Les Misérables in Concert [Blu-ray]

I have seen this show on stage 6 times and own the 10th Anniversary edition. I just discovered this DVD and the 25th Anniversary edition and am I glad I did. Three of my six times to see Les Mis, I had the joy of hearing Colm Wilkenson. Legendary performance. However, having just discovered Alfi Boe, I was blown away. His range, expressions (thank you blueray), etc, made me feel I was one with the lead star. Norm Lewis was stunning as Javert. Lea Salonga's performance was moving and perfect. Katie Hall as Cossette was good, but I have seen better. The standout to me was Samantha Barks. She had me in tears. The music was as good as I have EVER heard as was the extra 500 choir members. The entire production was stunning. Especially the end where they bring out the original cast and others to sing with the current cast. The main downside to the show was Nick Jonas. I'm sure they thought they needed some star power, but his voice is just NOT right for the part. Very weak, short notes and stunted acting (even for just this concert). I cringed knowing a high note was coming. He wasn't terrible, but just was not necessary to the show. I felt redeemed with Michael Ball returned to sing a Marius Song. Les Mis ALWAYS brings me to tears (noticed Alfie shed a few tears), but this performance had me in overtime tears. Buy it now...

Les Miserables is Surely the single most successful Show of all time. There can be absolutely no doubt about this.But then, look at the masterwork that it is based on...Victor Hugo’s supreme masterpiece, turned into a Theater-Work Masterpiece by Claude-Michel Schoenberg, Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The world of theater has been forever changed by this magnificent telling of Hugo’s massive literary opus.Presented now in this celebratory Silver Anniversary Special Concert Event.Now, a few precautionary warnings so you are not disappointed with this edition. The lighting, stage layout/orchestra locations, and MASSIVE equipment to bring this all about, in a venue such as the O2 must bring about some changes in the presentation of this already overwhelmingly massive-to-present-on-stage work...so the idea that there is room for actual acting of the stars must be dispensed with...the complications make this impossible, so we get the equivalent of a concert performance of an opera...singers standing in place and simply singing their vocals with orchestral accompaniment. Don’t fear, it works amazingly well, just don’t expect it to be a staged performance like in the theater.The sheer massive size of filling the O2 arena with a stage musical is not to be believed! You will catch your breath when this starts and the cameras draw back and everything shifts into place, believe me! Stunning beyond your wildest dreams! Lighting is magnificent, sound is magnificent, costumes, makeup, etc, as well as interpretations are all magnificent. But that said, I have to admit that having seen three live stage productions I miss the manageable sized theater aspects, with acting as well as singing.....As I said however, as a concert presentation this is a great entertainment. As frosting on the cake there are a couple extra special surprises at the end that will fill the heart of any Les Miserables lover.Don’t fear to own this, so when it arrives, sit back, relax, and enjoy this extra-special presentation of “Les Mis” in this Silver Anniversary presentation! You will love it!

This is a great concert made up of some of the best actors who played the rolls. The singing is great. But although the cast dress in costumes, this is a concert, not a play. I also own a DVD of the 10th Anniversary Concert. The quality of the singing is the same. The biggest differences are (1) the Blu-ray version has a sharper picture (2) unlike the Blu-ray version, the 10th Anniversary Concert DVD has some short clips of the play. I like both version.

I just finished watching this again, for the umpteenth time and I am blown away every single time. Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean is amazing - his voice is superb and he sings with passion. The entire cast was outstanding, as was the orchestra and the choir, making for a wonderful 3 hours of music as Victor Hugo's story unfolds. Following the curtain call, the original 1985 cast joined those on stage, along with the cast from the 1995 production and the cast of two other current productions. I had goosebumps as four actors who've played Jean Valjean took turns singing portions of "Bring Him Home," then all four finished the song in glorious harmony. If you love Les Miz, this is a must-see!

A timeless story. Beloved. Beautifully and uniquely portrayed in an unparalleled extravagance of artistry at its highest and best, delivered in London's cavernous, sumptuous Royal Albert Hall. Every single actor, artist and musician give performances of a lifetime in this unique and remarkable rendering of Victor Hugo's exceptional and more than ever incredibly relevant Les Misérables. But the jewel in artistic crown that this unforgettable extravaganza deserves, must be Alfie Boe's (Jean Valjean) surprising, no--heart-stopping delivery of "Bring Him Home" near show's end; Boe's astonishing tenor delivers an unexpectedly profound and selfless prayer one might possibly ever experience. Superbly absent pathos, his angelic voice left me barely able to breathe. Then there was absolute silence. Audibly stunned, the audience slowly at first soon determinedly erupts into not one but TWO standing ovations, wave following wave of thunderous, cheering applause, sobbing occasionally punctuating the cheers. More than four minutes of standing ovations! And another at show's end. This DVD provides an altogether unforgettable experience, and is a terrific value. Kudos to everyone involved! (Bonus--encore performance includes all past Jean Valjean's singing together.)

Les Miz is without a doubt my all-time favourite musical. I discovered it early in the run at the Palace Theatre, London (I missed it at the Barbican). The first time I saw it, a very close friend of mine, Myra Sands, was playing Mme Thenardier, and she arranged for me to sit at the sound desk at the back of the stalls to watch it. It was a terrible view, but I instantly fell in love with the show and returned many, many times to see it from better seats! I was in my early teens, having a miserable time at school being bullied for being gay, and struggling to fit in with the brutish thugs in my class while being the son of two actors and a lover of musical theatre. Needless to say, I kept Les Miz and all other musicals far away from the bullies at school. It was my own private, secret escape. My dad had recently been in the original West End production of Little Shop of Horrors with Ellen Greene and Barrie James, so we knew Cameron Mackintosh a little and were part of his world. My friend Myra, who was present at my birth (!!!), was in most of Mackintosh's productions, so between her and my dad, my childhood was filled with the very best that musical theatre had to offer during its bombastic heyday of the 1980's. I practically lived backstage in Britain’s theatres!And Les Miz remained firmly at the top of the pile for me personally, on into my middle-age. So, when I first learned that they were doing a big 25th anniversary concert I was naturally very excited. But I was deeply concerned about the casting and didn't want to spend the fortune they were charging for tickets to see a potentially dreadful version that might ruin my love affair with the show. So I didn't buy a ticket, and I wasn't there to see it live.And that will always be one of the biggest regrets of my life!Naturally I had pre-ordered the DVD, and when I watched it, I was blown away. The casting was, though unexpected, somewhat sublime. Matt Lucas was so much better than I had expected. He's one of the best Thenardiers I've seen. And the rest of the cast are almost all now my new favourites in the roles. I positively adored Samantha Barks (who does a much better job in the concert than she later did in the movie), and I totally fell in love with Katie Hall, who is by a very large margin the most perfect Cossette I've ever seen. Alfie Boe is perfect in every way, and Ramin Karimloo was an exciting new discovery for me. Jenny Galloway I knew quite well from various casts over the years, and she never disappoints. Robert Madge as Gavroche was perfect and flawless in every way.The new orchestrations fully met with my approval, and bear in mind I know every note of the score, and the massive orchestra was conducted with aplomb by the ever-delightful David Charles Abell.The only thing wrong with this concert version is that it has some pretty massive cuts. Not quite as bad as the 10th anniversary concert, but jarring and upsetting nonetheless if you know the full version of the show word-for-word. I hate that they did this!However, they more than made up for the omissions by adding a lengthy and extremely moving finale featuring the original 1985 cast and the cast of the (then current) Queen's Theatre production, plus members of the touring cast and all the original creatives.And the DVD includes a wealth of additional material including fabulous documentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes. If you are a Les Miz freak like me, this is an ESSENTIAL part of your collection.My love affair with Les Miz is ongoing and incurable. I have every available recording. Back in the 80's when I was being beaten-up for being different, I had the Complete Symphonic Recording permanently plugged into my ears keeping me from killing myself. Twenty or so years later, I curl up with the 25th Anniversary DVD to achieve the exact same effect.

Very disappointed.I absolutely loved the 10th Annversary Concert but this did not compare.Some of the singing was excellent, but good acting and emotion generally were sadly lacking. It was also puzzling to follow as there were no titles put on screen (as there were in the 10th Concert). And confusing eg there was no mention of the ring until the wedding ball.Alfie Boe was excellent as Valjean as was Ramin Kariloo as Enjolras, and Jenny Galloway reprising Mme Thenardier.Samantha Barks was good as Eponine (she was better in the film), Katie Hall was a sweet Cosette and Norm Lewis as Javert had a nice voice. ok. But then it goes downhill.Lea Solonga who was a lovely Eponine previously, struggled as Fantine. She needed to control her vibrato and it got strained when she tried to raise the volume.I wasn't convinced by Matt Lucas's Thenardier. Too over the top.Nick Jonas as Marius was dreadful. He didn't have either the voice or the presence for this. He struggled with the notes, strained to produce any volume and his unconvincing acting was absolutely pathetic. This was painfully confirmed when Michael Ball came on at the end with other 1985 original cast members and sang and acted beautifully and without effort.The best bit was the encore, where Colm Robinson and 3 other Valjeans - including Alfie Boe - sang Bring Him Home together, then original cast members sang together and reminded us how good it could be.I loved the speeches from Cameron Mac and the writers.

I have loved Les Miserables since it first went to the Palace theatre in 1986 - I bought the 10th Anniversary DVD and managed to weep my way through it on several occasions, but this 25 th Anniversary is totally incredible not only the upgraded stage performance, the feat of such an enormous cast is almost impossible to take in. The additional information disc was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I spent about 4 hours enjoying the whole 2 disc set, and of course neede a whole box of tissues, and the bonus too was the inclusion of the original cast with the incredible Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball - all as talented as ever..... Wow!!

What can I say, I'm an old punk (who's music genre of choice is the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Rancid, Avenged Sevenfold and the Dropkick Murphy's) yet love Les Mis to death. Go figure. This remains my favourite Les Mis release, mainly because Matt Lucas is just so brilliant as Thenardier...

I saw this on TV recently and had to get the DVD. I first saw the stage production in London in 1994 and one other time, and I have the original cast recording. It's hard not to love any production of this fantastic musical, the music sweeps you away.Alfie Boe is phenomenal - the power of his voice blows me away. Many people like Colm Wilkinson but I love Alfie's opera style and what it brings to the role. The emotion is different to that of musical theatre and when he sings, it makes my skin tingle and gives me goose-bumps. At the end where he sings with 3 previous Jeans, he's in his own league. His emotion in the track with Fantine and Eponine brings tears to my eyes.I hadn't followed AB previously and am VERY late to the fandom of Alfie but I am playing a fast catch-up. I saw an interview with him where he described his emotion on singing Bring Him Home - makes it all the more poignant watching it knowing how he felt.On the downside of this production - Nick Jonas!! What were they thinking casting him? Weak all around. Bad choice in casting - so not his fault. Spoils the production for me. The duet with AB highlights his inadequacy. I agree with another reviewer "Hazell" on her assessment of him. I'm not a fan of Michael Ball but he shows what should be done with the role.Love all the extras of this DVD set. Very happy that I had bought it(FYI - when I was buying it there were a few choices - I bought the 5th Anniversary Edition one dated 2013 and the illustration shows the Special Edition)