LES MISERABLES - School Edition.

Les Misérables School Edition is a specially adapted version of the much-loved musical "Les Misérables," by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg and is tailored for student performers. It maintains the essence and emotional depth of the original but is slightly condensed and modified to suit younger actors.

I’ve said this a lot in reports recently, but one thing I am really loving about being a Rep, now I’m really getting to know the groups, is seeing the development of all the young people in the youth groups. Watching their talents grow and their voices and performances develop is lovely to see, and Shooting Stars are going from strength to strength. Les Misérables, even the School Edition is immensely challenging vocally and emotionally, and Shooting Stars really came together to produce a fabulous production. Well done.

This is such a difficult show to stage as scenes roll into each other and you’d gone for a fixed set to overcome this - on two levels, with a rostra across the back with steps coming down creating two levels. Flats with grey painted brick effect and a drain entrance all set the scene very effectively. Scene changes by the cast and costumed backstage crew went really well.  You made good use of the dual levels in the opening number in particular and the ‘Heartful of Love’ garden scene. The barricade looked great. I was wondering if you could have integrated this more into the upper level to give you more space for ‘A Little Fall of Rain’ and maybe made more of Gavroche’s end. Overall, though the set worked really well. Properties too were good and suited the show well.

The Lighting was quite excellent and a real feature of the production. There was a good use of colour – red, white and blues all worked really well in the big numbers and good use of haze to create the visible beams of light. This really came to the fore in the barricade scenes – some very effective ‘bumping’ for the gunshot and co-ordinated cueing for characters being hit. The two crossed white beams at the end of the barricade, featuring Enjolras was very effective and memorable – very well done. You made sensible use of the follow-spot too. Overall, the lighting was very impressive.

The sound worked well as a whole, with just a couple of radio mic issues. Wasn’t sure how you’d got so much ensemble sound as not everyone was singing with a microphone. We lost some of the vocals during the battle scene, but this didn’t detract from the performance. The use of reverb was a great decision in supporting the vocals and helping maintain vocal health in this very vocally challenging show. The sound balance between orchestra and company overall was well maintained.  Sound effects were of a good standard and very-well cued.

Les Misérables is not a dance heavy show, but the Choreography was well thought out and executed. I particularly liked the “Lovely Ladies” choreography.

Costume design was very well thought out and in keeping with the extensive requirements of the production. I loved the Thenardiers Wedding scene costumes in particular.  The make-up and Hair were in keeping as a whole.

In reviewing the Principal Performances:

• Jean Valjean. This role is mammoth, vocally and emotionally and you sang it really well to a standard well beyond your years. Very well done.
• Javert. Another immense role which you made your own. Lovely and memorable rendition of ‘Stars’ too.
• Fantine. An emotional performance with some lovely vocals and acting through song.
• Marius. “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” was a highlight for me, your acting through song and emotion really came across so well.
• Eponine. A sincere and engaging performance with a lovely rendition of ‘On My Own’
• Cosette. Cosette is a difficult part, but you were able to push it using your lovely soprano voice.
• Thenardier and Mme Thenardier. You had a great partnership. With some strong vocals. These roles are important to provide the comic relief and I felt maybe you could have perhaps drawn some more comedy from them being a little more “grotesque”.
• Gavroche. This was a cheeky and knowing performance as Gavroche, which you acted, sang and moved extremely well.
• Enjolras. You did so well with this role, it’s very vocally challenging to move between the vocal registers as smoothly as you did. You captured the character fully, a great performance.
• Young Cosette. A sweet performance, lovely vocals, well done.
• Young Eponine. Another sweet performance, well done.

The entire company worked really hard, with all of their different parts and roles, which greatly enhanced the performance. As I mentioned before, this show is a very challenging one vocally and emotionally and you all rose to the challenge so well, you should be very proud.

It is always great to have a live band and the very challenging Music was very good overall. The Musical Director worked very hard in keeping the orchestra and the young performers together and all of this hard work paid off.

 You provided us all with a great evening’s entertainment, the audience all clearly enjoyed themselves. Well done everyone on a great production.

PLEASE NOTE:

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that his assessment will be effected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances, and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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