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Jake Lipson

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Well, Kuhn was the original adult Cosette, which, even though I love the show, is underwritten relative to the other principal roles. That's maybe why you didn't associate her with it as much. She also played the role in the 10th anniversary concert which I'm pretty sure you own.
 

Jake Lipson

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Adult Cosette is the only role I know her from.

You've probably heard her as the singing voice of Pocahontas without realizing it was her. Since Pocahontas is a Disney movie, she has probably reached more people with that project than her theater appearances put together.

Some of her other great work besides Les Mis:

Pocahontas:


Fun Home (for which she was Tony-nominated):


Chess:


and lots more. See her complete Broadway credits here: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/judy-kuhn-48517

She also played Fosca in the 2013 off-Broadway revival of Passion, and has that performance preserved on its cast album::

Passion.jpg


And she has a great solo album featuring the songs of Richard Rodgers, his daughter Mary Rodgers and her son Adam Guettel.



Belated edit to remove now-dead YouTube link.
 
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Jake Lipson

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It's a shame that the release appears to be excluding the United States, as was also the case with the Blu-ray release of Miss Saigon. I guess I'll have to wait until November to import the Blu-ray.
 

Jake Lipson

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Announced on Les Miserables social media, the concert will be available digitally in North America on August 4.

There has been no announcement yet in regards to a North American Blu-ray release. As of now, Amazon UK is still showing November 2 for their Blu-ray version which is supposed to be region-free.

Les Mis.jpg
 

Mike Frezon

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I'm pre-ordered from amazon.uk for November 2nd, Jake.

Just took care of that. And I see they seem to have lifted their restriction on shipping from the UK to the US. :thumbsup:
 

Jake Lipson

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Were you able to charge that pre-order in USD? In the past, they haven't been able to charge my card in US dollars until after the item is in-stock. So while I will definitely get it, I might wait until November to order, which seems easier than dealing with currency conversion.
 

Jake Lipson

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Just a reminder for anyone who can't wait until November for the import Blu-ray that today is the release of Les Miserables: The Staged Concert on digital platforms in the United States. I just bought it. It's too late at night here to watch the whole thing now, so I'm going to do that tomorrow/later today after I have been to sleep. But I played the opening number just to get a quick glimpse at it, and I became really emotional watching it. I already loved it in the movie theater last year (thank goodness that the pandemic didn't prevent those showings), but, watching it now, it felt as close as I have gotten to being in a live theatre watching a show since the pandemic started. I have had several live shows that I was supposed to see this year either cancelled or significantly delayed in response to the virus. While that is absolutely the right thing to do, theatre is also something that I deeply miss. So, it felt really emotional to be watching a theatre experience like this from my home. I can't wait to watch the whole thing again very soon.

And also, a warning for those interested in making a purchase.

Vudu, iTunes and Google Play have the purchase price point set at $14.99. For whatever reason, Amazon has set it higher at $19.99 for the purchase. So if you want to get it, I would not suggest using Amazon as the vendor unless you want to throw away $5 more for the exact same thing. If you still want it to go into your Amazon library, you can use Movies Anywhere to transfer it over after buying it for less elsewhere.

Rentals are priced at $5.99 everywhere I checked.

As of yet, there has been no announcement of a United States Blu-ray release, so this appears to be what we get unless you import the disc from the U.K. (which I will.)
 

Tino

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What’s the difference between this and the 25th Anniversary In Concert film I already own. Aren’t they basically the same thing?
 

Wayne_j

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What’s the difference between this and the 25th Anniversary In Concert film I already own. Aren’t they basically the same thing?
different cast and I believe that this version is more staged.
 

Tino

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Thanks. I think I’ll stick with the version I own. Maybe if this hits $4.99.
 

Jake Lipson

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I think I’ll stick with the version I own. Maybe if this hits $4.99.

I would advise at least a rental of this one if you're a big fan. The opportunity to see Michael Ball return to Les Mis after 34 years now playing Javert is worth the price of admission by itself. Also, this one is filmed in a smaller theatre of about 1000 seats, so it feels much more intimate than the one that was filmed in the huge O2 Arena (or the 1995 version that was done at the Royal Albert Hall.). It's Les Miserables, so that doesn't change, but the cast is phenomenal and (mostly) new. As a bonus, Rob Houchen as Marius is much better than Nick Jonas was in the 2010 version.
 
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Wayne_j

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I just re-watched about the first hour of this after watching the broadcast to theaters in December. This ran on the west end for a few months while renovations were taking place to the theater running the regular production of Les Mis. Because of this extended run the cast had a better chance to learn how to perform their parts in a concert setting which had a more elaborate stage than the 10th and 25th anniversary concerts. The performances were not as good as for the 10th anniversary concert which was unbelievably good but is better than the performances at the 25th anniversary concert and the movie. Definitely give this a rental.


And I watched this in December in the same theater and screening as Mike Frezon who's post snuck in right before mine.
 

Jake Lipson

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IThe performances were not as good as for the 10th anniversary concert which was unbelievably good but is better than the performances at the 25th anniversary concert and the movie. Definitely give this a rental.

Except for the cuts to the score, I love the 10th anniversary concert. (Why isn't there a Blu-ray of that?)

With the exception of Nick Jonas, I love the 25th anniversary concert. Norm Lewis as Javert...I mean...holy shit. Wow.

And I love the movie too, which I think actually makes some dramaturgical improvements to the show (like having Javert distract Valjean from Fantine's firing, and moving I Dreamed a Dream to after Lovely Ladies instead of before.)

This concert will not replace any of those in my regular Les Mis rotation.

But it will stand on the shelf next to them with distinction. (Well, for now it will be in my digital locker, and in November sometime it will stand physically on the shelf when I get the Blu-ray.)

The great advantage that this version has over the O2 version is the reduced scale. Because the O2 is so huge, it was necessary for them to project a video feed of the show above the stage so that everyone in the venue could see the action. That makes sense if you're in the space, but on film, if the action on the stage is being shown, and then you ALSO see their towering faces on the video screen behind them, it can be a little disorienting. Here, because the venue is smaller, there's no need for video screens above their heads and it achieves a sense of intimacy that is lacking in the previous concerts.

It's also incredibly special to see Michael Ball as Javert because of his history with the show creating the role of Marius. It feels like.a full circle moment to have him back in the Les Miserables universe. Although Phillip Quast and Norm Lewis are great in the previous concerts, Ball's association with the show over 34 years gives his portrayal an additional significance that no one else could match. I remember seeing him in the 10th anniversary concert and thinking how great it was to have that performance preserved on video, and now to see him back is just extra special. It's the same way I felt about seeing Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop in the movie.

So, the other versions should not be dismissed. But neither should this one. They're all fantastic. Les Miserables as a show is such a sturdy piece of writing that it's very difficult to screw up, and each cast and production gives it a new interpretation. This is also why I see the tour every time it comes near me, and it still feels like a fresh experience every time.

Of course, the great irony is that the whole reason this concert existed is because Cameron Mackintosh didn't want to have to put the show on hiatus while its usual theatre was being renovated. He accomplished that, but, now, the show is on a much longer indefinite hiatus anyway. The virus is laughing at this now.

But...it's right there in the show. Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

I look forward to being able to go back into the theatre again in the future. In the meantime, this concert will scratch that itch nicely.
 
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Wayne_j

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Although I don't think the records will show that Les Mis stopped playing on the West End for consecutive performances if the Entire West End was shut down.
 

Jake Lipson

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Right. It's going to come back and they will pick up right where they left off whenever that can happen. But I don't think it was about consecutive performances for Mackintosh so much as the loss of revenue that would have come if the show was not available last fall, and yet now, he's losing a whole bunch of revenue from it being closed due to the virus.

Also, technically, you really can't count it as continuous performances of the same production because the production that reopened at the renovated Sondheim Theatre is the redirected, redesigned, reconciled revival production, replacing the original version. So, it's technically now a separate production, even if the not particularly aware tourists will just think it's Les Mis and not notice a difference.

Also, Amazon lowered its price to $14.99 for a purchase, matching the other stores. I'm not sure why it was $19.99 when uploaded last night, but there you go.
 
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