tenlittlebullets | (no subject)

This time I was front row, all the way to the right. It's a very different view than even third row center. Probably not for first-timers, but a great, intimate show for fans who have seen it a bazillion times and would in most cases prefer to watch for small details than keep their eyes glued to the leads the whole time. The view is a bit limited--can't see people lying down, have a hard time seeing people at the back of the stage and suchlike, and the all-the-way-to-the-right thing also limited the view--but the little details and the closeness totally made up for that.

Randal's prologue is still drop-dead amazing. He's really good throughout the rest of the show, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him all through the parts with the Bishop, Valjean's soliloquy, etc. And his Bring Him Home still makes me wriggle inside with glee. I don't think those two things will ever get old, ever.

Joan's still not great, but it's nice to watch her up close. Her facial expressions, seen from the front row, added a lot to her IDAD. The same can't be said for Robert Hunt, alas; not only does he not age well, but his Javert is even more rabid and mean up close. He's constantly bordering on mental instability, which makes his eventual breakdown less striking. Eh.

It's a bit disconcerting when you begin recognizing chorus members, especially when you know them best as Amis. Obviously some of them are more recognizable than others--I'm thinking Charles Hagerty because of his hair and Trent Blanton because he just has a very recognizable face--but it was odd when I started noticing what other roles the guy playing Jean Prouvaire was in. XD I think him being the queer at the wedding was the most amusing. More on that later, promise.

Oddly, I think Master of the House was the number that suffered most from my seating placement. You'd think, oh, big ensemble number, plenty of people to watch, but I was so far right that all I could see were a bunch of people's backs. Oh well.

Look Down was a lot better on that count--got a nice clear view of the beggars, Marius and Enjolras, Marius running into Cosette, etc. Assorted beggars and Patron-Minette members perving on Cosette, and then Marius shoving them off and doing the "Raaaa, I am your white knight and protect you" thing = cutest thing ever. Ya rly. Melissa Lyons is also great to watch close up--nothing really new with her, but god dammit I like her scruffy, tomboyish Eponine.

Have come to the conclusion that I really don't like solo numbers with just one person onstage soliloquizing their heart out. I like the songs themselves for the most part, but once I get tired of those there's nothing to watch; I mean, at least in Empty Chairs there are some ghostly barricade boys to ogle. I think I came to this conclusion when, right in the middle of Stars, I started scrapping together fanfic ideas out of sheer boredom. I suppose the one exception would be What Have I Done, but that's because Randal is God and his acting in the prologue knocks my socks off.

(Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention about front row orchestra right: it's literally right above the percussion in the orchestra pit. When the drums are resonating right in your chest on the big numbers, the music is twice as much fun.)

And yes. ABC Café. Mwehehe, there's so much to watch--I kept an eye on Joly especially, partly because he's cute as all hell and partly because I knew

zachary_evans was about ten rows behind me squeeing her fangirl heart out over him. I don't think I properly appreciated Trent Blanton's Grantaire back in January because I'd just seen him as Javert a few weeks ago, but this time? Oh man, he ruled. He got very, very physical with Marius on "I am agog...", snuggling him and pinching his cheeks and generally being an adorably annoying R. And Victor's "they will come when we call" was orgasmic as per usual.

...have I mentioned yet that all the Amis wear very tight pants? XD Because they do. And Enjolras' are the tightest; not to go too deeply into fangirl TMI, but for god's sake, if he ever got an, ahem, little problem during a show it would probably be visible to the back of the theater. (What, you think their facial expressions were the only thing I was admiring from my vantage point? Mmmm, barricade boy booty.)

Dude. Adam and Leslie in AHFOL are so damn cute it should be illegal. When Adam climbed over the gate he was acting like such a total dork and Leslie was all giggling and like "Wow, you're a dolt. An adorable dolt. It's okay, I love you too! *glomp!*" And they were both grinning as if to say "Oh good, I didn't screw this up too bad." And Adam was just so... Marius. His voice is still a bit nasal, but awwwwww.

One Day More good. 'Specially right next to the percussion section, heh. I never noticed before that the doll makes a reappearance during this number, but it was a nice touch.

I love the barricade scenes from up front. There's just so much to watch and eeeeeeee. I confess I wasn't paying that much attention to the principals, Enjy included, because I was too busy being distracted by Amis and cross-dressing barricade "boys." (Oh yes. If you hadn't noticed already, some of those random guys on the barricade with no lines are female chorus members in pants and hats. Oh musical version of LM, stop feeding my twisted fanfiction ideas.)

Despite my dislike of big solos in general and On My Own in particular, I did manage to get up some interest tonight through the eminently boring technique of projecting myself on to Eponine. As usual, the fantasy-world bit worked better than the unrequited-love bit. Oh well, but at least it was entertaining.

ALFOR was barely visible from my seat, so that was when I really took time out to look at the minor characters. Spent about a third of the song trying to figure out if some random guy was in actuality male or female, another third ascertaining with 99.9% certainty that the working-class-looking guy in the green coat is Joan Almedilla, and then when everyone came out and started staring at Marius and Eponine, I took advantage of the fact that Enjy's back was to me and spent the rest of the song indulging in the time-honored pastime of Staring At Victor Wallace's Ass. And lo, it was good.

Drink With Me was awwwwww. (The slashy! The slashy! It shall never die!) Haha, Enjolras accepted a drink from Joly. How embarrassing it would have been to wake up the morning after the émeute and realize your drink was spiked, your friends are dead, and you're currently pantsless and tied to the barricade with your own cravat. *cough*

I actually did fairly well in the final battle this time. No, honest, I was completely in control of myself all throughout the battle, the death scenes, dangling Enjy, etc., but then I started recognizing the bodies. It's hard not to wibble when Javert kicks Combeferre's corpse aside and Thénardier drags Joly back out onstage to rob him. Augh.

Empty Chairs was sort of a bore-fest, but I started wibbling again when the ghostly Amis came out and I started recognizing them again. Eep. (I still maintain, though, that Feuilly is far too well-dressed throughout the whole thing. And Jehan should be the one in the pink coat, dammit.)

And yes, Jehan was the queer at the wedding. Perfect.

Finale was squee love wheeee ♥♥♥.

During curtain call I kinda sorta almost fell into the orchestra pit when les Amis took their bows. Shhh, I'm not a fangirl at all.

Stage door was funny. It's very difficult to get out quickly from the front row, so we missed a bunch of Amis, but when a few of the leads saw me they were like "You again! How many times have you seen it now?" And we succeeded in grabbing Victor Wallace this time, even though he's all sneaky and claimed he thought we were waiting for Randal because "Everyone only wants to see the guy who played Valjean." I refrained, quite admirably in my opinion, from jumping his bones and sexing him to death, and he cheerfully put up with our fangirliness. And a good time was had by all.

And yeah. Why is it that every time I see the show, my reviews get even more random and spastic?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I love Randal. SO MUCH. The rest of your cast I don't recognize off the bat--I haven't seen the show since 2001. Did you go in Boston?

Randal is God. And so nice in person, too. I less-than-three him muchly.

Yep, saw it in Boston. Try to go see it if you get a chance--aside from an average Fantine and a not-that-great Javert, most of the cast members are amazing. ~~Especially Victor Wallace no I'm not a hopeless Enjolras fangirl what are you talking about~~.

He is nice in person--I think I remember talking to him.

I'd love to go if it comes to Houston when I'm here (I don't think it will be coming to Boston again, unfortunately). Although I'm sad about the Javert--I saw it with the legendary Stephen Bishop (whom I fangirl SO. MUCH. and who is a personal hero of mine) and I'm not sure I'll be satisfied with anything less.

STEPHEN, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, I LOVE YOU

I hate to break it to you, but Stephen Bishop isn't in the biz anymore. ;-)

I'm thinking Charles Hagerty because of his hair

AND HE'S HOT!!!! ;-)

another third ascertaining with 99.9% certainty that the working-class-looking guy in the green coat is Joan Almedilla

Yep, that's always Fantine.

The view is a bit limited--can't see people lying down, have a hard time seeing people at the back of the stage and suchlike, and the all-the-way-to-the-right thing also limited the view--but the little details and the closeness totally made up for that.

Welcome to BB in the Queens. (I'm a BB fangirl.) Only it's not all the way to the side, just a bit.

It's a bit disconcerting when you begin recognizing chorus members, especially when you know them best as Amis.

Bahahha, I love doing that! It's insanely fun. My favourites in the London cast are Hayden Tee as one of the chain gang people (he'd last about two seconds in prison; way too pretty) and Shaun Escoffery as the captain who does not want to sleep with Fantine. (I also kept seeing the Jehan actor. Who I have irrational hate for. *Cough*)

and then Marius shoving them off and doing the "Raaaa, I am your white knight and protect you" thing = cutest thing ever.

Last time I went, Hayden actually said "COME ON, THEN!" during that. I think I died.

I think I came to this conclusion when, right in the middle of Stars, I started scrapping together fanfic ideas out of sheer boredom.

Hey, at least you weren't wondering whether he'd crack on the last note, were you? (OMG, I might actually get to ENJOY Stars on Saturday. First time ever.) But ya, I agree -- never really liked Stars all that much anyway, and IDAD gets a bit meh when you've seen it a few tmes.

(What, you think their facial expressions were the only thing I was admiring from my vantage point? Mmmm, barricade boy booty.)

You know when Valjean lets Javert go at the barricades? Yeah, I was not watching John and Cornell during that part. *Coughbendingoveruponthebarricadecoughcough*

It's hard not to wibble when Javert kicks Combeferre's corpse aside and Thénardier drags Joly back out onstage to rob him. Augh.

Eeeeek. I'd wibble too.

And Jehan should be the one in the pink coat, dammit.

He really should. (It's Bossuet. Why do I know that? The London outfits aren't even the same.)

And yes, Jehan was the queer at the wedding.

In London it's Rob Archibald, who plays Feuilly. It's the only time I really like him because he's hilarious; he goes "I'm not a queer!" in a really gay stereotype voice, complete with limp wrists and moving hips. Ahaha.

Why is it that every time I see the show, my reviews get even more random and spastic?

I do not know but I have experienced the same thing.

Isn't first row LOVELY?

Wow. Have many times have you actually seen Les Mis? My God, I think I will just drop dead when I see it in March. XD

....five, counting the time in London that I don't remember too well. The other four were all the national tour.

Wow. I envy you SO MUCH. Are you seeing the revival later this year?

No idea. I could pay for the last couple times because I had a job, but I've since quit and I have no clue whether I'll be able to afford it.

Although... they haven't held auditions yet, so I hear. *scheme scheme*

I hope you'll be able to go; it seems like it'll be wonderful. :)