Les Miserables: The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall
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DVD details
Actor: Colm Wilkinson, Judy Kuhn, Lea Salonga, Michael Ball, Michael MaguireBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 147 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: BBC Worldwide
DVD Reviews of Les Miserables: The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall
DVD Review: Superb!
Summary: 5 Stars
When Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables [The Wretched, The Poor ones, The Victims] little did he realize he was writing a timeless work, translated into every language, made into movies and a theatre production that has played with a consistently sold out audience.
Victor Hugo, born on February 26th, 1802, died on May 22nd, 1885, lived for 83 years; for the most part, dedicated to writing poetry, novels and essays. Among many of his works, Les contemplations [contemplations] and The Hunchback of Notre Dame are well known and have also been made into movies. Victor Hugo's childhood was lived through tumultuous events; the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the French Revolution, the rise and fall of the First Republic and the rise of the First French Empire and dictatorship under Napoleon Bonaparte.
Victor Hugo conceived the idea of writing a novel about social injustice but it took him over 17 years to complete Les Miserables; a 1200 page book about the struggle of an ex-convict Jean Valjean as he attempts to redeem the sins of the past. The book is magnificent for it transcends time, making generations of readers identify with the characters and their plea. The play brings to life the social injustice lived by many in France and the songs are written with such depth of understanding of human behavior that as we sit to listen and watch this musical, we can not help it but be captivated by the performance.
At first, we thought we were getting the whole play, only to realize that we had all the songs in the sequence of the play and a finale that is breathtaking, for they bring those that interpret Jean Valjean's from all over the world and they unite to sing, each in their native language the famous closing song that calls for a crying rally as it asks "do you hear the people sing lost in the valley of the night? It is the music of the people who are climbing to the light. For the wretched of the earth, there is a fame that never dies even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. They will live again freedom in the garden of the Lord, they will walk behind the ploughshare; they will put away the sword, the chain will be broken and all men will have their reward. Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Somewhere beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? Is it the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!"
The cast is the original London Company: Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Michael Ball as Marius, Philip Quast as Javert, Judy Kuhn as Cosette and Ruthie Henshall as Fantine.
Depending on the mood of the day, these songs can make you cry, like "I dreamed a dream" and "Empty Chairs at empty tables." We recently had a death in the family and these words simply overwhelmed us when we heard: "there is a grief that can't be spoken, there is a pain goes on and on, empty chairs at empty tables, now my friends are dead and gone."
Therefore, if you enjoy this timeless classic, this DVD is for you. Our favorite feature is the lyrics can be played as subtitles that allowed us to sing along. Superb, don't miss it!
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Description of Les Miserables: The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/19/2008 Run time: 147 minutes Rating: NrThe 10th anniversary concert video of the international musical sensation Les Misérables might be the best thing to appease fans until a full-fledged movie comes along. Or it might be even better, as feature films are often subject to extramusical casting considerations and this 1995 dream cast is superb. Reprising their roles from the original London company are Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Michael Ball (Marius), and Alun Armstrong (Thenardier). From Broadway come Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Lea Salonga (Eponine), and Michael Maguire (Enjolras); from a later London production comes Ruthie Henshall (Fantine); and from Australia comes Philip Quast (Javert).
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score vividly captures the passion of Victor Hugo's epic tale of post-Revolutionary France, combining tear-jerking ballads ("I Dreamed a Dream," "Bring Him Home") and rousing anthems ("Do You Hear the People Sing"). The format of this concert is closer to that of a dramatic cantata rather than a fully staged production; the singers stand at their microphone stands with an orchestra and chorus behind them, but they do wear costumes and participate in some movement. At certain points such as the climax of the barricade scene, the video switches to action from a stage production. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra sounds great, and it can be thrilling when 200 choristers (dressed in logo T-shirts) rise to their feet for a full-company number such as "One Day More." Also, subtitles provide date and scene information and help move the story along.
The 147-minute video contains footage not seen when Les Mis was a PBS pledge-drive staple, most notably the encore in which a progression of 17 actors who have played Valjean around the world share "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Each sings a line in his native language, a testament to the enduring power of this show to audiences everywhere. --David Horiuchi
DVD features
The 2008 two-disc edition presents the concert on a single-sided disc (the original DVD split the concert over two sides) with optional English subtitles. It's also in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1 aspect ratio) comparied to the original's 1.33 full-screen. The second disc has Stage by Stage: Les Miserables, the hourlong documentary from 1988. Unfortunately the sound is only Dolby Digital 2.0. Early editions of the DVD had an odd omission (compared to the earlier Sony DVD)--the first 10 seconds of Gavroche's "Little People" were missing ("Good evening, dear inspector, lovely evening, my dear...")--that has now been corrected. --David Horiuchi
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