Standouts, however, come from Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras and the young Samantha Barks as Éponine, whose take of "On My Own" actually leaves chills. Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway play the innkeeper Thénardier and his wife, and they're an absolute hoot to watch. (Salonga also provides the singing voice for Jasmine in Disney's animated musical of 'Aladdin.') Salonga, in particular, comes with a remarkable voice that provides "I Dreamed a Dream" with the kind of tear-jerking anguish we'd expect from the number.
The rest of the cast do well in keeping pace opposite Boe, especially Norm Lewis as the implacable Javert and Lea Salonga of Miss Saigon fame as the forlorn Fantine. He's easily forgiven for a momentary break of character during his version of "Bring Him Home," smiling and taking a brief moment to acknowledge a well-deserved standing ovation. Not since Colm Wilkinson's original feat have we seen a Jean Valjean that leaves us in stunning admiration for such a talented singer. Whether he's singing solo in "What Have I Done?" or with others, his performance alone is the most memorable and should be rightfully celebrated as the standard for which future performances shall be compared. Boe is an absolute marvel, delivering the words with a sense of painful regret and sadness which leaves listeners in awe. Leading the way is the phenomenal voice of English tenor Alfie Boe as our soul-searching hero Jean Valjean. A few lighting visuals beaming the colors of France add a lovely touch, but the focal point is always on the songs and singers.
Mackintosh has put together a wonderful troupe of world-class singing talents to give a passionate voice to the characters and their words.
With an orchestra and its conductor, David Charles Abell, sitting on an upper-level tier above the actual stage, this is purely a celebration of the music and lyrics of Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. Nevertheless, the performance is a magnificent display of color and sound, allowing the audience, as well as viewers at home, to imagine Hugo's beautiful story of redemption at the time of the June Rebellion. Performers dressed in costume, instead, walk unhurriedly to their designated spots with microphones and sing to a sold-out stadium crowd. Little of the original show is actually acted in the traditional sense, and three gigantic screens hang high above so that even those in the far distance will not miss a thing. The special concert event is a rather simple show, with minimum direction and a background design reminiscent of what's been seen before on the stage around the world. Opening at The O2 Arena in South East London, successful theatrical producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh celebrates 25 years of the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic 19th Century novel, Les Misérables.
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