#les mis us tour 2023

[ancientbread]

Oh my god the OTHER thing I did yesterday was see the les mis us national tour and holy SHIT it was incredible. also if Kyle Adams who plays Grantaire needs anything- a kidney, my firstborn child, my immortal soul- he’s welcome to it

[cometomecosette]

Review: Les Misérables, US National Tour, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco (July 15, 2023) (long)

This review is very late, but better late than never.

This was my first time seeing Les Mis live onstage since 2018. While YouTube has kept me well supplied with performances in the meantime, I was overjoyed to finally see it live again.

The production, of course, is still Laurence Connor and James Powell's "25th Anniversary" production that premiered in 2009, and which is now the official "replica" production all over the world. My views on it are still the same: it can't hold a candle (or a silver candlestick) to the original Trevor Nunn/John Caird production, but it's still effective, still handsome and atmospheric, and still a good, solid way to experience the musical.

I did notice some changes from when I last saw the show, however:

*Once again, I noticed that a few costumes have been redesigned. The convicts' uniforms now feature historically accurate red smocks. Fantine's factory dress has been redesigned yet again (not to my liking – I preferred the solid turquoise dress from the previous tour). Mme. Thénardier now wears a red bodice at the inn. Éponine no longer wears her overcoat before Act II. Both Thénardiers' "Beggars at the Feast" costumes have also been slightly altered: her skirt is now trimmed with a pattern of ruffles instead of feathers, and his trousers are slightly less poofy (both improvements, IMHO – the costumes are still gaudy, but not cartoonish anymore). And in the final scene, Éponine's spirit now wears a floor-length version of her overcoat, giving her a subtly more "angelic" look, much like the train added to Fantine's nightgown.

*There seemed to be more spoken ad-libs from the cast than I remember from past performances. Not to the extent of, say, the 2014 North Shore Music Theatre production, but notable. For example, this exchange between the Thénardiers just before "Master of the House": Thénardier – What time is it? Mme. T. – Time to get to work! Thénardier – There she is! My daily reminder that you can be happy, or you can be married!

*The "Waltz of Treachery" gave comic business to Young Cosette, of all people! On "That would quite fit the bill..." the Thénardiers picked her up and held her horizontally, stiff as a board, and then on "...if she hadn't so often been ill," she dramatically went limp. It seemed as if they had trained her to play sick in this way, presumably to earn charity from rich travelers. I didn't care for it, though: Young Cosette isn't a character who lends herself to slapstick comedy.

*Grantaire didn't scream "No!" when Gavroche was killed. Instead the whole barricade went deathly silent, as they used to in the old days of the classic Nunn/Caird production. I'm not sure if this was a change in direction or just an acting choice, but I'm assuming the former, because every past Grantaire I've seen or heard in the Connor/Powell production has done the "No!"

*The gag from the previous tour of Mme. Thénardier stuffing her face with cake in the wedding scene is gone. Just as well: it was goofy slapstick at best and fatphobic at worst.

*In "Beggars at the Feast," instead of "This one's a queer, but what can you do?" Thénardier sang "This one's a queer. I might try it too!" then grabbed the man and "romantically" dipped him.

One thing I definitely like about the current tour is the commitment to diverse casting, which wasn't seen nearly as much in the classic Nunn/Caird production until its last few years. In this particular performance, Jean Valjean, Fantine, Marius, Éponine, Cosette (both older and young), and Gavroche were all people of color.

But of course, diverse casting would mean little if the performers didn't give good quality performances. Fortunately they all did. Some performances I liked better than others, but there was no denying how talented the whole cast was.

Randy Jeter (Jean Valjean u/s)

How ridiculous it is that in the musical's 37 years of existence, this man is only the third black actor to play Jean Valjean in an official Cameron Mackintosh production! While I was a little disappointed at first not to see Nick Cartell again, I'm very glad now that I saw Randy. His voice was rich, clear, and alternately powerful and sweet: excellently suited to the music. And he did full justice to Valjean's journey, with all its transformations and wide range of emotions, making every one of the believable. My only reservation about his performance was that physically, he was a little bit youthful and slight for the role. I hope that either in this tour or in future productions, more people get a chance to see his Valjean.

Preston Truman Boyd (Javert)

One of the best of the last several Javerts I've seen live. He was a solid, imposing stage presence, who sang with a rich, handsome baritone voice with a bite to it that almost recalled Philip Quast, and was an appropriately inexorable force of the law until he was ultimately broken. I was relieved that he wasn't too aggressive or neurotic, but gave a traditional, hard and stolid characterization.

Haley Dortch (Fantine)

A lovely and passionate Fantine, with a beautiful, powerful voice. Past Fantines whom I've seen in the Connor/Powell production have tended to be slightly too delicate and passive for my taste, so I was glad to see her bring a good amount of fire to the role.

Matt Crowle (Thénardier)

A talented, enthusiastic performer, but not quite ideal for this role. Besides seeming slightly youthful for the part (not uncommon), he was a flamboyant comic Thénardier, without the edge of nastiness or realism that other actors bring. Still, as I discovered from an interview, he's read the novel, and he did do a good job of creating a ferret-like stage presence and a "scratchy, vermin-like voice" (in his own words). I've seen better, but he was fine.

Christina Rose Hall (Madame Thénardier)

A decent Mme. T., but like her onstage husband, she wasn't as nasty as she could have been. This might have been intentional on her part, though: she often seemed as if she was trying to play a more sympathetic, comically put-upon Thénardiess. But to make that portrayal fully work, I think her husband should have been more of a domineering emotional bully than Matt's Thénardier was. Overall she was good, but both Thénardiers needed more of an edge.

Christine Heesun Hwang (Éponine)

A good Éponine whom I'd like to see again sometime. Her voice was rich and powerful, and while she wasn't particularly wild or gritty, she brought good, solid toughness to the role that I like to see, as well as plenty of feeling. Her "On My Own" went beyond mere pining into desperation, as if she were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and "A Little Fall of Rain" was beautifully gentle and tender.

Christopher James Tamayo (Marius u/s)

I liked him very much. His voice was a warm, rich baritenor, which I prefer to the thin, high tenors of so many recent Marii. His characterization was excellent too: gentlemanly and dignified, yet youthful, innocent, and tender, and believable in all his many emotions. He deserves to be the regular Marius, not just an understudy, either in this tour someday or in a future production.

Devin Archer (Enjolras)

Until after the show, I had forgotten that I saw him as Marius in a regional production back in 2015. He's definitely grown up nicely from a Marius into an Enjolras. While too "human" and "manly" to be Hugo's "marble lover of liberty," he was an appropriately strong, dignified, courageous leader, staunchly dedicated to the cause, yet a caring friend too, with a reserved yet commanding stage presence and a handsome, powerful voice to match.

Addie Morales (Cosette)

Good, but not a favorite. Her voice was light, pure, and slightly thin, but pretty. Acting-wise, she was a very lively, bubbly Cosette, often giggly in Act I, and an angry "rebellious teen" toward Valjean (though still with all-important moments of affection). I used to favor that characterization because it made Cosette "stronger," but now I have mixed feelings about it, because it's not really true to her upbringing or to the novel. Still, as a whole, she was good.

Ciaran Bowling (Grantaire u/s)

In a US tour performance, I wasn't expecting to see a British veteran of the London production who also had a minor role in the 2012 film! But he was a welcome presence: appropriately funny and boisterous in "Red and Black," angry and despairing in "Drink With Me," and touching in his reconciliation with Enjolras and his death.

(Though I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of the current staging of Grantaire's "Drink With Me" solo, where he goes to center stage, sings the solo angrily and aggressively, and then pushes Enjolras away when the latter tries to talk to him. It annoys me that every replica-production Grantaire now performs it that way. I miss the variety from the old days, when individual actors and resident directors were allowed to do what they liked with that moment and bring all sorts of different emotions and nuances to it.)

Milo Maharlika (Gavroche)

An excellent, lively, likable young presence.

(I do like the fact that in the current staging, Gavroche is everyone's emotional support at the barricade, comforting both Marius after Éponine's death and Grantaire in "Drink With Me.")

Vivian Atencio (Young Cosette)

An appropriately sweet little girl.

The ensemble was excellent all around.

Going to see this performance was such a wonderful experience. It would have been a thrill no matter what, because I've been waiting five years to see the show in person again, but the good performance quality made it truly shine. I hope that within the next few months, while the show is still in California – most likely when it comes to San José in October – I can see it again.

[kaelleid]

My 2023 In Review

I did one of these last year, so I thought I'd do it again because I love data comparisons!

In the past year I:

Posted 14 fics, totalling around ~14,000 words.

Hit 4,000 total kudos.

Had someone translate one of my fics!!!

Had a second fic of mine hit over 300 kudos (wrestles with god? guys I didn't even bother to get that one beta'd lmao I cannot predict these things at all)

Started my first ever series.

My wip folder went from ~30,000 words last year to ~35,000 words this year. I don't even have "oh well it didn't go up much because I posted a lot and removed from my wips" because I only actually posted 2 fics this year that existed in my wips last year (never believe it's not so & bare). Most of my cherished wips in there have languished for a year as I wrote new things, whoops.

Made 19 rec lists

Read at least 615 OFMD fics.

Caved and got a fandom twitter. It was not a great time to start using twitter.

Continued to watch OFMD S1 many times. Had the first half of S2 on repeat until the finale came out. Have not rewatched any of this show since.

I had a rough start to the beginning of the year for personal reasons, but aside from that it's been pretty great. I doubled last year's fic wordcount, and I travelled more than I've ever done before!

Went to Phoenix twice for family + sun. Took a hike to some cool af cliff dwellings.

Went to San Diego in an attempt to make up for a mediocre trip I had there last year due to unexpected flight cancellations/lost luggage/sprained ankle midway through trip. This time I got a call with some bad personal news that made this trip even worse. I am never going back, the city is cursed.

Went to beautiful Banff for some spring hiking.

Went to New York to see the Ragtime 25th anniversary concert.

Went to New York again to see Eva Noblezada's final Hadestown performance.

Went to Toronto twice, and saw Hadestown on tour for the first time with my favorite Orpheus (Chibueze!!)

Went to Montreal for the first time to see Hozier. Got a stomach bug afterwards so I saw absolutely nothing else of Montreal lol

Next year I have even more travel plans! Phoenix again, then Toronto to see Merry & Pippin in a play and Les Mis for the first time, then Nova Scotia for my first time ever in the maritimes, and then the UK for a conference (and potentially more of Europe), which will be my first time ever leaving North America! Fic-wise, we'll have to see. I'd love to finish some of my wips, but the spark is definitely gone. Though I know at minimum there'll at least be a couple of fics from me in 2024 due to current commitments.

[butchboromir]

did u guys know there’s a les mis us tour in 2023! so excited

[randgugotur-6]

NOVEMBER 07 2023

Municipal Waste Announce 2024 North American Tour

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT - We're kicking off 2024 with a bang! Catch us on the 'Brainsqueeze Tour" with GHOUL, NECROT and DEAD HEAT.

The 24-day trek will celebrate the 21st anniversary of our debut album, WASTE 'EM ALL as well as bangers from our entire catalog.

Tickets on sale Friday, November 10th at 10 AM local time.

Municipal Waste’s 2024 Tour Dates with Ghoul, Necrot, and Dead Heat:

02/15 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat

02/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

02/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch

02/18 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

02/20 – Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques

02/21 – London, ON @ London Music Hall

02/22 – Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room

02/23 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

02/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom

02/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

02/27 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room

03/01 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

03/02 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater

03/04 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre

03/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom

03/06 – Tucson, AZ @ Encore

03/08 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger

03/09 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

03/10 – New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues

03/12 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Club

03/13 – Orlando, FL @ The Abbey

03/14 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watts

03/15 – Columbia, SC @ The Senate

03/16 – Richmond, VA @ The National

FWIW : I have 3 of their albums

The 12" EP - "The Last Ranger"

"Slime and Punishment"

"Electric Brain"

This are fun throwback 80's Crossover Thrash & a bit of Speed Metal

Over the top and in your face lyrics from lead singer Tony Foresta, guitarists Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos, drummer Dave Witte and bassist LandPhil Hall, the band preserve its signature sound.

Reminds me of Nuclear Asualt, Overkill and Early Anthrax days of metal

If ya get a chance check them out 🤘

[popcornandclap]

Février 2023

● Pamela, A love story (01-02-23) ● Un beau matin (02-02-23) ● C'est quand le bonheur (02-02-23) ● The.breakfast.club (02-02-23) ● L'Île de mes démons (03-02-23) ● Plane (04-02-23) ● Astérix et Obélix: L'empire du milieu (04-02-23) ● Juno (05-02-23) ● Afternoon delight (06-02-23) ● Knock at the cabin (06-02-23) ● Close (06-02-23) ● Baby Ruby (07-02-23) ● Billy Elliot (07-02-23) ● Whitney Houston: I wanna dance with somebody (08-02-23) ● Le Petit Nicolas: Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux ? (09-02-23) ● Jack Mimoun et les secrets de Val Verde (09-02-23) ● Toi chez moi et vice versa (10-02-23) ● Somebody I used to know (10-02-23) ● Alibi.com 2 (11-02-23) ● La cour des miracles (14-02-23) ● L'amour puissance dix mille (14-02-23) ● The son (14-02-23) ● La tour (15-02-23) ● Les têtes givrées (15-02-23) ● Maybe I do (15-02-23) ● Frankie meets Jack (15-02-23) ● Un hiver en été (15-02-23) ● Trois nuits par semaine (16-02-23) ● Une femme de notre temps (16-02-23) ● Marlowe (17-02-23) ● L'Innocent (18-02-23) ● Unlocked (18-02-23) ● True romance (18-02-23) ● Un homme heureux (18-02-23) ● Tuer pour survivre (19-02-23) ● Sharper (19-02-23) ● Nuit barbare (19-02-23) ● Juste ciel! (20-02-23) ● Le grand cirque (20-02-23) ● L'astronaute (20-02-23) ● Le pharaon, le sauvage et la princesse (20-02-23) ● Winnie-the-pooh: blood and honey (20-02-23) ● The whale (21-02-23) ● Women talking (21-02-23) ● Ant-Man et la guêpe: Quantumania (21-02-23) ● Dans leur ombre (22-02-23) ● Le landau (22-02-23) ● Butterfly Café (22-02-23) ● Samouraï academy (23-02-23) ● Amys fu..ket list (23-02-23) ● Mascarade (23-02-23) ● Die Hart (24-02-23) ● BDE (24-02-23) ● We have a ghost (24-02-23) ● Mi iubita mon amour (25-02-23) ● Une équipe hors du commun (25-02-23) ● Call me Chihiro (27-02-23) ● Arrête avec tes mensonges (27-02-23) ● Les choses simples (27-02-23) ● Magic Mike: dernière danse (28-02-23) ● Le pire voisin au monde (28-02-23)

[carbonbeef]

Just booked tickets for the Les Mis US Tour for late January 2023! It’s my first show I’ve gotten to see live since pre-COVID (my last being the Mean Girls Tour ~October/November 2019)

I’m not familiar with the cast, as I’m just a genuine lover of the show as a whole, but I wanted to ask the tumblr community who I should keep an eye out for performance-wise??? Whether it’s a principal, an understudy, a performer in a featured ensemble role, I want to know who to get excited for!! Thanks and I’m so excited to see live theatre in person again!!

[zheniakirsikkalove]

NEWS! VV / NEON NOIR TOUR 2023

(Ville Valo - Heartagram)

Tickets

VV ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN AND US HEADLINE TOUR FOR 2023 General sale: April 11, 2022 (Europe) 10:00AM CET / April 15, 2022 (US) 10:00AM local time

JAN 13, 2023 Tavastia, Helsinki (FI)

FEB 14, 2023 Proxima, Warsaw (PL)

FEB 15, 2023 Kwadrat, Krakow (PL)

FEB 16, 2023 Lucerna Music Bar, Prague (CZ)

FEB 17, 2023 Huxley’s, Berlin (DE)

FEB 18, 2023 Fabrik, Hamburg (DE)

FEB 20, 2023 Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)

FEB 21, 2023 Batschkapp, Frankfurt (DE)

FEB 22, 2023 Komplex, Zurich (CH)

FEB 24, 2023 Razzmatazz, Barcelona (ES)

FEB 25, 2023 La Riviera, Madrid (ES)

FEB 26, 2023 Cineteatro Capitolio, Lisbon (PT)

FEB 27, 2023 Hard Club, Porto (PT)

MAR 02, 2023 Alcatraz, Milan (IT)

MAR 03, 2023 Backstage Werk, Munich (DE)

MAR 04, 2023 Barba Negra, Budapest (HU)

MAR 05, 2023 Arena, Vienna (AT)

MAR 07, 2023 Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette (LU)

MAR 08, 2023 LMH, Cologne (DE)

MAR 09, 2023 Le Trabendo, Paris (FR)

MAR 10, 2023 O2 Academy, Bristol (GB)

MAR 11, 2023 Rock City, Nottingham (GB)

MAR 13, 2023 Garage, Glasgow (GB)

MAR 14, 2023 O2 Ritz, Manchester (GB)

MAR 15, 2023 O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (GB)

APR 01, 2023 Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia PA (USA)

APR 02, 2023 Big Night Live, Boston MA (USA)

APR 04, 2023 Roxian Theater, Pittsburgh PA (USA)

APR 05, 2023 House of Blues, Cleveland OH (USA)

APR 06, 2023 St. Andrews Hall, Detroit MI (USA)

APR 08, 2023 Bogarts, Cincinnati OH (USA)

APR 09, 2023 House of Blues, Chicago IL (USA)

APR 11, 2023 Varsity Theater, Minneapolis MN (USA)

APR 13, 2023 Summit Music Hall, Denver CO (USA)

APR 14, 2023 The Depot, Salt Lake City UT (USA)

APR 16, 2023 Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA (USA)

APR 17, 2023 The Fillmore, San Francisco CA (USA)

APR 18, 2023 Belasco, Los Angeles CA (USA)

APR 21, 2023 House of Blues, Las Vegas NV (USA)

APR 22, 2023 House of Blues, San Diego CA (USA)

APR 23, 2023 Van Buren, Phoenix AZ (USA)

APR 25, 2023 House of Blues, Dallas TX (USA)

APR 26, 2023 Aztec Theater, San Antonio TX (USA)

APR 27, 2023 House of Blues, Houston TX (USA)

APR 28, 2023 House of Blues, New Orleans LA (USA)

APR 30, 2023 House of Blues, Orlando FL (USA)

MAY 01, 2023 Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale FL (USA)

MAY 03, 2023 Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta GA (USA)

MAY 04, 2023 Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville TN (USA)

MAY 05, 2023 Underground, Charlotte NC (USA)

MAY 07, 2023 The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD (USA)

MAY 08, 2023 Irving Plaza, New York NY (USA)