Review: "Les Miserables" 25th Annivesary Concert

The music of Les Miserables is totally stuck in my head, after I watched the 25th anniversary concert on DVD. For the 25th anniversary, they staged three separate productions: the original at the Queen's Theatre, the touring production at the Barbican, and a special anniversary version at the O2 arena. The one on DVD was the O2 arena version, which was largely arranged as a concert production. Given the sung-through nature of the musical, most of the story was still present. I really like Norm Lewis as Javert, as well as Matt Lucas as Monsieur Thenadier. I felt like Samantha Banks, who played Eponine, looked like the girl from the upcoming film's trailer, so a google search confirmed my suspicions; she is playing Eponine in the film as well.

It's nice seeing the stage adaptation on TV, especially some of the acting, which despite being a concert format, was so palpable on their faces. And the music is just so good. Varying from somber, to uplifting, to just plain jolly, it's really such a nice range of music that really gets stuck in your head. I think before the film in December, I'm going to delve into more Les Mis stuff, including the multiple film versions, and the 10th anniversary concert with the dream cast. Funny how one solid film trailer introduced me to the wonderful world of this musical. I'm so glad I got to see it in London!