Les Misérables

I’ve seen Les Miserables the movie, but oh boy is it much better live! I thoroughly enjoyed the show, though the show I saw had a lot of understudies. The actor/​singer who played Jean Valjean was the understudy! But, he was pretty good. Fantine’s voice was a bit off, a bit airy for one of the songs she sang. Eponine sang On My Own so touchingly and beautifully; it was hands-​down the best part of the show. The lighting and effects were really cool, especially when Javert jumped to his death; that was truly some really cool and awesome effect! Definitely recommend.

This is one of the best shows on Broadway. You can usually find good seats at the half price ticket booth in times square. I have seen it several times and it is amazing every time.

The show is fabulous! This will be my fourth time and every time it gets better and better!

«Morality is truth in full bloom.» — Victor Hugo, «Les Misérables»
«There is always a patch of blue sky to lovers, although the rest of the world may see nothing but their umbrellas.» — Victor Hugo, «Les Misérables»
Victor Hugo’s «Les Misérables» is a epic, historical fictional novel written in 1862 (19^th century) continues to resonate well into the 21^st century. Amid a three hour musical transcribed from a five volume novel to the theatrical stage with music and song regarding about ex-​convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption, care for Cosette (birth name Euphrasie), appointed mayor of Montreuil-​sur-​Mer using the name Madeleine, the struggle to good deeds until his death as Cosette’s surrogate father. The musical transpires well about law, humanity, ethics, morality, and the transition or struggle from bad to good. I happily read Victor Hugo’s epic novel. The novel is very detail about the characters and their definitive underwriting and the theatrical stage conveys the same message with music and song with a French flair. One can truly understand the theatrical stage version by reading Victor Hugo’s epic, historical fictional novel– of course, nothing is close to the source. Without a true understanding of the plot and storyline the theatre patron cannot fully immerse with enjoyment. The music is classic and timeless.
Note: I do NOT suggest this musical for children under 12 due to the extensive three hour length and the rather complicated plot and storyline to sway either boredom or create confusion for lack of understanding.

God. This moving and revolutionary masterpiece reduced me to tears of joy and amazement. The moving score and great performances makes it a must-​see in theater-​going world before it closes.

This was my first time seeing Les Misérables live, and it did not disappoint! My favorite performances were from peformers playing Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Inspector Javert. The stage/​set was also amazing!!! It was really interactive and dynamic. My favorite scenes involved Inspector Javert on the bridge overlooking the river.

This was my first ever Broadway show, and I loved every moment of it! Admittedly, I had seen the recent movie production, but this was so very moving! A few instances I found myself almost having to hold back a few tears.
If you ever find yourself in the area, I strongly recommend you see this show while you can, especially if you never have!

Oh, Les Mis, I always want to love you — especially my first time getting to see it in New York — but this time just didn’t work for me. It’s always amazing to see this musical, but this particular performance wasn’t one of the best (of my 16 times seeing it over the years). The stage design was beautiful, flowing into the theater on the wings to engage the audience more. Fantine and the Thenardiers on 12 March 2016 were some of the best I’ve seen in those roles, and the orchestra was amazing as well. The rest of the cast was enjoyable/​good/​okay, with some standout individual voices (except for one character whose voice drove me batty), but I just wasn’t taken by this production as a whole. (I would still return again annually or so if I could though. Please don’t take my Les Mis away… again!!)

My wife and I started visiting NYC a few years ago to get a taste of theatre and the performing arts. Should I be ashamed to admit that I’d never been to a performing arts event until I was in my mid-​40s? Perhaps not. Never too late, right?
Unbelievable performance with stunning stage effects. As a musician I can totally appreciate the coordination between musicians in the pit and the performance itself.
The performance started promptly at 800 PM and ended a few minutes before 1100 PM. A 25 minute intermission was tendered after 1.5 hours.
Bravo and I can’t wait to visit NYC again for another live theater performance!

I love Broadway plays. I am obsessed with Les Miserables. I was dying to see this play with my boyfriend. He bought me front row seats for my birthday and I was so excited. He had never seen or really heard of Les Mis before, so I explained the background story beforehand and bragged about how good it would be.
However, I was honestly very disappointed. I enjoyed the play, but I feel like it could have been SOOO much better. The songs in Les Mis are so powerful that it should leave the audience with goosebumps. However, I don’t think the voices matched previous performers I have heard before. I mean some of the actors and actresses didn’t even have Broadway voices that you would expect to hear on stage. Having it be my boyfriend’s first impression of Broadway, I was almost embarrassed that this was the play I bragged about.
The lead role Javert was excellent. He had an outstanding voice. Cosette did as well. They both were amazing. Lacking voices in my opinion were Valjean, Eponine (A shame because she is my favorite character), Fantine, and the couple from the bar scenes. It was overall very embarrassing and not impressive.

This is NOT the traditional Les Mis you probably know and love. Every time I’ve seen this show, the voices couldn’t be matched. These singers were average at best, and the strength behind the songs wasn’t there. I felt nothing when they sang, and zero attachment to any of the characters.
Having seen it in multiple venues across the years, something was off with this version. The story was clunky and didn’t flow well, and some songs were cut entirely (one example, no «Little People»). I know this is a «reimagined» version (whatever the hell that means), but you shouldn’t mess with greatness people!
I was bored, confused, and couldn’t wait to leave. Save your money and go down the street to see Hamilton. So sad this was such a buzzkill!

Without a doubt, Les Misérables is one of my favorite musicals of all-​time. Every scene, every song, every moment is astounding. I attended this Broadway performance a few months ago, but haven’t been able to find the right words to do this show justice.
To discuss the current production, I must begin with the magnificent Alfie Boe, who portrays Jean Valjean. He completely immerses himself in the part, and both his acting and vocal performances are a testament to his dedication. Since the musical’s 1980 debut in Paris, countless actors have taken on the role, and yet, Boe makes the character his own. His conviction shines as Valjean progresses through his arduous journey, from Prisoner 24 601 to Cosette’s father and beyond.
Boe will continue to play Valjean through February 28^th, so I strongly recommend grabbing tickets before his run comes to an end!
There’s a reason why Les Misérables’s initial Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Original Score — the music is timeless and unforgettable. Of course, there are the classic songs, such as «On My Own,» «I Dreamed a Dream,» and «One Day More.» Just as captivating, in my opinion, are those that surround the direct conflict between Valjean and Inspector Javert (i.e. «Confrontation» and «Who Am I?»). They aren’t necessarily more beautiful than the other pieces, but rather, they highlight the complicated nature of the ongoing feud between the two characters. The story becomes much more than a fight between an underdog and an authority figure; it manifests the intricacies of relationships, the value of ethics, and the conditions of extreme turmoil in society.
If there is one Broadway musical that everyone must see, Les Misérables is it. The show is truly mesmerizing in every way possible.

Honestly, I’ve been procrastinating from seeing Les Misérables since I heard it’s roughly 3 hours long.
Shame on me! This is now indeed one of my favorite Broadway shows and I’m looking forward to see it again soon with my mom. We were able to purchase tickets for a Tuesday evening show and were seated in the 17 row with isle seats. Incredible! I felt like we had the best seats in the house.
We had a beautiful view of the stage and felt close to the performers. Such an excellent show with a powerful cast! I’d simply enjoyed each and every moment of the performance. Seriously, I was annoyed when we had intermission, but used that time to venture out and purchase a magnet as a souvenir.
This time I did not take advantage of the bar fun since I was worried that I may need to use the facility at some point during the next 1.5 hour of the performance. Each and every detail at this point matters!
From the music, sceneries, costumes, lighting, story telling, and appreciation of life was beautiful.
I really don’t want to go into details and spoil the surprise, but trust me if you are a big fan of live musical shows, then you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

BORING… and so very long. This musical lasts three hours and it is all singing. Yes three hours of singing. That makes it kinda hard to follow the plot especially when the play spans 20 years and the characters are switching races and hair color as they grow older. Don’t get me wrong the performers were very talented, and the set changes were cool but I do not understand the enthusiasm for Les Miserables. It was redicoulsly boring and hard to follow. This is an example of how hard it was to follow. After an engaging musical number an hour and a half in the lights go on and the title flashes on the set. My husband and I were so confused if it was over or not. It wasn’t. There was still another hour in a half to go, but I don’t think that’s a good thing when you can’t tell. It didn’t seem like it would ever end.
I didn’t know a lot about the play about ahead of time. But bought last minute discount tickets, figuring it’d be good since the play is so well known. Don’t make the same mistake we did. If you like plays with an entertaining plot, maybe some dialog and some songs then this is not the show for you. The only redeeming quality is that it’s an experience and now we’ve seen it on Broadway and now know.

I thought I would like this more than I did. It just never became a very involving experience, rather than just another musical.
Obviously, millions of play and film goers disagree with me. Perhaps I saw it with a subpar cast.

Les Miz is a wonderful Broadway show.
I love the songs of Les Miz!
The songs will make you laugh, cry, and tug at your heart strings.
The cast did an amazing job!
(Except Javert and Eponine. I think Samantha Barks and Lea Salonga were better Eponines’. And Javert was much better played by Russel Crowe).
Tip: Don’t watch the Les Miz the movie and then watch Les Miz the show.
Watch the show first, then watch the movie.
And the plot line is timeless.
Devotion, love, compassion and the resilience of the human spirit are feelings almost every person can relate to.
And you get to be immersed tale of 4 protagonists as they live under monarchy rule, 40 years after the French Revolution in 19^th Century France.
The set was amazing and so much more complicated to maneuver (with time restrictions).

Every single cast member was outstanding. One of the great things about Les Mis is that you are able to get outstanding solos from a wide range of cast members, not just the one or two leads.
The theatre was a bit bigger than most of the other broadway theaters I’ve been in, but my seat was pretty good (the first row of seats in the back balcony area (Mezz… ok, I can’t spell)). I got my ticket through Student Tix, and was able to get it same day for like $ 40, which was great for a decent seats at a sold out show.
This show made me realize that I enjoy seeing shows I don’t know every word of, because I just wait for the good parts, but that’s not really the fault of anyone except maybe Spotify for allowing me to listen to the soundtrack on repeat.
In case, you aren’t super familiar with broadway (or going to see shows on the weekends), people tend to dress up on the evening performances, so yoga pants might make you feel out of place.

Watched this about three months ago and once again a month ago, and this current production does the original justice. It isn’t amazing, but Ramin Karimloo does a fantastic job as Jean Val Jean.
I still love the innkeeper and his wife, because it shows comedy can work within such an emotional musical. Won’t give anything away in the plot (but how dare you still not know about it in this day and age!), but I love the reprises in this Broadway, as they really allude to the different perspectives of the characters.

Les Miserables is my favorite Broadway show and I was so thrilled that it was back on Broadway. I was able to see it in April and had another opportunity in June. I was really looking forward to seeing Ramin Karimloo but he wasn’t performing on that particular Saturday, which sometimes happens. The understudy did do a terrific job and overall the show was still fantastic.

Les Mis is simply our most favorite musical. Even our boys have seen several children productions and pretty much know the lyrics to most of the songs. Since we’re in New York we decided to see the Broadway production despite a couple of adult themed segments.
The current cast is outstanding, as good as any that we’ve seen (dating back to our first time at the Shubert in Century City). Ramin Karimloo brought his unique version of Jean Val Jean. Having seen his version of Bring Him Home many times, I love his style of not over singing but definitely bringing in the power at the right moments. Brennyn Lark as Eponine has that signature Eponine voice and sounded similar to Samantha Bark.
What distracted from the experience was the sound of wrappers from people munching on candy and snacks, especially during the quiet moments. Also the leg room is a little tight.
Overall this was an exquisite production and sure to be a highlight of our week long stay. The enduring quality of the musical is simply unsurpassed as I enjoyed this show as much, or even more, as my first nearly 30 years ago.

Le 4 mars 2014, j’ai eu la chance d’assister à une des toutes premières preview du grand retour des Misérables à New York?
Est-​ce qu’il est utile de donner son avis sur un mastodonte comme Les Misérables? OUI !
Surtout que pour moi c’est tout sauf «old news», ma deuxième comédie musicale, ma première sur Broadway, la première fois que j’ai l’impression de voir quelque chose de surnaturel se jouer sous mes yeux, de sur-​humain, un choc, vraiment.
Assis au tout premier rang, à 50 centimètres de la scèné, scotchés à nos sièges pour trois heures, face à tous ces artistes incroyables, à cette précision chirurgicale dans le jeu, les notes de l’orchestre et l’enchaînement parfait des tableaux.
La scèné d’ouverture est phénoménale, chacun de ces bagnards qui se mettent à chanter l’un après l’autre donne le ton, dans un casting d’une quarantaine de personnes, uniquement des chanteurs exceptionnels, des chansons qui n’ont plus rien à prouver, un choc devant l’émotion et la beauté de Fantine et Eponine, les transformations physiques et les voix sans faille de Javert et Valjean, l’aisance de Gavroche, la puisse d’Enjolras, tous ces acteurs, ces chanteurs portent l’histoire complexe, dure, sombre et profonde des Misérables avec un talent tout américain, complet et sans aucun défaut. Je né comprends pas qu’en France on puisse se contenter de vivre sans avoir dans notre folklore et notre socle culturel commun, des chansons comme Can You Hear the People Sing, On my Own, One Day More, ou Here’s to You. Cette comédie musicale est addictive, vous fera réfléchir à des thématiques apparemment vues et revues, et surtout, des thématiques que l’on doit avant tout à Victor Hugo mais quelle belle façon de populariser cette histoire au grand public avec une telle perfection visuelle et auditive, pourquoi Javert est tellement obsédé avec Valjean, pourquoi l’histoire de Fantine est si poignante en seulement 10 minutes de présence sur scèné, pourquoi Marius et Cosette, malgré leur histoire d’amour en apparence nian-​nian est au finale si délicieuse, pourquoi ce groupe d’étudiants révolutionnaires vous donne envie de vous joindre à eux (oui, reprise grossière de tous les codes de la révolution, mais ça marche, ça donne des frissons)? Au delà des divertissement, on entre réellement dans les interrogations du livre.
En fait je réalise que je tire mon chapeau au sens du spectacle a l’américaine également, au delà de cette pièce qui est bien sûr magnifique mais qui m’a surtout introduite à la perfection du «musical» selon New York et selon les USA. Si vous y allez, faites vous un petit rappel de l’histoire pour né pas être perdus et laissez vous porter par la puissance de l’histoire et des voix, c’est tout simplement magnifique.
(Choisissez un soir avec Gaten Matarazzo en Gavroche.
Mention spéciale à Monsieur Thénardier.)