spoiled, wretched, ragged, and as wikipedia says, '"pale, puny, meagre creature," with a voice like "a drunken galley slave’s."' Fantine also became slightly more appealing, but I'm afraid Cosette may always be rather boring.

The outstanding voice is Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean. Marius, I believe, is played by Michael Ball, who is also fantastic. The amazingness of their voices more than make up for Cosette's lackluster performance (especially since she only sings in three songs), not to mention the acting performance of those two that you can not only hear, but in your mind's eye, you can imagine!
Another fascinating aspect is the spirituality of the lyrics:

(Bishop to Valjean) And remember this, my brother/See in this some high plan/You must use this precious silver/To become an honest man/By the witness of the martyrs/By the passion and the blood/God has raised you out of darkness/I have bought your soul for God.

(Valjean) Yet why did I allow that man/To touch my soul and teach me love?/He treated me like any other/He gave me his trust/He called me brother/My life he claims for God above/Can such things be?/For I had come to hate the world/This world that always hated me/Take an eye for an eye!/Turn your heart into stone!/This is all I have lived for!/This is all I have known!

(Valjean) My soul belongs to God, I know/I made that bargain long ago/He gave me hope when hope was gone/He gave me strength to journey on

All in all, I love and adore this musical. It's hard to believe that it's only been a month and a few days. One month...

The rain can't hurt me now
This rain will wash away what's past
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
Buy the album!