REV (Toronto 98)

This was an excellent production of the 3NT with an almost entirely new Canadian cast infused into it to mark the return of original London and Broadway Valjean, Colm Wilkinson. You could tell this was going to be a strong production just by listening to the first soloists from the Chain Gang. Colm Wilkinson as Valjean did a phenomenal job. He sounded better than ever, almost as good as on the Original London Cast Recording. He put a lot of new energy into all of his songs. His Soliloquy was controlled and polished, his Who Am I was terrific, and his Bring Him Home was phenomenal. As Javert, Todd Alan Johnson talked most of his part rather than sang it. But his voice really opened up during the end section of Stars and Javert's Suicide. He had an amazing voice. He just needed to sing through his lines more. Susan Gilmour as Fantine was fantastic. She had a consistent high voice and performed her role with a ton of emotion. She was especially powerful during her arrest scene. JP Dougherty as Thenardier was one of the few performers who was not re-cast in their roles. He had been playing Thenardier for the last 8 years straight. The last few times I saw him, he seemed to just be walking through his part, liked he had grown tired of his role. But this time, he infused his part with a ton of new energy and interpretation. He was great. Sharon Matthews as Mme. Thenardier was also very good . Jerry Jay Cranford as the Enjolras understudy was good in his role. One of the standouts of this production was Tim Howar as Marius. He had an incredibly flawless pop/theatre high baritone voice. And his acting was terrific as well. He sang one of the best Empty Chairs I've ever heard. His high note on "....became their last communion" was fantastic. Jessica Snow Wilson was extremely cute as Eponine. Her singing and acting were both fantastic. She had great chemistry opposite Tim Howar as Marius. You really understood how much she likes this guy. I thought she was especially strong during In My Life, A Heart Full of Love and On My Own. Regan Thiel as Cosette was a fine singer and actress. Her interpretation made Cosette more likable. The Heart Full of Love Reprise in Act 2 was the best I've ever seen. Colm Wilkinson joins the hands of Marius and Cosette as they sing the final notes in great harmony. The overall sound of this production was terrific. The chorus sang with great singing power. The orchestra was also very strong.


	Toronto (Princess of Wales Theatre, Sept. 1998) REVIEW Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) Javert (Todd Alan Johnson) Fantine (Susan Gilmour) Thenardier (JP Dougherty) Mme. Thenardier (Sharon Matthews) Enjolras (Jerry Jay Cranford *--understudy) Marius (Tim Howar) Eponine (Jessica Snow Wilson) Cosette (Regan Thiel) This was an excellent production of the 3NT with an almost entirely new Canadian cast infused into it to mark the return of original London and Broadway Valjean, Colm Wilkinson. You could tell this was going to be a strong production just by listening to the first soloists from the Chain Gang. Colm Wilkinson as Valjean did a phenomenal job. He sounded better than ever, almost as good as on the Original London Cast Recording. He put a lot of new energy into all of his songs. His Soliloquy was controlled and polished, his Who Am I was terrific, and his Bring Him Home was phenomenal. As Javert, Todd Alan Johnson talked most of his part rather than sang it. But his voice really opened up during the end section of Stars and Javert's Suicide. He had an amazing voice. He just needed to sing through his lines more. Susan Gilmour as Fantine was fantastic. She had a consistent high voice and performed her role with a ton of emotion. She was especially powerful during her arrest scene. JP Dougherty as Thenardier was one of the few performers who was not re-cast in their roles. He had been playing Thenardier for the last 8 years straight. The last few times I saw him, he seemed to just be walking through his part, liked he had grown tired of his role. But this time, he infused his part with a ton of new energy and interpretation. He was great. Sharon Matthews as Mme. Thenardier was also very good . Jerry Jay Cranford as the Enjolras understudy was good in his role. One of the standouts of this production was Tim Howar as Marius. He had an incredibly flawless pop/theatre high baritone voice. And his acting was terrific as well. He sang one of the best Empty Chairs I've ever heard. His high note on "....became their last communion" was fantastic. Jessica Snow Wilson was extremely cute as Eponine. Her singing and acting were both fantastic. She had great chemistry opposite Tim Howar as Marius. You really understood how much she likes this guy. I thought she was especially strong during In My Life, A Heart Full of Love and On My Own. Regan Thiel as Cosette was a fine singer and actress. Her interpretation made Cosette more likable. The Heart Full of Love Reprise in Act 2 was the best I've ever seen. Colm Wilkinson joins the hands of Marius and Cosette as they sing the final notes in great harmony. The overall sound of this production was terrific. The chorus sang with great singing power. The orchestra was also very strong.