REV (NY 97)

After having just seen the incredible London production (which turned out to be my all-time favorite), it was hard for me to see the Broadway 10th Anniversary cast with an open mind. They said that they were re-casting the Broadway production because it had grown weak over time. So I had assumed that someone had gone to London, seen how incredible the show was, and would now try and bring the Broadway company up to that same level. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Now don't get me wrong. This was a very strong production. It had a great deal of fresh new energy infused into it. I just felt that the casting choices did not necessarily represent the best compared to all the productions of Les Mis I've seen. Robert Marien as Valjean was good again. He hit all of his high notes solidly. But his voice still sounded hoarse and scratchy during certain parts like in London. Christopher Innvar as Javert sounded a little tired vocally. But, he still did a good job. Juliet Lambert as Fantine had all the right characteristics for her role. But she seemed to be walking through her part, showing little or no emotion. And during I Dreamed A Dream, she used a strange vocal placement to hit the high notes. It was kind of distracting. I felt that Nick Wyman and Fucia Walker as The Thenardiers could have been a little better in their roles. It seemed like here were two actors who had been given these brand new parts to play. But they had not yet found all the necessary humor to make their roles work. Stephen R. Buntrock as Enjolras was fantastic. He made the entire show. His singing and acting were incredible. He had an enormous amount of energy. As Marius, Peter Lockyer was a very good actor in his part. But, he sang everything very straight. He could have stylized his singing more. Sarah Uriarte Berry as Eponine was also a very good actress with a great voice. She improved a lot since the last time I saw her in 1994. She really added a lot of new things to her part. I especially liked her on A Heart Full of Love and On My Own. Christeena Michelle Riggs as Cosette did an excellent job. She was a terrific singer and actress. I especially like the part during A Heart Full of Love where she falls off the bench because she is startled by Marius. That was great. All in all, the ensemble was very strong, as was the orchestra. This production really had a lot of new energy.


	Broadway 10th Anniversary (Imperial Theatre, Aug. 1997) REVIEW Valjean (Robert Marien) Javert (Christopher Innvar) Fantine (Juliet Lambert) Thenardier (Nick Wyman) Mme. Thenardier (Fuchia Walker) Enjolras (Stephen R. Buntrock) Marius (Peter Lockyer) Eponine (Sarah Uriarte Berry) Cosette (Christeena Michelle Riggs) After having just seen the incredible London production (which turned out to be my all-time favorite), it was hard for me to see the Broadway 10th Anniversary cast with an open mind. They said that they were re-casting the Broadway production because it had grown weak over time. So I had assumed that someone had gone to London, seen how incredible the show was, and would now try and bring the Broadway company up to that same level. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Now don't get me wrong. This was a very strong production. It had a great deal of fresh new energy infused into it. I just felt that the casting choices did not necessarily represent the best compared to all the productions of Les Mis I've seen. Robert Marien as Valjean was good again. He hit all of his high notes solidly. But his voice still sounded hoarse and scratchy during certain parts like in London. Christopher Innvar as Javert sounded a little tired vocally. But, he still did a good job. Juliet Lambert as Fantine had all the right characteristics for her role. But she seemed to be walking through her part, showing little or no emotion. And during I Dreamed A Dream, she used a strange vocal placement to hit the high notes. It was kind of distracting. I felt that Nick Wyman and Fucia Walker as The Thenardiers could have been a little better in their roles. It seemed like here were two actors who had been given these brand new parts to play. But they had not yet found all the necessary humor to make their roles work. Stephen R. Buntrock as Enjolras was fantastic. He made the entire show. His singing and acting were incredible. He had an enormous amount of energy. As Marius, Peter Lockyer was a very good actor in his part. But, he sang everything very straight. He could have stylized his singing more. Sarah Uriarte Berry as Eponine was also a very good actress with a great voice. She improved a lot since the last time I saw her in 1994. She really added a lot of new things to her part. I especially liked her on A Heart Full of Love and On My Own. Christeena Michelle Riggs as Cosette did an excellent job. She was a terrific singer and actress. I especially like the part during A Heart Full of Love where she falls off the bench because she is startled by Marius. That was great. All in all, the ensemble was very strong, as was the orchestra. This production really had a lot of new energy.