Yesterday I saw Les Mis on stage for the first time ever and I feel so incredibly lucky to have seen the production I got to see. The star studded cast (Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Matt Lucas, Carrie Hope-Fletcher and Rob Houchen) was exceptional.
I was absolutely blown away by Alfie Boe’s performance as Jean Valjean, he just has the most insane voice ever. He seems to be able to hit every note, even the really high one’s which is really impressive for a male singer. He played Valjean’s character spot on as a gentle, kind but somewhat lost soul who is desperate to please everybody. His sung performance of Bring Him Home was superb.
Michael Ball’s Javert was also stunning. He portrayed the character of Javert exceptionally. The relationship he has with Alfie Boe on stage is absolutely wonderful and both cast members complement each other’s voices and characters beautifully because of how different both of the characters have been portrayed and this really makes the story alive.
Matt Lucas was hilarious as Monsieur Thénardier. I was somewhat surprised to hear that Matt Lucas actually has a charming voice to listen to and the humour and cheekiness he brings to Monsieur Thénardier’s character is delightful to watch.
Carrie Hope Fletcher’s rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” was completely and utterly spectacular to both listen to and watch. She gave a pure innocence to the song and the performance was all in all breathtaking.
Rob Houchen, I have got to say was so much better as Marius than Eddie Redmayne in the film (sorry any Eddie megafans haha :’D). His “Empty Chairs At Empty Tables” was full of emotion and a really moving piece of theatre to watch. Also the duet he performed with Eponine (Shan Ako) made me cry.
All in all the show was insanely impressive and I still cannot get over how incredible it was. I thoroughly adored it to pieces and would 100% definitely recommend going to see it if you have the chance, even if you’ve seen the show before. That was how incredible it was.
Maia’s Movies, Music & Media 
I have been a massive fan of Les Mis since 2013- more of an obsessive fan. That started with the film. What sounds crazy is that I have seen the stage show every other year beginning in 2013 in three cities.
2013- Halton Theater (Central Piedmont Community College). I saw it in Charlotte, my hometown. This was November 15th (with my family), and November 17th and 24th (the other two I was ushering). Well, this production was the motor for wanting to see it in London. I was still a student at Central Piedmont Community College during this time.
2015- Queen’s Theater (West End with understudy as Jean Valjean). Over the summer, the adult choir in my family was in residence at Bristol Cathedral- long story short: a pilgrimage was built around that: the first 2 and 1/2 days were in London. My family went up two days early- my mom and I saw Les Mis when we went up early (July 30th, 2015)
2017- Peace Center (US Tour in Greenville with understudy as Eponine). Now, I saw it with my university. This time, I saw it November 5th, 2017. Instead of going to my hometown, I went the Greenville route.
2019????- Guess what Blumenthal (Charlotte’s access to touring productions) decided to do. They are bringing Les Mis back to my hometown. Hopefully that happens. So, the US Tour is still going strong.
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