Theatre fan Olivia Edmonds shares her thoughts on the new casts of Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera
As a Theatre lover - and a proud one at that - nothing makes me happier than to see such a wide range of new shows, be it plays or musicals, coming into the West End, particularly at the moment. With such a diverse range as The Commitments, Strangers on a Train, The Light Princess and Once, as well as many more on the horizon, it looks like the theatre industry will be thriving for many years to come.
But one of the key ingredients of a thriving theatre industry for me is that all of this new 'wonderfulness' is balanced out by the long running classics - the shows which have been running for many years and continue to bring in the audiences night after night.
For me, two shows that fall firmly into this category are "Les Miserables" and "The Phantom of the Opera", which I am proud to say I have seen 12 and 20 times respectively. I have been lucky enough to visit these shows within the past few months, both having been through recent major cast changes, as I was eager to see what a plethora of new talent had to offer.
Les Miserables, based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, has been running in the West End for nearly 29 years and it still draws in full houses and standing ovations on a nightly basis. The show tells the story of convict Jean Valjean, who is determined to turn his life around after his time on the chain gang, and thus encounters a diverse range of characters in his quest for love and freedom, despite being chased through the years by the dastardly Inspector Javert. The recent cast change at the Queens Theatre resulted in a mix of young new talent coming together with some more experienced cast members - and if I started telling you about them all, I would be here until Christmas! The standard of the whole cast continues to be extremely high - but there are certainly some bright shining stars that stand out in the Les Mis universe!
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| Carrie Hope Fletcher |
The new pairing of Rob Houchen (Marius) and Carrie Hope Fletcher (Eponine) is one of the most outstanding elements of this new cast. Rob - in his first West End role - has such a presence on stage and his performance, emotion and passion for the role he plays makes you completely believe in every word he says and you want him to have the happiest of happy endings. His is a name we will be hearing for many years to come.
Carrie - returning to a role she first played many years ago as a child - continues to grow in confidence every time I see her. Every scene she is involved in is played with such passion and conviction - and the beautiful emotion and stunning skill she shows during solo 'On My Own' is nothing short of outstanding! After the show I have noticed how Carrie takes time her time to speak to every single person waiting outside the stage door, she is a true star.
The addition of Wendy Ferguson to the cast is also a stroke of absolute genius! Having fallen in love with Wendy's all round marvellousness during her time in 'The Phantom of the Opera' she was certainly one of the new Les Mis cast members I was most excited to see - and has not disappointed! Paired with the utter legend that is Cameron Blakely as Thenardier, her comic timing is just superb. Not only that, she has the vocal talent to match and continues to show why she is still one of the must-see female performers in the West End.
Although I am focusing on new cast members, it would be so wrong of me not to mention Tam Mutu (Javert) while I am extolling the virtues of this show. Having been with the show since June 2012, Tam continues to give a stand out performance. Every time I see him, he gets better and better and his version of 'Stars' is just sheer perfection! Tam's on-stage charisma is phenomenal and his chemistry with the new members of the cast is fantastic.
A special mention must also go to the show's ensemble whose strength in depth is one of Les Miserables' most outstanding features. From beggars on a street, to country workers, rebellious students and "Lovely Ladies" - they do it all! Les Miserables has some of the strongest understudies in the West End, including: Adam Linstead (Understudy Thenardier), Nicky Swift (Understudy Madame Thenardier) and James Gant (Understudy Javert) who all have impressed me no end with their fantastic performances.
When it comes to strength in depth, the same can be said about The Phantom of the Opera...
The story of the deformed composer, living beneath the Paris Opera House, his love for the beautiful Ballet girl Christine Daae and his quest to make her his own - despite challenges from a range of larger than life characters, including the suave and debonair Raoul - has been lighting up the stage at Her Majesty's Theatre for just over 28 years and it still remains one of the most popular shows in the West End today. This particular cast change was highly anticipated by myself and many others for a large number of reasons.
Claire Moore (who was the original alternate Christine opposite Sarah Brightman when the show first opened) was due to take on the role of opera diva Carlotta at the recent cast change. However, after sustaining an injury in rehearsals, Lara Martins - who had played Carlotta as part of the 2012/2013 cast - was asked to stay on while Claire recovered. For me, Lara was one of the strongest members of the previous cast, and bringing her beautiful voice and stunning performances to the new cast - if only in the short term - could be nothing but a very good thing. The relationship she has created with the absolute brilliance and awesomeness that is Jeremy Secomb (Piangi) is so fantastic to watch even after seeing them together so many times! Their comic timing, witty facial expressions - especially in "Letters/Prima Donna" - and unquestionable vocal ability continue to be one of the outstanding features of the show, and I can only wish Lara all the luck and blessings she deserves when she does leave the show in the future.
Another particular cast change that was anticipated by "Phans" was the departure of Gareth Snook and Barry James (Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre) after many years with the show, including the 25th Anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Many saw them both, for their phenomenal performances, as being irreplaceable. But I am very happy to report that the new Managers - Martin Ball (formerly in Top Hat) and Andy Hockley (who is reprising the role he created on the show’s recent UK Tour) are fantastic! The chemistry they are building as a pair is brilliant and they bounce off each other so well when they are together on stage. In the larger ensemble scenes, their performances command your attention and you are fascinated to see what will happen to them next. Martin and Andy more than meet the standards of their illustrious predecessors and I am very much looking forward to seeing them on my next visit.
This cast change also introduced the musical theatre world to a new alternate Christine. Alongside current alternate, the phenomenally gifted Olivia Brereton, the beautiful Harriet Jones (in her first professional role) is a wonderful addition to the new cast. She really brings out the innocent side to her character and what is so fascinating to watch is her journey from this naive innocence to the fire and confidence that she has to show during the Final Lair - and this point of the performance was certainly Harriet's strongest. Her vocal ability is outstanding - her cadenza at the end of "Think of Me" is brilliant and her duet with new Raoul Sean Palmer on "All I Ask of You" was one of the most touching parts of the show. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow in this role on a future visit.
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| Geronimo Rauch and Sofia Escobar |
Finally, what can I say about new Phantom (and former Valjean) Geronimo Rauch? To say I was excited to see Geronimo in this role is probably the understatement of the century! After seeing his majestic brilliance so many times in Les Miserables, the thought of a performer who I respect and admire so much taking over the lead role in my favourite show filled me with nothing but utter joy and happiness. Friends who had seen his performance before I visited tried to tell me all about it, but I didn't want to know! I wanted to wait until I could sit in that theatre and experience it for myself. I knew Geronimo would be amazing, but I don't think even I was quite ready for what I saw that night.
I can honestly say - hand on heart - that I have never seen such a powerful, awe-inspiring, heart-wrenching performance anywhere EVER! Geronimo was everything that I wanted him to be and so much more! From his arrival on stage through the Mirror, to the haunting beauty of "Music of the Night" (a song which never makes me cry but I was in floods of tears this time!) to the heart breaking solo on the Angel to end Act One, the passion filled "Point of No Return" and the best Final Lair I have ever seen Geronimo has to be one of the best Phantoms - if not the best - to ever have set foot on that legendary stage in the show’s history. There are not enough superlatives in the English language that can do justice to this man's performance. I can only encourage everyone reading this to get down to Her Majesty's to see one of the most emotionally phenomenal performances you will ever see but take tissues, you will need them!!!
With long running shows such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables still maintaining such a high quality after so many years and still holding their own amongst new emerging classics, I think we should count ourselves very lucky as theatregoers that there is such a wealth of amazing theatre out there for us to visit, and long may it continue!
Olivia Edmonds
To read more of Olivia's work, visit www.thoughtsofablueeyedgirl.blogspot.co.uk.
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